Codes and Conventions | Findings | Textual evidence |
Stock settings | - Desolated - Old structures - Wooded areas - Psychopath’s hideout - Dusk | Dracula; large, dark castle The Wolfman; woods, night The Shining; desolated landscapes |
Stock characters | Monsters; - ghosts - Vampires - Zombies - Aliens - Psychopaths - Werewolves - Demons Protagonist | Carriers, Dawn of the Dead ; zombies The Shining, Silence of the Lambs; psychopath The Wolfman, Dracula; werewolf Protagonist; tatty clothes, blood stained. Everyday people |
Themes | - Fear - Paranoia - Claustrophobia - Religion - Murder | Non-diegetic music; build tension Close ups; show emotions (fear) Dracula; asylum, claustrophobic The Others; paranoid of ghosts Religion Silence of the Lambs; murder |
Narrative | - Cliff-hanger - Unknown fate - Protagonists usually win | The Unborn, The Wolfman; cliff-hanger Carriers; unknown fate |
Iconography | - Blood - Cobwebs - Candles - Guns | Dracula, The Wolfman; blood, cobwebs, candles Dracula; blood is treasured, shows opposites of people. Blood isn’t feared but is desired Carriers, Resident Evil, The Others, The Wolfman; guns |
Findings | Example | |
Create an enigma | - Voiceover - Non-diegetic music - Close ups | Voiceover; Dracula Eerie, creepy music; IT Close ups; Sleepy Hollow, Final Destination, From Hell |
Introduce key characters | - Costume - Camera shots | Costume; Van Helsing Camera shots; Shelter, Van Helsing |
Introduce key themes | - Close ups of emotions - Close ups of objects | Emotions; Van Helsing, The Others (fear) Objects; Final Destination, Sleepy Hollow (knifes, connote danger) |
Introduce genre | - Non-diegetic music - Lighting, low and dark | Music; The Shining, From Hell Lighting; Final Destination, Sleepy Hollow |
Use of titles | - Splattered in blood - Black background - Red writing - Fade in and out | Dawn of the Dead; splattered in blood Black background; IT, From Hell, Shelter Red writing; IT, From Hell Fade in and out; IT, Shelter |
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