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

Camera angles (shots, angles, movement)
Mise-en scene
Editing

Technical Codes:

 Technical codes are all the different ways in which the equipment is used to tell the story in media text. Such as the camera work when filming, the editing process and the use of sound (diegetic and non-diegetic).

 Symbolic Codes:

 Symbolic codes show what is beneath the surface of what we see. These are usually shown through mise-en-scene. the characters actions when filming shows you how the character is feeling in that scene.

 Conventions:

Conventions are things that are common in certain based on what their genre it is in. For example in horror films some conventions are where two characters are in the middle of nowhere and can't escape or get help when in danger and also when a character is being chased in a house they run past the door that is unlocked and go upstairs where they are trapped, or someone trips over when they are being chased and get killed. Conventions are the generally accepted ways of doing something. There are general conventions in any medium, such as the use of interviewee quotes in a print article, but conventions are also genre specific.

 Wrong Turn

 The film opens with two friends rock climbing, when all of a sudden they are both killed by a savage and monstrous ghost like figure. Six friends then find themselves trapped in the woods of West Virginia, being hunted down by "cannibalistic mountain men who want a good meal. The use of camera in this film was limited to a lot of high angle shots of the characters and location which gives a sense of power looking up towards the other character, establishing shots of the scenery to give the viewers a good idea of the location and their distance from safety and there also was extreme close ups of facial expressions and objects when struggle or danger occurs.The editing was very faint but there was a fade transition between the opening titles and the climbing site Mise-en scene again shows the girl is wearing revealing clothes showing a lot of flesh to show how vulnerable she is. The conventions featured in this into are very common such as they are stranded in an abandoned area 30 miles from anywhere and help for them what so ever also the fact that there safety car is so close to the girl but yet trips right at the last moment before reaching safety.

Dead Mary

Dead Mary begins with a blonde girl trying to receive signal on her phone, trying to start the car and to get a radio signal while she waits for the other character to return with something useful, although between all of these minor events there is someone or something stalking the two victims from a fair distance and gradually gets closer to the two characters, yet they do not suspect a thing. In Dead Mary there are many technical codes such as you can hear metallic sounds and birds singing, you can also hear a woman tapping her fingers and looking around for someone and there is no signal on the radio or on her phone. Mise-en scene again shows the girl is wearing revealing clothes showing a lot of flesh to show how vulnerable she is there is also a car to use possibly for getaway or to be their source of breakdown. The editing is still linear and has good match on action but also helps to promote the growing danger of the villain that’s lurking in the woods. The main conventions found in this that they are in a very secluded location, they have no signal and that they are in a small group of people.

Dead Wood

Dead Wood begins with a male character running for his life through a bunch of bushes and trees that ends up being faced with a jump he cannot make and dies by the creature chasing him, then cuts to his friend shouting his name. The mise en scene used showed the male wearing a Hawaiian t-shirt which can be interpreted to show him as a bit of an idiot, the female wore tight clothing which kept the idea of the female character being vulnerable, blood on the males face to show he has been in grave danger and the tent to show the source of safety that the male could not reach. The main conventions found in this is a very secluded location, no signal and a small group of people. His face is also covered in blood to show violence and danger; these codes suggest to the audience that he has already come into contact with danger. The editing then used to slow motion the jump over the ditch to make it seem bigger than it really was. Codes also include how the camera is filming the scene, in the opening scene of Dead Wood, the camera is seen to be moving up and down to illustrate a running motion which showed that he was being chased, the camera angles also include a point of view shot to show what the character is seeing, this create tension while the audience watch the film as they are being put in the characters shoes.