1. EVEN MORE CODES AND
CONVENTIONS (MAINLY
SHOTS AND EDITING)
By Archie McCarthy

2. QUICK CUTS/MONTAGE
• Quick cut montage - This editing technique involves using a succession of quick
shots in a ‘mini montage’ which features all types of shots from the trailer, not in a
chronological order but aims to increase the heart, fear and tension of a trailer to
attract the audience. To do this technique effectively individuals would usually
combine the shots with emphasised diegetic sound or a faster paced soundtrack to
increase the audience's heart rate with loud bangs and screeches.

3. CAMERA SHOTS – HIGH ANGLE
• High angle shots are used above characters to show that there is a dominance or
another imposing threat above them that something is over their shoulder making
viewers feel like the protagonist is small, vulnerable and exposed and therefore
unsettles the audience as they put themselves in their position.

4. CAMERA SHOTS – LOW ANGLE SHOTS
• There are also low angle shots of the antagonist to make them seem
much more threatening as if they are above the protagonist, in terms
of power and strength, belittling the protagonist and imposing the
further sense of threat. This can sometimes be combined with the
Point Of View element to get the better sense of the antagonists threat
and power by putting audiences in the shoes of the protagonist.
Alternatively they would do an over the shoulder shot but keep it at a
low angle.
• Low angle shots of buildings are also used to give them an imposing
feel, even more so if its titled at a quirky angle to disorientate the
individual and make the building stand out even more and its
significance (obviously helps if the building is slightly sinister) and
this may be used as an establishing shot of a scene and may typically
be used at the very start of the trailer.

5. CAMERA SHOTS – LOW ANGLE SHOTS
‘AMYTIVILLE HORROR’ & THE UNINVITED’

6. CAMERA SHOTS – AERIAL SHOTS
• Aerial shots are also used as establishing shots, like in "Devil Inside", to show which
will shot the city or entire town. They purposely do an aerial shot as they can adjust
what is seen, or how far the buildings are away from the camera lens making the
town seem very small and isolated, almost as if there is no escape. There are also
low angle shots of the protagonist to make them seem small and vulnerable and
contrasting high angle shots of the antagonist to make them seem threatening.

7. CUT/QUICK FADE TO BLACK
• Cut to black - This is used generally in tandem with a stab/harsh amount of sound
to shock the audience, for example someone being dragged away with the sound and
cut being played as they enter darkness, or alternatively the cut and bang being
placed when the door slams behind them.

8. CONTRAPUNTAL SOUND
• Contrapuntal sound - This convention is when a usually innocent sound, such as
children laughing, a lullaby, chimes etc is placed over a scary or even sinister scene
to create horror out of innocence and ultimately remove the safety that is usually
connoted with it making the audience not entirely feel safe, feel crept out and feel
the horror of the trailer.

9. DISRUPTION/PROPS
• Disruption – There is usually some type of disruption which generally comes in the
form of an object/prop in horror films, especially of the supernatural and paranormal
genre. This object can be small (picture, ring, necklace) or it can be a house, which
usually has an evil presence with a bad history which causes the haunting. For
example, in "The Possession", the DISRUPTION is the purchasing of the Dibbuk
Box, whereas “The Conjuring"'s disruption is moving into a cursed and haunted
house with a horrible history.

10. ICONOGRAPGHY
• Iconography involves the film using a lot of visual things to establish the film and
make it well known, this could be to help connote the genre, create a house style, or
simply to improve the look of the film. This can involve using a lot of horror themed
props like hatchets, axes, satanic possessions etc. or having a coloured theme
throughout your whole film. If you look below all of these films have created a blue
tint which is purposely done with digital colour correction to get this look and feel
throughout the whole film.
• The Ring • Saw • Nightmare on Elm Street