Repetoire of Elements

Horror

IconographyIconography is the physical tools of trade. In the horror genre, recurring symbols include:• Revenge• Hauntings• Serial killers• Death• Gore• Demons and exorcisms• Religious belief and icons• Weapons• Masks• Monsters such as mummies, vampires, werewolves/ghosts/villains• Lighting is often expressive and non-naturalistic. Dark shadows are created with

low-key lighting

Characters• The protagonist – hero of the movie• The villain – often a monster or serial killer• Idiotic teenagers that always get killed• Creepy children• Police officers which can be good or bad• Other common characters include zombies, ghosts, psychopaths, werewolves,

stalker and more.• Examples of famous horror film characters include:

Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare on Elm Street)

Chucky (Child’s Play)

Ghostface (Scream)

Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th)

Ideological themes• Ideological themes are sets of values or belief and the ideology message can be

delivered by the media text and its producers. Some ideologies can be conflicting.• In horror, ideology themes include:• Supernatural• Revenge• Suicide• Good vs. Evil• Religion• Childhood issues• Science experiments gone wrong• Nightmares• Psychological issues• Apocalypse• Beyond death

Settings• Isolated areas• Dark streets• Abandoned buildings• Alleyways• Run down ghost towns• Insane asylums• Lakes• Highways• Forests• Graveyards• Deep water• Hospitals

Narrative structure• A narrative structure provides a formula or template in film production• However the narrative is not simply just the plot or story, it is also the

meaning for the audience• Film makers look to experiment with the structure of the story• In horror, there’s always a protagonist keeping up with the conventions of

the genre. Usually the hero must embark on a mission to kill or solve problems.

• Slasher films have noticeably formulaic narratives – After some event or childhood past that turns the killer insane, the villain returns to his home town and preys on teenagers. These teenagers are seen as immature and stupid and they are usually the ones who start the horror at the beginning or get killed quickly. There is also usually a survivor, most likely a female character.

For example, Final girl becomes more masculine and phallic as she becomes more aggressive from hiding to

fighting back the killer and hunting him down.