Mise-En-Scene

1. Here, I have analysed the screenshots I have taken from
Horror movie trailers and picked up on what the generic
conventions are for:
- Setting -
- Props -
- Costume -
- Lighting -
- Body Language/ Facial Expressions -
Typical Mise-En-Scene from Horror
Movie Trailers

2. Setting
The settings which are usually shown in horror films
are typically based in large, old fashioned houses. Old
houses are more likely to hold paranormal activity
with induces the fear of ghosts or spirits for the
viewer. Older houses are usually secluded which is
great for a horror as the actress/actor will be all alone
and at their most vulnerable. An old fashioned house
is also less likely to have the most up to date security.
Again, the actress/actor is more vulnerable and
unsafe. The generic convention of a large, secluded,
unarmed house makes it the perfect location for
dangerous, horrific things to go on. Usually, rooms are
large and exposed meaning the person is left in the
open and has no where to hide. The house could have
also been abandoned which makes it more eerie.

3. Props
Props in horror movies are usually either weird and
mysterious, like an old fashioned doll or a creepy book.
Other times horrors are more psychological and involve
more horror through emotions. A lot of props used in
recent horror films involve computers and laptop which
people use to cyber bully people with.
The villain is usually unknown in these trailer making the
audience feel more tense and scared of how lethal the
antagonist can be. Horror films are usually based through
the internet now, meaning anyone can get in contact with
anyone. This is what makes the film interesting as the
audience feels vulnerable as they also use the internet.
This type of horror film is a more recent generic
convention due to the increase over the years of internet
use.

4. Costume
Costumes in horror films can be old fashioned to promote
horror. This is because seeing an old fashioned photo of a child
or family can scare people due to the photo being in black and
white, the darkness and contrast of colours shows death and
fear. The fact that the people may have died now puts in a fear
of ghosts and spirits of them being around you. Knowing
someone that is wearing old fashioned clothing comes across
as scary as they may still have an old fashioned mind-set and
may be cut off from the real world. Clothing may also be
covered in rips and blood which shows danger straight away.
The cuts show how they may have been in a fight or in a
terrible fall. Costumes in a horror film give an idea of what kind
of person they are and if they are an antagonist or protagonist.
If the clothing is dark this may show the character as being
more sinister and mysterious as appose to a protagonist who is
in a float white dress- white is seen as being more innocent.

5. Lighting
Lighting in a horror film is generically very dark. This is
to make the audience feel scared for the character. The
mind believes a lot of things are hiding in the darkness,
even if they are not. This makes the audience fear
something which they haven't even seen yet. By
ensuring darkness is used in the horror film the
audience is creating their own intensity and drawing
their eyes into the film. Darkness is used to make the
audience fear for the character by fearing the unknown.
A horror set in a busy well light place (a shopping
centre) would be harder to make scary and intense than
if it was set in an abandoned, secluded house in the
middle of the dark forest. If lighting is used then it is
only a small amount (from a match or hanging
lightbulb). This only lights the character up to we can
see the petrified facial expressions. It shows they are
vulnerable as now the antagonist can see the character
but the character cant see what she’s fearing.

6. Body Language/ Facial Expressions
The typical generic conventions for body Language and facial
expressions in a horror movie are tortured, shocked and desperate.
The screen-prints I have taken clearly show the look on anguish,
suffering and torment on the women's faces as they have been put
through horrible and shocking experiences. The facial expressions
demonstrate how scary the horror film is as the actresses wouldn’t be
making the faces if something good had happened. Straight away the
audience is intrigued to why their faces are so petrified and alarmed.
Body language is usually very tight and withdrawn like the characters
want as little of their body's surface area exposed to the world.
The generic conventions of body language in horror films is typically
very abrupt, characters can be running frantically away from villains
or fighting for freedom.