Conventions of your genre

Genre: Horror (slasher)

convention 1:

• Props (Blood):• Blood is used within Horror to create an atmosphere of fear, death. Blood leads

to death and therefore would frighten someone if a large amount of blood is visible. Films like Saw, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Scream have all used blood successfully to scare audiences and create a typical slasher atmosphere. Props are one of the most useful tools for a genre like a horror but nothing can compare to what blood can represent and therefore that is why we have used this key element within our sequence.

Our use of blood Saws use of blood

convention 2:

• Low key lighting:• Low key lighting is used almost in every horror film ever designed and is a crucial

part of all horror genres as darkness has a sense of fear and not knowing whats really out there. Psychologically it plays on the mind and this is don’t with low key lighting as shadows are formed and that’s where peoples imagination kicks in of their worst nightmares. That is why we have incorporated darkness within our sequence by filming in the dark.

Our use of low key lighting Friday the 13ths use of low key lighting

convention 3 • Props (weapons):• There are a variety of weapons and

murder tools which create a distinct icon within that movie. For slashers weapons play a key role for selling the villain as someone who could be a threat. Each villain has their iconic weapon and the item alone create an atmosphere of tension and suspense. Mise en scene can be very effective if done correctly and that’s why films like Friday the 13ths and nightmare on elm street are so effective with Jason’s machete and Freddie Kruger's claw hand and not forgetting Texas CHAIN saw massacre.

Example 4

• Scary music and sound effects• In Almost every horror film scary music contributes and

is used to create that stereotypical horror atmosphere. For a slasher the use of high pitch screeches brings pains and suffering to peoples ears and this is how a slasher creates its atmospheres. For Supernatural horror Ghostly sounds are the most common along with whistles of the wind and that’s how they sell the type of horror the film is. And this is why we took this into consideration and incorporated typical sound effects into our work.