Codes & Conventions of horror films James Stevens

Scream In the opening scene of the film “Scream” several clichés occur. There is extremely obvious foreshadowing as the main protagonist is playing with the knife for no reason however it shows that she has a possible weapon to defend herself or it could also represent that she is playing with her life like she is playing with the knife. In this screenshot the frame has a stretched and distorted area to the left side of the frame. This shows that something is wrong without anything obviously bad or dangerous happening. This is not a very common technique used, however in a horror movies it is an effective way of conveying a message of instability.

In this screenshot the woman is cooking popcorn in a tin. The popcorn tin looks like it may be about to explode which could symbolise how something may be about to happen to the woman. In horror films some things are usually used to create tension, it is usually a timer or an object that has a specific amount of time to complete what it is doing. Part of mise en scene is colours. The colours the woman is wearing in this screen capture are white colours which represent innocence and virginity. In a lot of horror films the victim is usually an innocent girl who is weak and fits into a “needy girl” stereotype.

The darkness outside the window suggests that it is night time. Most horror films are set at night, it is a very common cliché, because it suggests that there may be something hiding outside in the shadows. In this screen capture the camera angle is a canted shot. When this is used in horror movies it usually shows that something is off or wrong and creates unease. The broken television in the background also suggests that something is wrong because it shows that something may not be normal in the house like the television, it could also suggest that she has little or no connection with the outside world.

This screenshot is a point of view shot which is commonly used in horror movies because it helps the viewer to relate the character more and creates a stronger sense of fear as it creates the feeling that you are the character within the movie.

This is an establishing shot of the house the woman is in. It shows how the building is very isolated and is quite large. Isolated houses are commonly used in horror films because they provide a realistic but creepy setting. There is a swing which could be a metaphor for how someone is playing a game with the woman. The house adds to the mise en scene as it is white which as before suggests purity and innocence creating unease for the viewer because most people do not want to see anything or anyone innocent harmed.