The Horror Genre - Iconography and Film Language

Iconography can be defined as the 'visual motifs and visual style', such as the mise-en-scene (setting, props and costume/make-up) and lighting, in cinema that often help indicate the genre of the film to the audience. 

The iconography of horror films is instantly recognisable and various aspects of mise-en-scene and lighting are repeatedly used in the genre to connote specific meanings to the audience.

In relation to setting, the typical iconography found in horror films usually involves isolated settings such as haunted houses, graveyards, the woods or forests and small towns. Remote locations instantly connote danger as the protagonists find themselves far from civilisation and, therefore, help, with little in the way of an easy means of escape. Small towns often feature characters hostile to outsiders with customs that the protagonists don't understand. Graveyards are associated with the dead and, frequently, the dead coming back to life, whilst woods and forests are often full of supernatural monsters and are locations that can become disorientating for the protagonists.

Alongside settings, costumes are frequently reflective of genre, with antagonists, villain figures and the monster character type in horror films often wearing masks to hide their identity from both the characters and the audience,and to create mystery and fear for the spectator.

Often characters wear blood-stained and ripped clothing, though in period horror films it is common for characters to wear old dresses and capes. Non-human characters or the 'monster' character could have monstrous clothing with prosthetics, or even a form created by CGI.

There are many commonly used props associated with horror films including knives, axes, chainsaws, and machetes, but also customised weapons made from household objects designed to inflict maximum physical damage on victims and to provide the bloody gore often associated with certain horror sub-genres.

Other props found in the horror genre are often associated with the occult or the supernatural, such as ouija boards, dolls or ancient relics with physical connections to a spiritual realm.

The lighting in horror films is often very low-key, with backlighting (to create a silhouette) and side lighting frequently used to unsettle the audience, to create tension and suspense for the spectator by hiding key details and, often, a character's true identity. This kind of chiaroscuro lighting, with a contrast between light and dark and the use of sinister shadows, preys on the audience's fear of the dark as it hides whatever monster or killer may be lurking in the darkness. Many horror films are set at night to exaggerate and harness the darkness which creates a sense of the unknown.

Alongside lighting, other aspects of cinematography are commonly used in the horror genre including point-of-view shots (POVs), handheld camerawork, slow pans and tilts, high and low angles (including bird's-eye-view shots), canted framing, tight and loose framing and a range of distances from extreme long shots (to show off the isolation of a setting) and close ups (to show a character's fear or panic).

The POV shot is an effective tool in horror films as it creates the idea that a character is being followed, watched or stalked by a sinister force (if from the perspective of the monster) or places in the position of the victim, aligning us with them. This creates significant tension for the audience as it immerses the viewer in the character's perspective to build a sense of intimacy and fear.

Another popular camera shot found in the horror genre is the handheld camera shot. Handheld camerawork is common in all horror films, but particularly in the found footage sub-genre as it creates a sense of reality or verisimilitude as the camera movement is shaky mirroring what the footage would be like if it were found on a phone or an amateur recording device rather than a steadicam. This creates fear for the audience as it looks extremely realistic, heightening the terror and frequently placing us in the panicked place of the victim.

Slow pans and tilts are frequently used to create tension and suspense and often come just before a jump scare, putting the audience off guard and lulling the spectator into a false sense of security.

The use of low angles is extremely effective as it can make the monster character appear more powerful, sinister and threatening, creating a sense of menace for the spectator.

Conversely, high angles are frequently used to make the films' victims seem vulnerable and under threat.

Canted or Dutch angles, where the camera appears to be tipped to one side, are common in horror films as they suggest something unusual or untoward will happen. They are also effective in reflecting a character's disorientation or panic.

Also extremely effective at making the victims seem vulnerable or unable to control their situation are bird's-eye-view shots, where characters (often victims) or locations are shot directly from above. Any high angle shots emphasise how alone and far from help these characters are, creating expectations for the audience that they are in great danger and will not survive.

Certain aspects of shot composition are commonly found within horror films, most notably tight framing and loose framing.

With tightly framed shots in horror films, the characters appear trapped, unable to escape their fate. This creates an unsettling sense of claustrophobia for both the characters and the spectator. Sometimes, however, tight framing can be used to connote characters unifying against the monster, coming together in order to defeat the threat.

Conversely, loose framing is frequently used in horror films to reinforce a character's vulnerability to the viewer. This is a common type of framing in the genre as it implies the danger the characters are in and creates expectations that they will not survive.

Often these loosely framed shots are extreme long shots, the distance further reinforcing the vulnerability of the characters. Extreme long shots are also frequently used to show off the size or isolation of a location/setting. In contrast, closer shots, such as close ups or big close ups, are used to show the fear or panic on the character's face, typically the victim.

There are a number of editing techniques which are common in horror films. 

Typical transitions include fades to black and dissolves, whilst crosscutting is frequently used to create tension and suspense or to reflect a character's panic. Jump cuts are also a common way to show a character's panic, shock or distressed state of mind.

Often the pace of the editing varies considerably in horror films. Typically, the editing is slow and creepy, building suspense and tension (and lulling the audience into a false sense of security). This slower pace of editing is often contrasted with short takes, typically used to reflect a character's panic.

Sound is crucial in creating the sinister atmosphere so common in the horror genre. This occurs principally through the use of non-diegetic music which is designed to unsettle the audience and to indicate to the spectator that something terrifying or untoward is about to take place. Sometimes this music is contrapuntal, working against the images on screen, which gives the action a more unusual feel; a good example of this would be the use of lullabies or nursery rhymes in horror films, which are designed to comfort but instead make events appear more threatening. One final aspect of sound which is common in the genre is the use of amplified or pleonastic sound effects, where sounds are much louder than they would be in reality. This is a typical technique used to shock the spectator and make them jump.