This document outlines several common codes and conventions used in horror movies, including secluded locations where characters are alone and isolated, threats of danger, death, or curses that drive the plot, and power or phone lines being cut to increase fear. It also discusses conventions like characters investigating strange noises or following tracks that lead them into danger, killers hiding or striking unexpectedly, and characters encountering problems like falling over while chased or their vehicle not starting so they can't escape.

1. CODES AND CONVENTIONS
OF A HORROR

2. SECLUDED LOCATION
• Normally where nobody is around.
• Abandoned houses, warehouses
• Hospitals
• In the middle on nowhere
This is because normally when someone is alone they are more scared and their mind plays
tricks on them, but horrors show this but something bad will happen. In these locations the
horror becomes more realistic.

3. THREATS
Usually a danger, death or curse. This is usually the base of the story. For
example paranormal is based around a curse on the family but also the
curse creates a danger. Although in most horrors they ignore these threats.
Like in paranormal activity they ignore the curse and it gets
worse until it cant be ignored and then the danger happens.
POWER CUT OR PHONE LINES CUT
Darkness is seen as a scary thing so cutting the power or cutting the phones
lines restricts the victims. This is why most horrors use this convention as it
creates fear although sometimes it can be slightly obvious what happens. E.g.
murder in the dark.

4. INVESTIGATING AND DANGER
• For example someone investigates a strange noise. Like in 28days later when they
investigate where the zombies are but they end up finding them and it all ends badly.
• Someone goes in the way of danger, taking the short cut down a small road in the middle
of a forest.
• Following a noise or footprints
• Walking into a forest or dark area

5. UNEXPECTED KILLERS/DANGER
• Windows are a good place, for example the victim looks out the window to see nothing
and they turn back the killer strikes.
• Hiding killers
• These effects shock the audience but also scare them.
• There are many different examples most of them are done effectively but this is defiantly
a convention of a horror as its shown in most horrors. For example 28 days later.

6. OTHERS
• Falling over when being chased
• Vehicle wont start
• Cant escape
• The short cut