Generic codes and Conventions of Horror

In different genres of film there are different codes and elements that a type of genre will follow, E.G Horror films nearly always contain the following:-

• Settings are usally somewhere dark and dismal, usally a single building like a house or castle. Buildings usally have an 'old' look to them. Some horror films are set outside and this usally takes place in a forest or a wood although usally characters will find themselves at a building eventually.
• Horror films have alot of music in them this helps the audience to build up tension and give some idea that something is about to happen.
• Blood! All good horror films have alot or atleast a little gore in them.
• Camra angles can vary in horror and there is no real set convention of camra angles that tell you its a horror film but most of horror film shots are quite slow with little editting untill some action happenes e.g someones head getting cut off the camra and editting speeds up to create drama and excitment.
• Characters are nearly always the same there is a bad guy who does all the gorey stuff but usally has an unknown identity untill the very end when he is reveled (usally as part of his plan he unmasks himself). There is a hero and a sidekick and a few helpers, which include a screaming girl, that get killed off one by one leaving one or two at the end to find out the identity and then proably die themselves.