2. For my teaser trailer I have chosen to use the genre
horror.
To allow myself to create an effective trailer and one
that conforms to typical conventions, I am going to
analyse three existing horror trailers. I have chosen
three films that best show the variety of themes
including gory and paranormal, this will allow me to
specify what type of trailer I want to produce.
The trailers I have chosen are ‘Insidious 2’, ‘The
Cabin in the Woods’ and ‘One Missed Call
3. Insidious 2
Starts off happy, almost like a
child’s story book
Shows the family happy,
moving into their new home
Haunting begins, the woman
experiences strange things
First glimpse of the ghost
haunting the family
Shot of the baby monitor
shows the ghost is with the
baby
Information about other films
by the director, allowing you
to compare
Shot of a Ouija board links to
the horror genre conventions
Shot of the dad with the son
in the background, shows
there is something wrong
Shows the dad with a
tooth that fell out, linking
him to the paranormal
activity going on
Lets the audience know
when the film will be
released
Close-up of woman in the
dad’s face; shock tactics
Shows the film title, it is
shown at the end so the
audience remember
The exact date of release,
they have chosen Friday
13th as this is known as a
horror day and so adds to
the scare factor
4. Shots/Mise-en-scene
Insidious 2
The establishing shot is an over-shoulder Long shot of the mum looking out the
window at the dad playing with his son, this sets a happy mood and shows they are a happy
family, which is a subversion of typical horror conventions. On-screen text then shows with the
writing “It began two years ago” which almost feels like the start of a child’s story book, yet it
could also be referring to the start of something bad.
A long-shot panning shot then shows us their large home, backing up the feeling of a
happy family with wealth and no worries. This is followed by a Mid-shot of the father reassuring
the mother that nothing will bother them again, he then kisses his son on the head as he lays in
bed, this suggests he is a loving dad that will do anything to protect his family, which contrasts
with the story later on in the trailer.
An off centre Mid-shot of the mother alone downstairs is used as it allows the
audience to see the baby’s toy moving before the mother (1st turning point), which builds tension
by fearing her slow glance around to look at it. Lighting from here on becomes darker to set the
mood, which is also conventional of the genre of dark and gloomy. A wide angle shot of the living
room then shows the mother creeping around to look if anyone is there, the slow movement is a
typical convention used in horror trailers to make the audience on edge, the fact that she is a
female and she is alone also adds fear as there is no one around to help her. The ghost is then
seen sat down on the sofa, again we see the ghost before the mother does which builds tension.
She is wearing a long white dress which is quite often seen in some horror films, a
close-up of the mother’s face allows a cutaway from the ghost, building tension as the audience
then don’t know what to expect when the shot cuts back.
5. Shots/Mise-en-scene
Insidious 2
As seen in many horror films and trailers, the ghost goes for the child which
immediately grabs the audience’s attention due to the fear of the same thing happening, then as
seen in almost every film of this genre, rather than call for help, the mother goes after the ghost,
forcing the audience to become tense in fear of a shock coming.
We then have another on screen text telling us the producers and similar films made
by this company, allowing the audience to compare to existing films by them and get an idea of
what the whole film/storyline will be like. Following this are a series of shots of the mother and
father being haunted in various situations to show how they are living, we then have shots of a
Ouija board which links to the genre and also scares the audience due to its inviting nature into
the paranormal world.
A Mid-shot of the father in the hallway and the son in focus in the background is used
to show the son is looking at him, this is when he realises the father is the one haunted (Climax).
From then on we are shown a series of shots of the father in a parallel wold with the dead as he
tries to rescue his son, slow cut close-ups of haunting faces keep the audience on edge
throughout as the shots between become quicker. The last shot is of the father holding a lamp in
the dark, the shot then quickly cuts to a ghost standing right in front of him, this shock tactic is
the part that makes the audience jump and is a convention used in many horror films.
On screen text at the end tells the audience the film title and the release date, the
release date for this film is Friday 13th, which also happens to be a day known for horror due to
previous films.
6. Insidious 2
Sound
At the start of this trailer there is a happy non-diegetic vocal soundtrack,
which sets the scene and backs up the happy family that we see in the shots. Short
parts of dialog are used over the top such as the father and son laughing as they
play outside, shows the audience the connection they have, therefore are shocked
when they find out the father is the one haunted. We then hear dialog of the father
reassuring the mother - “Nothings going to bother us, not anymore, we are a family
again”, this is emphasized because it lets the audience know that that is not the
case.
The soundtrack fades out and is quiet for two seconds as the mother is in
the hallway, we then hear the diegetic child’s toy chiming a nursery rhyme, silence
helps build tension and the nursery rhyme links it to the child, adding fear to the
audience as they feel for the mother more. Non-diegetic incidental sound of
pulsing is then heard intermittently, this is one deep heavy note to creating tension,
this sound can be a convention of the genre and is seen in films such as Jaws.
