Typical synopsis narrative devices

Usual devices and elements used in horror films often involve the antagonist (Evil villian)try to mess with the innocent protagonist’s (hero’s) life. Victims to the antagonist are ususally freinds and family of the protagonist and are used to build up tension in the film. A key element of the narrative is darkness as it sets the scene of the horror film and allows you not to be able to see much which means the unexpected can come from anywhere. Another key element is being helpless, being alone with noone able to help them from the villian.

Typical function codes & conventions

Typical function codes and conventions normally consist of suspense being built throughout the film in different ways such as low level lighting. Diegetic sounds and non-diegetic sounds are also used for example  footsteps getting closer or further away or a dramatic soundtrack and these sounds give the audience fear and anticipation of the events that procceed.

Certificates

Horror films are usually certificated 18+ in the cinema and DVD sales, however some films in order to be available to a much bigger audience, restrict their certificates to 15+ in both cinema and DVD sales.  18 certificate films are usually aslso used for the more gory and scary films.

Iconic sounds In Horror

There are two types of sounds, these are diagetic and non-diagetic sounds.The iconic non diagetic sounds in horror films are generally low drone suspence music notes to build up suspense before a big moment in a film, this is also a sound that you would notoften hear in every day life. Or also fast pace high notes also to build up suspense.  The iconic diagetic sounds include screaming, evil laughs, silence, footsteps, door creaks, heartbeat and thunder/lightning and other bad weather.

Famous Horror Institutions

Some instittutions in cinema speacilise in horror some of these are institutions like. Ghost House Pictures, Renaissance and also Hammer Horror.

Typical characters in horror & representations

Stereotypes that are used in horror films are usually the victims, who tend to be young attractive women who are a bit thick and innocent in order to create a sense of guilt and sympathy from the male audience. men in horror films are ofton seen as the dominant sex as they are shoen in most films as the heros and in most casses the villan as well. Recentley horror films are more inclined to use a young child as the primary source of horror due to their deceiving innocent nature like in films like The Omen and The Exorcist. we have also used this idea in our film, by making our main source of horror 3 young children it makes it much more of a creepy film.

Icons of the horror genre

In most cases in the horror genre, the icons of horror tend to be antagonists (Evil villans) of a kind of supernatural nature, like Dracula, Freddy Krueger or Frankenstine’s monster are well known characters of the horror genre and are still characters used in some films today e.g. Nightmare on Elm Street  which has been remade in 2010 after its original release in 1984. Icons of the genre normally tend to be visible for the audience to see, but, in some films this has not been the case. More and more institutions are creating films where the antagonist is invisible to the audience for the majority, if not all of the film. Examples of this style are films such as Paranormal Activity, The Blair Witch Project and The poltergiest. Two of these fims are wuite recent where as the other one is a fairly old film as it was released in 1982.