Research for coursework.

1. Editing and Camera Shots
Scream, The Hills Have Eyes and Saw

2. Edits and Transitions used
• Tracking shot is used to following
the pace of the trailer/film
whether it is fast or slow and this
also allows the audience to keep
up with the plot of the film.
Tracking shot also allows to show
action in the trailer and the most
common action used in horror
films is running away from the
antagonist.
• Match on action is also used for
action . It shows the running and
also slamming of doors so the
victim can hide from the
antagonist (killer/murderer)
• All of these are shown in the
Scream (1996) trailer.
• Shot reverse shot is typically,
almost always used for dialogue
which it is in all three trailers I
have chosen to analyse. It is used
to create drama and it can also
help highlight key characters.
• This is shown throughout all
three trailer; Scream, The Hills
Have Eyes and Saw.

3. Key Characters
• Key characters can be highlighted in
multiple ways such as shot types and
narration.
• The Key characters are highlighted mainly
through camera shots such as close-ups
and medium shots. It shows us there facial
expression and reactions to the
antagonists and this enables the audience
to identify them to their character role.
For example, if they are a victim, by
looking at the detail of their costumes and
props around them as they can give clues
to there character role. For example in
Scream , when the first victim Casey is
introduced, we meet her with a close up
shot and this allows up to look at her
costume which is pale colours, mostly
white and this is a symbol of purity and
that tells us that she is the victim.
• In Saw the main characters are highlighted
through medium shots, voice overs and
lighting. The main characters are
introduced through medium shot and
again, this allows us to look at their
surroundings and costumes to tell us what
their character role is. We are able to
identify Adam as a victim because he is
handcuffed to the wall. Also there is a
voiceover in the trailer, telling the
audience some of the plot of the film –
“Adam you need to kill Gordon or Diana
will die…”
• Light is used to create an atmosphere or
highlight key points and characters within
the plot. Horror trailers use the absence
of light (low key lighting) in order to create
an intense and uncomfortable
atmosphere (this is used throughout the
all three trailers so it makes the audience
uneasy when watching.)

4. • As with most trailers, quick, fast moving
cuts are made to show the action within
the movies. With the two horror trailers I
chose to analyse, a lot of dark shots are
used in order to create suspense. This is
also done by adding slower cut
and longer shots, making the plot feel
slow at first and then having the
pace quicken as the trailer displays more
of the plot.

5. • With Scream, towards the end of the trailer, quick
editing allows the trailer to build up suspense and
then allows the action elements to become
apparent.
• This editing is also used in The Hills Have Eyes
trailer. They use the same technique to allow the
audience to understand what is happening at the
beginning of the trailer and essentially what is the
plot of the film.. (A family are going on holiday and
are doing a road trip across the desert to San
Diego) and then it becomes a bit slower to build
suspense and fright. Then they use quick cuts to
show action and build up even more suspense.

6. • Conventional trailers use a range of camera
angles and movements to keep the audience
constantly engaged. Close-ups to create a
tense atmosphere.
• Various colours can be used to represent different
things such as themes and genre; it is common of
the horror genre to use symbolic colours such as
red, black and white in order to make it easy for
the audience to identify the film as being a
horror.
• White and red typography are used on a black
background; sticking to the conventions of the
horror genre. The colour red is used by the horror
genre to represent blood and black is to portray
darkness and white represents purity and
innocence.

7. • Black is the main colour used throughout all three horror
trailers as it’s the most common colour used to represent
the horror trailer. Black portrays evil, darkness, mystery and
death which are all codes and conventions of a horror. As
• Black is the main colour, it is paired with corresponding
colours that all have meaning to relate to the plot of the
film.
• In the trailer for Scream (1996) the main colour which are
shown throughout the trailer are black, red and white.
• Saw – the colour pallet used are quite cool colour which are
blue, black and white.
• And in The hills have eyes, the main colours are black and
warm tones like red, yellow and orange. And these colours
help represent the narrative as these colours represent the
dessert and heat, which is the main setting in the film.