Horror movie codes and conventions

I watch the horror/comedy spoof film 

Scary movie (as I am a scaredy cat).

Codes and conventions of this film:

Sacrifice lamb/Someone killed in first 5 mins - In scary movie the girl is alone at home getting ready to watch a scary movie and then get a phone call and get murdered, this sets the mood for the rest of the movie. We also get a glimpse of either the killer or his style of killing

Accidental trip while running away from killer - this is also done in this movie on many occasions to make the audience frustrated. It also makes sure that the victim dies

The fake scare - this is done many time in this movie e.g  at the beginning after the girl locks the back door the front door bell rings. Also the part where the girl checks her window and the boy pops up 

This is to make the audience jump, this may happen before the actual murder so the audience doesn't expect the killer cause they thought it was a false alarm.

Investigating an unexpected sound - this is done to build tension and makes the audience afraid because they now what's going to happen next. this is also done on several occasions. 

Abandoned/secluded location -  this is done in scary movie as when they are having a flash back on what happened a year ago they get stuck in the middle of a road and there's no one around. Gives audience a sense of alertness.

Character forgets about threat/ignores threat - they do this horror movies in order not only for the film to progress but also to make us as the audience feel something particular towards those characters 

Victim cowers by door/ window - this is also done In scary movie. It also done so the victim can be killed and to show that the killer has no conscience or love just pure hatred.

Don't listen warning (signs) - this happens on many occasions. This  happens so that the audience feel over the edge.

Character being alone - usually the lest important characters die first so when they are alone we automatically as the audience know is going to happen next. 

Lighting - in scary movie and in most other horror film the use of lighting is crucial, the lighting is usually dark and can't see much so it's mostly black. 

Victims relating deaths to what they did - this is done in scary movie, the victim talks about how it's weird that a murder has happened exactly one year after they killed someone. This make the audience question the killers reasons but Also if the victims are realign victims 

Phone line cut - this happens In many horror movies but not so much in scary movie, except the killer calls the person to tell them he knows what they done and hangs up 

Running upstairs instead of outside -  this is done in scary movie when killer tries to murder one of the main characters. This is done to create tension but also to give character no way to escape.