Codes and conventions: Horror

and Sci-fi
Whitney
Codes and conventions: Sci-fi
● Low-key lighting creates shadows and
dramatic/dark atmosphere
● Title font is unique and won’t be anywhere else
on the page
● Direct address
● Hints of blue, purple, white throughout
● Mainly darker themes and colours
● Main characters in centre
● Relatively simple
● Feature the channel logo
● Inhuman, supernatural elements (aliens and
characters with powers)
● Release date is commonly spread through all
 Codes and conventions: Horror
●Title - Biggest text
●Tagline drawing the audience in
●Can have date, channel logo, rating
●Novelty fonts
●mysterious visual clues/enigmas
●Mostly red, black, and white colour schemes
●Red represents blood / gore, black has death-like innuendos, white
(usually contrasted with red) represents purity being ruined /
ominous nature
●If there are people in the features they are often pale, representing
fear or giving them a ghost-like appearance
●Usually have blank or solemn expressions, again to add an ominous
touch to the poster
As you can see, the codes and
conventions of both genre posters are
similar, with the only difference being
that of aesthetics. The style of the text
and the mise-en-scene will generally
always the fit the genre.
● Bold, futuristic font
● Taglines
● High-key lighting
● Attractive, bright colours
● Red and blue colour scheme
● Group shot of characters
● Mysterious, supernatural powers
● Set at night time, gloomy weather,
pathetic fallacy
● Direct address
● Netflix logo
● Red, black colour scheme
● Two protagonists
● Direct address towards the
audience
● Age rating 18
● Large, unique font
● Blood, gore innuendo
● Set in historical era
● Mysterious visual cues, enigmas
● Channel logo