HL: The conventions of a Horror

The Amityville Horror (Douglas, 2005)

What generic conventions are in this clip?

• The graphics placed in the corner of the scene, show the date in which the apparent incident happened. This gives a sense of verisimilitude as the font used connotes the genre the film is set (in this case 'courier' is used).
• The haunting sound track, as well as the use of amplified diagetic sound furthermore constructs the specific genre by putting emphasis on sounds such as heart-beats, foot- steps and creaky doors.
• The weather is bleak and dull, and the scene is set during the evening. This is one of the main generic conventions, as the audience will immediately associate darkness with horror.
• The location is a rural and isolated area.
• The dialogue in the intro is also very limited, causing the audience to focus much more on non-verbal language of the character given prevalence.  However some lines are used, mainly to play with the audiences emotions. In this instance the words 'I love you' are used. Followed shortly by a sound bridge (the sound of gun fire).
• Muted colours are caused by a sepia filter, which gives a more evil and haunted feel to the intro. This allows the apparent genre to be shown.