Key Terminology

Codes and Conventions:

Codes are signs in which try and create a meaning behind them. There are two types of codes these are either technical or symbolic.

Technical codes are the equipment that has been used in order to tell a story. eg all the camera work in a film.

Symbolic codes are more to do with how the character is feeling and the actions that are used in order for the audience to understand what is going on.

Conventions are the ways in which people do something. For example if someone were to interview someone for a magazine then quotes would be used in the print article.

Genre in film:

There are many different genres that films are categorised in and there are also sub genres which is when the genre is much more specific but fits into the broader genre. A way of categorising films is by getting a target audience to watch the film and then seeing what they think the film should go under.

Codes and Conventions of a Horror:

The scheduled location; horror movies tend to make the location places where there is no one around to help them.

Power i cut; usually when it starts to get tense and scary in the movie this is when the lights suddenly go out.

Phone lines are cut; the killers always remove the phone lines meaning no one can call for help and no one can reach the person.

Someone investigates a strange noise; usually you would run away however in every scary movie a character goes and investigates the scary noise by themselves. 

Fake scares: In scary movies there are usually a lot of fake scares to build up the tension of the bigger scare that is coming up. 

Someone is killed in the first 5 minutes: This immediately sets the atmosphere and mood for the rest of the movie meaning it could make it a lot tenser.