This is a presentation I have put together on modern and certain conventions of different horror movies.

1. Conventions of a Horror Movie

2. Codes and Conventions
 Secluded locations
 Non-diegetic sounds like added footsteps, tense music, stabs in a murder
film etc. are added to create ambiguity and build tension
 Diegetic sounds like heart beats, loud bangs, screams etc. are in place to
show fear in a character or to make the character scared

3. Setting
Small communities, isolated places, run down old fashioned houses, dark places like alleyways, confined spaces mostly
connoting being alone.
Using a setting with a history to add to the story.
Abandoned houses, hotels and medical buildings like an actual hospital or insane asylums are already set up so quite
easy to use.
Places like dark forests/dark woods as there is nowhere to go.
Graveyards as things can arise from the dead.

4. Camera shot and angles
Camerawork is used to be expressive in horror movies which is why it is important that you get the correct
angles so that you portray a fearful image and to make it look like someone is in danger or feeling fear.
High or low camera angles can help connote fear/nightmares in a horror movie.
POV shots also can show fear from the victims perspective even in some films POV shots are shown from the
villain/monster/murderer etc. to see what they are seeing for example if they are staring at a certain person it
implies they are going to attack them.

5. Character Types
 The main protagonist (victim/hero)
 The villain (varies depending on each sub-genre, could go from a serial killer, monster, alien, ghost etc.)
 Character types vary due to different sub-genres but these are the main two characters that you will certainly see in a horror
movie.
 Others are things like, ghosts, zombies, serial killers, murderers, stalkers, psychopaths, demons, aliens, clowns, children etc.