How to recognise horror through technique?

Today I conducted a brief exercise where I looked over the technique used in horror genre to secure the genre is easily recognisable. I deconstructed many different horror films and made observations answering 2 questions...

1. What fears are being expressed? How do they differ?
2. What shots or technique immediately suggest horror?

I noted 2 reoccuring themes when looking at the fears being expressed.. 

• Fear of youth - tend to be a group of teenagers who are unsure about society and how to deal with societal issues. This suggests vunerability and questions whether their actions are based on instincts. This could also be an issue of parenting, opening the concept of anomie, whether the youth portrayed have been socialised into societal norms and values which tends to open up sub-cultures, differing from mainstream issues.
• Fear of isolation - through horror fear of isolation is expressed in different ways. This is the issue that being left alone opens up a door of issues where mysterious and deviant acts tend to occur. For example, Eden Lake, there is no police which leaves the women vunerable, she begins to feel disconnected from society when the phone cuts off, she then becomes the killer which varies conventions and rejects women as passive objects. This constructs the theory that films change as society changes. 

 REOCCURING ELEMENTS

Shot types recognise the genre

Canter angels are crucial in identifying horror genre, they convey mystery and increase the realism which is frightening. The canter angel shot which I have provided a screen grab of above has been captured from REC trailer, this particular shot amazed me in the way it screams horror to the audience. Not only the angel but the lightening highlighting the corridor conveying the depth and disparity and the figure from  a distance questions our security which adds to the mystery and defines the genre.

Sound effects

Another feature from REC which tends to be reoccuring in horror genre is the sound effects, screaming and heart beat is often used to suggest anxiety and panic. The heart beat symbolises the end  of life which is a theme in horror.

Voice overs

The use of a voiceover continues at the end of the trailer, it overlays the title which attracts the audience in becoming active users and more imaginative, resulting in enigma.

Lightening

The lightening used tends to quite often be dark which opens up realism in the horror genre, where the actions become more believable. This builds on the mystery. It also leaves the audience unsure which enhances the anxiety and panic the sound effects convey.