This document outlines common codes and conventions of horror films. It discusses themes such as revenge, childhood issues, and the supernatural. It also examines sub-genres and describes how horror films typically use isolated or abandoned locations with low lighting to create tension. Common audio techniques like non-diegetic sounds and nursery rhymes are mentioned. The document also analyzes Propp's character archetypes in horror narratives, such as the villain, hero, and princess.

1. CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF
HORROR FILMS
By Stephanie McCaffery

2. Themes
◦ Revenge
◦ Childhood issues
◦ Good vs Evil
◦ Nightmares
o Madness
o Supernatural
o Lust
o Jealousy

3. Sub-Genres
◦ Revenge
◦ Paranormal
◦ Kidnapping
◦ Mystery
◦ Psychological

4. Mise-en-scène
LOCATION
◦ Usually abandoned or isolated
◦ Areas where there is no help for the characters, there is usually a sense of isolation
◦ Urban environments with dark streets and back side alleys where there are a lot of shadows
◦ Dark woods again draws on the idea of being abandoned or isolated

5. Mise-en-scène
LIGHTING
◦ Low key lighting can be used to create a dark and dingy effect on the scene. This can be used to
create shadows. Shadows will help create a sense of fear for the audience
◦ Light flickering also can be commonly used, especially in films featuring paranormal things such
as poltergeists etc…
◦ Another technique that is frequently used is chiaroscuro lighting. This is can be used to
construct a eerie atmosphere

6. Sound
◦ Non diegetic sounds are essential in horror films as they help to make the audience feel on
edge when they don’t know where the sound is coming from. These will be accompanied with
ambient diegetic sounds such as footsteps on screen, which adds tension to the scene.
◦ Another common feature is the use of nursery rhymes. They can sometimes be slowed down to
make the scene seem spooky.
◦ Children’s voices are also used frequently

7. Proairetic code
◦ Proairetic code is frequently used to horror films as it is a good way to increase the tension. If an
audience is using their imagination to fill the blanks then it would be a lot scarier than actually
seeing it. Directors might use this code to imply that scary things are happening without
showing anything.
◦ An example of this is in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) which showed barely any violence but
the violence was created by proairectic code.

8. Propp’s Character types
◦ 1.The villain
◦ 2.The dispatcher
◦ 3.The helper
◦ 4.The princess or prize
◦ 5.The donor
◦ 6.The hero
◦ 7.The false hero

9. The Villain
There are two different types of villain:
Supernatural Villain: Supernatural villains are usually used because they are not something that
the audience can relate to and so it makes their threat even greater.
Non-Supernatural Villain: These types of villains are used to make the film more realistic. This
also appeals to audiences because it makes them feel as though it could happen to them because
not everyone would believe that they could have a ghost haunt them but they could have a serial
killer living next door to them.

10. The Dispatcher, the Helper and the
Donor
◦ The dispatcher is the character that makes the villain known and informs the hero of him/her/it.
◦ The helper is similar in this way as they usually assist the hero in their quest to rescue the princess
◦ The donor usually gives the hero something (could be a tangible or intangible) to assist them

11. The Princess
◦ The person who needs to be rescued by the hero. The
princess is usually portrayed by a young female or a child.
This is because the audience can usually empathise better
with a female victim than a male victim as society in
general tends to see women as more vulnerable than men.
Children again are also more vulnerable.

12. The Hero and the False Hero
◦ The hero is the person who rescues the princess/victim from the villain. They are usually a male
with very masculine qualities. However in more recent horror films, this character has also been
portrayed by a female.
◦ The false hero is the person who tries to take credit for the hero’s actions and tries to win the
princess