HS: Still Frame

This medium shot frame uses a variety of techniques and fits the conventions of the Horror genre, or more specifically the Slasher sub-genre of Horror:

Techniques:

Rule of thirds: The boy is placed in the middle of the frame, drawing the viewers eye to him and making him the first thing that the viewer sees in the shot, the viewers then go to the knife in the foreground and follow it up to the hand.

Character Blocking/ Leading line: The antagonist in the foreground is situated in the right of the shot, slightly above the boy, this creates a leading line that the viewers eyes follow from the boy, up to the antagonist.   

Lighting: The light from the lamp highlights the boys face, contributing to the leading line in the frame. It also creates a shadow on the floor, adding dramatic effect.

Conventions:

Location: The frame is shot inside of the familiar setting of a family home. This makes the film more relatable to the audience and therefore makes the frame more realistic to them. The fact that the frame is taking place in a relatable location makes the scene scary too, as the viewers can imagine the same events occurring in their own homes, creating more visceral pleasure.

Props: A Knife/cleaver is a very common prop used in slasher horror films. It creates a sense of jeopardy and tension, and is an iconic sign of a murderer.