This document lists numerous elements that commonly appear in horror genre films, including plots, icons, backgrounds, themes, characters, and specific scenes involving violence, paranormal activity, relationships, and supernatural events. It then discusses Burton's theory of genre codes and conventions, noting that horror films successfully balance repetition of familiar elements with variation to engage audiences familiar with the genre's typical features. Key elements like weapons, isolated settings, and specific plot points are regularly repeated across horror movies according to Burton's theory.

1. Plots and stock situations
Icons: objects, backgrounds and stars
Background and décor
Themes
Protagonist
Stock characters
oculus
mirror home office
trauma auction
murder suicide
seeing mother killed shot multiple times
glowing eyes iphone
lantern flickering light
yellow pages spitting blood
biting a light bulb changing a light bulb
red delicious apple sleeper hold
strangle staring into a mirror
argument golf club
animal bite golden retriever
bottle of water house plant
band aid on finger mechanical timer
correlation versus causation face slap
year 1955 year 1904
reference to william tecumseh sherman archival photograph
year 1864 year 1755
video camera anchor
caged animal puppy
biting fingernail woman wearing a negligee
overhead camera shot caesarean scar
released from a mental hospital woman wearing a ponytail
nightmare psychiatric evaluation
antique mirror based on short film
removing a fingernail blood on hand
blood on wall new house
computer programmer lightbulb
gunshot gun
hiding apparition in mirror
scared by a mirror image looking at self in mirror
mirror does not reflect reality loss of mother
loss of father loss of sister
death of sister cracked mirror
chained to a wall chained to wall
fiancee fiance
promise flashback
filmed paranormal event cell phone

2. stabbed in the neck blood on mouth
blood dog
dead plant plant
paranormal research paranormal
paranormal phenomena police car
police officer delusion
illusion ghost in mirror
ghost abusive husband
abusive father insanity
bare chested male brother sister relationship
death of mother death of father
surprise ending
Paranormal activity: the marked ones
apartment neighbor
oxnard california teenager
witch writing in blood
strangulation basketball
critically bashed altered version of studio logo
portal hiding in a closet
severed head kidnapping
knocked out hit with a baseball bat
grocery store young version of character
farm occult
missing person poster body landing on a car
falling from height game
singing drunkenness
brother sister relationship firecracker
prank trapdoor
breaking and entering reference to sherlock holmes
pot smoking bong
bitten on the arm photograph
attempted robbery mexican american
latino underage drinking
party topless female nudity
female rear nudity flare
character repeating someone else's dialogue year 2012
high school graduation death of brother
machine gun shotgun
shot to death shot in the chest
stabbed in the chest female frontal nudity

3. car crash best friend
loss of control suicide
falling to death witchcraft
stabbed to death time travel
murder death of grandmother
falling down stairs no opening credits
basement supernatural
superhuman strength`
dog looking at self in mirror
gang member gang
vhs shaky cam
video camera home video
unsubtitled foreign language corpse
apartment complex grandmother grandson relationship
spin off 18 year old
demonic possession demon
blood egg
coven ritual
bra friendship between men
pentagram
subjective camera
death of friend
In looking at conventional elements there are a number of commonalities for the horror genre. For
example, the icons in most horror genre movies are blunt objects that are used as weapons or lethal
weapons. Another example is that most settings are isolated settings in the sub urban areas.
Therefore burtons theory is proved as there is a repetition and variation as well as genres having
specific features.
A balance of repetition and variation is vital to the success of a movie. In my opinion specific icons,
themes, backgrounds, plots and stock situation are repeated in different movies of the same genre
as this allows the movie to reach its target audience. This is because burton’s theory gives the
audience the capability to see what they are looking (codes and conventions) for in the movie they
are watching.
From this task I learnt Burton’s theory. In addition to that I realised that movies from the same genre
are very similar to each other as they all have very similar examples of the key elements in Burton’s
theory. This would help me with my planning as I will know what to key elements and codes and
conventions to consider when making a trailer.