A code is a way of transmitting messages requiring briefness or secrecy. Codes are only recognised by those who are familiar with them. An example of this would be a girl writing a message to boy like 5374892 20020 in code language which is only recognised by the two; like for them in the alphabet A=1, B=2 and so on. In films codes are used which are acknowledged by the audience, for instance media directors create codes that audiences are familiar with. An example of this would be when the colour of the movie alters to black and white; the code tells us that this is something to do with the past or a flashback on a character’s personal life. Another example of a code would be “two people in bed smoking” this indicates that they have just had sex and indicates they are relaxing.
A convention is the features of what make up genre. A convention is that it has to be; for example in a romantic film you expect the two lovers to overcome what ever is in their ways and to live happily together forever, without this it is not a convention but just shatters and defies your expectations. A cliff hanger would be a fine convention of a soap or drama. This is arranged so that you would continue watching the show.
An example of a popular genre is a western. The Western is an in and . This genre shares out stories set in America. Westerns are always set in the past, in isolated places removed from the rules and laws of modern society, it allows filmmakers to explore moral and social uncertainty without reference to modern issues. An example of a western film would be the “midnight cowboy” and “The Carson city kid”. There are codes for western films like the red Indians speaking their language and trying to communicate with the American men. Although it may seem as sign language it can also be a code because if they‘re on the same side fighting, they could point to a direction for them to move and attack. The conventions for a western film can be a battle between Americans and the red Indians or a final showdown between two men who are fighting it out for respect or for a special person/people. The film would always be set in a deserted place or in the past and in an Inn/pub and there always has to be someone who is always looking for trouble.
Dracula is a 1950’s British horror film, which hit the very top of the charts; it was very appealing to the audience but also a horrific experience yet an excited feeling. Audiences most enjoyed these because they believed that witches and vampires existed. This classic film had traditional codes and conventions. An example of a convention would be at the beginning of the story where a stranger, Jonathon Harker arrives solitary at an isolated place where time stood still in nature; he was on the narrow, crooked path to the huge, old and gothic style castle. Another major convention of this film and all horror is that the victim or the becoming victim makes a crucial mistake. Jonathan Harker didn’t realise the little things that he should have picked up swiftly. For example the driver drops him off a long way before his destination and the nature all being dead. No life signifying that something evil is going to occur; if it was bright and sunny, with birds singing and children laughing and playing it would be a very happy and relaxed atmosphere unlike a horror atmosphere which consists of tension and increasingly scary moments. A code would be the gargoyle statue shown at the very start of the film; this is a medieval statue signifying evil.
Genre is easily recognised and established very early on in the 1950’s film ‘Dracula’.
A perpetual code would be the blood red writing written in gothic script at the beginning of the title screen; this symbolises danger and the importance of death. The dramatic music creates tension and builds the audiences understanding of when something bad is going to happen. An exaggeration of this film would be at the start of the film where there is a close-up of Dracula’s coffin (crypt) with ‘blood’ dripping onto it. Blood was not used; it was red paint to show how scary the film is.
In most horrors the victims go through three stages, firstly the killer and the victim are friendly, but then something disturbing takes place and then finally a murder is commit. The first stage happens quickly leading up to the disturbing part and then the rapid, lethal third and final stage transpires. The killer slowly seduces the victim into helping her and when the back is turned the vampire in this case pounces. When the vampress goes through the stages with Jonathan Harker there is a lot of lack of natural lighting symbolising death. Death, only because Dracula’s cannot be exposed to light, natural light as a result of this they would die. This is shown when the third stage is about to happen at the moment of the vampress biting Jonathan. Light purifies the truth from the evil, seducing lies. As well as the light there is a close-up of her face indicating the desperateness of her voracity.
From the beginning of the 1950’s film, ‘Dracula’ we easily recognise from its codes and conventions that this film is definitely from the horror genre. Camera shots and angles can also identify that this is indeed a horror. At the beginning of the film the stranger leads himself into the castle unaware of the dangers ahead. As he takes a glimpse of the main sights he is being watched every step by the focal monster. This is described as a tracking shot as well as a travelling shot; it is a classic serial killer shot. When a shocking thing takes place the music plays a drum beat representing the becoming victim’s heart beat, also when the victim finds out what’s going to happen they start breathing heavily creating a lot of anxiety. This is purposely done for the audience to become the victim and to feel the fear. Lighting can also represent films as horrors because when Dracula locks Jonathan in the room there is low key lighting and candles are used in place. They start flicking which creates shadows; this denotes that the supernatural can be anywhere at anytime. The code which is most common is the use of the colour red. In Dracula almost everything is red like: the victim’s diary, curtains, carpet etc. This exaggerates the meaning of horror but is only used to show as a result of this being a true horror. The most frequent convention utilised is when the stranger (becoming victim because of what they do) makes a vital slip-up; it’s like they are falling into a trap with their eyes wide open.
