Horror Conventions

Genre: Horror Convention List
Sounds-creaking floorboards and doors, whistling winds, evil laughs, rustling leaves, hailstones, thunder, banging on doors, hacking (axes) , echoes, crackling tvsignals, cries and screams, heavy breathing, silence. Music- eerie and quite to build up tension- a change in tempo, very high pitch
Motifs- e.g. Shower scene ‘Psycho’, Very low pitch squeaking e.g. ‘The Shining’, Halloween-all recognisable tunes and used in other horror, sudden changes in tempo and dynamics, often orchestral instruments, violins ( squeaking and daunting), organs etc.

Characters-psychopaths, killers, monsters, beautiful girl (dansel in distress often blond), hero, stupid one who also does the wrong thing, ghosts, detectives, possessed people, cute children (often kidnapped), cowardly witness, bully, police, the best friend

Iconography- blood, gore, knives, axes, guns, night, dark, full moon, halloween mask, creepy low key lighting, silhouettes, dark, shadowy, shakey camera movements, bad weather, night time, moon, stormy,Camera would vary from CU to LS to establish surrounding and she scared , photographs, candles, long dark corridors, low angles, head lights of a car.

Setting- forest, haunted/isolated buildings-very remote, old houses, hotels, basements, attics, alleys, dark places, countryside, long empty roads, night time, castles, mountains, the ordinary-school, home.

Themes-fear, trapped, pursuit, gore, premonitions, jealousy, betrayal, mystery, lust, revenge, anger, death, secrets, lies, love, passion, obsession, torture, mind games, wilderness, obsession, grief, suprise

Props-dagger, masks, blood, candles, cloaks, bikes.

Narrative-chase sequence, being trapped, most die;only a few survive or escape, high body count, murder, stalking, powerless law, serial killers, enigma, supernatural, torture, fear of the unknown, no form of contact