Horror film codes and conventions

• Codes and Conventions of a Horror

1. Example of Horror Films
   • “ Psycho”- Psychological
   • “ The shining”- Psychological
   • “ The exorcist”- Religious
   • “ Wolf Creek”- True story
   • “ The Decent”- Monster/Gore
   • “ Saw”- Psychological- gore
   • “ Texas Chainsaw Massacre”- Gore
2. Horror film
   • Horror Films are unsettling films designed to;
   • Frighten and panic
   • Cause dread and alarm
   • Invoke our hidden worst fears
   • Captivate and entertain us in a cathartic experience.
   • Often conclude in a terrifying shocking Finale.
3. Fears created by horrors
   • For different types of audiences it can deal with our fears;
   • Nightmares
   • Our vulnerability
   • Alienation
   • Revulsions
   • Terror of the unknown
   • Fear of death
   • Loss of identity
   • Fear of sexuality
4. Characters
   • There's always a lead character, that often results as the survivor in the film.
   • The Killer/ monster often has a trademark characteristic in the way he kills, for example the people he kills or the weapon he uses to kill them.
   • Its usually good against evil, the two characters conflict.
• The outcome is the good person always survives, or defeats the “bad guy.
• The villain tends to have a trademark characteristic as to how they kill e.g. weapons used, who they kill.
• Binary opposition good vs evil.
5. Sound 

Fast pace music for tense scenes or  action scenes 

Common use of choir singing.

Common use if a beat in the time of a drum/heart.

Piano/Organ music - whethr it be fast or slow it has a spooky feel.

      6. Location

Churches - huge relation to supernatural and Christ ( main base for supernatural genre)

Barns/farms - deserted , dark , old ( very traditional)

Fields, country roads - deserted, associated with creepy looking surrounds e.g. trees, animals and birds etc.

Things you are likely to see in a horror film which follow the traditional codes and conventions:

• An introduction to a typically normal day to day lifestyle.
• A bizarre/unknown mysterious death.
• The credits would fit into the theme of horror, by using a creepy font, and odd movement depending on the film and how modern it is.
• The majority of the characters would be quite young, most likely to be teenagers showing their vulnerability and naivety.
• If there are teenagers, it’s normally an American film so there would normally be a typical American teenage couple, i.e a ‘jock’ and a head cheerleader, most likely to be blonde.
• Mysterious unknown phone calls from the killer.
• Attempts at heroism, often from the teenage boys would be unsuccessful.
• Led to believe that the main character/victim would die, they would normally overcome the killer miraculously.