CJ- Conventions of a Horror

The Strangers (2008)

Conventions:

• A common trend in horror films is the pace of the cutting rate. The rapid change in angles is used to make the audience feel vunreble and confused. The pace of the cutting increases in scenes of importance. An example of this is in the trailer of 'The Strangers' when the scenes begin to change violently, increasing the tension and nerves of the audience.
• Common sound techniques used in horror films are studio sound (non-diegetic). The sound played over the scene is often asynchronous and not parallel to anything of the action on the screen. This is very popular in horror films as it adds to the confusion of the audience, and leads them into thinking something bad is going to happen.
• The clip shows the use of a sound mix, which is used to increase tension and lead to a crecendo, in which something bad takes place. This is a convention often linked to horror movies due to its popularity in crucial scenes. The music used however starts out by being quiet and soft, teesing the audience, and making them confused due to the contrast in music and the scene.
• Horror movies often start out with a happy story in which is interupted by the begining of a bad event which will change everything. This contrast in moods is used to increase the tension and nerve of the audience. This is due to the dramatic change of genre, causing shock to the audience.
• The use of mise en scene is a crucial part of making a film a horror film. The main character in horror's often have a mask or some other object covering their face, this is used to build on the tension and confusion of the audience. When the audience cannot see the face of the character they begin to imagine what theyre face looks like, and often leads to the wonder of whether they are human due to their freakish nature. Horror films also feature knives, axes, chainsaws etc. objects often associated with horror and violence.