Thriller and Horror Genre Study

1. Horror is a film
genre looking to
evoke a negative
emotion reaction
from viewers by
playing on their
fears.
Thriller is a
genre that uses
suspense,
tension and
excitement as
its main
elements.

2. Codes and
Conventions of a
Horror Films
Blood
Close-up shots; this
makes emphasize on
the object or shows
the characters
emotion.
Unprotected/
trapped
victim
Love interest
Bad weather. Eg;
thunder, lightning
or/and rain.
Some kind of chase
between the victim
and the killer

3. Codes and
Conventions of
Thriller Genre
Suspense/Tension
Quick cutting
between shots.
In Psycho shower
scene there are
extremely quick
cuts between shots
of the women in the
shower and the
murderer.
Flashbacks
Shadows

4. Settings
Often in horror films they use settings that
can make the character of the victim more
venerable to the killer/enemy.
In the Blair Witch Project
(1999) the characters are on
their own camping in a
forest for the majority of the
film, making them secluded
from civilisation and any
possible help.
In the movie The Shining, the family look
after a hotel on their own high up in the
mountain. As the father is the enemy in this
film, this leaves the mother and son
helpless as they are so far away from
others.
Another famous
setting for horror
films are cabins,
this again leaves
them venerable
and secluded.

5. Props
Props are a big part of horror as
they can give clues, protect and
kill characters. Props can build
character in the cast. In horror
weapons are a big part of the
killers identity and can really
make the image of the killer
complete. In the film Scream, one huge prop
are the phones as this is where the
killer makes all his communication.
A lot of the characters fear is when
they are on the phone. This prop
hides the identity of the killer as
that is the main plot to the film, not
knowing who the killer is.
In Nightmare on
Elm Street, the main
prop is probably the
killers, Freddy
Krueger, glove of
knives as that is his
signature weapon
and what he is well
known for.
Likewise with the character Jason
from Friday the 13th, his hockey mask
has given him a famous identity and
what is associated to his character.

6. Cast
The character of the victim in horrors are often
teenagers, as in society now teenagers seen to
be troublesome and do bad things. In horrors
the storyline is sometimes that the teenager
(victim) has done something bad therefore get
punished by getting killed. There is almost
always a back story to why the victim has been
chosen.
Nightmare on Elm Street
Scream
Carrie Cabin in the Woods