Research : Analyse the codes and conventions of horror films as shown in the openings of 'Dead Wood', 'Dead Mary' and 'Wrong Turn'

When watching a teen horror movie you will come across many different codes and conventions.
There are two types of codes which are technical and symbolic. Technical codes in a teenage horror film include the following: Camera shots, Camera angles, Camera Movement, Lighting, Titles, Editing and Diagetic or Non-Diagetic sound. Symbolic codes include the use of mise-en-scene in a film. There are many different uses of mise-en-scene such as: Costume, Make-up, Setting and Props. The effect of mise-en-scene is useful in horror films as it allows the audience to have first impressions of characters. For instance if a character is large wearing glasses has braces and is carrying books the audience will automatically assume that the character is a nerd or geek.

Conventions are the stereotypical 'happenings' in a specific genre of movie. In horror films a convention that happens regularly is that when a character is running away from something or someone they will trip over giving the stalker time to get closer to the victim. Another example of this is when the character is unable to get signal on their phone so that they cannot contact anyone to help them. However the convention that is used in almost every teenage horror film is that the character(s) will be alone in a secluded location this method is used reassure the audience that there is no escape from what is about to happen, a common example of this is in a forest.

Three films that have these qualities are: 'Wrong Turn', 'Dead Wood' and 'Dead Mary'. In all three of these openings the same convention is used which is having male and female characters and the male is the dominant character which the female relies on to protect her.
In 'Dead Mary' the female is left alone in a car in a secluded location miles away from anyone who can help. To reassure the audience that the character is vulnerable it is shown that she cannot get any signal on the radio or her mobile phone, this shows that she is completely isolated from anyone who she would try to get to help her. After the audience is shown that the female is vulnerable the male then appears with fuel for the car which shows that the female relies on the male character as he walked all the way to the gas station while she sat there waiting for him to return with the fuel.
This convention is also used in 'Dead Wood' as the female character comes out of the tent, calling for the male character after he has been dragged away by the unknown creature. This shows that the female is vulnerable as she is calling for the male because she is scared on her own.
This convention is also present in the 'Wrong Turn' opening as the female character is conveyed as the weaker character as she is struggling to climb the mountain and keeps slipping, but the male character manages to climb up with ease therefore separating the couple which is another common convention used in teenage horror films.

Symbolic codes such as Mise-en-scene are also used frequently throughout teenage horror films. Such as in all three of the openings I studied the female character's clothes are all fairly revealing. This is shown in 'Dead Mary' when the female character is wearing a blue dress and no trousers or shoes which is showing off her legs and feet. In 'Dead Wood' this is shown when the female exits the tent she is wearing a short skirt which exposes her legs and she is also wearing high heels which represents that she will most likely trip and fall whilst running away from something. This is also shown in ;Wrong Turn' as the female character is wearing sports clothes as she is climbing the rocks, these clothes are also very revealing as she is wearing short shorts and a crop top. This is because in teen horror films females are based on stereotypes so must be appealing to the audience.