Analyse the codes and conventions of horror films as shown in the openings of 'Dead Wood', 'Dead Mary' and 'Wrong Turn'.

Dead Wood

The Convention used at the start is the sound of tweeting birds and the start of a low tone, base song which is tense. It then shows an isolated location in a forest with russling noises. This sets the scene for the audience and helps them understand the setting of the location along with building tension. The music then changes to a fast tempo, heavy base song as footage of a man being chased is shown and is set in the woods. This breaks the tension from the audience and causes panic and shock. The actor is covered in blood and dirt, showing fear to gain the audiences attention. The blood and dirt is a use of Mise-en-Scene. The camera angles and shots used are closeup, panning and point of view. All of these shots are disorientated due to the actor running through the woods. However, this is on purpose to help the audience understand the setting and how the actor is trying to escape the villain chasing him. The editing is mainly a use of many camera shots which are turned into quick cuts, for example, when the actor pauses and starts to look around. Also, their is an establishing shot of the actor jumping from one side of a cliff to the other. This establishing shot was slowed down to build tension for the audience; will he make the jump or not? Most of the tension is built up through sound in the opening of this film due to there being lots of running and no dialogue. There is lots of pitch build up worked into the scene due to the villain getting closer and closer. Also, there is lots of heavy breathing and russling due to the set and objective of the film.



Dead Mary

The main convention used at the beginning are closeups of abandoned objects/signs/parts of a building along with a broken down car. This is setting the scene for the audience as an isolated location however, the broken down car indicates that there is some type of presence at the location. All the camera shots at the beginning are extreme close ups which helps slowly build the setting. The editing also helps this as the shots slowly fade in and out of focus yet the harsh sound gives the audience a sense of confusion. The focus is then changed to the girl sitting in the broken down car. Her body language shows that she is frustrated and bored, indicating that she may be waiting for someone/thing. Whilst she is waiting she tries to work the radio and her phone, both which do not work due to there being no signal. However, when tuning the radio, throughout all the loud fuzz there is some type of sinister laugh creeping through, which is also heard when there is a closeup shot of inside the forest, which is next to the car. This indicates to the audience that something may be near by or watching her. A lot of Mise-en-Scene is used throughout the opening of this film however, the main feature is when she finds her flare gun in the front of her car. This is a hint to the audience as the gun is foreshadowing something that could happen later in the film. A jump-scare is also used later in the film when her partner returns with two canisters of petrol, which he drops on the floor. This breaks the tension of her boredom and the silence around her and starts the dialogue in the film.




Wrong Turn

The convention used is an establishing shot of a large forest along with loud, harsh, thunderous music. This is showing the audience the set along with setting the mood of the film due to the tone of the music. It then moves onto a boy and a girl climbing a cliff. Mise-en-Scene is used well here along with how the actors are acting. They are both dressed in climbing gear along with all of the climbing equipment however, the crane shot shows the girl is further behind the boy; showing that the male is stronger/quicker than the female. Later on, the actor reaches the top before her which leads her to becoming tired and almost acting like a princess in destress. This is very stereotypical as the man is made out to be the hero. Also, the actress is showing a lot more skin than the actor which from a teen audience could be seen as skimpy. For a few seconds all sound is cut off apart from the natural forest sounds of birds and the breeze going through the trees. When the girl is calling for help there is no reply from the boy. This indicates to the audience that he is either messing around or something is about to happen. Then there is the jump-scare showing the actor being killed by some kind of creature from the forest which is not seen. This pulls the audiences attention more as the girl is now alone and trapped on an edge of a cliff. Once the first murder is shown the editing changes and instead has lots of quick cuts which shows the signs of panic and tension. Also, the editing has no cross-cutting and is all in chronological order. For example, you don't see the villain preparing for the murder; the actor is killed with no preparation shown to the audience before hand. Once the girl has escaped the cliff and is nearly at safety (the car) she suddenly trips and falls. This of course helps the villain catch up to her. This is shown in many horror films where the character almost reaches safety however, something always happens to stop them from surviving. On the other hand, this builds tension for the audience as it shows the character reaching safety, relaxing the audience for a brief second before realising that actually the victim is not going to survive.

Research : The Importance Of Opening Titles

Opening titles are shown at the very beginning of a film or TV programme, listing the most important members of the production. They are shown as text on a blank screen or static pictures, or sometimes on top of action in the show. Including opening titles enables audiences to understand the genre and setting of the footage. It also produces a miniature film which grabs the audiences attention before the film begins.

