Conventions of a horror film
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Horror films typically follow certain conventions in their narratives, themes, characters, and stylistic elements. The narrative usually involves a hero or protagonist embarking on a mission to defeat a central villain, such as a serial killer or supernatural force. Common themes include good versus evil, the supernatural, science gone wrong, and madness. Character archetypes include victims, monsters, stupid teenagers, and survivors. Visual and audio elements like dark lighting, disturbing props, isolated settings, and tense music are used to build fear and terror in viewers.
Conventions of a horror film
- 1. Conventions of a horror film Robyn Dickinson
- 2. What is a horror film • Horror films are films that are created to cause fear , horror, disgust and terror from their viewers. • There plots often frequently invove themes of death , the supernatural or mental illness • Most include a central villian who has certain issues and a victim who has to work a away out of the situation
- 3. Narrative • There is usually a hero , protagonist or last man/ woman standing at the end of the film , keeping to the normal conventions of any genre. Usually the hero has to embark on a mission to eitha kill or solve the problem. • However some narratives are very formulaic and this is normally presented in sub genre such as slasher films. This is normally after something that has turned the killer insane for example a bad childhood or psychotic problems the villan returns to his or hers home town and preys on young teenagers. These teenages represent “immoral” and are usually rather stupid. They are normally the ones at the begging of the horror film or maybe just get killed very quickly , however there is normally a survour usually female at the end from the group . •
- 4. Themes • The normal themes associated with a horror film are • Good “V” Evil • Depression • Religion • Childhood issues • Supernatural • Beyond death • Science gone wrong • Zombie Apocalypse • Nightmares • Madness / insanity • Lust • Self conscious • Envy • Suicide • Bullying • Alien invasions
- 5. Characters • The main protagonist , often the victim or hero of the film • The villain, often monster ,mutated freak, alien or serial killer • The stupid/ immoral teenagers that always get killed • Creepy children • Police officers eitha good or bad • Others include ghosts , zombies , demons, psychopaths, stalker , weirdo, cheerleader, person who lives to tell the story from different encounter and many more
- 6. Iconography • Visual style which is often dark colours such as red and black which give links to death danger and or evil. • Lighting is expressive and non-naturalistic for example low key lighting can help to effect dark shadows and disfigured shapes in the blackness. Lighting can also be used in the world of the film too to help create these aspects such as bonfires , torches and candlelight
- 7. Iconographry • Props can also help further identify the horror genre, specific props can be helped to identify a certain character and the type of horror will be involved for example chainsaws , machetes, claw gauntlets are usually associated with massacre or slasher films which initial just pure blood and gore where as props such as crosses , pendants , anitient artifacts and old books are normally associated with paranormal horror such as exosism and the devil. • The iconography of monsters help to create extreme fear disgust or terror eg werewolfs ,vampires , mummies or frankenstein
- 8. Visual style • Clothes are often torn, dirty or bloody. If there is a killer in the horror film then they are often wearing something to disguise themselves such as masks, for example in Halloween Michael Myers wears a boiler suit and a white mask to disguise his identity. • Also weapons such as bloody knifes , guns and general house hold objects help to create the fear that it could happen to anyone
- 9. Setting • The setting in a horror film is normally a small or isolated area, such as woods , small communities, houses, churches or anything with a dark or ghostly history such as mental asylums , hospitals or abandon cabins.
- 10. Sound/ music • Music helps to add tension. • There is an audio sequence in a horror film that most people recognise. A long ereie musical build up of strings and horns as the victim for example approaches the closed door , then this is followed by a violent orchestral hit as the victim opens the door to encounter whatever is behind it . This is typical of most horror films making it a conventions