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1. Typical Shots in horror film
campaigns
I will now look at 3 horror film trailers,
and discuss the common shots that
appear in them, and why they are
placed in the trailers. I will then use the
shots and understand how I can use the
shots for my own production

2. Film: Exists
1 4 7
2
3
5
6
8
9

3. What is the purpose of the shots used in the
trailer and what point do they come?
1) The shot labeled number 1 is giving us information about the
production company. The function of it is to tell us who made the film,
and this is usually shown at the very start of the film trailer. The successful
production company try to make customers watch the film, as the
company already have a good background, which tells us that the film will
be good.
2) The second shot is also towards the beginning. The shot purpose is
mainly to visually show us who the characters are within the film. The film
trailer starts with giving us an insight to who the main stock characters
are and maybe even a protagonist will be revealed. The characters mainly
involved will come at the start of the trailer, and the purpose is to get an
understanding of the main characters by revealing them.
3) The third shot comes also at the beginning stages of the trailer,
although can be seen in the later stages also. The purpose of this shot is
to show a sense of being followed or watched. The idea of the camera
being behind the characters filming them, shows the vulnerability of the
characters, and that they are being watched. This shot may be through
the perspective of the killer in horror movies, and the purpose is to show
that they ae not the only people in the location in this case the woods.

4. 4) Shot number four is around the start/middle of the trailer. The shot is
showing a character opening a door, and curiously looking into it. The
curiosity and search for something always occurs in horror movies, and
this trailer purposefully includes this to give the audience a sense of the
location of what's going on, and more importantly current situation.
5) The fifth shot occurs right after the fourth shot. This is showing a
recording camera of a room. The important part of this shot is that the
camera is not functioning properly and is crashing. The function on this
shot is to reveal abnormality. The camera crashing tells us that there is
even more danger towards the characters, and the trailer shows us this.
6) Shot number six usually occurs at the earlier stages of the trailer, and in
this films case, it is shown at the start/middle. The purpose of this
establishing shot is to set the scene of the film. We get an idea of where
most of the action will take place. By seeing this shot, we know where the
majority of the film will be based, and by looking at the shot, I already
know the location is mainly the woods.
7) The seventh shot in this trailer that I have picked up on can crop up at
any stage of the trailer. The purpose of the typography is to tell the
audience about what may occur in the film without spoiling it. For
instance ‘there have been stores’ makes us wonder, who told the stories
and what are they about? These written codes are functioned to get us an
understanding of the backstory to the horror movie and make us watch it.

5. 8) Shot number eight usually comes in towards the middle or later stages
in the film. The function of the close-up or extreme close up of a face is to
make us feel confined. We see the facial expressions of the characters,
and sometimes the shots are showing a POV view. This is used to make us
feel that we are actually in the scenario like the image on the right.
9) The last stock shot I gathered from the first trailer comes at the very
ending. The image is showing the abnormal creature which is threatening
the characters in the film. We see glimpses of the creature in the trailer,
and the function of these shots are to tell us what is the danger in the
film. Without seeing the threat, how would we as an audience know what
they are running from, and also how could we tell the genre?

6. Film: As Above, So Below
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

7. What is the purpose of the shots used in the
trailer and what point do they come?
1) Shot number 1 features at the beginning of this trailer. Similarly with
the first trailer, the function of this trailer is to show the audience which
production company is involved in the making of the film, which will be
motivating the viewers to watch the film by promoting.
2) The second shot is also towards the beginning. The shot purpose is
showing us clearly the location of the film. We can see that the film will
be set in Paris through the Ethel Tower. All of the trailers show the main
locations, and this one is showed straight away at the start.
3) The third shot is all about making sure we get an understanding of the
film, and the backstory. The written codes purpose is to tell us what the
situation is or will be. This written code can come anywhere in the trailer
but doesn’t usually appear towards the end/

8. 4) Shot number is revealing the main characters within the film. We tend
to see a shot which has a group of people who will be the main stock
characters in the film. The purpose is to show us who features in the film,
and this generally occurs at the starting parts of the trailer.
5) The fifth shot occurs after he fourth shot. This lingering camera angle
gives us a sense of the characters being watched. The handheld camera
view also makes us feel as if we are the person watching the characters.
This occurs towards the start/middle of the trailer and most horror
trailers contain a sense of being watched.
6) Shot number six occurs towards the middle of the trailer. We see blood
on the screen, which can only mean one thing. The blood tells us the film
will be gory, and the purpose is to show us the common themes which
may occur; whether it be death, blood or gore. All of the themes will be
negative after this shot has been revealed in the trailer.
7) The seventh shot is a close up of one of the characters faces. We feel
confined and get to see the expressions on the characters faces in much
closer detail. This shot has a purpose of making us see what the
characters are going through by making us confined. This close up shot
comes in towards the middle of the trailer or the ending.

9. 8) Shot number eight usually comes in towards the middle or later stages
in the film. The function of this shot is to show the danger which makes
the film genre horror. We see glimpses of the killers and the threats. The
purpose of this shot is to make us understand what is the threat, and
makes us ask questions to how they go about escaping the threat.
9) The last stock shot I gathered from the first trailer comes at the later
stages of the trailer. Just like the first trailer, the camera crashing and not
functioning properly gives us a sense of vulnerability and lack of escape.
The purpose is to get us frightened and the idea of the camera being
recorded on a point of view makes us feel as If we are holding the camera
which is not working properly.

10. Conclusion/Evaluation
From this task I have gained a good
understanding of what common stock shots
occur in the horror film genre trailers. I have
learnt where the common genre conventions
are specified throughout, and now have
knowledge of where they appear, for instance
the first parts of the trailer will have the
production company logo, alongside the
introduction to the locations and characters
involved.