CONVENTIONS IN HORROR FILMS
May 25, 2015
CONVENTIONS IN HORROR FILMS
STOCK CHARACTERS Innocent child
Innocent/stupid female
Carefree teenagers
Loving couple
Happy family
Non believer
Hysterical female
Last girl standing
Priest
Hero
Masked character
Zombie
Undead
Ghost or spirit
Deformed evil character
Stalker killer
Child who sees things
STOCK CHARACTERS
STOCK PLOTS/SITUATIONS/ISSUES
Evil creature kills people Warnings are ignored with consequences Being able to see things others can't Serial killer stalks and slays victims Imaginary friend is real and evil Child abuse or child death Mental insanity Followed to/found in isolated holiday
STOCK ISSUES Good v Evil Revenge Religion Depression Childhood issues Lust Envy Suicide Zombie apocalypse Nightmares
STOCK LOCATIONS AND BACKDROPS Holiday home, cabin or shack in woods, top of a hill,
isolated woods and forest, lakes, camping locations, diners, gas stations, dark alleyways, home of the victim, basement, empty warehouse, mental asylum, churches, graveyards, rural, out of town, farms, barns, highways, cornfields, long grass fields, abandoned houses and buildings, run down and ghost towns, atticts, hotels and motels, london underground, trains and tunnels.
Raining, storms, power cuts, night time, moon, mud, fog.
STOCK PROPS Candles and matches
Voodoo dolls
Skeletons
Corpses
Body parts
Weapons; knife, chainsaw, gun, etc.
Cobwebs
Ouiju board
Radio (white noise)
Telephone
Mirror
Door handle
Light switch
Mask
Rope
Blood
Window
Kids toys
Wardrobes
Mask