Horror settings are often isolated areas like small towns or abandoned buildings to increase the sense of isolation. Common locations include dark alleys, woods, and abandoned structures with dark histories. Horror films employ unsettling camera techniques like high and low angles, point-of-view shots, and handheld footage to make audiences uncomfortable. Fast editing, loud noises, and eerie music also build tension. Costumes are usually dark colors and torn clothing to represent evil. Common props help identify monsters and include weapons, torches, and fire. Themes explore issues like childhood trauma, science experiments gone wrong, and madness.

1. Conventions of a horror

2. setting
 Often in small communities or in isolated areas so it is possible for more
things to happen. They can also make the audience feel isolated and relate to
the character more. We often get urban enviroments with dark streets and
narrow allyways because that is what we associate with people following you
and the chance of something bad happening. They can also use large empty
cities or ‘ghost’ towns. They like to use anything with the conotations of
isolation or being on your own
 Places with dark history are often used like abandoned houses, schools and
hotels
 Some examples of good locations would be: roads, dark woods, houses, cities,
creepy alleyways, graveyard, basements or attics

3. camera
 The camera work is not often very natural with high and low angles which
connotes fears they also make the audience feel uneasy and on edge
 There are often points of view shots used these are important as this allows
you to see from the monsters POV without revealing who the monster really
is. It also allows us to see from the victims view
 Handheld shots are also use so that it is difficult for the audience to see what
is going on it also makes them feel uncomfortable and trying to figure out
what is going on . Handheld camera also promotes the feeling of terror and
the unknown
 Depth of field is also used well to blur out something in the background or the
foreground
 Extreme close ups and close ups are also often used to make the audience
feel unconfutable

4. Costumes
 Costumes tend to be dark to fit with the film. Ususally black or dark colours
to represent being evil, yet sometimes they use the contrast of white to mean
the same thing
 Normally the lighter colours are used to represent the good people
 Some costumes tend to link with a particular monster/evil. We see zombies in
ripped clothing and mummies wrapped in dirty cloths. They also use tradition
walks and sounds that the audience can recognise

5. editing
 The editing is often vey fast and very unstable the cuts are often associated
with loud noises to make the audience jump and to relate to the protagonist
 The use of fast cuts is to confuse the audience and to build up the tension
with this there is also often the use of eerie music which again adds to the
tension

6. Sound
 Audio is very important in a horror film becuase it really helps to build up the
suspense and it also helps to scare the audience
 Often exaggerated diegetic sound like breathing is used to allow tension to
build in the film and then fast non-diegetic sound can be added to make the
audience jump or feel scared

7. Iconography
 Often dark colours are used like red and black theres are used to commutates
things like danger blood and evil
 Lighting is not often very realistic. Low lighting is used to create ddark
shadows and unfamiliar shapes in the darkness. They also use props to create
the lighting like torches and they also use things like fireplaces and bonfires
 Props help us identify the horror genre. Things that identify with the
monster/anti protagonist like knifes, chainsaws, firearms and other weapons
 The iconography of the monsters also help to connote extreme fear and terror

8. Themes used
 Childhood issues
 Technology gone bad/ science gone bad
 Combie apocalypse
 Nightmares
 Envy
 Suicide
 Madness
 Death
 Ghosts
 Religion
 Mental health
 Abuse