1. GENRE RESEARCH:
HORROR

2.  Horror film plays on audience’s emotions and fear especially
to what are unknown to them
 Supernatural is the most popular subgenre that perfectly
presents horror as a genre. As mentioned, supernaturals are
unknown to human and has been a mystery, which makes
audience to use their own imagination to predict what might
they be or what will happen at anytime.
 It is a genre that can be a hybrid with the other genres
 One of the main convention to a horror plot is supernatural
beings like ghosts or terrific figures like monsters or for
example werewolf. Every sorts of things that are mainly out of
reality to scare audience

3. Themes
 Horror films focus on and present 'the dark side of life’ to
audience.
 Revenge
 Haunting
 Demons and exorcisms
 Gore
 Serial Killers
 Religious belief
 Ghosts
 These are general themes that contribute to subgenres

4. Sub-genres
 Sub-genres are genres that are diverse from horror but
closely-related
o Gothic
o Psychological
o Supernatural
o Slasher
o Suspense
o Thriller
o Teen terror
o Satanic
o Demonic

5. Narrative
 A protagonist character whom the story is mainly
based on
 Other characters including:
- Hero
- Evil / villain
- Sidekick
 Binary oppositions especially hero and villain are
usually obvious to audience
 Plot is usually presented accordingly with
sometimes, flashbacks of characters’ memories
which have triggered the horrific actions

6. Characters
 The Protagonist
- usually maximum of 2 in a film
 The Antagonist
- The villain of the film is usually revealed at the end of the film. Following the
new equilibrium, they will usually die or get severe punish at the end
 The Irritating character
- This role is often partnered with the “sex appeal” and often the first to go.
Due to their behaviour, the viewer is usually happy when they have been
killed off.
 The unobvious hero
- This character is generally seen as to trick audience throughout the film
that he/she is the villain or at least a bad person as they seem to go against
the protagonist or they do not meet the standards of what they should be.

7. Camera angles
 Extreme close ups
 Medium close ups
 Point-of-view shots
 Tracking
 Panning
 Hand-held camera
 Zoom in & out

8. Setting
 Usually mysterious, old, isolated, abandoned or
locations with hidden past.
 They give audience a sense of enigma and
anxiety.
 Usually set at night time. (Sometimes not, as long
as is in low-key lighting)
 Character/protagonist is usually alone or just with
a few people in order to increase the loneliness
and helplessness of them

9. Iconography
 Usually are easily identifiable to audience
 Black, grey, white and red are the main colours that are
associated with horror movies
 Props e.g. weapons
- Knife
- Chainsaws
- Rope
- Axe etc
 Low key lighting
 Religious symbols, masks, make-ups
 Costumes