Conventions and Codes of Horror

Narrative and Structure of horror films

• Unnatural curse
• Someone who is mentally disabled and uses very violent methods
• Survival
• Cults
• Religious beliefs
• Death/Murder
• Revenge

Stereotypical characters of Horror

• Character who usually dies- In many horror movies you usually have an attractive female character or someone that dies in the woods or somewhere in the beginning of the horror movie
• the unlikely hero- the character in the movie which makes the audience think hes a hero because of the skills they have but they always usually die doing something stupid
• The protagonist- usually played by female character due to the fact that they are usually are intelligent and sensible in the films
• The antagonist-usually one of the main characters which sometimes has a few helpers to help throughout the horror movie

Props used in Horror

• Fake blood
• Weapons which usually suggest a type of violence and horror to the crowd, such as axes, knives, chainsaws, and other weapons. When audiences see this it usually creates a sense of fear.
• Masks which usually cover the main villains face, such as Friday The 13th: Jason
• Bodies because usually you have many people that die in Horror films

Colors in Horror

• Red-usually signifies blood, the devil, or threats
• Black- Mystery, darkness, evil, fear, death. There is also something in film called the black sheep, someone who is neglected from society, used to show why the villain became how he did because of neglection
• White- coldness, innocence, emptiness

Sounds of Horror

• Non-diegetic sound- This type of sound is always used in the background of scenes in horror movies and is considered one of the most important areas of sound because this is what causes the most tension in the audience. There is usually a slow violin playing or other instruments that make the scenes seem cold, dark, feeling of being alone.
• Synchronous sound- Sound that is usually placed in jump scares to frighten the audience. It is usually very loud and put in the most intensifying scene in horror movies. A perfect example of this is in the movie IT they are looking at a clip in a garage of Penny wise when out of nowhere he jumps out of the clip with a scary face and laughing and screaming at the kids when playing loud clown music.

Settings of Horror

The most common settings for horror films are places that are abandoned or isolated like the middle of the woods or a home that is located in the middle of nowhere. A perfect example of a horror setting is the Roanoke house in American Horror Story. It’s an isolated home located in the middle of the forest. These are usually creates tension and suspense in the audience because since it is so isolated something could happen out of nowhere with the villain.

Costumes used in Horror

costumes in horror films usually make the characters role recognizable to the audience. Antagonists are usually dark to fit in with the usual semantic field of mystery and the protagonists usually wear light colors to show a sense of hope to the audience. There are also some costumes that are very iconic such as the Freddy Cougar with his messed up face and his long sharp claws. When we see this costume outside of the movie we automatically think of this character and the film he was in.