Horror Codes and Conventions/Profile

Codes and Conventions of the Horror Genre

 The horror genre is particularly popular with under 25's, with 37% of horror films being viewed by 18-24 year olds. The reason horror films tend to be targeted at this aged audience is due to the legal restrictions placed on the viewer. Anyone under the age of 15 is unlikely to watch the horror genre as firstly, they are too young, and secondly, it is difficult to make a realistically scary film without including the features that a 15/18 age rated film contains. Anyone over the age of 25 is generally too mature to be scared by horror films and so tend to avoid them. This is thought to be due to the overused clichés which lack originality, meaning by a certain age the majority of people are bored of the genre as they know exactly what to expect and so the scare factor is reduced. Stereotypically it is thought that horror's are most popular amongst males due to their thrill seeking nature however recently, females have over ruled this stereotype, as shown by the statistics with 42% of viewers being male and the remaining 58% being female. Due to social expectations, it is thought men enjoy horror films more than women for many different reasons. One of these reasons is because the horror genre allows men to show off their strength and bravery, and are stereotypically though to enjoy threatening situations whereas women are more likely to seek physical closeness. Men often derive social gratification from not letting a 'scary' film bother them, and they enjoy the task of mastering something threatening and showing off their masculinity, which makes horror films appealing to men. Another reason is the feeling a horror film can produce. Research shows that people who seek higher levels of arousal enjoy horror films due to the heightened feelings of awareness, high blood pressure, adrenaline and faster heart rate which is known as the excitation transfer process. This helps to intensify situations, making the horror genre a very exciting watch for both men and women.

Common conventions of the horror genre include some sort of isolated, quiet and secluded location, often with a hidden past where characters become vulnerable as no one is around to save them, such as the woods or somewhere abandoned like a warehouse or old school. These settings tend to be as realistic as possible in order to engage the audience and enable them to relate to the situation or surroundings, helping to enforce the scare factor which is a key aim of the genre. By using large environments the characters are made to look trapped and helpless, however the fear of something lurking behind closed doors or trees is also regularly used. In the horror genre, characters more often than not tend to forget about threat, allowing them to be conveniently put in dangerous situations without the thought of danger/death/curse crossing their minds. Females are a popular victim in horror films as they stereotypically have less power and so are in a weaker position. They tend to have long, brutal, drawn out deaths which men often find attractive, helping to make the genre more appealing. The main character is typically a young, pretty female(s) who is abused/stalked/kidnapped by a male character and then gruesomely murdered. Often a female is the first character to die, and they are typically portrayed as unintelligent, sexually active and obliviously unaware of the strange goings on happening around them. Stereotypically there will regularly be a dumb blonde who dies towards the beginning of the film due to her stupid mistakes and naivety, where the audience are then led to the conclusion her death was due to her own unintelligence. A pretty blonde female is frequently used in the horror genre to signify stupidity as well as suggest innocence and a childlike, helpless manner that helps to build the plot and allow a male character to take advantage. The killer is stereotypically male or a child of any gender who comes from a traumatised background with a hidden identity e.g. by wearing masks, lurking in the shadows of a wood or hiding behind doors. They are usually the outsiders of their families, and at school, with no friends.  A lot of the time, the audience as well as the characters on screen do not get to see the face of the killer until the end, when he is dispatched and revealed to the audience and to the characters on screen to make it mysterious and shock them.

The plot of a horror film typically unravels around some of the following incidents; a power cut making help unreachable, someone investigates a strange noise, someone who runs upstairs instead of outside, a victim who inexplicitly falls over, a vehicle that won't start, a fake scare, a warning that is ignored and someone who is killed in the first five minutes. In order to help determine the genre there are always typical conventions included such as gore, blood, graphic killings, dark lighting and erring settings are always in order to make it instantly recognisable as a definitive horror. It is an important aspect which is shown repeatedly to enable the audience to relate to the type of film they are watching and allow them to hold expectations. In horror films, film makers try to keep the clothes as minimalistic as possible so attention doesn’t steer away from the narrative of the film. Colours are used to help the audience to determine the type of character they are looking at, for example, if the colour black is being worn, this could indicate the killer. Nevertheless, in some films, costume is a big part of the film, for example, masks/halloween costumes. Masks tend to be used to make the killer look like they have no identity which creates an enigma. It adds additional fear to what is hiding underneath as well as being able to make a face look demonic, emotionless and non-human. Dark clothes are stereotypically worn by the killer which makes them look mysterious, troubled, evil and dangerous. Hooded costumes also remind audiences of the grim reaper, who brings death to all he meets. Boiler suits are a well known item of clothing associated with horror due to it being a labourer’s work outfit which makes the killer look like they have got a job to do e.g to terrorise/kill the victim(s) - it will often be ripped or covered in blood to make it more sinister. Finally, dirty clothes play a common role in the genre as it  suggests the victims have been through and ordeal, as well as implying lives, minds, bodies have been tainted by the killer and his attack; both literally and metaphorically.

Sound is a huge part of the horror genre as it is used to create suspense, additional tension and, basically, to scare someone even more than they already are. Contrapuntal sound is often used which is when the sound doesn’t match the action that is happening on screen. It is usually played during the climax of the film and works well in horror films, as it sounds incredibly unnatural and creepy and serves to unnerve the audience and make them feel unsettled. Eerie discordant non-diegetic music is also regularly used as music is one of the most important and key elements of a horror film. It is used to create tension and fear and helps the audience feel the build up to the climax. The music will often change and become more sinister as the plot gets closer to something which is supposed to scare or make the audience jump as well as make them feel uncomfortable. This type of music can also be used to build up false expectation, creating more of a shock when something actually happens. Sounds such as thunder , rain, wind or other types of weather create realism. It is important to create realism in order to add fear to the audience as they are able to relate to it. These sounds can also create a scary ambience because people associate bad weather with being scared and so sounds related to these types of weather will carry that association. Silence is deadly - to an audience, it is scarier to hear nothing at then to hear some form of sound because it means that when sound does happen, it has more emphasis and it is more unexpected and frightening.

Different types of lighting are used in horror films for different purposes. Low key lighting is used in order to create dark shadows due to their being a contrast between light and deep, dark areas. Top lighting helps to create a 'God like effect' which is often used on a hero, or in the case of a horror film, the character who either survives an ordeal or comes to the rescue. The light comes from above, helping to highlight all the features of the character. Similarly, back lighting is used in order to do the opposite, and create a silhouette of a person/object by shining light from behind. This type of lighting is generally used to make a person look evil or have no identity. The camera work follows conventional patterns like the rest of the technical elements in the horror genre. A prominent technique used is the hand-held camera effect, as seen in films such as Paranormal Activity, which makes it seem like the character is filming it themselves, helping to give the audience a sense of realism as well as identification. Points of view shots and low angle shots are used to create suspense and involve the audience as it gives them perspective from two different areas, helping to engage them in the film.