OCR A2 Media Jasmine Kato-Naughton Rooks Heath College

1. Horror Film Conventions
Jasmine Kato

2. Characters

3. Group of Teenagers
Typically horror films involve a group of
teenagers, consisting of certain
personality types such as the Final Girl,
Jock, Blonde, and maybe others
depending on the narrative. They are
abandoned by adults, apart from possibly
a benefactor, and are left to fend for
themselves against the villain, or ‘evil
force’.

4. Final Girl
In horror films, the final girl is usually a non-
sexualised female protagonist. This character
typically has dark coloured hair, has a unisexual
name and is not always wholly presented under a
male gaze. She is virginal and young, representing a
young person on the cusp between childhood and
adulthood. The reason for this is so that the final girl
is a relatable character that will ‘strike a particular
resonant chord with audiences’ (BK Grant), who are
for horror films, primarily teenagers.

5. ‘The Blonde’
In many slasher films, there is typically a promiscuous
or sexually available blonde character that will
inevitably be amongst the first characters to die. Often
she is popular because of her appearance, being
portrayed deeply under the male gaze, as she is
represented the ‘damsel in distress’. Following BK
Grant’s theory once again, the blonde is often used in
horror films to act as a metaphor, or a warning to
teenage audiences: that premarital sex will result in
‘death’.

6. Jock
The Jock is typically a young, attractive
male, who is often romantically affiliated
with the promiscuous Blonde character.
Again, the Jock tends to be a ‘disposable’
character as he often takes part in ‘sinful’
activity, such as drinking or having sex. He
represented the epitome of masculinity yet
is overthrown by the villain, enforcing and
emphasising the power of the villain.

7. Benefactor
The benefactor is an older, wiser character than the final
girl, who will usually give them some kind of weapon,
advice or tool in order to try and defeat whatever villainous
entity or character they are fighting against. This character
may be male or female, and usually has little to offer but
advice and knowledge to the protagonists. This type of
character is often seen in other genres, such as ‘knight’
films (in accordance to McConnell’s five genre theory)
however benefactors also appear in slasher films, often to
offer advice and/or a warning to the protagonists.

8. Ineffective Authoritative Figure
There is often one or more figure of
authority in slasher films, such as
parents, police, teachers, and so on.
However, these people (that are
usually meant to protect, or contribute
to the protection of society) prove to
be ineffective, sometimes leading the
protagonists into further danger.

9. Villain
The villain is conventionally the most
malleable character in a horror film.
Depending on the theme of the horror film,
the villain can be as human or inhuman as
the director chooses. Very often the killer will
be unseen, either by wearing a mask or by
the audience only knowing the villain through
the villain’s point of view.

10. Setting
The setting for slasher films are very often either in an
isolated location or in a very suburban setting. Typical
examples include a cottage in a dark forest, a haunted
house, or sometimes a large house in a suburban
location. The setting is often new to the protagonists in a
horror film, following a move or a change, which leaves
the characters themselves isolated from their
environments, and unable to recognise it in some way.
Lighting is often low, representing a loss of control as
the characters (and the audience) are unable to see
their environments.

11. Lighting
The use of lighting in horror films is essential to ensure that the
correct mood is set in a certain context. For the majority of the
film, lighting in generally low, meaning that some of the
characters (in particularly the villain) cannot be seen. A good
example of light usage to create a tense, dramatic scene can
be seen in the video on the top right. Light colour is also
essential, different colours can be used to have different
effects. Red, green, blue and yellow are all prime examples,
and a few examples of this (using colour correction) can be
seen in the bottom right video.
Although it is conventional for low key lighting to be used in
horror films to give a sense of mystery and lack of sight,
sometimes this is subverted to create the same sense. A
blinding light would be used, a light so strong that the
characters/audience are unable to see their environment.