Key Conventions of Horror

The key conventions of horror can be broken down into six categories; setting, technical code, iconography, narrative structure, character types and themes. All of these put together can be applied to any film you watch.

Setting

Most commonly take place in small communities or isolated places, the more rural and suburban places opposed to the inner cities. This presents more opportunities for isolation, or a whole town to be involved in some way. Places that have a past are also often chosen as it creates a story, such as asylums. They usually take place where you would assume would be everyday places to make it seem more realistic and relate-able to the audience. The night time hours are shown more than the lighters hours of the day as they represent vulnerability due to the victims lacking the sense of sight.

Technical Code

More expressive camerawork and editing is used, such as high, cantered angles to create a sense of disorientation. Extreme close up's are often chosen to show the victims to exaggerate the fear and they keep the threat out of the frame to add to the terror of it being unknown. When Extreme close up's are used on the attacker it gives the impression of the viewers personal space being invaded making them feel uneasy. The jump cuts from close ups to long shots to tracking shots add a feel of panic and a rush that raises the viewers heart beat engrossing them into what is happening. This then helps with the sound element as using ambient sound can take them unaware and add to the scare/jump factor.

Iconography

Visual signifiers that makes apparent the genre of film, for example the colours red and black, blood, weapons. These are all obvious connotations of evil and danger. Exaggerated and non-natural light is used to emphasise the contrast of the shadows. Iconography of childhood is usually shown and used within films, such as dolls, playgrounds, clowns, children songs/rhymes. The use of children has a deeper effect on the viewer and the idea of using binary opposites adds to the dramatic nature of the scene.

Narrative Structure

The classical Hollywood narrative structure; Normality > Disruption > Closure, is typically the structure that can be applied to most horror films. This concept of narrative structure is based upon the theories of Tzvetan Todorov. In many horrors the classical Hollywood narrative is somewhat problematic with its unambiguous hero, as a large number of slasher movies have the 'final girl' as a/victim/hero opposed to the standard, simple hero. Some sub-genres of horror follow very similar paths with a traumatic childhood event that creates the psychotic killer who will later return to the past location on an anniversary to kill again as apart of his revenge and justice.

Character Types

In nearly all horrors you have the main protagonist character who is often the victim/hero, a killer with a traumatic past story or hidden secret, stupid and/or immoral teenagers that get killed, ineffective help such as police officers/law enforcers, the hero that fails and the people that don't believe. 

Themes

Most commonly binary opposites presents itself as the main theme; natural vs unnatural, good vs evil, known vs unknown. The hidden evil, science out of control, what is on the other side of death are all popular routes that creators of these horrors go down to create a movie that appeals to the viewers. All of these themes have been done many times and work, therefore they know this is appealing to their target audience and is taking on the desired effect and being watched.