Genre Conventions of Romance, Horror, Sci-Fi

Horror Conventions: 

Setting: Can be in dark settings that cause a feeling of terror or uneasiness. Can also be in abandoned and isolated places like the woods. On the other hand horror movies can be set in places that seem harmless but really aren't, this is seen in paranormal movies with haunted houses like Insidious. 

Insidious Cabin in the Woods

vs.

You can see that there is a big difference is the feeling of these settings. The house from insidious looks extremely normal contrasting the horror that lays inside. While the cabin from Cabin in the Woods give you an immediate eerie feeling foreshadowing what happens in the future.

Sound: Non-diegetic sounds like music are often slow and eerie, music can be made this way through classical instruments. For example in the movie Halloween they have a really recognizable soundtrack that shows up when Micheal Myers’s is around.  They also use volume to build up suspense. For diegetic sounds like creaking doors, screaming, footsteps, heart beat and even wind to add to the unease.  

Camera work: Long shots are used to build up the creepy unsettling atmosphere. Close-ups aren't used often since they focus on emotion which usually isn't the main focus. Jump cuts are used a lot in horror films. They can cause confusion and fear adding to the effect. 

Costumes and props: Common props in horror films are weapons. When more uncommon weapons are used they can make an audience more disturbed. There are other props used to add to the creepy effect on the films like balloons, rocking chairs, and dolls. For the costumes they can be designed to look scary or uncanny so people naturally fear them. An example is Freddy Krueger from Nightmare on Elm Street. 

 

Science Fiction Conventions 

Setting:The setting often depends on the subgenre of the film. Some of the most popular settings include outer space, futuristic cities, and spaceships/stations. There is often a lot of technology around as well.  These films are often made up of imagination so the setting allows us to see things we have never seen before and couldn't even imagine ourselves. The setting is used to support the plot of the movie and add context to characters. For example Avatar is a movie taking place in another world in the future, this movie is built upon its setting. Its setting causes challenges the main characters have to face and overcome. 

Sound: The sounds are used to compliment the things we are seeing and also help add to setting and mood. Some non-diegetic sounds used are music, it often adds suspense  and builds the atmosphere. Some diegetic sounds used can be beeping of technology or voiceovers of aliens and other creatures.

Camera work: Wide shots are used to show the big environments as well as establishing shots. Tracking is used when exploring new places and following the characters through the exploration. POV shots are also used from inside machines or from inside space helmets.

Editing: Sci Fi relies on special effects and a lot of CGI. For example in Planet of the Apes CGI is used when creating the main characters and making their movements natural and realistic.

Costumes: The clothing used usually reflects class, and climate of the film, it can often easily be recognized as sci fi. The costumes can vary from uniforms, space suits, futuristic type clothing, metallic looking, wearable technology, and things aliens wear. common colors in this genre are blue and white because they are often connected with technology. For example in Interstellar a big part of the movie is in spacesuits.

Romance Conventions: 

Setting: In these films the setting is often shown at the beginning of the movie, and can take place in aesthetic places like cities and beaches. There is a very wide variety of settings that can be used. Some things related with this genre are sunsets, sunrises, weather, and tops of buildings. The different settings affect how the characters feel.

Sound: Sound is a big part of this genre. It sets an atmosphere and expresses how characters feel without needing dialogue. In sad scenes there can often be powerful ballads that carry emotion with them. During happy scenes they may play upbeat pop music that reflects the joy in the scene. There are also voiceovers that reveal characters' inner thoughts and feelings. For some diegetic sounds they use sounds of cars and people talking to support the setting and immerse you in the story by making is seem more realistic.

Camera Work: Romance films are focused on dialogue so the shots used reflect that. Some camera shots often used are close ups, they let us see a character's facial expressions focusing on the emotion in the conversation happening. Two shots are used a lot since romance follows two characters and their relationships, these shots lets us see the body language and how the characters interact. Over the shoulder shots are used a lot to show conversation between the characters and make it seem like we are part of the conversation.

These close up shots show the many different emotions the characters in La La Land are feeling. Without even needing to speak to each other you can see the switch in emotions they are going through.

Costume and Props: Costumes are often just very day clothes based on where the film is set. Props in this genre are often things that you can find in everyday life to make characters relatable.

Citations:

Michellehui. “Genre Conventions: Romance.” Itisalreadyhere, 27 Feb. 2016, itisalreadyhere.wordpress.com/2016/02/27/genre-conventions-romance/.

Tolhurst, Kiera. “Cinematography in Romantic Comedy.” Slideshare, Slideshare, www.slideshare.net/slideshow/cinematography-in-romantic-comedy/82768078. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.

Standard Sci-Fi Setting - TV Tropes, tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/StandardSciFiSetting. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.

Josse, Gabriel. “Science Fiction Sound Effects : A Complete Guide to Sci-Fi SFX.” Bluezone Corporation, 4 July 2023, www.bluezone-corporation.com/blog/science-fiction-sound-effects.

Natashaellis. “Typical Conventions of Scifi.” Slideshare, Slideshare, www.slideshare.net/slideshow/typical-conventions-of-scifi/61742126. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.

Nathan, Posted byMedia Blog. “Mise-En-Scene: Props and Costumes in Horror Movies.” Nathan Walmsley | Level 3 Year 2 FMP, 16 Mar. 2020, nathanwalmsleyfmp.wordpress.com/2020/02/28/mise-en-scene-props-and-costumes-in-horror-movies/.

“A Short Guide to Writing Horror.” First Draft Pro - Book Writing Software, www.firstdraftpro.com/blog/a-short-guide-to-writing-horror. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.