Focused analysis of horror.

Conventionally horror films appear very dark with very little lighting. The dark represents the unknown danger that is too come and also conveys the characters fears in being in an isolated place, they often feel uncomfortable in. As the characters show fear and uncomfort it builds tension for the audience as they begin to feel unsettled like the characters. Tension can also be created with use of music, quick shots and dim lighting as it keeps the viewers guessing.

Characters are very important in any storyline as they are often the main feature of a film. A character is normally portrayed by what they are wearing or how they act e.g. if the character has a policemen’s uniform on the viewer will identify he is a police officer or if a characters keeps looking at the floor and has no smile there facial expression conveys they are perhaps unhappy. Therefore to help the audience identify they are watching a horror the murderer is very rarely shown and if they are, they have something about them that does not conform to what a ‘normal’ person looks like e.g. a mask or scaly skin. The victim’s costumes always begin clean however as the pace picks up their costumes become covered in blood, torn and frayed to convey the ordeal they are or have been through. Facial expression is a very key theme to horror as in order to understand the storyline or sympathise with the characters, we need to sense there fear and the only way the audience will feel tension is if the facial expression and body language of the characters portray they are horrified.

Aswell as costumes Props can help the audience identify what genre they are watching therefore you have to be careful not to break the verisimilitude by having an object that doesn't fit with the genre e.g a blow up hammer in a horror. Props in horror films are typically weapons such as sharp objects like knifes, axes or guns used by murderer to kill his victims.

Horror films are typically set in isolated areas where there is no escape. As then the characters are trapped and unaware of their surroundings therefore they are vulnerable. They are conventional set in places like a haunted house, in the countryside or in an isolated forest.