The document provides an overview of the horror genre, including what defines horror films, their history and conventions. It distinguishes horror from thriller films, noting horror plays on primal fears through supernatural or disturbing scenes. Key conventions of horror discussed include isolated settings, technical techniques like lighting and camera work, common character archetypes, and themes of good vs evil. The document also examines two horror film posters and their use of visual elements and text to convey horror themes and intrigue audiences.

1. Horror Genre

2. What is Horror?
Horror films aim to trigger
an emotional response
from their audience. They
do this by playing on the
audience's most primal
fears. They often have
scenes which may startle
the audience through
supernatural or macabre.
Horror films also usually
overlap the thriller genre.

3. What is the difference between a
horror and a thriller?
A lot of people get confused between what the
difference is with a horror and a thriller film. A
thriller film is something that contains a lot of
excitement, suspense and mystery, which our piece
contains. A horror is something that is an
overwhelming feeling that is caused by shock and
usually plays on people fears and contains things
such as monsters and blood. Our piece does contain
elements of both the two genres; however, we see it
more as a horror, especially when studying other
horror films such as Jennifer’s Body and Scream 4,
two films we think are quite similar to our own.

4. The History of the Horror Genre
Horror films from the start have had a supernatural
appeal, and the first ones started off as silent shorts.
The horror film genre came to light in the late 1980s,
one from the time and the most well known is Le
Manoir du diable, also known as The Haunted Castle
made in 1896. This was said to be the first ever horror
film and was the first vampire film.
Budgets for horror films rose during the 1960s and the
publics interest in horror’s led to a range of serious
supernatural-themed films, for example The Exorcist
(1973) was and is said to be the most feared movie to
watch from the audience and was able to break the
record for horror films.

5. Horror Sub-genre
There isn’t just one type of Horror, horror comes in a range of different shapes, and here are the types
of horror genres out there:
• Body horror – shows realistic obliteration or deterioration of the body, for example, the Human
Centipede(First Sequence) (2010)
• Comedy horror - this combines both themes of comedy and horror fiction, for example Beetlejuice
(1988)
• Gothic horror - contains elements from both gothic and horror fiction, for example The Phantom of
the Opera (1925)
• Kiddie horror – this is aimed at a younger audience that only play on common fears . It contains less
gore, and usually has a young protagonist, for example Monster House (2006)
• Monster movie – contains creature or monsters, for example Cloverfield (2008)
• Natural horror - contains mutated beasts, carnivorous insects, and animal and plants that are
usually harmless, into killers, for example The Birds (1963)
• Psychological horror contains supernatural and ghosts and uses such things as fears, beliefs and
eerie music to create suspense and tension, for example The Ring (2002)
• Science Fiction horror - contains murderous aliens, mad scientists, and or experiments gone wrong,
for example Alien (1979)
• Slasher film - involves a psychopathic killer who goes round killing a series of different people using
a knife or axe, for example Scream 1996)
• Splatter film - focus on the gore, usually contains a lot of special effects and a lot of blood splat, for
example Saw (2004)
• Zombie film - contains creatures who either corpses or mindless humans, for example Resident Evil
(2002)

6. Conventions of a Horror Genre
Setting
- Isolated or small community
- Urban atmosphere – dark
streets, ghost town, narrow
alleyways
-Abandoned houses, insane asylum
-Cabins, barns, subways, underground
tunnels, graveyards, dark woods etc

7. Conventions of a Horror Genre
Technical Conventions
- High and low angles – dominance and innocence
- Point of view shots – see it through the monsters eye
- Handheld – feel of terror and unknown (like Cloverfield)
- Ambient diegetic sound and non diegetic – footsteps and
heartbeats
- Extreme close ups of victim

8. Conventions of a Horror Genre
Iconography
- Visual style
- Non naturalistic lighting
- Props – chainsaw, candles, mirrors
etc
- Monsters – vampires, werewolves
etc
Narrative Structure
- Classical narrative
structure – leaves a
sequel or left for closure
- Hero protagonist who is
on a mission to kill or
solve a problem

9. Conventions of a Horror Genre
Types of Characters
- Protagonist – hero or
villain
- Villain –
monster, alien, serial
killer
- Immoral teenagers
- sinister children
- Police officer
- Demons, ghosts, zombi
es, stalkers

10. Conventions of a Horror Genre
Themes
- Good vs. evil
- Religion
- Supernatural
- Nightmare
- Insanity
- Revenge
- Darkness
- Envy
- Murder
- Mass murder

11. Looking at horror film certificates –
The Descent
The Descent is a horror film which is rated as an 18. Its an 18 because it contains the following factors:
- sex & nudity 4/10
- violence & gore 10/10
- profanity 8/10
- alcohol/drugs/smoking 6/10
- frightening/intense scenes 10/10
This shows high levels of each factor, therefore pushing it into the 18 certificate classification
Within the trailer you can see that the film is following some of the conventions of a horror film such as
using blood, playing on people fears (claustrophobia) and the lighting (areas aren't well light and
they are a lot of shadows)

12. Looking at horror film certificates –
Jennifer’s Body
Where as when looking at Jennifer's Body the film is rated as a 15. It's a 15 because of the following factors:
- sex & nudity 7/10
- violence & gore 8/10
- profanity 8/10
- alcohol/drugs/smoking 4/10
- frightening/intense scenes 8/10
Although the numbers are actually higher than most in The Descent, the reason behind it being a 15 instead of an 18 is
because the fact that it is a horror film and it's violence/gore and frightening/intense scenes aren't as high as in
The Descent, its been classed lower, even though it has high profanity and sex/nudity.
Within this trailer you can see some of the sexual references and frightening scenes that classed it as its classification,
and how it is seen as a horror film.

13. Horror Film Poster Analysis – The
Grudge stereotypical dark image,
the bold, fonts colours -
emphasis on horror theme
Covered face – female, shows
evil character - character is
hiding something.
-Pale face – ghostly or death – -Eye – makes the audience
contrasts with black feel uncomfortable
background
Bold fonts - draws attention Title - Red - colours shows
danger, blood and death –
Appeal to Sarah Michelle stands out – streams of
Gellar fans -notable – above black hair
title
Slogan - “It never forgives. It
Colour - black - common never forgets” - white font -
convention in horror films - stands out- short sentences
death and evil creates suspense. “it” – not
human

14. Horror Film Poster Analysis – Sorority
Row
Burning house – lives Positioning of girls
burning away – victims – shows there close
- Link to hell – hinting relationship – like
on the storyline sisters – emphasis
on the name
Surrounded by darkness “sorority”
– surrounded by a dark
secret – typical horror
convention
“They share a killer
Title – font emphasises
secret” – hints a story
on the Greek
line – there’s a secret –
background of a
maybe someone got
sorority – slashed
killed, or they are going
underlining – like blood
to be killed
– hints at a slasher film