Codes and Conventions of Horrors

Codes and conventions of horrors:

• Secluded Location - Horrors are usually done in a lonely location so that there is nobody to help. These include; The woods, House in the middle of nowhere, a ghost town etc. An example could be House at the end of the Street
• Characters usually forget about the threat - There is usually a danger in a horror and the main character(s) (protagonist(s)) often forget about the threat or tackle it head on. E.g. Paranormal Activity, they know they're being haunted however they film and try to communicate with the demon rather than getting rid of it.
• Power cuts - A classic convention of Horrors is that the power goes out just before a killing. E.g. House at the end of the street when they're in the basement and the lights are out whilst the antagonist tries to kill the protagonist.
• Phone lines are cut - This way there is no way of communicating with anyone such as the police or friends. Another way this can be used is to have no signal on a mobile phone. E.g.
• Someone investigates a strange noise - There will be a noise that is heard and is a little bit suspicious and then one person goes to investigate it which usually leads to a scare. E.g. In Paranormal Activity when they hear a smash downstairs, Micah goes down to check it.
• Victim falls over - There is always the classic runaway from the predator and the prey falls over letting them closer. A well known convention within Horrors E.g. Freddie vs Jason, at the start when the girl is running through the forest and falls over.
• Vehicle wont start - Another one that happens whilst being chased is the vehicle not starting, such as jumping in a car and it not starting which again leads to the killer getting closer, another way to use this convention is to have the protagonist drop their keys. E.g. Zombieland when Columbus drops his keys when trying to get in the car. 
• The fake scare - This is used in nearly every Horror film that has ever been made, it is where the sound, cinematography and editing are all used as though there is going to be a scare and it all drops down and there is nothing there or its something else. E.g. House at the end of the street when the car pulls up you think she's going to get kidnapped and fear the worst but then it's just the neighbour offering a lift.
• Warning goes unheeded - This is when the Main character(s) defy a warning and do what they are warned about anyways. E.g. Again in paranormal activity they know not to agitate the demon however they do.
• The Shortcut - Even if there is a significant amount more danger by going through the shortcut it doesn't matter as they will always take the shortcut which leads to danger. E.g. The Shortcut
• Freaky Music - There is always music on the soundtrack to freak the audience out. E.g. Insidious with Tiptoe through the tulips - Tiny Tim, when the little Victorian boy puts the record player on and that is played.
• Crescendo - There is often a build up of instruments in the music which finally come to a crescendo when the scare is happening. E.g. Jaws, when the shark attacks you get the build up of the motif to the crescendo which makes you jump.