By Caitlin Browne, Erica Hall and Chloe Watret

It is common for horror films to be set in small, excluded towns where it is unusual to find violence. This as well as many other popular horror settings all have one thing in common – they all suggest loneliness and no-where to run. As well as this places where horrible things have happened also appear in horror films, for example, haunted houses, insane asylums and abandoned buildings. The key thing to remember when scouting a location is to represent the unknown, that the characters do not really know what they are walking into. Camp Crystal Lake in Friday the 13th is a good example of appropriate locations as it is in the middle of the woods.

Iconography is important in any horror film as it symbolises what may happen next. For example in Scream the scene where the Head Master has confiscated the masks from the students helps give some idea what is about to happen. As well as physical objects, colours can also play a part of iconography. Colours like red, black and white symbolise blood, death, darkness and the unknown and are used often in horror films. The correct lighting of each scene can help enhance the effect it has on the audience. Objects, like the mask from Scream, automatically make the audience feel a certain way, it is able to make the audience feel fear from just the sight of it.

In many horror films the storyline follows a set structure and expectations. This can be a good thing as well as a bad thing. If a film is too predictable the audience may choose not o see it and the film will possibly result in a loss. However some audiences prefer it when they know what will happen as they do not like to be too surprised when watching a film. If the majority of horror films all follow the same structure and similar storylines it will most probably result in a loss of interest from the audience and horror films will lose popularity.

In horror films it is likely that the ‘scary’ scenes will have darker lighting and an increased area of shadow. This is to represent the unknown and that the audience do not know what is in the shadows. The use of shadows can also represent loneliness and the idea of no where to go which projects the image of vulnerability.

In many horror films the main characters fit certain stereotypes. In almost all horror films there is a final girl who lasts until the end and is usually in the sequel if there is one. For example in the Scream series Sidney Prescott is the final girl and is also in all of the sequels. She is also the person that figures out who the killer is too.

The jock and cheerleader stereotype are often the popular, unfriendly people and in Scream they are killed off in the opening scene.

There are also ‘nerdy’ types which do not have much importance, however in Scream’s case the nerd is very important as they make it clear to the audience that they know all the typical conventions and should know how to react in a similar situation. But they do not. This stereotype fits the profile of Randy.

Billy, Sidney, Stuart, Tatum & Randy

Good vs. Evil is a recurring theme in all horror films. Good usually prevails over evil but in some cases (if there is going to be sequels) evil can win. Also sequels can recreate a killer. Going back to Scream, in each of the films there is a new killer that Sidney needs to face. Within the film there will be a few confrontations leading up to the final scene where the final girl (usually) confronts the killer and wins.

Todorov created the idea that all stories begin balanced. His theory then goes on to suggest that throughout the story the balance is disrupted and then corrects itself in a sequence. It is usually an event that causes the disruption and after anther event corrects the mood and makes it appear ‘good’ again. Todorov suggested that there be 5 stages to this theory. 1) The beginning will be balanced 2) an event will disrupt the balance 3) there will be recognition that the balance has been disrupted 4) an attempt to restore the balance 5) the balance will be restored.

http://www.slideshare.net/marine18/horror-genre-conventions

http://www.slideshare.net/Die-fast-live-pretty/todorovs-narrative-theory