Sunday, 22 September 2013

Conventions of horror

Conventions of Horror

One of the conventions of a horror movie regarding the setting is that where the story is based has a past to it, for example an old lunatic asylum or a house where a death has happened and it is haunted by the ghost. A second example of a convention of a horror movie setting is that in most horror movies the setting is a small secluded town, or isolated place, or for example a quite neighborhood.

There are also technical codes in horror movies that become conventional to the genre. Firstly, for example, a naturally lit scene and secondly an example of a technical code that has become conventional to the horror genre is a strong sound mixing with footsteps being made louder in editing to build a sense of fear.

As with every movie genre, there are different iconographies within the genre that the audience can identify with. In the horror genre, iconographies include the colours Red and Black, which connote danger, blood, darkness and evil. Other forms of iconography which are related to the horror genre include icons of the supernatural like Ghosts, and demons and also signs of religion like crosses and other symbols. As well as this, there are also dolls and clowns which have become iconographic conventions of the horror genre.

The conventional narrative structure of a horror movie can follow many different paths. For example, out of a group of victims one becomes and obvious hero and sets themselves on a quest to destroy the evil and bring the killer to justice. Or for example in a supernatural horror film it is the job of the hero to send back the evil forces and restore a new normality.

A conventional character type of a horror film include: for the moster/killer, their identity is normally hidden and in some cases they have become psychotic by an event earlier in their life. a conventional victim in a horror film are a group of teenagers who are stupid/immoral.



Horror films also have conventional themes, for example the hidden evil inside (slashers) or what happens after death (supernatural horror films). 





1 comment:

  1. Tom,

    Great first post, well done. A few pictures to brighten up (or darken) the post would go a long way.

    EllieB

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