CONVENTIONS OF A HORROR

FILM

• Isolated places

• Urban environments

• Run down ghost towns

• Abandoned houses/ hotels

• Mental asylums

• Corn fields

• Graveyard

• Forests

• Church

SETTINGS

Camera works

• High and low angles connotes fear and isolation

• POV shots from the characters

• Handheld shots to allow the audience to feel a part of the film and

also the unknown.

• Disturbing sound: Ambient diegetic sounds e.g. footsteps and on

diegetic sounds e.g. heartbeat

• Editing – pace tells the audience what's going to happen

TECHNICAL CODES

• Good versus evil

• Supernatural

• Insanity

• Depression

• Nightmares

• Revenge

• Lust

• Envy

• Childhood issues

• Zombie apocalypse

THEMES

• Visual styles: Often dark tones and the relations between red and

black to connote fear and death.

• Lighting: Low key helps create shadows to spark the audiences

imagination and create fearful emotions.

• Props: It can be identified with a character e.g. chainsaw, knives,

masks or a religious symbol.

ICONOGRAPHY

• A hero (can embark on a mission to kill or solve problems)

• The villain who has a troubled past comes for revenge

• After some events/ childhood past/ psychotic medical issues, a

killer turns insane.

NARRATIVE STRUCTURE

• Victim/hero

• Creepy children

• Serial killer

• Stupid/ immoral teenager who gets killed

• A psychopath

• Stalker

• Ghost

• Zombie

• Demon etc.

CHARACTERS