CONVENTIONS OF THE HORROR/PSYCHOLOGICAL

THRILLER GENRE

CAMERA WORK & EDITING

ESTABLISHING SHOTS OVER-THE-SHOULDER SHOTSEXTREME CLOSE-UP SHOTSCLOSE-UP SHOTSCANTED SHOTSQUICK CUTSPAN/TRACKING SHOT

MUSIC & SOUND

MIX OF DIEGETIC AND NON-DIEGETIC SOUNDORCHESTRAL (USUALLY PIANO AND/OR VIOLIN)HEARTBEATSHEAVY BREATHINGINFRASOUND: SOUND WAVES WITH FREQUENCIES

BELOW THE LOWER LIMIT OF HUMAN AUDIBILITYSOUND BRIDGE

MISE-EN-SCENE

DARK SETTING/ATMOSPHEREISOLATED AREACROSSES AND BIBLES (COMMONLY USED IN

POSSESSION MOVIES)KNIVES AND MACHETESLOW-KEY LIGHTINGCOMMON COLOURS: RED (EVIL), BLACK (EVIL),

WHITE (PURE)FACIAL EXPRESSIONS: HORRIFIED (SCREAMING),

CREEPY SMILESVISUAL EFFECTS: SMOKE, MIRRORS

ICONOGRAPHY

BLOODWEAPONSCRUCIFIXKNIVESMASKSBODIESSHADOWS

CHARACTERSTHE PROTAGONIST: THIS IS USUALLY A FEMALE CHARACTER AS THEY

ARE THE SMARTEST AND MOST MORALLY STANDING OF THE GROUP. THEY ALMOST ALWAYS SURVIVE IN ORDER TO PAVE WAY FOR A SEQUEL. FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE SCREAM FRANCHISE, THE LEAD ROLE IS SIDNEY

THE “SEX APPEAL”: MOSTLY BRAVE, MALE ROLE. THIS CHARACTER SHOWS THE LEAST EMOTIONS AND ALTHOUGH HE FIGHTS THE VILLAIN, HE MAY NOT RETURN. FOR EXAMPLE, PARIS HILTON IN THE HOUSE OF WAX.

THE IRRITATING CHARACTER: THIS ROLE IS OFTEN PARTNERED WITH THE “SEX APPEAL” AND ARE OFTEN THE FIRST TO GO. DUE TO THEIR BEHAVIOUR, THE VIEWER IS USUALLY HAPPY WHEN THEY ARE KILLED FIRST.

THE UNLIKELY HERO: THIS CHARACTER IS GENERALLY THE ONE THE AUDIENCE SUSPECTS TO BE THE ANTAGONIST DUE TO THEIR ACTIONS AND APPEARANCE IN THE FILM.

THE ANTAGONIST: THE “VILLAIN” OF THE FILM IS USUALLY REVEALED AT THE END OF THE FILM. THEY ARE USUALLY KILLED AT THE END, OR IN SOME CASES, ARE LEFT WOUNDED TO MAKE ROOM FOR A POSSIBLE SEQUEL.