Horror Genre Chart

Setting

Setting is very important within the horror genre, setting the scene, mood and atmosphere which allow the audience to identify the genre, creating tension and correlating to the story. There are many conventions used within setting of the horror genre which include:

• Haunted / derelict houses & mansions 
• Asylums 
• Abandoned towns 
• Forrests / woods 
• Theme parks / fair grounds 
• Hospitals 
• Cabins 
• Graveyards 

Technical Codes

Technical codes within the horror genre prove very conventional, through lighting, framing / cropping, sound and misenscene it enables a scene to become more realistic and frightening and also plays a part in creating tension before a jump scare. It is mostly related to how a scene looks and feels.

Lighting

low key lighting allows dark shadows to form as there is a sharp contrast between light and dark and can be used to create tension or a sense of alienation.
back lighting is the type of lighting that creates a silhouette of a person, scare or object by creating light from behind the subject making them look evil or sinister, also disguising any initial features that would normally be seen.
under lighting is when the light comes from below the subject which creates a distorted effect making the audience feel as if something will come out from the area where there is no lighting.

Misenscene 

Misenscene refers to the arrangement you can see within a shot, including props, costume and decor. The misenscene conventions seen within the horror genre are very important as to creating the right ambiance of the film, this includes things such as the time frame the film was set, the environment of the film and establishing the roles of characters. For example, in Friday the 13th, the killer Jason is dressed in darkly coloured, old, worn clothing. This is a typical convention for the antagonist in horror films as it connotes to being evil or psychopathic and signifies to the audience to be scared of the character. Props such as Jason's murder weapon which is usually a large knife or an axe is also a typical horror antagonist convention, as above most things it signifies to the audience that the character using or holding the murder weapon is the antagonist of the story. Weapons such as knifes, axes and chainsaws are also more conventional as these connote that the user is more psychopathic than that the use of a gun, also this allows for more violent and gory scenes to create fear factor. The decor conventions within the horror genre usually refer to the setting, displaying derelict, dirty and old fashioned decor relating to the environment, more commonly used in films with the setting of a house, cabin, hotel or mansion to create more tension by making an environment look creepy.

Sound

Even though the first horror films would have had little or no sound, it is very much one of the most important aspects of modern horror, creating the tension needed to make a film thrilling or scary. The most conventional use of sound within the horror genre are isolated instruments, being used just before a key event occurs making the audience feel vulnerable. Long suspenseful notes contrasted with short sharp notes to shock the audience. Extreme changes of pitch, low brass notes suddenly changing to high pitched tones to make the audience feel suddenly tense.

Editing 

Editing within the horror genre is also an important way of creating tension and fear factor for the audience, through continuity, transitions, shot duration, pace and rhythm and also special effects. These aspects become more conventional within the horror genre as the media form such as film requires a lot of editing to create a scary and creepy feel which can also compliment other elements such as sound and lighting.

Iconography 

Iconography refers symbolic representation, the horror genre usually caters to the same type of target audience so many horror films stick to this pattern of iconography in order to appeal to the target audience. The usual iconography of horror films are blood and gore, killers and psychopaths, isolated settings and the use of monsters and paranormal themes.

Narrative

Todorov suggested that stories begin with an equilibrium or status quo where any potentially opposing forces are in balance. An equilibrium is set up which is then distributed, causing a disequilibrium, which is resolved into a new equilibrium by the end of the tale. This is common within the horror genre as it allows producers and directors to set up a structure to their film and create effective scares and character development.

Characters

Within the horror genre, there is usually a battle between either good and evil, or innocent and evil and this has a big influence on the characters we meet. All horrors, regardless of subgenre there is some sort of antagonist.
The antagonist within the horror genre is conventionally an evil spirit/ghost, serial killer, monster, demonic possession such as a doll or puppet, psychopath or possessed people, animals or objects.
The protagonist is usually an innocent victim, conventionally a boyish female that is able to escape or fend off the antagonist of the story.
Other characters that are also conventional include the loved up couple, a sacrificial lamb, the non believer and the hysterical character. Characters such as possessed or creepy children can also be used as a sub antagonist.

Themes & Tones

This refers to the conventional themes seen within horror, sub genres such as action, comedy, psychological, slasher, sci fi, zombie, musical, body, psycho-biddy, apocalypse etc.