Codes and Conventions
6
Transcript of Codes and Conventions
The sacrificial lamb is the first female victim to get killed- their murder will start off the plot and narrative-informing the audience of the intentions of the antagonist.
Casey Becker (drew Barrymore)Scream-1996The blonde girl is originally
quirky. Most female victims are
blonde which has the
connotation of stupidity. She
does not call for help, instead
she plays along and ends up
dead.
Their lack of common sense gets them
into the situation in the first place, which
leads them to their death.
Instead of running away from the
antagonist the victim will usually just
scream.
A lot of antagonists wear masks to hide their ‘true identity’ this adds suspense for the audience and draws them into the film as they want to know whether they are revealed at the end.
The killer often has a
trademark such as a
mask, weapon or a
specific way to kill their
victims.
They are usually from a
dark and troubled past
which made them how they
are, either mental or
wanting revenge.
Flashbacks can be shown in
horror films to show their
backgrounds.
Actions (conventions)
Characters don’t fully
acknowledge their
threats-
They find out that
people have gone
missing in the area yet
they still decide to stay
there.Power cut-Darkness gives the antagonist an advantage as their victims are running scared and blind.
Phone lines are down-
mobile is dead,
Lost, trapped, with no
contact for help.
Someone goes to investigate a noise- a very commonly used convention in horror, a characters friends may have all gone missing/ been killed but they still go to investigate the strange sound.
A character runs
upstairs instead of out
an open door, thinking
it will be safer locked
away in a closet.
The victim
inexplicably falls
whilst being
chased by the
killer.
The vehicle won’t start whilst travelling through a deserted area.
Settings LARGE, VAST, SPACIOUS settings allowing the characters to explore
DARK, ISCOLATED, ABANDONED locations which make the character more vulnerable as there is no where to run, hide or seek help.
DESERTED areas such as a woodland increase tension as the character will often get lost.
SUBURBAN HOUSES often the home of the main character, the warm homely atmosphere add to the suspense and realism which can really disturb the audience.
