Conventions of Horror Genre

• Camera Work 
• Mise-en-scene
• Setting
• Representation 
• Sound 
• Editing  
• Mood and Atmosphere 

Looking through various horror films many of these conventions can be presented, throughout the film and even right at the beginning.

Examples:

SWEENEY TODD

This scene in 'Sweeney Todd' is a prime example of how low key lighting can create a dark and dreary Mood and Atmosphere, and in my opinion you can tell it is going to be a good and perhaps rough, unpleasant horror film.

Mise-en-scene:

The costumes in this are plain black, no bright colours, which is suggestive of  an unfriendly and intimidating nature. It can also illustrate some sort of control and power, someone who is quite secretive and deceiving. 

Music in this scene begins quite upbeat which is a strange contrast considering the lighting, you would assume that it began with a down beat and unhappy tone. When the main character 'Sweeney Todd' (played by Johnny Depp) enters the music changes, being, as you would expect, unhappy and dispirited, which can imply he's the main character and that he is the cause of this darkened and unhappy Mood and Atmosphere.

THE RING

One of the first scenes in 'The Ring', I think, is quite intensifying and unnerving, because when I watched it I was afraid of any jump scares.
This was due to the fact it was quite slow paced, and the lighting is quite low key, no music was quite effective because there's no lead up to any scares so it just jumps out at you without any warning.

Camera Work
The use of the camera was very effective in this scene, because of how it gave you different views of the girl. The close up's of her face really presented and illustrated the fear and uncertainty the girl was feeling. At the beginning of this scene you're given the perspective of what the girl's seeing, and I think it is a really effective and a prime way of making an audience scared, because this means the audience see's exactly what the character see's, and if there are any jump scares it would be extremely alarming and scary. 

THE SHINING

The opening title sequence to 'The Shining' is quite different to how you would expect a horror film to begin, only because you're not unexpectedly scared, or there is no outstanding tension or uncertainty. However at the end the of the title sequence there is a view of what looks like a hotel, which can suggest that some sort of main event will take place there.

Sound 

The use of sound in this opening is very odd due to how it can be described as being low key and quite dispirited. In contrast with the setting which is quite bright and could be associated with a type of music which is more up beat and lighter, it is quite strange. During this scene there are non- diegetic noises that sound like screaming, however it then fades into some sort of instrument so it could be presented as some sort of illusion, which could be suggestive of how there is a twist in the film and how it could be quite perplexing. 

Types of Characters

• The Protagonist- This is the main character/victim/hero of the film.

• The Villain- In a horror film this is usually a monster/murderer/alien/mutation/.  

• Ghost- I think this is a typical and stereotypical representation of a horror film.

• Zombie- Personally I find these horror films quite entertaining, however there is one film that I know of which doesn't use the main character, who is a zombies, as a villain, 'Warm Bodies'.

The list continues...

• Werewolves
• Demons 
• Psychopath
• Stalker 
• Cannibals 
• Animals  

Themes

• Revenge - 'Sweeney Todd'
• Ghosts - 'The Shining'
• Gore - 'Dawn of the Dead'
• Serial Killers- 'Scream'
• Religion- 'The wicker man'
• Haunting- 'The others'