Codes and Conventions - Psychological Horror

Before choosing our final film genre we were were asked to research two or three possible genres we liked the idea of, after an hour of research I decided that the film genre I liked the most was a psychological horror and stuck with that ever since. Before I could start to storyboard and come up with ideas for my film opening I had to bare in mind the general codes and conventions of a psychological horror, taking in as much detail as possible from my research. This will help me when I want to indicate to the audience what to expect from my film.


Characters> Young adult of child (usually female)
> Mentally unstable
> Emotionally Unstable
> Dark, Gothic, Creepy in looks

Other Characters> A detective or other form of authority
> An unsuspecting partner, friend or stranger
Settings> Institutionalised areas such as school, hospitals, academys
> Deep, dark, gloomy areas that are abandoned which are far away from help
> Big, terrifying areas that are out of place and on isolated grounds
Props> A weapon of any kind, can be knives and guns
> More commmonly weapons that weren't made for killing like pipes and hammers
> A kind of research tool such as a laptop, book or research files
> A Sentimental object which is normally very innocent on its own, like a teddybear or a doll
Storylines

A story full of suspense, twists and deaths/mental torment.

One person either mentally ill or the victim of brutal abuse from a stalker/family member/friend

Not always, but a lot of times it ends in the main character either dying or ending up in hospital/mental asylum.

There is usually a strong sense of confusion and mystery inflicted upon the main character and
thus, the audience.

There is almost never a happy ending.

The horror usually is ceased through the main character working out what is happening and stopping it. However, sometimes the horror is not stopped, either implying that you cannot stop the horror/fear or that there will be a sequel.

Ones closest to the main character are usually killed off

Sound

Very little dialogue throughout most of the film.

More dialogue when the main character is trying to reason/workout what's happening to them, showing panic and desperation.

Tense, low music to build suspense, which usually builds up louder when a scary scene is coming up.

Sometimes there will be a very quiet drum beat in the background, mimicking the heart rate of the character and possibly the audience's.

A lot of silent scenes giving the film an eerie effect.

Cinematography and editing

Fast pace editing for the most part to emphasise confusion and action. However, slow paced

editing is used at tense moments to build suspense.

Characters will have flashbacks from time to time, each time they get closer to working out why these acts of horror are happening.

Sometimes, not very linear, showing the result of horrible events at the beginning to spark curiosity and fear. It would usually show the character after being through an ordeal (e.g. in a mental hospital, alone and lost in a forest, in a hospital bed, etc).

Mostly filmed in dark places such as night-time, dark houses, etc.

The camera nearly always focuses and follows the main character

From researching about codes and conventions for psychological horrors, I now know what I must include to give the opening of my movie the effect that I want the audience to have, which is a mixture of varied feelings such as suspense and fear. A non-linear introduction to the movie will create a perfect play on emotions towards our possible ideas for characters and her current situation. I have learnt from my research that the idea of our movie follow these codes and conventions that I've researched, for example the idea of the vulnerable female who is insane. By using a young, pretty, innocent looking female who is clinically insane character in the introduction to our movie, this will generate so much suspense and effect towards to audience which is our main goal when making this opening. With everything now in mind, I can now work towards making a clear and effective psychological horror with less to worry about and much less hasttle.