1. List as
many codes
and
conventions
of the
horror
genre seen
in:

2. Compare with other ‘types’
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•
Halloween – Slasher
Saw – Torture Porn/Gore
Scream - Slasher
Friday the 13th – Psychological/Slasher
Texas Chainsaw Massacre - Gore
The Descent – Monster/Gore
The Exorcist - Religious

3. Horror films are unsettling and designed to
cause discomfort to the viewer. It could do any
these things to you;
• Frighten and make the viewer panic causing
heart rate to rise.
• Cause dread and alarm.
• Invoke hidden or even new fears, sometimes
lasting longer than the film.
• Captivate and entertain us in a fearful and
gruesome manner.
• Conclude often in a way that shocks the
audience.

4. Typical fears reinforced by the
horror genre
Any good horror film should play on at least one of the
following;
• Nightmares - something everyone has experienced once in
their life
• Vulnerability - the inability to withstand the effects of a hostile
environment.
• Alienation - being alone is one of the scariest things for
everyone
• Fear of the unknown - even something simple like a low lit
room
• Death - the inevitable and also unknown, it’s never certain
what will happen when you die.
• Loss of identity - losing everything you once were

5. Machete
Knife
Weapons that
inflict a slow
and painful
death
Axe Chainsaw
Cave
Isolated Town
Countryside
Usually stabbing weapon
never a gun
Woods
weapon
Haunted/Abandoned House
Isolated places
Teenagers
Parents
Props
Location/Setting
The Virgin survives as long
as her virginity
Characters
Horror Conventions
Sound/music
A group of
people, the
audience can
relate to
Evil twin
Psycho
Ghost/Demon
Mental patient
Monster
Outcast
Villain/Killer
Victims
The slut( promiscuous girl)
gets punished for being
sexual active
Children
Killer
Uses a lot of non-diegetic
sound to set a mood
Sub genre
Religious
Sci-fi Teen slasher
Monster
Vampire
Masked murders
Killer/monster never dies
Killer (usually a male
character)

6. Key film language to use in your
essays
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Convention
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Narrative
•
Genre
•
Mise-en-scene
•
Lighting
•
Editing
•
Performance
Camera – movement
Shot - angle/tilt
Framing
Composition
Sound
Colour
Iconography