Genre Conventions of Horror

Horror is a genre that has many reoccurring themes, codes and conventions. An
example of this is Barthes Hermeneutic and Proairetic codes. Both these codes
help create mystery and tension that is vital for a successful horror movie. In
most horror movies, ambiguity plays a key role in engaging and enticing the
audience to watch and continue watching the movie. By presenting questions,
the audience are encouraged to seek answers. In my trailer I know that this
mystery element will be important to encourage them to seek out further
information on the film, whether it be on social media or websites like IMDb. It
will also encourage audiences to go on to watch the film. The trailer for The
Shining presents the Hermeneutic code through the obscurity of the monster,
with hints that it may be an internal or external monster. When using Todorovs
theory in conjunction with Barthes, the element of the story that remains
ambiguous is the final resolution. This works well in enticing the audience to seek
out the answers presented in the trailer.

A second convention of many horror films is the overall tone and atmosphere.
They are seen to be very dark and brooding, which helps portray the sense of
discomfort and disruption. To apply this within my trailer, I will use editing
software to ensure a continued dulling of colour. I will also avoid situations in
which bright, colourful shots appear, unless that works well in context and
juxtaposition of the more macabre tone.
Horror films also use the significance of celebrities to imply certain aspects of
characters and story. According to Dyer, a celebrity is more a constructed image
than a real person. With this theory, the casting of different actors could be
interpreted as a signifier. This then allows a trailer or movie to communicate the
nature of certain characters without explicit statements. This helps condense
information transferred across within a short trailer. Unfortunately, the trailer I
will make does not have enough backing or funding to encompass celebrities or
type-casting. I am aware of the significance, but cannot apply it to the trailer I
will be making