When Dracula came into the castle through the window he looked extremely pale and had blood dripping from his fangs. It signifies that he has just gone on a hunt and is pale because he’s dead. This shows that no blood is flowing through him. The camera shoots a low angle shot of Dracula to emphasis his superiority and darkness within. The codes, conventions, signifiers, audio and camera angle in ‘Dracula’ all lead us to the conclusion that this is indeed a horror film.
The opening of AWIL has a very different style to that of ‘Dracula’ as it begins with calm, romantic and soothing music. ’Dracula’ commences with loud, dramatic, daunting and classic orchestral music. Although these films are classic horrors, they both differ because AWIL uses more special effects and more effective ways of making a point as a result of this being more modern than ‘Dracula’. This is again shown by the tranquil atmosphere but then suddenly it changes to a more heated horror. These films are made differently according to the styles of the audience.
AWIL is a classic horror film but one whose opening defies the traditional codes & conventions of the genre. It achieves this by firstly the non-diegetic audio; usually this would start with a dark background, with bold blood red writing and eerie music.
It also starts with a beautiful mountain back drop that takes us away as an audience of it being a horror.
Some main traditional codes of this film are when there is a change in weather, a change in mood and when the victim makes essential mistakes. The change in weather from sunny to rain and thunder implies that darkness is approaching. Jack and David keep on making mistakes throughout the film and this leads to their deaths. An example of this would be when they arrive at the slaughtered lamb (pub) and see a pentangle; symbolising Jesus’ body and also warning off evil. They start to think that the community is a bit bizarre and are about to make their way out of the pub just when a man advises them by saying “ keep off the moors “. Jack and David ignored all of these including the pubs name with a werewolf’s head on it. They took this seriously but took the whole community amusingly; so this lead up to their death. With the weather changing the boys set themselves off into the roads, soon they hear the wind howling vigorously showing that the wolf is howling and nearby.
A traditional convention would be when the victims are running maniacally and one slips, in this case David by a twig as they are circled by this unknown creature.
Jack infuriates by saying “ get up you shit head “, nervously; as this occurs a huge yellow fanged bear like creature attacks Jack and starts his meal.
The director of the film, AWIL plays with the audience’s expectations and instead of the usual dramatic music and horror scenes it gives us the idea of lowering tension but happy things and then instant scary attacks.
The ‘codes & conventions’ settings/characters/ camera shots & angles in
‘AWIL’ all lead us to the conclusion that this is indeed a horror film. An example of a camera shot would be when Jack dies as an ECU shot is taken of David to show his anger and fear because his best friend has died in front of him by sum creature and his fear of the inhumane beast. Straightaway the town’s people come with guns and shoot the werewolf, but what was left of him was a gory and bloody corpse. A camera shot was taken of this which was a close-up to show that it was now human. Another leading camera angle was when the beast-David was in the cinema and the police-man went in after it. It showed a low-angle shot of the beast and a high-angle shot of the dead police-man; this displayed the power of the monster and helplessness of the victim. The setting was mainly at night time to build such a bloodcurdling atmosphere. It was night time when the boys arrived at east proctor and it was night time when Jack died and these were all bad periods.
Genre identification is important because it helps recognize what film the audience are interested in and what everyone is going to watch as well as facilitating the film makers on what to base it on. There are many different styles of films, which have many different styles of genre. Being able to recognise the genre helps to categorise films in each section, for example horror this side and comedy another. This could give us a brief understanding of some films before the start.
Using genre theory allows us to choose what films audiences want to watch and for the cinema to know what is most popular to show regularly. It helps us further to analyse it by Props, setting, audio etc for reviews to place in magazines and reports.
In my opinion both films establish their genre in different ways but have many similarities. For example the extreme usage of the colour red and blood which always came gushing a spilling out. In both films the main character ‘s’ make crucial mistakes leading up to their deaths.
Whilst Dracula is a very different film from AWIL both films follow a recognisable generic model. For example the characters go through three stages which are firstly the murderer acting friendly, but then does or says something disturbing and then finally commit the massacre. This mainly occurred in Dracula but in AWIL this happened when the wolf was circulating Jack and David; the only stages the werewolf went through were the last two, the two most vital ones.
I believe that audiences easily recognize the genres of both Dracula and AWIL by the first scene. The first scene proves that it is truly a horror as Dracula begins with the blood red writing and the coffin. AWIL lowly comes into the picture as a horror when a secret is let out by the community. These films are indeed horrors.
