Horror Genre Conventions

Setting

·         Small communities or isolated places. Urban environments, dark streets and narrow alleyways. Large cities or run down ghost towns. Anything that connotes isolation or being alone.

·         Places with ‘dark’ history, like abandoned houses and hotels.

·         Locations: lakes, roads, highways, dark woods, cabins, underground tunnels, farms, countryside, graveyards, hospitals, churches and cellars.

Characters

·         The main character is often the victim/hero of the movie.

·         Teenagers are often the victims.

·         Police officers (whether they’re bad or good.)

Technical Codes

·         Camerawork is very expressive and not natural. High and low angles can connote fear and nightmares.

·         POV (point of view shot, shows what the character is looking at) because they allow the audience to see the world from the 'monsters' eye.

·         Disturbing sounds are very important. E.g. footsteps, heartbeat, screams etc.

·         ECU (extreme close-up) shots are very useful too, as it helps the audience with identification with horror and fear.

Iconography

·         Dark colours, like red and black are linked to evil, danger and fear

·         Low key lighting can create shadows and unfamiliar shapes e.g. bonfires, torches and fireplaces.

·         Objects such as: weapons, masks, religious symbols etc are all related with horror

Themes

·         Depression

·         Religion

·         Revenge

·         Lust

·         Suicide

·         Envy

·         Madness

·         Science gone wrong