Fear reduction
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If a movie scared you as a child, watch the behind-the-scenes footage to understand how it was made.
It can help overcome fear and spark an interest in the genre.
one person who lived it
- Watch behind-the-scenes footage of horror movies to ruin the terror.1
Watch scene breakdowns of horror movies to see how special effects were created using safe materials.
Seeing that props like syringes were made with fishing line and jello reduces terror.
one person who lived it
Watch post-show discussions featuring actors in makeup without blood or CGI to reduce distress after seeing violent scenes.
Seeing actors being silly in prosthetics helps alleviate feelings about violence and gore.
one person who lived it
Alleviate fear of 'Tremors' by watching behind-the-scenes footage revealing the worm was made of rubber puppets and miniatures.
One viewer reported this helped a lot.
one person who lived it
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Be aware that showing someone proof that The Fourth Kind is not real footage may not convince them if they already believe it is based on advertising claims.
- One person continued to believe the footage was real despite being shown evidence otherwise.
one person who lived it
Watch behind-the-scenes documentaries for horror films to see how gory scenes were technically achieved.
Watching technicians figure out practical effects turns horrific scenes into interesting or funny ones.
one person who lived it
Do not rely on behind-the-scenes footage to reduce fear of The Shining, as the tense mood and crying during filming may reinforce the inescapable nature of the Overlook.
- The tense atmosphere and crying during production did not alleviate fear for this viewer.
one person who lived it