Flashcards
Genre conentions
Cards in this deck (24)
- 1Genre ResearchThe genre of my production is going to be Horror. This is because I have experience working with horror productions as my GCSE media piece was of the horror genre. For this reason, I feel confident in creating a good piece of work.
- 2Colours commonly used in horror pieces. (Production and written pieces of work)The colours which are generally used in horror film are; Black, Grey, White and Red. Each colour signifies certain themes within a film.
- 3BlackThe colour black is normally portrayed as a negative colour and that is how it is used/seen in horror films. The colour is seen to connote death, evil and mystery. This is why a lot of horror film posters have a significant percentage of the poster being black.
- 4RedThe colour red is also used a lot in horror film and posters. Red is the colour of blood which means that it connotes danger. I will be using this colour a lot in my production as danger will be one of the main themes.
- 5WhiteThe colour white isn't often, but can be associated with horror films. White is generally seen towards the start of a film as it is seen to connote perfection.
- 6GreyThe colour grey can be associated with horror films. The grey colour connotes emotionless and is seen as a moody colour. This is normally used in horror films
- 7LightingLighting which is used a lot in horror films is low-key lighting. This is used because low-key lighting connotes a dark and sinister atmosphere. This is generally used during the recognition of distribution of the horror film.
- 8PerformancePerformance can mean many things in a film. The main parts of performance are body language, facial expressions and positioning within the frame.
- 9Facial expressionsThe main facial expressions that are used in horror films are scared and nervous, these are normally shown when the protagonist is trying to get away from the antagonist. Another one that is seen is annoyance, this is normally seen by the antagonist when they can't find the protagonist.
- 10Body LanguageA very noticeable piece of body language is the tension of the protagonists muscles. This connotes that the protagonist is experiencing anxiety.
- 11Positioning in the frameThe main protagonist in horror films are normally to the right of the frame even though they're seen as the main character. The antagonist in horror films in normally in the middle of the frame because the middle is seen as the dominating part of the frame and they are seen as dominating to the protagonist.
- 12SoundThere are two type of sound, diegetic and non-diegetic. Diegetic sound is sound which the actors on set can hear, this involves talking and the sound of on-set objects. Non-diegetic sound is sound that has been added in by the editors of the film. This would be music or sound effects.
- 13Conventional Diegetic SoundsSome diegetic sound which is generally used in a horror film is creaking of stairs, this is diegetic however is enhanced to the audience. Some other diegetic sound is whispering between the protagonists (to a group member or themselves)
- 14Conventional Non-Diegetic SoundsA lot of horror film use non-diegetic sound as this creates atmosphere. The most commonly used sounds are atmospheric music which changes volume and pitch whenever the movements of the actors change. (If the antagonist get near to a door that the protagonist is seen hiding behind, the volume increases in order to add suspense)
- 15IconographyThere are many different parts to a horror film which allow the audience to know the genre of the film they're watching. First of all the common binary opposite of 'Good vs. Evil'. The time of day in which the film is mainly set is night. Things are scarier in the dark. Empty rooms is used a lot in horror as it makes the protagonist feel like they are alone.
- 16SettingThe general setting for a horror film is a remote location as this makes the character appear more vulnerable. Being in a remote location makes the audience believe that if/when the character gets in trouble, no-one is around to help them. These remote locations normally contain a wooded area around an abandoned building, this building is normally the main setting of the film.
- 17Conventional time of dayThe conventional time of day which a horror film will be set, changes as the film goes on. The films generally starts in the early afternoon of the day, as it shows how happy the protagonists are during the sunny times of the day. About 20 minutes into the film the time of day changes to the night. This is when the lighting in the film is low-key, so the atmosphere of the film changes to dark and sinister. The end of the film normally is high-key lighting as all of the sinister happenings had ended and either the protagonists have survived the night or it will be showing how other people around the world (whom are unaffected by the event) are.
- 18Conventional weatherThe conventional weather for a horror film is when it is there is a thunder storm. This is because the noise of thunder and the light from lighting creates a nervous and atmospheric setting. The sound of thunder will be used to scare the protagonist(s) as when they know something bad is happening they will be on edge. The lightning can light up a hallway for seconds, allowing the shadow of the antagonist to be seen by the audience. Thunder storms are normal met with a huge volume of rain. Rain connotes an ambient weather pattern and is also used to create suspense.
- 19PropsThe main props which are seen in normal horror film are antiques. This is because the most houses used in horror films are old ones which are said to be very old in the films by the owner of the property. Another prop which is used a lot is broken lights/lamp. These create atmosphere in the film, as it stops the protagonist knowing what is near him/her
Other props which are conventional used in horror films are weapons which the antagonist use to harm the protagonist and the protagonists use to try and survive. The most used weapons in horror films are knifes and gun. It is stereotypical for the antagonist to have a gun because it makes the crime which is being committed by the antagonist seem to look pre-planned. - 20Theory.Prop's theory is that there are always 8 different character types present is almost every film. In horror films the dispatcher is seen as the antagonist as they are making the protagonist go on this journey to save themselves.
- 21Propp's Continued....The princess/prize could be seen as life of the protagonist, as if they complete the quest, they will keep their life. The villain is the antagonist in the film as they provide struggle for the protagonist(s). The helpers are the other protagonists in the film whom set out to save themselves along with the other.
- 22Propp's Continued Further.....The hero is all of the protagonists in the film as they are seen as the good guys. The father figure could be seen as the princess as if she is saved by a male protagonist their is a chance they will get together. I don't think that there is a donar in many horror films.
- 23Todorov's TheoryTodorov's theory is that there are five steps which every film follows. Most horror films have a very similar plot line to them. This is where the protagonists are all happy and living life. All of the main protagonists are met by the audience. This is the equilibrium stage.
- 24Todorov's theory continued...The next stage is the disruption. This is when something is seen in the film which appears to the audience that it will disrupt the happiness of the protagonist(s). The next stage is the recognition of the disruption.
Information
- Description
- Flashcards on Genre conentions, created by brown-d-2 on 12/11/2015.
- Created by
- brown-d-2
- Views
- 0
- Rating
More on Horror film conventions