7. Sound
Insidious 2
On the baby monitor we hear the ghost’s voice, the fact it is heard on the monitor
tells the audience she is with baby, again adding to the sympathy for the mother. Her voice is of a
elderly woman, it is a soft calming tone, this is used to give a very creepy and eerie feel. After this
first turning point, non-diegetic soundtrack of a woman singing a nursery rhyme further links
with this baby-focused theme. We then hear dialog of the son saying “I hear voices in the
hallway” creeping the audience out and making them focus, wanting to know where it is coming
from, This is when we see the off centre shot of the father with the son in the background,
showing he is the one possessed.
The soundtrack then changes to a non-diegetic score of a high pitch violin to keep the
viewer on edge, this builds up to a crescendo as the father pulls out a tooth, showing he is the
hunted one. After this the heavy pulsing score starts again yet it is faster, almost like it is
matching the audience’s heart beat as it increases. The pulsing suddenly stops as dialog takes
over. A man tells the father that someone is talking yet the audience cannot see him. This silence
is horrifying as you know it will be followed by a jumpy moment, as the shot changes to the ghost
in front of the father, the audience then hear the ghost, making them jump, added to by the
extreme close-up.
At the final on-screen text we hear faint whispering, this is a typical convention of the
genre as it conveys people going mad or a ghostly presence. As the date of release appears there
is a sudden non-diegetic high pitch stringed sound, which is the final shock for the view as they
do not expect it.
8. The Cabin In The Woods
Happy friends going on
a n adventure
Shows they are being
watched by someone
Production company.
The mood changes from
here, dark and gloomy
Tells the group there
will be trouble but they
don’t listen
On-screen text adds to
the drama
Still shows the friends
happy and enjoying the
getaway
1st turning point, they
are locked in, cannot
escape
Zombies and ghosts
attack the group
Shows the producer 2nd turning point, they
find out they are being
watched
When they escape, the
zombies follow, drama
continues
Film title shown at the
end
9. The Cabin In The Woods
Shots/Mise-en-scene
The establishing Mid-shot shows us a group of teenage friends all going on a road tripping
adventure, they are all smiling and cheering and the sun can be seen brightly, this gives a positive vibe and tells
us they are happy, which is a subversion of what you would expect from a horror trailer.
We then have a cutaway to a Long-shot of two men sat in a control room with large screens who seem to be
watching over the group as they travel, this makes the audience question what is going on, yet it cuts back to the
group as they arrive at a house. By now the light is now darker, the house looks un kept and the resident looks
very creepy, this gives the audience an unnerving feeling about their adventure.
After this there is an on-screen text which reads “you think you know the story”, which then
changes the mood as you know its not going to be a typical teenage road trip and something bad is going to
happen. Some of the shots of the group in the house are even filmed to look as if it is a camcorder, adding to the
effect of them being watched.
Next we have the 1st turning point (where it starts to go wrong), a close-up shows the two men in
the control room press a button, a longshot then shows an invisible wall that shields the group into the woods.
This immediately grasps the viewer’s attention as you know something bad is about to happen and they cannot
escape. Straight after this there is a series of mid-shots showing the ghosts and zombies attacking the group, the
close-up of the girls face shows the terror in her scream.
The 2nd turning point then occurs, this is when one of the boys finds a camera shown by an extreme
close-up, it looks to be filmed on a fisheye camcorder to again add to the effect of being watched. The shots from
then on become a lot quicker to portray action, including explosions and zombies being killed, which gives the
audience a little insight into what happens in the film. The final shot is an extreme close-up of a girls eyes, you
can see that they are full of fear and desperately looking round, being this close engages the audience as they
are forced to look directly at her eyes.
10. The Cabin In The Woods
Sound
The trailer starts with a non-diegetic pop soundtrack, this creates a positive mood,
this is added to by one of the males shouting “Everybody ready?”, and the rest of the group
cheering. Using this tells you they are having fun and oblivious to what is to come. In contrast
to this we then hear one of the surveillance team say “Acquiring target”, which creates a
doubt in the audience as you know something isn’t right.
The soundtrack ends and a non-diegetic score then begins, using deep eerie sounds
to add tension. On top of this we can also hear dialog from the teenagers such as “this is
awesome” as they enter the house, this is used to show their naivety to the situation. Dialog
from the surveillance room then dominates the score “lock them in”, this confirms the
audience’s fear and tells us something bad is going to happen. At this moment the score
reaches a crescendo to add to the shock.
Snippets of dialog from the group screaming and yelling help engage the audience,
this also conforms to typical conventions seen in most horror films. The non-diegetic score
then changes to a heavy deep drum beat, this is used to represent a heart beat, beating
rapidly to add tension. Towards the end, vocals are added to the score, this is a heavy metal
style screaming, as very often heavy metal is linked with dark gory horror. The score reaches a
crescendo with a loud drum and cymbal combo, non-diegetic voiceover reads the film title as
it appears on screen in a deep powerful voice, making a lasting impression.
