This document outlines common conventions in horror films including characters like madmen, survivors of war, and mythical creatures. It discusses visual styles that create unease like shadows and low lighting. Common themes involve death, the battle between good and evil, and the defeat of evil for normality to return. Iconography includes haunted houses and symbols of death. Settings that show isolation and danger are often used along with narrative devices like flashbacks and changing perspectives.

1. Conventions of Horror

2. Characters
• Madmen
• Psychologically challenged
• Survivors of war/disaster
• Mythical creatures (werewolves, vampires, devils,
zombies)
• Demonic children
• Possessed

3. Visual Style
• Shadows
• Low key lighting
• POV
• Canted angles

4. Iconography
• Haunted house
• Lonely and sparse area (forests for example)
• Symbols of death
• Weapons
• Flashbacks and images from the past

5. Themes
• Death
• Killing
• Unsettling of the audience
• Focus on the ‘dark side’
• ‘Bad guy’ has to be defeated in order for normality
• Based on a true story
• Good v evil
• Depression
• Nightmares/hallucinations/supernatural

6. Settings
• Haunted house
• Dark and lonely place
• Warehouses
• Somewhere that shows clear danger
• Remote locations like motels
• Being ‘home alone’

7. Narrative Devices
• Flashbacks
• Cross cuts
• POV
• Based on a true story
• Two opposite perspectives
• Stereotype of villain being ‘undefeatable’