The document analyzes conventions from various comedy horror films to inspire a student film project combining the two genres. It summarizes conventions like using zombies as main characters, exaggerated acting, incorporating both horror and comedic elements in music and titles. Key inspirations for the student project include using zombies, locations outdoors in daylight, titles with bright colors, and exaggerated makeup effects.

1. Research into our subgenre
Emma, Jordan, Laurel, Gabriella

2. Comedy Horror
We chose to do comedy horror as we wanted to experiment
with both genres and combine the two for an outcome.
Although we are doing a short film, we will also look at some
trailers for this research as they contain the common
conventions we need to take inspiration from, to create our
trailer.

3. Warm Bodies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9RQe5WBbww
Conventions:
• The main character is a zombie.
• As well as the main character, there are
many other zombies throughout.
• Lots of blood, zombie make-up, scars and
wounds were created.
• Exaggerated body language to portray the
zombie walk.
• Music is generally upbeat, siding more with
comedy than horror.
• Lots of dramatic and well timed pauses in
the music to make particular scenes funnier.
• Exaggerated facial expressions when
showing fear.
• Setting changes throughout, however it’s
usually very dark and dull looking places.
• Love interest – funny for the audience,
especially as it is someone he can’t have.
Inspiration:
• The fact that they use a zombie as their
main character is inspirational as our
idea is based on zombies as well.
• We also want to include the typical
love interest character.
• We will take inspiration from the type
of zombie make up they use.

4. Zombieland
Conventions:
• Horrific and graphic scenes of blood and
gore.
• Storyline is based around a zombie
invasion.
• Titles are yellow and bold, conforming
with the conventions of comedy.
• Locations are largely outdoors, in bright
day light, conforming to comedy
conventions. Coupled with the brutality
and fear they experience outdoors, it
becomes the conventional comedy-
horror location.
• Exaggerated facial expressions and body
language.
• Role reversals emphasise the comedy
aspect, while preserving the fear with
props such as guns.
Inspiration:
• I like how the titles aren’t
typically ‘horror,’ but are
brighter and for me, more eye-
catching.
• We want our short film to be
located mainly outdoors in
bright day light as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1-jFLlHLPw

5. Cooties
Conventions
• There is an outbreak of a virus that cause the children to turn
into zombies.
• The zombies in the case do not walk slowly but can actually
move normally.
• The zombie children want to eat the healthy people.
• The adults react in a exaggerated, humorous way to the killing
of other people, which makes it less horrific and more
comedic.
• It is also quite funny because it is adults being terrorised by
children.
• There is a lot of scenes with blood being splattered and the
healthy people fighting back against the zombies.
Inspiration
• The children become zombies due to the chicken nuggets having a virus, we
will use food as a way of infecting our characters.
• I like how the score music at first sounds happy and jolly and then becomes
harsher with thrashing sounds which symbolise the chaos the zombie children
are creating. I want our piece to at first start calmly then get more intense.
• I also like the use of the zombie makeup and we can use the techniques to
make our characters look dead.
https://youtu.be/S8xQLN181kY

6. Cockneys vs Zombies
https://youtu.be/foqo0W_Qh9c
Conventions
• A lot of blood, guts and gore, typical of the zombie
horror genre.
• The zombies walk slowly and their bodies are
deteriorating.
Inspiration
• There was a news report introducing
the idea of the zombie apocalypse
which we will use in our work.
• I like the title because it presents the
skyline of London covered in blood,
which I think is quite effective.

7. The Walking Deceased
Conventions:
• The protagonist is a zombie.
• There are many characters that are zombies
or some type of supernatural being
• The zombie make up is very over the top
with lots of blood.
• There is an innocent victim, unaware of what
is going/what will happen to them. This
tends to be a young child or a female
character
• The titles being bold and bright colours that
stand out are typical of the comedy genre
Inspiration:
• The zombie makeup
being over the top.
Also that the zombie is
dressed in casual
clothing.
• The bright and bold
titles that stand out
https://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=eEJzl3GX0P8

8. Life after Beth
Conventions:
• Over the top acting, with exaggerated facial
expressions and body movements
• Acts of violence, however not horrific.
Instead is comedic for the audience.
• The setting is in a mysterious or spooky
place. In ‘Life after Beth’ there are scenes in
a graveyard, deserted forest and an isolated
beach.
• This also adds to the conventional plot of a
comedy horror film.
• Within in comedy movies, the titles differ
from other genres. Usually at the beginning
or the end of the trailer, the credits will
include the actors name along with a still
image or a clip of them from the movie.
Inspiration:
• The locations used, most of our
scenes will be outside. This
trailer is also mainly set in the
outdoors.
• The main zombie character
having a past, making them the
way they are.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p
VtaRAAWJss

9. What We Do In The Shadows
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAZEWtyhpes
Conventions:
• Set in a dark, haunted house
• Main use of vampires- supernatural
creatures
• Fangs and blood for the vampires
• Start off with the horror and then they
introduce the comedy.
• Over exaggeration of actions
• All men which is typical- Not very smart
either.
• Funny scenes which again exaggerate their
abilities as vampires.
• Upbeat and jumpy score music.
Inspiration
• The score music as it is fit for a comedy horror- not to scary and not too happy.
• The title is in red which is a colour that represents horror, so we could use that.
• The vampire trying to fit into normal life e.g the scene when they went clubbing.

10. Shaun Of The Dead
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIfcaZ4pC-4Conventions:
• Set in a home/town- familiar setting which
is where modern horror movies are set
• Main use of zombies- supernatural
creatures
• Blood and lots of makeup used for the
zombies
• Starts with the monotony of everyday life,
then things change- comedy starts straight
away.
• costumes are everyday clothes for both
zombies and humans- zombies clothes are
all ripped, but still human clothes.
• News report on zombie apocalypse.
Inspiration
• The fact that they use zombies because we want to focus on zombies so we can
take some things like their behavior.
• Normal life gets turned upside down, so we might use that.
• The blood and makeup is going to be used in our short film.