Forms and Conventions of the

Horror Genre

Particular genres will have different features that will enable it to be recognised by the audience. This will help the audience to decide if they would want to see that film or not. If the film was a romance, you would expect the marketing campaigns to include slow music, bright colours and generally features that would appeal to this type

of audience.

The horror genre typically includes dark lighting, fast paced shots and eerie music.

Key components in helping to establish the genre include;

Characters

Location, backdrop

Props

Music and sounds

Costume

Camera angles

LocationHorror films tend to be based in everyday places such as houses. This creates an eerie effect on the audience where in fact this could happen to them. Some of the most popular horrors such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Paranormal Activity, Insidious and The Woman in Black all happened in houses. This makes the horror films more scary and appealing to the horror fanatics as they will be thinking that this will happen to them.

This image has been taken from the trailer of the film Insidious. The house appears to be a normal family home in a nice neighborhood, but by using it as a location for a horror, the lighting is turned down and it’s the perfect location for the genre.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre is also a good example of this. This still image has been taken from the trailer of the 2003 film. The house is a perfect location for a horror film – the house is secluded and lonely. It’s also a large old house, which gives it more of an eerie feeling to if it was filmed in a modern house. Already, the location gives the audience a hint that this house is where the events will take place.

PropsFrom the trailer of the film Insidious, we can already identify the forms and conventions of the horror genre. An effective horror film usually includes an object moving on its own – in this case a rocking horse. The image shows a screenshot of this part in the trailer…

This use of props also occurs in the trailer for the Texas Chainsaw Massacre film. We can see the female victim with a weapon, who is obviously defending herself. Although this follows the horror conventions, it goes against the typical stereotype that is used in horrors that the women are always the weak and vulnerable targets.

Music and SoundsThroughout the beginning of the Insidious trailer, there is the sound of a metronome ticking back and forth. This then changes to a high pitched violin screech when the trailer begins to build up with the events. This use of music and sound is often used in the horror genre, as it creates the mood that something is about to happen – it creates tension.

With the Texas Chainsaw trailer, there is a song playing at the beginning, which has a ‘country’ style to it. This helps to create the setting of being in Texas, but it is later replaced with the sound of a heartbeat as shots are shown of the events. Again, this is to build up the tension for the viewer. When I watched it, I noticed my own heartbeat, which also created an eerie feel. Another convention of the horror genre which I noticed was the sound of the camera taking pictures of the characters whilst they were running away etc. This gave a ‘creepy’ emotion to the trailer, promoting the horror genre.

CostumeCostume is a very popular way to portray the forms and conventions of a horror genre. The ‘killer’ will usually be wearing messy clothes, with blood splattered on them or wearing some kind of mask. This is to make sure the audience are aware that this person isn’t ‘normal’. The victim starts off the film wearing normal clothes, which are then later covered in blood or are ripped.

This case can be demonstrated in the Texas Chainsaw trailer. The first image showing one of the victims at the start of the trailer, and the second image showing her when she actually becomes the ‘victim’ during the end of the trailer.

Camera AnglesThis particular camera angle taken from the Insidious trailer is very effective. The long shot shows the little boy closing his bedroom door to the camera. This shot makes the viewer feel like they are outside with whatever he is shutting his door on – this makes you feel like you are in the movie, making it very effective.

Using camera angles as a form and convention in the horror genre makes the audience feel like they aren’t safe – this is what makes a horror film successful, by making their audience scared.