Codes and Conventions of a Horror/Thriller Film

Technical Conventions

• Canted angles to create confusion and disorientation.

• Long tracking shots to create tension.

• POV shots to show what the protagonist or antagonist sees.

• Depth of field to focus on protagonist, blurring the background and making the audience panic when there is movement they cannot see clearly.

• Extreme close-ups of protagonist’s face to show their fear.

• Quiet scenes with sudden sounds to create tension; for example rustling of trees, loud bangs, non-diegetic heartbeat.

• Slow editing can create suspense and an unsettling feeling; the audience senses because nothing has been a fast pace for a while then something bad is going to happen.

Symbolic Conventions

• Colours such as black and red to connote death, evil, danger and blood.

• Props such as weapons show there is violence, danger and characters will need to fight off evil.

• Props such as a Bible, suggesting religious themes.

Characters

• The main protagonist, the hero/victim of the film.

• The antagonist, a villain – tends to be a monster, demons, ghosts, zombies, mutated freak or serial killer/psychopath.

• The careless teenagers who often get killed first.

• Creepy children.

• Authority figures, such as police.

Themes

• Good vs Evil

• Revenge

• Supernatural

• Religion

• Living dead – zombies/vampires

• Scientific experiments gone wrong

• Insanity

• Nightmares

• Lust