Blog Post #3 - Typical Conventions of the Horror Genre

 

Lowkey Lighting 

    All movies categorized in the horror genre tend to follow the same typical conventions. One of the most notable conventions is the use of lowkey lighting throughout most, if not all of the movie. This is used to give the audience a feeling of unknown due to things that could be hidden in the dark and underexposed areas. The main purpose of this is to build tension and make the audience feel on edge  

Pathetic Fallacy 

    Pathetic Fallacies are often overlooked in movies but provide a deep underlying effect on the audience. The surrounding environment around a character like the weather and temperature are fitting examples of this. For instance, the movie “Frozen” perfectly incorporates pathetic fallacy by the way the snow and ice behave around Elsa’s emotions. Even subtle rain in the background of a scene can have the biggest impact on the audience by directly reflecting the mood of a character to create tone. 

Setting

    Horror movies heavily rely on a specific setting to add suspense and make the audience feel uneasy. Humans are known to fear the unknown, which allows film directors to take advantage. It comes to no surprise that most scares occur in rural locations like abandoned houses, creepy hotels, dark basements, and the attic. Spots like these make the audience question what could pop out of the dark and further accelerate the plot.  

Young Children

    Have you ever thought about why young children seem so unbelievably creepy in horror movies? Well, this is because children appear vulnerable, leading people to feel empathy towards them. It is also due to the fact that they are still developing psychologically and physically, making them unpredictable. This again supports the idea of people fearing the unknown, it is hard to anticipate the actions of a child, especially in a horror movie.  

Connection to My Project

    My project will incorporate most, if not all of these conventions by the end of the movie. Without these conventions, it would be just an ordinary movie without any emotional striking moments or scares. Overall, adding these features and techniques is key to providing a successful and entertaining experience for the audience.