Conventions of Horror

Conventions of Horror	Associated to Horror
1. Sound	· Non Diegetic Sound: scary music in the background · Diegetic Sound: screaming, dialogue,
2. Camera	· Point of view shot: from the characters perspective · Hand held shot: filmed from the cameraman’s own hands, for e.g. The Blair Witch Project · Tracking shot: Following characters actions · Extreme long shot: shot of scenery and making the villain unknown and unseen · These camera shots are used frequently throughout Horror Movies
3. Lighting	· Often dark lighting, for e.g. The Descent · Hard Lighting: darkness, naturalistic and realistic · Colour Temperature: colour generating different moods, for e.g. the colour red signifies blood and murder
4. Editing	· Fast paced editing: creating tense exciting atmosphere (happens in most horror movies) · Dissolve/ Mixes: signal a flashback or a change of consciousness, for e.g. Saw
5. Target audience	· Teenagers and adults · Not suitable for children
6. Mise En Scene	· Isolated scenes, such as: forests, caves, deserted island or house
7. Mood of Narrative	· Frightened, panicked, cause dread alarm, invoke our hidden worst fears, captivate and entertain us in a cathartic experience and concluding a shocking and unexpected climax
8. Connotation: Representation of Gender	· Women: are seen as weak ,helpless, vulnerable and seem to be the victims · Men: seem to be the murderers or the villain
9. Two Broad Categories	· Wet Horror: known as the ‘splatter movie’, involving lots of blood and gore for e.g. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre And The Descent · Dry Horror: tends to be more psychological in the fear it creates for e.g. The Shining and Psycho
10. Popular subjects for Horror	· Disgust: more psychological, for e.g. The Shining · Sadism: wanting to cause pain, for e.g. Saw · Insanity: scare of certain people and portraying them negatively · Cannibalism: eating human, for e.g. Wrong Turn · Religious: for e.g. The Exorcist · Supernatural and evil
11. Fears created by Horror	· Nightmares, our vulnerability, alienation, revulsions, terror of the unknown, fear of death, loss of identity and fear of sexuality