As a group we decided to research horror films.
The main codes and conventions that you will see in this genre of film are as
follows...
FEATURES: elements
such as death, murder, the unknown and unnatural experiences.
THEMES: Revenge,
childhood issues, good vs evil and nightmares.
CHARACTERS:
The killer/psychopath, the non-believer, the hero, the last
victim standing. Victims are shown as innocent so that the audience feel scared
and sorry for them whereas the killer is shown as evil so that the audience
feel hatred towards them.
SETTING: secluded/deserted
areas, large and old houses, forests/woodland areas, warehouses, hospitals and
so on. All settings usually have a hidden past. These types of settings create
realism as the target audience have all been to a place like this so they are
able to relate to the film, therefore increasing the fear for the audience as
they begin to picture themselves in these situations.
SOUNDS: non-diegetic
(i.e. eerie music), diegetic (i.e. screams), unexpected loud noises, the sound
of rain. This all builds tension and makes the audience jump.
PROPS: weapons such as knifes, axes, chainsaws, ropes and (sometimes but not as often) guns. Weapons
used are usually ones that would inflict a slow and painful death to make the
audience feel even more uncomfortable. The killer’s twisted mind is also used
as a weapon.
SIGHTS: the
killer is never normally revealed until nearer the end, he/she is just shown as
a shadow or silhouette until the story progresses. The victims are shown
scared and running around trying to figure out what’s going on. As the film
progresses the lighting gets darker and the climax of the film is usually
always at night in the pitch black.
The film I researched was ''The Shining'' as I think
it fits with most of the codes and conventions of horror films...
Clicking on each title will take you to the analysis of some more horror films...
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