Key conventions of a horror film… It must be scary. In terms of exchange the audience pay a fee to watch the film with intentions to be petrified. If this purpose is not fulfilled then no efficient exchange has taken place. Also there usually has to be a death in the first five minutes of the film however this does not occur in many circumstances as the author will intend to create suspense.
Characters
Protagonist: Main Character. This Character tends to be the untainted individual who the audience are able to connect with on a
compassionate level. The Narrative usually revolves around this character, in addition it is this character who usually survives death and witnesses the outstanding characters perish. At some point in the narrative it is expected that the Protagonist will have had some sort of encounter with the antagonist ( in this case: villain) and restore the equilibrium.
Stock Characters: These are arguably insignificant characters however these individuals contribute laboriously to the plot. Most Stock characters tend to fulfill different purposes, Here are some examples of possible stock characters…
•Comedian: this particular specimen is quite witty, for them life is not entirely serious and so they make humor out of the most alarming situations, a their ignorance often overcomes reality which leads to their disbelief of the unexplained. They often mock the curiosity of the protagonist In most cases this character dies however because of the trivial buffoonery the audience tends to find the death of this character expected and comical.
•Cassandra Figure AKA Wise Guy: Intelligent/patient and can often be seen as mysterious. This character always advises or reveals some sort of clue to aid the voyage of the protagonist however the motive or reason behind this individual offering aid is often unclear and as a result people ignore the advice.
•Attractive Dumb Female: Preferably Caucasian/Blonde hair, interested in the opposite sex, concerned with looks more than intellect and often dies early in the plot.
•Traitor: Deceiving. Appears to be trust worthy, initially has a close relationship with the protagonist which often get unveiled at the end of the plot, in some cases the traitor is actually the antagonist.
•The Protagonist’s best friends: These characters often accompany the protagonist on their voyage to defeat the antagonist however ignorance, braveness or vulnerability often causes these character to perish and so the audience are sympathetic.
•The Protagonists Boyfriend/Girlfriend: This character often plays a similar role to the Protagonist’s best friend however in some cases this character can be revealed as the traitor, the element of surprise is a key convention of Horror films that this character can be utilized to achieve.
Narrative: In Horror films there are two different types of narrative, Linear and Non-Linear. Linear Narratives work in systematic order proceeding traditionally with a beginning, middle and end, whereas Non-Linear Narrative are more complex, in this case the film is in no particular order, thus the ending might occur before the middle of the narrative. Theoretically this helps the plot because in many cases the antagonist is not revealed at the end but in the middle which helps so create suspense and broaden the audiences anxiety and curiosity, it makes the plot more of a mystery. Linear and Non-Linear narratives are not entirely used for Horror films, they can be used in all genres of film and create the same effects. In some Horror films, preferably sequels, we may not find out who the antagonist is until the final film, this technique can be used to ensure the audience watch all parts of the sequel. Narrative pt 2: This is an example of a simple composition of a horror narrative: Beginning: There is equilibrium, everything seems balanced i.e. everything is normal in the environment or civilization. Middle: A Disequilibrium i.e. the Antagonist manifests and intervenes with the balance . Ending: A protagonist undertakes a voyage to restore the balance and eventually has an encounter with the antagonist where good overcomes evil and the protagonist becomes triumphant.
Stock situations: These are habitual situations which occur in most horror films, they usually involve the antagonist in his wrath or killing spree. Here are some examples of stock situations…
•The victim in attempt to evade from the antagonist stumbles and makes an effort to crawl away however in result is assassinated.
•The victim in attempt to evade from the antagonist scampers away whilst the antagonist who takes slow strides is able to verge upon the victim which results in the victims death.
•The victim is at home, preferably sleeping or undertaking some kind of everyday activity then the victim hears some sort of paranormal activity in the house and attempts to investigate, then has an encounter with the antagonist and dies.
Subgenres Of Horror:
•Splatter i.e. Brain Dead: A type of Genre pinpointed around the employment of guts, gore and blood. These graphic scenes are constructed using special effects and excessive use of artificial blood to show the vulnerability of the human anatomy.
•J-Horror i.e. The Ring: Japanese Horror otherwise known as J-Horror has a focal point based around psychological horror , poltergeists and ghosts. It consists of a thematic and predominant application of horror in the light of western admission.
•Zombie i.e. Dawn of the Dead: The Zombie Subgenre is constructed around Zombies, festering corpses who feed on the flesh of humans. This Subgenre is also a cross over genre which discharges into the genre of fantasy fiction.
•Monster i.e. Jeepers Creepers: This particular subgenre is similar to the Zombie subgenre, its based on fictional character which cause some sort of disequilibrium. It also crosses over into the genre of fantasy or science fiction.
•Vampires/Werewolves i.e. Dracula: This particular subgenre is similar to the Zombie subgenre, its based on mythological beings that endure by consuming human blood. It also crosses over into the genre of fantasy or science fiction.
•Psychological/Supernatural i.e. Exorcist: A subgenre which revolves around the psyche of human anatomy triggered by negative energies, negative chi and spiritual dark forces whilst retaining a sense of realism.
•Thriller i.e. Hills Have Eyes: This is also a cross over genre as most thrillers are not entirely recognized as horror. Unlike the Zombie, Monster and J-Horror subgenres the Thriller subgenre focuses on mystery, threat and investigation caused by a disequilibrium preferably a human.
•Slasher i.e. Saw:
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Themes:
•Good vs. Evil
•Love and Betrayal
•Revenge
•Folk Religion
•Myths and Legends
•Exorcisms
Setting – Background And Décor: There are a variety of commonly used setting for Horror films. Most of these settings will have horrendous denotations however some of these setting will be abstract and paradoxical in order to create bewilderment. Here are some examples of Horror film settings…
•Haunted House i.e. paranormal activity
•Forest or Wood
•Countryside i.e. Halloween 4
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Camera Angles: POV shots/ Antagonist eye shows victim vulnerability and how the antagonist always has the upper hand. Canted shots emphasises the disequilibrium/ uneasiness in the mood
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