Here, I have analysed the screenshots I have taken from

Horror movie trailers and picked up on what the generic

conventions are for:- Setting -- Props -

- Costume -- Lighting -

- Body Language/ Facial Expressions -

Typical Mise-En-Scene from Horror Movie Trailers

Setting

The settings which are usually shown in horror films are typically based in large, old fashioned houses. Old houses are more likely to hold paranormal activity with induces the fear of ghosts or spirits for the viewer. Older houses are usually secluded which is great for a horror as the actress/actor will be all alone and at their most vulnerable. An old fashioned house is also less likely to have the most up to date security. Again, the actress/actor is more vulnerable and unsafe. The generic convention of a large, secluded, unarmed house makes it the perfect location for dangerous, horrific things to go on. Usually, rooms are large and exposed meaning the person is left in the open and has no where to hide. The house could have also been abandoned which makes it more eerie.

Props

Props in horror movies are usually either weird and mysterious, like an old fashioned doll or a creepy book. Other times horrors are more psychological and involve more horror through emotions. A lot of props used in recent horror films involve computers and laptop which people use to cyber bully people with.The villain is usually unknown in these trailer making the audience feel more tense and scared of how lethal the antagonist can be. Horror films are usually based through the internet now, meaning anyone can get in contact with anyone. This is what makes the film interesting as the audience feels vulnerable as they also use the internet. This type of horror film is a more recent generic convention due to the increase over the years of internet use.

Costume

Costumes in horror films can be old fashioned to promote horror. This is because seeing an old fashioned photo of a child or family can scare people due to the photo being in black and white, the darkness and contrast of colours shows death and fear. The fact that the people may have died now puts in a fear of ghosts and spirits of them being around you. Knowing someone that is wearing old fashioned clothing comes across as scary as they may still have an old fashioned mind-set and may be cut off from the real world. Clothing may also be covered in rips and blood which shows danger straight away. The cuts show how they may have been in a fight or in a terrible fall. Costumes in a horror film give an idea of what kind of person they are and if they are an antagonist or protagonist. If the clothing is dark this may show the character as being more sinister and mysterious as appose to a protagonist who is in a float white dress- white is seen as being more innocent.

Lighting

Lighting in a horror film is generically very dark. This is to make the audience feel scared for the character. The mind believes a lot of things are hiding in the darkness, even if they are not. This makes the audience fear something which they haven't even seen yet. By ensuring darkness is used in the horror film the audience is creating their own intensity and drawing their eyes into the film. Darkness is used to make the audience fear for the character by fearing the unknown. A horror set in a busy well light place (a shopping centre) would be harder to make scary and intense than if it was set in an abandoned, secluded house in the middle of the dark forest. If lighting is used then it is only a small amount (from a match or hanging lightbulb). This only lights the character up to we can see the petrified facial expressions. It shows they are vulnerable as now the antagonist can see the character but the character cant see what she’s fearing.

Body Language/ Facial Expressions

The typical generic conventions for body Language and facial expressions in a horror movie are tortured, shocked and desperate. The screen-prints I have taken clearly show the look on anguish, suffering and torment on the women's faces as they have been put through horrible and shocking experiences. The facial expressions demonstrate how scary the horror film is as the actresses wouldn’t be making the faces if something good had happened. Straight away the audience is intrigued to why their faces are so petrified and alarmed.Body language is usually very tight and withdrawn like the characters want as little of their body's surface area exposed to the world. The generic conventions of body language in horror films is typically very abrupt, characters can be running frantically away from villains or fighting for freedom.