Horror Codes and Conventions

By Amy Semikin

What are horrors designed for?

To frighten and scare their viewers Cause dread and alarm Play on vulnerability causing insecurity Opens us to the dark side of life, experiencing things we would never expect to happen in reality. Fear of death and panic

What are horrors?

Horror films are movies that strive to elicit the emotions of fear, horror and terror from viewers. They can have the effect of mental paralysis, working their way into the minds of viewers often making us feel frozen or unstable. Their plots frequently involve themes of death, the supernatural or mental illness. They also include a central villain that the views inspire to dislike.

History of Horror
The first horror movie was the silent short film Le Manoir Du Diable directed by George Mlis in 1896. It was the first horror and the first vampire film. The movie only lasted 2 minutes but the audience found it utterly enjoyable. As horror budgets rose significantly in the 1960s, public fascination with horrors led to a series of serious, supernatural-themed, often gruesome horror movies. The exorcist, 1973 broke all records for a horror film and is, still today, said to be one of the most feared movies to watch by audiences.

Characters
Ghouls, monsters, zombies, murderers, psychiatric patients, mentally disturbed, convicts, animals and even the environment or as demonstrated in final destination, fate. The dumb character who falls straight into the trap or gets captured at the very beginning to provide entertainment for the audience. The clever character that figures out clues or how to escape the clutches of the killer. Always a main character or main set of character that are hunted down. The rescuer who helps out. The girl who gets to the end and defeats the killer.

Camera Angles
Establishing shots- to set the location, stereotypically isolated locations: mansions and forests Establishing shots- to emphasis the subject Point of view- to exaggerate to the audience the feeling of the chosen character so we feel the same, exploring the narrative through their eyes Long shots- to illustrate the danger surrounding the protagonist Tilt- to create disorientation Handheld- to play on reality, to allow the story to become seemingly realistic Dollying- when the camera follows the character from in front or behind to show that they are being stalked or followed Tracking- when the character moves at the side following a character