1. Research into
Zombie/Horror Film Genre
By Luke walker

2. Aim of the Zombie/Horror films.
• The idea of a zombie film/ horror film, is produced to frighten the watcher,
this may be done through use of common use of codes and convention
such as low key lighting (Inferior to the threat) , Fast paced or slow paced
scenes, Setting of destruction, Sound of door slamming, floor boards
creaking or scene of death (murder, cannibalism, Plague, Poisoned) etc.
• Horror film in general are design to scare and invoke potential fears in
peoples heads. The films tend to get the person to think they are in their
shoes and when something bad happens it cause panic making it scary and
frightening.
• In zombie/horror films, you tend to a battle going on between the good
and evil, such as humans and zombies (zombie land) which you tend to
see some death of good people, but hardly ever tends to be an important
character and the good almost always conquer the evil threat or survive in
the end.
• Upon looking at the zombie and horror films, the leading protagonist will
almost definitely survive along with they friends, but in such films as ‘cabin
in the woods’ you see all the characters die, but it shows in stages such as
the jockey (seen as the popular or ‘fit’ one), the Whore ‘Dumb, Blonde,
Appealing body’, the virgin ‘typically, a good girl or a geek’ and the idiotic
one ‘ typically the humours, laidback person’

3. Codes and Conventions in a zombie or
Horror movie.
• Within horror/zombie film’s, it tends too focus upon just one protagonist or a
group, such as in “Zombie land and Cabin in the woods” . They don’t focus upon
different groups or random other people, which keeps the storyline, simple and
allows the audience to follow easy without confusion, also it lets the audience
get to know the protagonist more so they get more into the film which allows
the horror/zombie to meet its aim of frightening and shock as the audience will
be engaged.
• You normally see limited setting, as they maybe tend to be house, a small
neighbour or just shows small clips of different scenery, this allows helps keep
the film to make sense as it wouldn’t if it kept jumping to different place and
different things where happening as it would cause confusion and a storyline
people may not be able to follow. The setting may show Dark trashed houses,
Destruction of building, Deserted/abandoned places.
• You may tend to see fast and slow paced editing, which gets the audience
engage into what is happening and potential get an easy opportunity to frighten
the audience as they are so engaged. Fast paced is normally used in a chase of a
predator seeking the good guys, it create tense as does slow paced editing as it
allows tense to build up as the good guy enters a trap or a predator is sneaking
up to its prey causing the audience to jump when it strikes.
• Within Zombie/Horror films, you tend to see the good guys just trying to survive
throughout the film rather than going after the zombie or enemy to try kill them.

4. Zombie Casting and Characters
• Upon looking at the zombie and horror films, the leading protagonist will almost definitely
survive along with they friends, but in such films as ‘cabin in the woods’ you see all the
characters die, but it shows in stages such as the jockey (seen as the popular or ‘fit’ one) , the
Whore ‘Dumb, Blonde, Appealing body’, the virgin ‘typically, a good girl or a geek’ and the idiotic
one ‘ typically the humours, laidback person, tends to get the group in bad situation accidently.
• When looking at the characters, it is often you find the dumb blonde one will die first upon they
stupidity that is portray as it shows them typically being ‘Glamorous, Popular, Attractive, Big
boob, easy to get in bed with” So they typically die first if its not the Alpha male.
• Alpha male, tends to be one of the main characters, shown as muscle, dominant over other
people, agnorant , Sporty, tends to lack skills, often gets what he wants typically girls. Also may
be soon as quick wealthy. This may also be the heroic one In the film
• There tends to be an intelligent one, which is portrayed as a virgin, geek, tends not to be very
popular or liked by people and Lonely. They tend to help the group of protagonists overcome
many obstacles within the film. They also like someone who’s pretty that tends to go with the
alpha male but it some films you see the intelligent one get with the girl/lad he likes which is like
a little love story along side the horror/zombie film. Sometimes you see the intelligent one
become the alpha male too and end up being the heroic one instead of the original alpha
male/female as they may have dead through their arrogance.
• The joker, also shown the moronic one, which may potential be the annoying one alongside the
blonde dumb one. This character adds humour to the film, through their jokes, there phrases or
the idiotic suggestion they may come up with. This character tends to live throughout the movie
till the end, often outliving the jockey and the whore type character, as they seem to be oblivious
to the danger. Such as ‘cabin in the woods’ they have a stoner dude, who just lays back and see’s
what other don’t leading to his survival up to the end, the idea of him being a stoner making him
humour as he says things no one else would typically come up with due to him being intoxicated
by drugs.