Research Essay: Codes And Conventions In Exisitng Horror Films Aimed At A Teenage Audience

Horror films always contain codes and conventions which create a daunting, tense atmosphere for the audience. Conventions are the expected things to happen within a horror film, for example, in a thriller it is common to see a chase scene between the victim and the murderer. Moreover, another frequently used convention is the typical isolated scenery - this indicates that no one will be able to help the characters later on in the movie. On the other hand, you also have codes which are split up into two categories: symbolic and technical. Symbolic codes revolve around mise-en-scene (costume, lighting, make-up and props). These are usually used to portray a particular view of a character, for instance if a woman was wearing revealing, provocative clothing it may suggest connotations of her being frail, vulnerable and perhaps wanting attention. Alternatively, it could reflect the stereotypically woman. Technical codes focus more on technical aspects of film making, such as camera shots, camera angles, camera movement, editing, lighting and sound (non-diagetic and diagetic). In order to explore codes and conventions within media further, we focused on the opening of two films: 'Dead Wood' and 'Dead Mary'. 

'Dead Wood' uses technical codes, such as editing, to set the atmospheric nature of the film. Cuts between scenes gradually become more and more frequent as the monster chasing the male continues; this makes the pace of the film faster and implies the feeling of chaos and panic. Editing is also used to emphasise the importance of the male jumping over the ditch, to signify it is a major moment and is the deciding point of his fate - whether he'll survive or die. By slowing the footage down it creates a dramatic effect as it creates a build-up of tension and highlights the sense of danger. This is important because it ensures that the audience will want to carry on watching the film. An additional technical code that 'Dead Wood' incorporates as well as, is the use of sound. Throughout the opening scene, music plays a vital part - at the beginning, the music is eerily peaceful which creates a haunting essence behind it due to the low tones and the slow tempo. The isolated sound of the piano signifies that a key event is just about to happen, this helps link the idea of vulnerability to the audience. During the chase scene through the woods, the sounds become more textured because of the sustained, suspenseful notes and the short, sharp notes which create a large contrast resulting in an effect that shocks the audience. The high pitch notes also resemble stabbing motions that can foreshadow the events of somebody being impaled. The film  uses symbolic codes too: blood can be seen on the males face which suggests that he has encountered the monster already and has managed to get away from it - this gives the audience hope that he will survive which creates an even bigger impact on them when he dies. Furthermore, the male's foolishness is conveyed through his costume; he is wearing a Hawaiian shirt in the middle of the forest. Shallow space is also used because it highlights that the monster/human chasing the male is extremely near - this creates suspense for the audience.  

There are numerous conventions within the opening scene of 'Dead Wood' because they are used to set the mood for the rest of the film. The filming takes place in a secluded location - a forest. Isolated locations are often used in horror films as it reveals to the audience that if the character gets into danger, they won't be able to get help, nor escape. Therefore, the location gives off an uneasy feeling to the audience as it is quite uncommon to be in a place away from help and civilisation. Separation between the two characters, a woman and a male (perhaps a couple), is another convention. This again reinforces the fact that the character will be without help and will just have to rely on themselves and their own instincts. In this case, we see the woman at the end who is now all by herself as the male will not be returning to the camp site. In result to this, it becomes clear that the woman is now extremely vulnerable - this is portrayed by her costume (a symbolic code) as she is wearing revealing clothing and by the camera angle ( a technical code); the camera shot is from a high angle which makes her appear small and weak.  

The opening scene of 'Dead Mary' uses a combination of codes and conventions to build an intense atmosphere. The convention of a secluded location is depicted by extreme-close ups (which are in and out of focus) of a sign. A sense of mystery is provoked by the fact that the location isn't completely identifiable in these shots. Eventually a long shot of the sign highlights how the woman is in the middle of nowhere. It also adds a bit of a back story; by showing a gas stations sign it implies that a car may of broken down or ran out of fuel. Location is also illustrated by a low angle close up of the car as it emphasises the isolation of the characters because the audiences focal point is forced at the long stretch of road in the background. Mysterious elements are again represented in the opening scene with camera movements which give the impression that the woman is being watched: A long shot of the car acts as a point of view shot and reveals something is watching her. The camera constantly tracks her movements and even tracks forward to express how, whatever is watching her, it is coming closer to her. Vulnerability of the woman is conveyed through close ups of the females face as it is unnatural to be that close to someone's face. High angled shots also display this because it makes her appear smaller and defenseless. Another way vulnerability of the woman is symbolised, is through her costume (symbolic code): she is wearing clothes that reveal a lot of skin to show how she is weak and cannot protect herself, similar to the woman from 'Dead Wood'. Sound, again, plays an important part in setting the tone of the movie. Although use of sound may not be as prominent in this films as it is in others, I feel that the subtleness of it creates a realistic scene - I think that this makes the audience experience fear because it is easily believable and seems to be more likely to happen in real life. One of the most key diagetic sound effects is when the radio gets turned on. Due to their being no signal, a convention of a horror film to promote the fact that they are in a secluded location, static can be heard. Within the fuzziness of the static, the audience is able to decode eerie, menacing sounds such as a woman who seems to be in pain and a demonic, evil laugh - this could be used to foreshadow future events. 

A typical convention used within the film 'Dead Mary' is the breaking down of the car. The car has ran out of gas, so the woman is trapped next to the woods by her self. This creates an edge of tension as the audience realises that the woman is unable to escape and is forced to sit next to the woods, another convention as the woods are usually associated with danger. There is also a man and a woman in this opening scene also, like there was in 'Dead Wood'. This convention is used to ensure that the it appeals to both genders of the target audience. As well as this, the (ex) couple's ages are roughly around the same as the target audience which is commonly around the ages of 15-24 as these are the most popular age groups who watch horror/thriller films.

Word Count: 1360

1. Explanation/ Analysis and Argument = 10/20

I believe that I can improve on my explanation and analysis of my codes and conventions. I also don't understand what points I am meant to be arguing...

2. Use of Examples = 12/20 

I think I have used examples when necessary but I could probably be more coherent with them.

3. Use or Terminology = 7/10

I think my terminology is pretty accurate, however I think I may of muddled up a few perhaps.