What are some of the key conventions of the horror genre?

There are six main conventions that are present within the horror genre, which help to create an atmosphere within a film. These include the setting, technical code, iconography, the narrative structure, character types and themes.

In horror the setting is vitally important in helping to create suspense and shock and thrill the audience. Horror films are often set in a small community which creates isolation from the rest of the world; this also makes it easier for the whole community to harbour a ‘dark secret’ which is then slowly revealed as the film progresses. In some cases the setting can be places where things from the past return to haunt the residents, or someone within the community gradually turns evil and then sets about terrorising their neighbours, film makers often play on the fact that their films are set in places where you would not expect something out of the ordinary to happen. This can be seen in 'Halloween', where the killer, Mike Myers, sets about killing people in the community where he grew up.

The houses used often have different levels, such as cellars and attics which make good places for secrets of the past to inhabit, concealing monsters and making good places for murders to be committed. The time of day is also important within horror, with in most films the ‘evil’ being released at night where it is less likely that the perpetrator will be caught.

The technical code of the movie is also important, as it is the main device that creates the atmosphere within a film; this includes the use of camerawork, framework and editing.

The camerawork used compared to other genres is more expressive rather than naturalistic, with some experimentation used between high and low angles; this creates an element of surprise and disorientation which captures the audience’s attention. Extreme close ups on the victim protagonist help the viewer to identify with the terror the character is facing, whilst also making it hard to judge where the threat is by eliminating it from the screen.

Point Of View shooting is also used frequently as a way of seeing the action through the victim’s eyes and allowing us to closely follow their actions. It is also used to follow the villain, and is mainly found when introducing them as to keep their identity a secret.



The camerawork will often make good use of the depth of field to create suspense; the audience can clearly see the protagonist / victim in the foreground unaware of the monster emerging in the foreground.


The editing of the film is cleverly used to create unsettling movements and jumps as the camera moves from a long shot to a close up, cutting out the mid shot to give the scene a rough and quirky feel. The pace of the editing may be quicker during periods where the director needs to create suspense, and increase in pace can often be an indicator that something is about to happen. The sound placed in the background has become iconic of the genre, as it can change the mood of even a simple scene, and many films have become associated with certain pieces of music.


Iconography is the use of visual signifiers as a means of determining the genre of a film and in horror these are readily apparent for the audience to see. The colour schemes used are often black or red; this connotes darkness, evil, blood and danger.

The lighting used is in a low key, expressive manner so that it emphasises shadows, sometimes coming from unsuspecting angles such as below to create unfamiliar shadows.

Many of the props used are also famously identified with the horror genre. Weapons that are bladed are the most common murdering tool used in horror films, religious symbols such as crucifixes can be found in many supernatural sub categories along with other elements such as ghosts and moving objects, masks are often used by the monster to hide their identity and finally blood is frequently found.




The character types used by directors are mainly young, college students and female. This helps to portray an innocent victimised main protagonist, and also because teenagers are often linked with ‘off the rails’ activity. The monster is prominently male, usually having some secret or psychotic event that has caused them to take revenge. The actors used are in the whole often unheard of, low budget actors, some of whom move on to bigger careers.


The narrative structure used is often in line with that of a classic realist / classic Hollywood structure. There may be many ‘false closures’ present throughout the film whilst the real closure is left ambiguous to help enhance the mystical qualities of the monster and perhaps to also enable a sequel. Unlike the Hollywood structure, in horror there is often a victim / hero rather than an unambiguous hero, which provides the audience a point of masochistic identification. Some of the narratives of horror sub genres are very formulaic. The slasher genre often presents the monster as someone who has suffered a psychotic event that creates a killer, returning at a later date to a past location to kill what are usually immoral teens.


There are also many themes present within the horror genre. Binary oppositions are often explored, such as the contrast between good and evil, natural and unnatural or the known and the unknown. It gets the audience to think about the hidden evil inside us, and make us question what lies on the other side of death.


In conclusion there are many key conventions within the horror genre. These collaborate together to give the audience clear identification of the genre, and also help to build and hold an atmosphere.