2. To me, when it comes to any trailer, sound is the most effective tool in terms of ensuring that the film is
embedded within a viewers’ mind, prompting them to consistently return to the film in question. For The
Basement, a variety of diegetic and non-diegetic sounds will be utilised – most of which will be
composed/manufactured by myself, but it is necessary to note that some of the orchestral melodies
associated with the first part of the trailer will be taken from existing pieces of music. It is vital for the
sound to match the progression of the plot throughout the trailer, and it will therefore evolve and adapt to
create a truly memorable atmosphere that can easily be associated with the film identity.
FOR THE FIRST 30 SECONDS
The first 30 seconds will consist primarily
of still establishing shots of the inside of
the house. As each of these shots cut to one
another, a harsh discord stab will be heard,
punctuated by silence as each shot runs its
course. The sound itself will be
reminiscent of nails squealing on some
form of hard surface, followed by a series
of quick taps that sound like someone
knocking. This will immediately set an
uneasy atmosphere and will encourage the
audience to make the assumption that,
despite the static quality of these shots, the
house appears to be alive in some way due
to these ‘realistic’ non-diegetic sounds
(that will most likely be self-composed).
When Joel and Kerrie are seen entering the
house and looking around, diegetic sound
will be presented as they exchange a few
words with each other, and this will serve
as a voiceover that will, in turn, animate
the shots, clearly seen by the increased use
of tracking shots and zooms in these
scenes. Throughout this short period of
using a voiceover, the previous non-diegetic
sounds will be quietened, although will
still be prominently heard. Apart from this,
no diegetic sound will be heard, as the
entirety of focus will be placed on
generating an atmosphere of uneasiness
and terror. Proceeding on from this, as the
establishing shots transition into a variety
of extreme close-ups of various features of
the house, a low, chopped moan will be
added to the series of non-diegetic sounds,
purposefully made to sound inhuman and
infrequent. Consequently, this will add to
the unique identity of the trailer, as it is
unconventional to introduce such a series
of threatening non-diegetic sounds within
the first 30 seconds of the trailer. With
‘The Basement’, this is utilised as I
immediately want the audience to
recognise that this is not easily comparable
to other films within the genre, and that
their expectations – although visually
satisfied – will be altered and exceeded
throughout this film. Just before the 30
second mark, a long shot will show the
couple embracing, and all sounds will
cease to hear them say ‘I love you’,
FOR THE NEXT 30 SECONDS
During the ‘turning point’ of the trailer – where Joel discovers the basement – all non-diegetic
sounds will be ceased to generate absolute tension. As the camera tracks the ball thudding down
the stairs, the diegetic sound of the thump will be enhanced, to highlight the importance of this
particular action on screen. When the characters finally open the basement, and as Joel has a
seizure, all previous non-diegetic sounds will appear in a sudden stab, with the inclusion of a
dischord violin rapidly playing a shrill note that lingers on throughout the first ‘cut to black’
3. shot of the trailer. From this point, as the scenes start to depict various scenes of confusion and
hauntings, a note is played twice, in quick succession, on the violin, accompanied by a quick
succession of ‘lala’ vocals sung by a child. The combination of these sounds will be emulative of a
heartbeat in their proximity to each other, and this reflection of a heartbeat will generally continue
throughout the entirety of the trailer, and will speed up in accordance with the increasing horror on
screen. Indeed, the child’s voice will be reflected in the various shots of the dead child that will
appear during these scenes, giving it meaning and heightening the contrapuntal effect that it has
upon the action. Towards the 1-minute mark, silence will be utilised once again during the scenes
of the characters falling asleep, followed by the recurring ‘lala’ sounds and a deep roar as they
envision scenes of murder and chaos. The infrequency here mimics the transgression from reality
into the dreamworld, and the uncertainty of which is which.
;;;;;;
FOR THE NEXT MINUTE
As the scenes progress into the more ‘conventional’ horror
territory, the recurring sound of the heartbeat mimic is heard
at a greater pace and volume than before. In conjunction
with this, various other instruments can be heard stringing
the heartbeat together, such as a piano being slammed, and a
vocal ‘ughhhhhh’ that slowly rises in volume throughout the
entirety of the final minute. When the montage approaches,
all diegetic sounds are removed from the trailer, and the
non-diegetic soundtrack suddenly lapses into nothing but the
‘lala’ of the little girl and the slowly rising ‘ugggh’ that
draws associations with demonic intentions and pain. The
absolute lack of diegetic sound here gives the trailer an
ethereal quality, reflective of the potential dream state the
characters find themselves in.
When the trailer approaches its climax and the montage of shots are
around 1 second in length, the ‘ugggh’ crescendoes into a scream, and the
‘lala’ voice changes to that of a distorted, electronic-esque growl. After the
crescendo, as Joel descends into the basement for the final shot before the
title strap, a voiceover screams ‘Don’t look!’ over and over again, with no
non-diegetic sound backing it up, which lends the statement a stark clarity
that is very likely to be remembered by the audience. This then cuts to
silence as the devil is seen raising his hands, before a sudden ‘thud’ of a
non-diegetic drum signifies the title strap. The ‘jump-scare’ after this will
be conventionally done in terms of sound, as there is no sound when
Kerrie checks outside the door, followed by another similar ‘thud’ as the
audience see the ghoulish figure standing behind her.
