Main characters in supernatural horror movies tend to appear as 'normal' people. For example their appearance. Characters are also likely to be troubled by something that has happened in the past which leads other characters to view them as 'mentally unstable' once supernatural interaction occurs. An example of this is 'Insidious' and 'Insidious 2'.
Male characters are usually seen as the dominant, seeking help to save his family from paranormal spirits. However, they can be also be used as a villain to unveil an unexpected plot twist which attracts the audiences attention as it causes suspense.
Female characters are usually seen as harmless and natural, wearing simple clothing with neutral/pastel colours such as white, beige, cream pale pink and blue which doesn't project them as sexualised.
A typical ending of supernatural films is the characters resulting death as it is what the audience expects. This is often because the spirit has possessed the family's house or the characters itself prevented them for being able to escape. An example of this is 'Paranormal activity' as it uses the reoccurring expectation where the main characters end up being killed or possessed.
Location
It is conventional for supernatural horror movies to be set at homes which can be also known as a 'haunted house'. Other common locations are the main characters workplace, car, school etc. One of the reasons why supernatural movies usually take place at a characters house is because it makes the genre more exciting and it promotes the fear of something that is unfriendly and unwanted, entering their personal space. This as a huge effect on the audience as they may feel frightened in a similar setting, for example an empty house or a forest.
Events
Curtain blowing in the wind and creaking of a door - Tend to take places at the beginning of the film and so on. This symbolises the entry of the unknown as it indicates the presence of a spirit or ghosts.
Main character looking at their reflection in a mirror, sleeping or in the bath - This is where ghosts or spirits reveal their presence as the character may experience an unusual vision or nightmare at unexpected times.
Researching about the spirit/ghost - This often happens after the characters suspects a spirit/ghosts to further investigate and how to solve the problems. For example, in 'The Conjuring' the father finds numerous video tapes and discovers the serial killing that takes place around the house.
Sounds
It is common for orchestral music to be used as background music because it reflects the mood of the characters (fear, anxiety, suspense) and it also creates an atmosphere in which the audience feels feared and expecting something to suddenly happen. This is also called 'Contrapuntal music' as orchestral music does not match with the scene. Also, a child's laughter or a girls laugh, nursery rhymes are used because it makes the atmosphere sinister as they are meant to be innocent sounds.
Lightening
It is conventional for lightening in supernatural horror movies to be dark. This is because it hugely contributes to the scare factor towards the audience. Also, the weather is mostly gloomy, rainy and cold. This makes the character appear as vulnerable.
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