Horror films typically use isolated settings like abandoned buildings, forests, and islands to induce fear. Effective sound effects include loud crashes, banging, footsteps to build tension. Horror film music often uses unsettling strings or changes tempo as the threat increases. Common props that add to the horror include masks, knives, dolls, and mirrors, which are visually disturbing and hint at impending danger.

1. Genre Conventions
Horror

2. Location/ Setting
Horror Films are usually set in isolated areas, such
as dark streets, narrow alleyways.
Places with a ‘dark’, negative history are also very
effective in horror films, some examples of these are
abandoned houses, hospitals or metal asylums.

3. Cabin In The Woods
In the Cabin In
The Woods,
the setting is a
small, worn
down cabin in a
very overgrown
and spooky
looking forest.

4. A Stranger Calls
The setting for A
Stranger Calls is
a large spacious
house which is
decorated with
very dull colour’s
and is located
next to a lake and
surrounded by
woods.

5. The Women In Black
This house is The
Woman in Black is
located on a small
island across
some marshland
from a small
village. The island
is often very foggy
and the only time
you can travel
across is when the
tide is out. The
island is also very

6. Sound - Effects
Sound effects such as loud crashes, or
something banging on a wall or even
slamming a door are very popular in Horror
films.
Footsteps are also very often used in Horror
films as they build tension and also give the
audience an idea of what is going to happen.

7. Sound- Music
There are a few different ways that music can
be used with horror films, for example there is
the typical horror film music which is very
screetchy type, violin notes. Horror films also
sometimes use upbeat type music as this can
make the film seem sinister. And the final
example of horror film music would start of
quite calm as this would build suspension and
as something happens the tempo increases.

8. Props
There is a very wide range of objects which can
be used as props within horror films, some
examples are
• Masks
• Knives
• Guns
• Religious imagery
• Dolls/ Childrens toys
• Puppets
• Mirrors
• Phones
• Jewelry Boxes
• Clocks
These props are all very effective
because they are commonly seen in
horror films.

9. The Strangers
These 3 masks are props
from The Strangers. They are
effective in a horror film
because they are quite
unusual and they are used to
hide the identity of the
murders. They are quite a
good symbol in the film as
once they have killed the
couple, they remove their
masks and leave them in the
scene of the murder. They are
then also used as a calling
card for the police.

10. Child’s Play
This is the doll used in
Child’s play, this is very
effective in this film as he is
the main character however
he is originally seen to be an
inanimate object which is a
doll however we later learn
that he is an animate object
and has a mind of his own.
The doll is also seen to be
evil so is very effective in this
horror film.

11. Lighting
Lighting within horror films is often very low key
and dark, this is done as it creates mystery and
also shows that something is not right. A horror
film may occasionally also start of with slightly
brighter lighting however when an event is
going to happen the lighting would get darker.