Horror Genre

ConventionsBy Scarlett Christou

LocationThe conventional location of a horror film Is typically a small family home or a deserted area or building.

The bottom left screenshot is from The Woman In Black. The location of the film is a large, very old deserted house. The weather is always shown as cloudy and dull which relates to the negative aspect of the genre. The screenshot in the middle is from the film The Devil Inside. The location of this film is a small family house to show that the crisis is happening to an average family which will cause the audience to connect with the film. The last screenshot is from the film Mama, which also takes place in a family house. It is shown very dull which adds to the eerie atmosphere.

Sound

The conventional music used in horror films is usually mysterious and quiet at first however when the scene is leading up to something it gets louder and more dramatic with long high pitched notes to make the audience feel uncomfortable. It is usually irregular to make the audience feel uncomfortable. Sometimes it will then very suddenly stop and there will be a long pause of silence which leaves the audience on edge and sometimes convinces them that everything has gone back to normal, before a loud blast of music is played while something jumps out.

PropsIn horror film which are set in the past, traditional china dolls are usually used. They normally have an eerie look or have something abnormal about them in order to relate them to the horror genre. For example, the screenshot on the bottom left which is from The Woman In Black shows a doll with a scared expression and dirt on its face. These features of the doll cause the audience to feel uncomfortable. In other, older horror films phones are sometimes used, and odd phone calls are made by a mysterious stranger like in Scream. This person could be an evil spirit of murderer. Also, religious symbols or references like crosses, churches, bibles are used to contrast against the content of the film. The screenshot on the bottom right from the film Annabelle shows a man in a priests collar. Religion objects are also used to get rid of the evil.

Costume & Makeup

Evil or possessed characters typically wear dull or dirty flowing gowns like the screenshot on the bottom left from the film Annabelle. This makes them seem more mysterious and eerie.

Sometimes makeup is used to create a scary looking character like the picture on the bottom right from The Grudge, which is made to look pale and dirty.