Generic Signifiers

Generic Signifiers are objects or symbols that are stereotypically associated with a specific genre. For example; blood, death, darkness and weapons etc
would be automatically associated with the horror genre.

These symbols help to set up a theme or atmosphere that the audience is, to a certain extent, familiar with so they automatically relate an object such as a
knife to death, danger or other such things related to horror movies.

The weapons that we always see in a horror is commonly a knife. It’s an everyday weapon item and is normally used in a completely different context to
how it would normally be used in day-to-day life. Stereotypically, a knife is used for cutting objects, eating food with and buttering bread. So by using it to
inflict harm, the audience could imagine the pain inflicted on the victim because they use this object nearly everyday.

Another Generic Signifier is a horror film is darkness. Darkness symbolises the unknown, which is often scarier than being able to see what is happening in
the light. The main antagonist, could use the darkness to their advantage, so the audience can relate to the feeling of the victim. This is the unknown
because most people sense a scared or weary feeling when walking alone in the dark.

Jo Roberts & Roisee Fenner

 Emmaline Gordon and Rosiee Fenner.

Audience Presumptions
Audience make automatic presumptions according to the genre of the film they are viewing. When
presented with a horror film the viewer tends to expect typical styles and conventions such as violence
and death. A stereotypical horror film often includes a victim presented as innocent - and often female as
they are seen as more vulnerable and in danger- as well as a villain who generally inflicts the horror.

Some films play on the aspect of the unknown, to create a sense of fear and emphasise the ambiguity,
meaning the audience has to make their own assumptions as to what happens, the personalities of the
characters etc.

Other stereotypes and common aspects of horror movies include:

Intimidating male voiceover, “damsel in distress” character, shrill screams, blood, isolation, ambiguity of
character personalities etc.
An example of this is Scream, the opening shows many of these features:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFCStOMqpfk

Rosiee Fenner & Lucy Clark

 Rosiee Fenner and Lucy Clark.

Target Audience
Stereotypically, the audience of a horror film is predominantly male, although this may depend on the
content of the film itself. They are also traditionally aimed at young couples, which mirrors the main
features of the film in question, where the male often has to protect the female.
Depending on the theme on which the horror is based on, be it psychological, thriller, brutality.
Psychological thrillers are usually more complex than just a just plainly brutal horror and may require
a slightly older audience to fully under stand the context where as horrors such as “The Texas
Chainsaw Massacre” are more popular in a slightly younger audience and often not as much
complex understanding is required.
A horrors target audience is also influence by the films rating certificate. An 18 rating would be more
aimed towards a young adult rather than a teenager, where as a 15 would be aimed towards the
older teenager.
The 1960’s Hammer Horror movies were strictly X Adult Only, and were very different to the horror
films of today. They made use of soft lighting and bought an element of erotica to the genre, hence
the adult rating.

Rosiee Fenner & Jo Roberts