There are many conventions in the opening titles, which produce a range of information that is linked to the making of the film. Saul Bass was an opening title producer who was often known for co-operation with Alfred Hitchcock.






The first convention that is shown in the opening titles is the Production Company and the Distribution studio/company, which for this film is 'Metro Goldwyn Mayer'. Distributing a film is much harder than producing a film due to the cost that follows. However, having a backing of a studio or well known director assures the chances of securing a good deal.




Another convention shown in the opening titles is the Directors Name and Movie Stars. Having actors and ancillaries shown at the start of the titles helped push the film producers to reinvent the film media, especially when more people stayed at home to watch television then go to the cinema. Including the directors, producers and cast (etc) is known as a 'cold open' or teaser which helps set the stage for the film.


Opening titles also include the Title of the film. Depending on the theme of the opening/film it can be presented in many ways or at different times. For example, in this film, the title is presented to the audience after the name of the director is shown.

Titles can also be presented in the middle of the opening 2 minutes of a film or after a flashback, depending on the film. Another example of a title being presented after the opening titles is the film 'Cabin In The Woods'.





I also did some research from this website linked here : https://newenglandfilm.com/magazine/2012/08/credits

Research : Codes and Conventions of Existing Teen Horror Films

Linked below is my presentation on different conventions that are used in horror films.

Research : Conventions In Horror Films.

Conventions are accepted as being the set ways of doing something; genre specific for creating films.

Listed below are some expected conventions seen in the horror film genre and how they are used:

• Secluded Locations - a place where there is no existence of living.
• Characters forgetting about threat - the characters knowing something isn't right but still heading towards their destination.
• No signal / phone lines are cut - all connections to help are lost.
• The fake scare - something jumps out/happens but not the real scare.
• Bad weather - pathetic fallacy of what is happening.
• Short cuts - going the way they didn't plan.

The History of Horror Films : A Journey Through Time

Preliminary Task: Evaluation

For our Preliminary Task, we were asked to film and edit a 12 shot clip. Our objective was to film Character 1 walking into a room and having a small conversation with Character 2 who was waiting for them. Our main shot we had to include was Shot-Reverse-Shot along with having to include the 180 Degree Rule and Match on Action. Whilst filming and editing, we needed to make sure we had enough shots taken as we wanted all the footage to match and flow.

Before filming, our group had to create initial ideas that we could film for the given Task. Once we had a stimulus for our footage, we then went on to create a 12 Shot Story Board to plan out each of our Camera Shots. This also included planning for Staging, Dialogue, Camera Movement, Camera Angles and any Character/Prop information. This helped us breakdown our actions and make sure we get the correct footage to then edit.

When it came to filming our group worked well however, we had an issue with our Characters not turning up to filming. Therefore, we had to ask two other students (which have been put onto the Casting List) to come and be our Actor/Actress' who were great and worked well for our stimulus. Every member of the group took part in the filming and all followed the Story Board; making sure each shot and angle were correct and also filmed a couple of times each to make sure we had enough clips to edit. Overall, the footage we got was done well and looked great for editing.

When it came to editing the footage, I realised Character 1 had changed his lines each time we filmed. This made it much harder to edit the clips together however, after listening to the footage I managed to put the clips together so the dialogue made sense to the audience and the conversation flowed well. I used the programme 'Premier Pro' to edit the footage together which worked well. Also, I was shown how to change the volume on the program; helping me change what was said over the video and also make the dialogue make sense. All shots and angles were filmed well and our group assured that the clips had stuck to the 180 Degree Rule.

I feel our group had met the set brief well, as our footage is shown to be continuous and presents exactly what was asked of us for the Task. The clip includes the conversation between two Characters and shows all shots and angles needed. All footage met our Story Board well, as we wanted to assure that the conversation was clear and all angles were clear to the audience. I would say that our weaknesses as a group were casting people who we knew would be dedicated and making sure the audio also matched the video and the dialogue topic. An improvement I would of made to the Task was to create an easier stimulus for the Task, as the footage did get a little complicated to get right, which we realised with the dialogue when it came to editing. This is something we can improve when it comes to the Main Task.

Preliminary Task: Filming

My contribution to the filming task was to get Josh to become one of our Actors and film some of the shots outside and inside the room. Also, i helped get the set ready by moving the tables.