2. convention 1:
• Props (Blood):
• Blood is used within Horror to create an atmosphere of fear, death. Blood leads
to death and therefore would frighten someone if a large amount of blood is
visible. Films like Saw, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Scream have all used blood
successfully to scare audiences and create a typical slasher atmosphere. Props
are one of the most useful tools for a genre like a horror but nothing can
compare to what blood can represent and therefore that is why we have used
this key element within our sequence.
Our use of blood Saws use of blood
3. convention 2:
• Low key lighting:
• Low key lighting is used almost in every horror film ever designed and is a crucial
part of all horror genres as darkness has a sense of fear and not knowing whats
really out there. Psychologically it plays on the mind and this is don’t with low
key lighting as shadows are formed and that’s where peoples imagination kicks in
of their worst nightmares. That is why we have incorporated darkness within our
sequence by filming in the dark.
Our use of low key lighting Friday the 13ths use of low key lighting
4. convention 3
• Props (weapons):
• There are a variety of weapons and
murder tools which create a distinct
icon within that movie. For slashers
weapons play a key role for selling the
villain as someone who could be a
threat. Each villain has their iconic
weapon and the item alone create an
atmosphere of tension and suspense.
Mise en scene can be very effective if
done correctly and that’s why films like
Friday the 13ths and nightmare on elm
street are so effective with Jason’s
machete and Freddie Kruger's claw
hand and not forgetting Texas CHAIN
saw massacre.
5. Example 4
• Scary music and sound effects
• In Almost every horror film scary music contributes and
is used to create that stereotypical horror atmosphere.
For a slasher the use of high pitch screeches brings
pains and suffering to peoples ears and this is how a
slasher creates its atmospheres. For Supernatural
horror Ghostly sounds are the most common along with
whistles of the wind and that’s how they sell the type of
horror the film is. And this is why we took this into
consideration and incorporated typical sound effects
into our work.
