Horror films employ several key conventions in their mise-en-scène, camera work, editing, sound, and characters. Mise-en-scène often features isolated, abandoned places with dark colors and props symbolizing horror. Camera work uses low angles, closeups, and point-of-view shots to create fear and isolate characters. Editing employs quick cuts and jumps to startle audiences and link frightening objects or events. Sound contrasts silence with loud diegetic sounds like footsteps or heartbeats to increase tension. Character archetypes include the hero protagonist and villain who usually dies.

1. Horror Films Key conventions

2. Mise en scene Isolated, abandoned, historical, areas with a sense of claustrophobia and smothering atmosphere. Dark contrasting light clothing to show the good and evil, with colour splashing when connotations are needed to illustrate a certain aspect of the characters representation. Props with signs that create codes of the horror genre: candles, blood, weapons, masks.

3. horror

4. The Shining The shining is a classic example of excellent use of mise en scene. The colour scheme, pathetic fallacy, and overall setting of the haunted hotel. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUIZYtyD1vU&feature=related

5. Camera Work Camera angles are low to show superiority of one character over another. There will also be many extreme closeups to show importance and fear. POV shots allow the audience to connect with the fear and intensity of the characters. Depth of field gives a sense of isolation. Hand held shots can help the audience to experience the action.

7. Psycho The use of camera work during the shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's psycho creates the scene to appear as though she is being stabbed even though we actually never see the knife pierce through the flesh. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VP5jEAP3K4&feature=related

8. Editing The editing is very important to make the film give of the atmosphere desired for example if there hasn’t been a fast paced montage of shots in a while the chance is there will be something about to happen or scare the audience. The use of continuity editing and jump cuts are usually used by horror films so the audience are more engaged. However sometimes other editing is used to give other desired atmospheres such as dissolves linking two scenes together can show a link between objects and people.

10. Don’t look now Don’t look now shows jump cuts are incredibly effective when relating objects to characters. The smudging of the red in the picture relates to the little girls red raincoat and her drowning. Its all very effectively done, setting the initial tension imediately and engaging the audience. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8yqq6uBrKc

11. Sound Sounds are very important towards creating the desired atmosphere and setting a tension within the audience who are made to feel jumpy. Usually diegetic sounds are used against absolute silence making the loudness of a burst of action or jumpy scene even more tense. Sounds such as footsteps, heart beats, breathing ect. Are all diegetic and iconic in horror films.

13. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre In the Texas chainsaw massacre the opening sounds to the start of the film are very important as they contrast the landscape picture with sudden clashes of symbols. Another use of contrasting sounds is the scene where they pick-up the hitch hiker and as he cuts himself the music continues to play quite country and chilled music against the carnage caused when he self harms. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-73BUDHcCCc

14. Classic Character types to a horror film. The main protagonist – hero. The villian – character who always gets killed –