as media

1. Conventions of
the Horror
Genre

2. • Conventional Character types- generic
characters like the main character an attractive
hero, a villain, sometimes a monster or mutilated
'freak, stupid or immoral teenagers who are
killed etc..

3. • Common Themes- Good vs Evil,
Childhood issues, Revenge, Supernatural,
Science gone bad, insanity etc.

4. • Supernatural Beings- E.g. Vampires,
ghosts, aliens, werewolves, zombies, evil
witches or monsters.

5. • The Dark Side of Humanity- Cannibals,
stalkers, gore, torture etc.

6. • Main Characters forgot about the major
threat briefly only for it attack them while
they are unsuspecting.

7. • Dark Settings- places with negative
connotations, evoking fear and making the
audience anxious e.g. abandoned houses,
asylums, hospitals, dark woods, alley
ways etc.

8. • Pathetic Fallacy- the use of weather to
create a mood e.g. cloudy skys, rain etc.

9. • Chase sequences where very little of the
killer/creature is shown to build tension
and create a sense of hysteria.

10. • Abstract Camera Angles- High and low
shots or P.O.V angles to create fear.

11. • Music- music with a fast tempo to build
tension and make the audience anxious

12. Editing
Sharp transitions or blackouts are often used for
cliffhangers while techniques like fading out can
be used to build or defuse tension.