Research: Conventions Commonly Found in Horror Films

Secluded Location

Most of the time horror movies place a character in a location where nothing is around them an example of this would be the woods, a ghost town, a summer camp or a house in the middle of no where. This is done so it makes the viewer of the film feel on edge and make them feel like something is going to happen.


Characters Forget about any threat

Most of the time in a horror film there is a danger that people know about but they carry on and go to that place anyway. This is almost always a negative part of the movie and you know that something will happen later on in the movie.


Power is Cut

At the perfect time the power is always cut. This is so the viewer knows that something is going to happen. When the lights first go out the character in the film usually goes to check what did it. This is also to build intensity.


Phone Lines Are Cut

The killers always take out the phones. This is so the victim can have no connection with the outside world. In nearly all horror films at least one of the phones are cut. Since the introduction of mobile phones they have had to change the way it works. They had to make sure the mobile dies just before the victim tries to call the help that they needed.


Someone investigates a strange noise

This is one of the most overused horror film conventions. A lot of horror films use this to try and build tension. If there was someone screaming then someone would stupidly go over to the noise to try and find out what it was.


Someone Runs Upstairs Instead of Outside

People will always run upstairs instead of outside. This is to try and build tension in the crowd. If they are unable to do that then it will be harder to scare the audience.


Victim Cowers In Front of a Door or Window

They sit and cower in front of the doors or windows so that the villain can break there hand through the window or door so that the victim will get scared. This could also be a jump scare.


Victim Falls Over at the Worst Time

They do this to try and build tension.


Car Wont Start

This will always happen with any car or bike. This is also so you can build tension. They do this very well in most of the films.


The Fake Scare

A fake scare is a very old and over-used convention in a horror film. They use this just before a jump scare. This works really well and can scare people a lot when it is used well.


Warning Goes Unheeded

It is natural if you get told not to go somewhere then you don't go there. But with this convention even if they do get warned then they will still go into the haunted forest or something like that with the warning still in their head.


Someone is killed in the first 5 minutes

When this is done well it can be very effective. But if it is done wrong then it can make it look like a parody film. This if done wrong could ruin the whole film for the viewers of the film.


X Years Before/Later

This indicates a prologue of the film, setting up the events that will happen later on in the film. If it says 15 years later for example then it means that the prologue has ended and the main film will start.


The Stormy Night

This is to try and build tension. It is also so that they can add thunder as part of a jump scare.


The Short Cut

This is so that the person is put in to a dark alley. This is to try and build tension in the audience which could lead to a jump scare.