Conventions of Horror

Horror films are designed to frighten and panic the audience, cause alarm, fear and dead. To invoke its audiences hidden most worst fears. Captivating and entertain its audience and to finish with a shocking yet terrifying finale.

Settings: The settings that are used can range from dark woods, to smalls communities or isolates places. Deserted barns or towns create the perfect setting for a zombie apocalypse or a large busy city for alien inhabitance. Dark streets and narrow alleyways create the suspense and fear for the audience, anything that connotes isolation or being alone. Other locations that would be good for a horror genre film could be: Lakes, roads, highways, countryside, farms, woodlands, houses, cabins, subways, gloomy underground tunnels, creepy hotels, abandoned houses, asylums, deep water, shopping mall, science labs, alien planets etc.

Iconography: Dark colours like red and black that connotes evil, blood and danger is key in a horror film to create fear for the audience. Low-Key lighting can be used to create dark shadows and unfamiliar shapes in the darkness. Props that are usually associated with horror films are usually considered to be weapons of gore and destruction like chainsaws, machetes, knifes, axes.

Narrative Structure: There is also a hero a protagonist, a man or ‘final girl’ of the film, keeping with the normal conventions of the genre. Usually the hero must embark on a mission or quest to kill or solve problems.

Character Types: The main protagonist, often the ‘victim/hero’ of the movie. The villain, often a monster, mutated freak, alien or serial killer. The stupid/immortal teenagers that always get killed first. Possessed creepy children. Corrupt or law abiding police officers. Also could include Ghosts, zombies, demons, psychopaths, and stalkers.

Sound: Fast paced music is used for tense scenes or action scenes where a character is running away from something or someone. The sound usually increases over time to further create tension. Common use of choir singing to create that

creepy feel. Piano/Organ music – whether it be fast or slow it gives a spooky feel to the scene.

Supernatural: Supernatural horror films deal with the unknown questions in life, they includes things that appear beyond normal perceptions like paranormal ghostly activity, zombies, demons and tend to incorporate religious elements into the plot, but not to be confused with the satantic/religious subgenre, they can also include gods, goddesses, spirits, miracles or other depictions of extraordinary phenomena. In zombie themed horror films, they portray mindless human beings who are raised from the dead, feasting on human flesh; the plot then revolves around the struggle between the living, and the living-dead. Example of zombie horror would be ‘Night of the living dead’, ’28 Days Later’, ‘Zombieland’ which also incorporates comedy as well as ‘Shaun Of The Dead’ which is a classic comedy-horror film. Some examples of supernatural film would be ‘What Lies Beneath’ while people around her believe she is becoming delusional, a women is convinced that ghosts haunt her house. Also the ‘Paranormal Activity’ sequel being an example of Supernatural horror. The locations that are typically associated with supernatural horrors tend to be based in places such as Churches, deserted barns/farms, old abandoned houses and fields/woods. Fast paced music usually is used for tense scenes when someone is running from something or being chased, the use of a beat in the time of a drum to show heartbeat and piano/organ music – whether it be fast or slow usually increasing over time to create a spooky feel.

Psychological: Psychological horror films differ from the traditional horror films, where the source of fear is usually created by the presence of monsters, creatures or aliens, psychological horrors rely on characters’ fears and emotional instability to built tension. They aim to create discomfort and the sense that the character is going crazy and that all their fear and vulnerabilities are all inside their mind. It builds tension through atmosphere, eerie sounds and exploitation of the viewer’s and the characters psychological fears. Films related to this Psychological genre are films like shutter island, the shining, session 9, and silence of the lambs. Some of the main settings that are used in a Psychological horror film are big houses, forest/ woodland areas, ware houses, schools, and hospitals, mental asylums and so on. Flashbacks are usually used to show the audience what had happened to them in their lives that has led to this break down and disturbed them to become mentally challenged. A disturbed or tormented individual is the main antagonist who usually returns back for revenge and seek those who have weak minds to manipulate and control. A high percentage of the victims are female, and the uses of children as

the killer are also popular in Psychological horror for example the orphan, the omen, the grudge, the ring, insidious or sinister.

Dark Fantasy: Contain fantasy elements with a horror twist, or horror with a distinctly fantastical setting, like Stephens King’s Dark Tower series. Refers to having a dark, gloomy atmosphere or a sense of horror and dread. Dark fantasy is sometimes also used to describe stories told from a monsters point of view, or that present a more sympathetic view of supernatural beings usually associated with horror.

Sci-fi: Sci-fi horror films uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science or that are typically researched into, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien world. Many science fiction films include elements of mysticism, occult, magic, or the supernatural. They are usually set on other worlds that have been created for the film, like spaceships or real life settings where planet earth has been invaded by unknown creatures. War of the worlds is a popular sci-fi horror featuring Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning. Alien vs. Predator is an example of a Sci-fi horror film, it follows a team of archaeologists for an expedition near the Antarctic when they discover a pyramid below the surface being caught in between a battle between two species and attempt to prevent the Aliens from reaching the surface.

Satanic/Religious/Occult: Derived from certain belief systems and the evil aspects that they fight again. Usually involves demonic possessions, exorcisms or exploring the darker side of religion. Films like the Exorcist, The Devil Inside, REC, the Possession or the Rite.

Splatterpunk/Slasher: Extreme horror, with graphic and gory violence intended to gross you out includes cinema’s torture porn category. in movies like Hostel. In splatter horror films they deliberately focus of graphic portrayals of gore and graphic violence, using special effects and excessive blood and guts. Slasher horror films revolve around a psychopathic killer, usually stalking and murdering their victims in a extremely violent and memorable way. They will devote more screen time to show murder and mayhem that other sub-genres of horror, a good example of this would be ‘Halloween’, where the young boy gets revenge on those who bullied him in a sinister and brutal way.