The document discusses conventions and elements to consider when creating a horror story focused on vampires. It recommends including a gothic setting like a big house, graveyard or church to convey danger. Themes of threats, death, makeup and blood should be incorporated. Low-key lighting is suggested to create a mood of darkness, and traditional fangs can identify vampires and heighten tension. Modern vampire portrayals aim for realistic makeup and casual clothing to help vampires blend in with society despite their hidden nature.

1. NAME: ___________________________
EXPLORING IDEAS
Horror subgenre: Vampires
Conventions we should try to consider and include:
 Setting – usuallygothicandmay have a
religiousside.
 Linear – non-lineartomake the audience
followacomprehensive narrativeinorder.
 A frequentuse of lowkeylighting,blood,
make-up
 Themes– Vampires,non-vampires,threat,
death,victims,blood
The settingisimportantas itestablishesthe mainlocation
for the events –set usuallyinabig house, graveyards,
churches,as theyare unpleasantwhichreinforcesthe
stature of a vampire andas a result,conveysdanger,to
the audience.
The themesinclude threat,death.Inaddition,make-up
and bloodisalsoused.However,if the filmisaimedata
mature audience there willbe more thanone thatis
aimedat a youngeraudience.
A lotof low-keylightingisusedinthese type of filmsasit
connotesnegative moods,anddarkthemes.High-keyis
not usedas ithas an opposite effect.
Traditional fangsare usedto actuallyidentifythe vampire
and separatesthischaracterfromthe rest. Thiscan
connote dangerandmake the tensionrise astheywill
expectviolence andanger.
Make-upand costume inmoderndayismade as real as
possible tomake the realismstickwiththe audience.
Olderfilmsshowthattheyusedatraditional cape forthe
vampiresbutInmodernday,the vampireswearcasual
clothes.Thismayhave beendone toportray the attempt
to hide identityandfitinwithsocietywithahiddentruth.

2. NAME: ___________________________
Inspirational films or TV shows
These shows or films might have similarities that you can
take inspiration from
Could be inspiration such as:
 Credits/titles
 Plot(don’t copy it of course)
 Characters
 Locations
 Costume/props
 Type of OTS (linear/non-linear/symbolic)
 Shots/camera work
 Sounds/music
FrightNight (2011): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1438176/?ref_=rvi_tt
The inspirationof the filmcomesfrom:
Its simple plot
Characters
Typical vampire conventions
Dracula(1931): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021814/?ref_=nv_sr_6
The inspirationfromthisfilmcomesfrom:
The roots of the vampire – typical costume,blood,fangsetc..
Plot
Setting
Dracula Untold(2014):
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0829150/?ref_=nv_sr_1
Thisis a more modernadaptationof the original Draculafilm
but the inspirationcomesfromthe moderntake onthe
famousnarrative,characters,props,andsetting.The caption
for the filmbeing:“Everybloodline hasabeginning”This
couldmeanitsevolvedfromthe classic.