Codes and conventions in horror movies

Codes and conventions in horror movies

• The codes and conventions of a horror film are almost like the 'rules' that a horror movie must follow in order to be successful.

Here’s a list of conventions that people often associate with horror movies:

oBlood oScreamsoDeath oKillingoDarkness oEvil oHaunted housesoGhosts oVictims oExorcism oDevil

One of the main conventions in horror movies are isolated places, to create a mysterious atmosphere. Isolated places are usually known for having some ‘dark’ past incidents or myths.

My movie Other horror movies

• Small communities• Lakes • Countryside• Subways • Dark streets • Alleyways • Abandoned houses

Most demonic horror movies have children as the evil spirit or as the victim, for example the movie 6th sense. Possibly because children are more sensitive/vulnerable therefore becoming the victims.

My movie Other horror movies

Men- often portrayed as brave, therefore always willing to this discover the mystery (evil). The male audience usually compare themselves to them.

Women/children- vulnerable/sensitive hence usually becoming the victims.

The majority of horror movies also have the ghost (when a girl) dressed in the stereotypical old/dirty white long dress and usually with long black hair. For example I used the movie ‘the ring’ as a main influence as I liked the effect the girl’s appearance had on me as the audience.

IntertextualityThis is the practice of deliberately including

references to one text in the narrative of another.

I done this to engage the interest of the audience by appealing to their prior knowledge and experience of horror movies.

For example, the ghost’s costumes/appearance in my trailer is very similar to the ghost in the movie “the ring”.