Genre Conventions of Horror.

SETTING:
- The setting of the horror genre is often in small places such as a town or small community which creates the sense of isolation.

- Places such as abandoned houses which have a past are normally a typical setting in horror because the past can return to torment the victims.

- Homes which have different levels such as basements, attics etc, are good settings for horror films because they are places for secrets to be discovered and the past to inhabit.

- Night time/ Out of hour "innocent" places are used for horror settings to create suspense and shock as you don't expect evil to come from such an innocent place. For instance, a fairground or park.


TECHNICAL CODES:
- Camerawork is expressive rather than naturalistic, although more horror films are made with handheld cameras, such as cloverfield, which makes it more scary for the audience because they believe it is real. Also canted camerawork creates a disorientation feel for the audience.

-Extreme close ups of the victim enable the audience to share their fear and it also creates suspense as you cannot see what the victim can see.

-Point of view shooting often places the audience in the monsters or victims eyes, involving the viewer.

- Depth of frame, protagonist in foreground and monster in background.

- The editing may create unsettling jumps and cuts which creates suspense for the audience.

-Ambient sound for atmosphere such as footsteps.Asynchronous and contrapuntal sounds make it feel more disturbing for the audience.


ICONOGRAPHY:
- The colours black and red, Connotations of evil and blood.

-Low key and High key lighting to contrast and emphasise shadows. Unexpected angles of light to create mysterious shadows.

-Objects in the mise-en-scene such as weapons, blood. Icons of the supernatural, ghosts and moving objects. Religion, crosses and symbols. Props: guns, chainsaws, masks, costumes.

-Iconography of childhood innocence (Binary oppositions)


NARRATIVE STRUCTURE:
- Resolution or closure

-"False closures" to enable a sequel or to suggest a mythic quality of the monster.

- Main protagonist or Final girl.

-Binary oppositions, good/bad, day/night.


CHARACTER TYPES:
-Main protagonist, victim/ hero of the film

-Monsters which are possessed by the past

-Teenagers

-Children

-Police and the Law

-Ghost, zombies, demons, madmen.


THEMES:
-Binary Oppositions, Natural/Unnatural, Good/Evil

-Hidden evil

-Science which has got out of control

-Other side of death

-Revenge, suicide, childhood issues, supernatural.