Research: Conventions in horror films

Conventions is the way you expect something to be. Many of the same media follow the same protocol, making them very predictable.

One of the conventions in horror films is the idea that if the victim is running away from the villain then the victim will trip over. This will then give the villain time to catch up with the victim and therefore kill them/take them, if he doesn't catch up with the victim there and then, the gap between the victim and villain will shorten making the chances of the villain catching up with the victim highly likely. This method is used commonly, as usually the audience has become to like the victim and therefore doesn't want the villain to kill the victim. When they are running it makes the audience feel like the victim doesn't have a chance of surviving, therefore making the audience feel on edge. 

Another convention of a horror film is the idea that one person out of the group of victims goes to investigate a strange noise which has occurred and they have all heard. The person who goes to investigate is most probably a member of the group who hasn't got a main part except for this scene and isn't very liked by the audience members or very known. They are also expected to go by themselves as the chances that they're about to be murdered is most probable. This makes the threat very real to the other members of the group and to the members of the audience. It also shows what may happen to the other members of the group as murderers usually use the same/similar method for all of their victims. It is usually the introduction to the murderer and their methods and this gets the story going.

Additionally, a secluded location is a also a convention of horror films, this tells the audience that there is no help nearby and therefore implying that theres even more danger than they already perceived. This is used in a lot of horror movies as it builds up a tense atmosphere as you know no one is surrounding them except the villain. It also allows the directors to create jump scares by using wild animals, a phone ringing or a tree banging on something to create noise. The audience have a prominent feeling there is danger even though it has been established there is no one anywhere around them. 

Preliminary task

I wasn't here but I made a preliminary task out of the footage that a group have filmed. 


Here is my video which I edited on premier pro

Foundation portfolio: what is it?

50% of your grade will be earned through your Foundation Portfolio. This consists of a preliminary task and a main task, the details of which can be found below.

The Preliminary Task is designed to illustrate the processes of pre-production, production and post-production that will be required, albeit in more detail, when you come to undertake the Main Task. The Preliminary Task is not marked but MUST be completed and submitted alongside the Main Task to the examiner. If it is not completed, marks are deducted from your Main Task.

The Main Task is marked out of 100. These marks are broken down as follows:

20 marks - Research into similar media products and planning of your own media product.
60 marks - Construction of your own media product including filiming and editing.
20 marks - Evaluation of your own media product.

All of your work must be posted to your blog as this will be accessed by the examiner in May of 2016.

For each of the criteria above, marks are available in 4 levels with level 4 being the highest. 

The progress thermometer below shows the key words for each level of the mark scheme.

This is what you have to do:

Preliminary Exercise

Continuity task involving filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. This task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-degree rule.

Main Task

The titles and opening of a new teen horror film, to last a maximum of two minutes.

All video and audio material must be original, produced by the candidate(s), with the exception of music or audio effects from a copyright-free source. Both preliminary and main tasks must be completed as a group. Maximum four members to a group.

Basic media terminology

Basic Camera Shots:

1. Establishing Shot 
2. Long Shot
3. Mid-Shot
4. Close-Up Shot
5. Extreme Close-Up Shot
6. Two Shot
7. Point Of View Shot

Basic Camera Angles:

1. High Angle 
2. Low Angle 
3. Over The Shoulder 

Basic Camera Movements: 

1. Panning 
2. Tracking In 
3. Tracking Out
4. Crabbing 
5. Arc 
6. Crane 
7. Tilt

180 Degree Rule:


The 180° rule is a cinematography guideline that states that two characters in a scene should maintain the same left/right relationship to one another . When the camera passes over the invisible axis connecting the two subjects, it is called crossing the line and the shot becomes what is called a reverse angle. 

Establishing Shot

Long Shot

Mid Shot

Close-Up Shot

Extreme Close-Up Shot

Two Shot

Point Of View Shot

Over The Shoulder Shot

High Angle

Low Angle

OCR guide to the 180 degree rule

OCR guide to basic camera angles

OCR guide to basic camera movements

OCR guide to basic camera shots