To finish there is a loud non-diegetic ear piercing scream from one of the girls,
giving the audience an idea of the fear involved, followed by more voiceover stating the
release date, this is right at the end so that the audience can remember.
11. One Missed Call
The trailer starts normal, no
abnormality.
Close-up of the phone,
something odd is happening.
Realisation something
could be wrong.
This is when she finds out
something bad is happing
Information about the film,
where the storyline comes
from.
When she sees the ‘evil’ for
the first time, knows
something is really bad.
States the film’s title States the date of release Information about
director/actors etc
12. One Missed Call
Shots/Mise-en-scene
The establishing shot is a text-style messaging screen which writes; “Everyday 2 billion
cell phones ring…” which states a fact and gets the viewer questioning. After this we can see a
Close-up of the cell phone ringing in the foreground and the woman in the background staring in
worry. The focus changes from a wide depth of field, to just the phone in focus, which draws the
audience’s eye to the phone ringing which creates an eerie feel. A Close-up of the girl’s face is then
used to show her expression, her face drops as she hears a scream down the phone, at this point
she realises something bad is happening.
The use of the cell phone really engages the audience, this is because everyone has a
mobile phone and so there is a fear this could happen to them at any time. The texting style
message then appears on screen again, reading where the storyline comes from (Japan), which
further gives the view information that can be related to.
This is then followed by a series of shots with a loved one, the use of romance distracts
the audience from the horror and makes them feel for the two people, then when something
happens to one of them, there is more focus from the audience and a larger shock/scare is
achieved. In this trailer the girls boyfriend is heard on the phone then dies shorty after.
Towards the end of the trailer we then get a glimpse of the person/thing that is
haunting the girl, this ties up all the deaths and gives a character for the audience to fear, the alien
like ghost is seen standing at a bus stop, which also ads fear because of the realism of her being
near our everyday lives.
13. One Missed Call
Sound
The trailer starts with a slow stringed non-diegetic score, this does not quite
set the genre of the trailer as it is not typical of a conventional horror score, however it
sounds very unusual and spooky. When shown the text between shots a non-diegetic
dialling tone is used to correspond with the messaging-like feel, which links to the main
story of the film (one missed call). We then hear the non-diegetic ringtone from a close-up
view of the phone, this is a very mysterious chiming sound, almost like a child’s toy
to help them get to sleep. Within the ringtone a faint clock ticking sound can be heard,
this could refer to the importance of the call as time is passing by, which would link in
with the title of missing the call.
The actor then says “That’s not my ringtone”, its at this moment the audience
know that it is a horror genre and that something is wrong. We then hear a series of
diegetic deathly screams as she answers the phone, this is very typical of the horror
genre and puts the audience on edge.
The non-diegetic score then changes to a very soft chiming sound, it is very
common of horror films to use child like music as it engages the audience and creates
lots of tension. It most often conveys paranormal activity or possession, in this trailer it
is linked with possession and stalking of the victims.
Dialog is used in a variety of shots which tells us the basic storyline, this
allows the audience to understand what is going on and so will become more intrigued.
14. Conclusion
When looking at the three trailers, they all very much follow typical conventions of the
horror genre. This is noticed by the use of dark lighting to create a mysterious eerie mood, use of
suspense and slow editing to build tension and using special effects creating paranormal characters
and add realism. Much like a majority of trailers / films, they also use a subgenre, in all three of the
trailers I analysed, this subgenre is romance. This is very often used as it allows the audience to
engage in the character’s emotion and shows they have purpose and meaning to others.
When carrying out my analysis I found that the target audience age for horror films is
typically between 16 and 35. To conform and appeal to this audience, all three films use young
actors, allowing the audience to put themselves in the their shoes, the use of a baby in ‘Insidious 2’
also allows mothers to have an emotional connection from the fear of the same thing happening to
their baby.
The way the three trailers are structured conforms to typical conventions of the genre in
that they start off normal and then a problem begins, this problem then develops to a climax.
However unlike in the actual film, the trailers usually end full of enigmas and unanswered
questions, this is a clever tactic used by the director to draw the audience into seeing the film to
find out what happens.
The three trailers that I analysed shared a very similar theme that I noticed, and so i
began to research further to see if this was a convention to the genre, looking at other film trailers
to help me. All three of the trailers, ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ being the most obvious, start off very
upbeat and happy, subverting from expectations, and then we have a 1st turning point in which
something goes wrong and the mood changes to become dark and haunting. Upon research I found
this is a very common tactic used by directors, the first part tells the audience to think it is going to
be another typical teen based film, and then the twist grabs their attention.
