Horror films have evolved over time, exploring different themes and conventions. The first horror film was made in the 1890s, while the 1920s saw influential expressionist German films. The 1930s were the golden age of Universal Studios monster movies like Dracula and Frankenstein. Subsequent decades explored new themes influenced by events like the Cold War and social revolutions, pushing boundaries with graphic violence and sexuality. Common horror conventions include isolated settings, camera techniques like point-of-view shots to build tension, unsettling sounds, and elements of mise-en-scene like low lighting and props.

1. Genre Research-
Horror

2. Key Events- Timeline
1890’s: The first horror movie was made ‘The House of the Devil (1896)’ by the French
director Georges Méliès
1920’s: The most influential horror films was released, it came from Germanys Expressionist
movement, with films like ’The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari’ and ’Nosferatu’. These films then influenced
the next generation of American cinema.
1930’s: Universal studios had great success with the horror movies ‘The Hunchback of Notre
Dame’ and ‘The phantom of the Opera’ this then led them to enter the golden age in the 30’s.
They released a string of hit horror movies including ‘Dracula and Frankenstein’
1940s’s: Universals monster movie’s were not providing much success in the 1940’s so they tried
to introduce sequels including ‘Ghost of Frankenstein’. They also began to create comedy horror
movies including ‘Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein’ .
1950’s: Culture changes in the 1950’s led to a change in horror movies, for instance the cold war
lead to the fear of invasion leading to films like ‘The invasion of the body snatchers’ and ‘The
thing from another world’. Nuclear proliferation lead to visions of rampaging mutants including
‘Them!’ and ‘The beast from 20,000 fathoms’. Some filmmakers lead to gimmicks like 3D.
1960s: The horror movies at this time reflected the social revolution of the era movies were more
edgy, featuring controversial levels of violence including ‘Blood Feast’, ’Witchfinder General’
some also showed more sexuality inclduing ‘Repulsion’

3. 1970s: In the 70’s boundaries were pushed further and films tackled social issues
including sexism, consumerism, religion and war. Films like ‘The stepford wives’ and
‘dawn of the dead’ were released in this time. In the 70’s exploitation movies also were
very successful these including graphic sexual scenes and violence (‘I spit on your grave
and ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’
1980’s: Horror films in the 80’s were defined by films like ’Friday the 13th’, ’Prom
Night’ and ’A Nightmare on Elm Street’, they also began to add in a light-hearted look
at the genre with comic elements in films such as ‘The Return of the living dead’
1990’s: The 90’s saw the release of the successful film called ‘The Silence of the Lambs’.
This film saw such a success it lead to other studios to create large scale horror themed
projects such as a ‘Interview with the Vampire’
2000’s: Twenty-first century horror in the US has been recognised with remakes of
both American films including ‘Friday the 13th’, ’Halloween’ and, ’Dawn of the Dead’
and foreign films including ‘The Ring’ and ‘The Grudge’

4. Conventions - Settings
• Isolated places
• Forests
• Dark streets
• Basements
• Empty houses/Sheds/Hotels/Schools
• Run down cities
• Places with a ‘dark’ background and aura
• Urban cities
• Graveyard
Horror movies mainly use places that connote isolation and fear

5. Conventions – Camerawork
• Handhold shots should not be used as these make it harder for the audience
to understand the storyline
• High and low angles are used a lot to connote fear from the characters
• Point of view shots are conventionally used to show both what the villain
can see and what the victim is seeing to connote fear and tension
• Close ups are also used in horror movies to show the reactions
of the characters in the film. This can be very effective when
understanding the plot and storyline.

6. Conventions- Editing
• Editing can be used to create unsettling tension and suspense within the
film trailer, this will the connote to the audience the type of event that is
coming up. For instance if there is a long take it would create suspence for
a event such as a killing. However if there was a chase there would be short
takes and fast pace cutting

7. Convention's – Sound
• Diegetic and non diegetic sound are very important in horror movies, they
create fear and tension. Non diegetic sounds as in music can be added after the
film has been made to emphasize some parts of the film
Conventional Sounds:
• Footsteps
• Heart beat
• Evil laughs
• Screaming
• Fast paced music
• Creaky doors
• Ghost noises
• Children nursery rhymes
• Slow paced dialogue

8. Convention’s – Mise-en-scene
• Low key lighting
• Dark clothing
• Fake blood
• Blood stained clothing
• Make up- Dark eyes, Pale skin,
• Contact lenses
• Props- Knives, weapons, teddy bears, sticks, guns