2. Conventions of trailers
• Start with production information – e.g. company logos – Such as Universal
and 20th Century Fox – give indication of film genre.
• Contain a plot summary – show elements of (fast paced) action to engage
the audience. Often combined with fast paced editing to maintain the
audiences attention and ultimately, interest.
• Cast, Credit, Studio Information – usually shown throughout the trailer
(rather than the beginning or end because the viewer may not be as
concentrated). Displays the names of the actors involved in the film, as well
as crediting those who contributed to the production of the film.
• Famous actors – often shown throughout the trailer to attract as much
audience interest and attention as possible. This aids the marketing of the
film and aims to result in huge profit and eventual success of the film.
• Order- tends to be an order of events – divided into Equilibrium and
disequilibrium. (Trailers start off with some state of normality which later
gets disturbed, causing disequilibrium. This is typically symbolised through
fast pace editing and louder score music).
• Timing – typically 2 – 3 minutes long – to intrigue the audience without
giving away too much.
4. Titles
• Tends to be shown at the end of trailer which makes it more memorable for the
audience.
e.g. Silent Hill & Blair
witch 2 – title is shown
for 4-5 seconds at the
end of the trailer
• Usually have black backgrounds with white/ red text. None or minimal effects used
on the font - tends to be clear and simple. Also, so that it is more memorable.
1960
1978
2003
1995
1980
Time timeline
shows that
even through
out time
conventional
title styles have
been kept
5. Audio
Music /Voiceover :
• used to aid the viewer’s understanding of the film because it establishes the tone and
pace.
• This sets the mood.
• Voiceovers – usually narrate the action happening in the scene (e.g. when some info.
would be too hard to understand or too long to show in one scene).
• Often in synchronicity with the editing more captivating.
• The music is closely linked to the intensity of the film (e.g. in a psychological horror film
trailer – the score music gradually gets louder towards the climax/ anti-climax to create
tension). E.g. ‘The Shining’ trailer.
Score music is generally calm Its gets louder + more noticeable Music heightened as climactic point
is reached
Music seems to have
reached a point of
resolution (identified
with a bell sound)
Score music is loud
+ intense at the end
= more memorable
for the audience
6. Editing
• In Psychological Horror trailers the pace of editing often begins slow but gradually
gets faster as the action intensifies/ a problem occurs/ a climactic point of the trailer
is reached. (E.g. In ‘Black Swan’ trailer the fast pace editing makes the audience feel
overwhelmed but intrigued).
• CGI is not use as Psychological Horror tends to focus on the human fears/mental
aspects.
• Cross cutting is sometimes used to intrigue the audience. E.g. In ‘Psycho’ trailer
(1960), starting with parts of the shower scene, then going back to just before the
murder in the shower, then the conversation before the murder, then just after the
murder, and back again to the conversation of before the murder – intrigues the
viewer.
7. Engaging the audience/social networking sites
• Social media sites and related details will be displayed at the end of
the trailer.
• It is the last thing the audience see of the trailer, so that they can
remember it.
• This allows the audience to seek out more information on the film
and to be involved by ‘sharing’ with friends online.
• Therefore, they also help with publicity of the film.
Twitter page of the film ‘The Boy’ (2016).
Shown at the end of the trailer
8. Inspiration
• How the pace of the editing and the score music
are in sync – evokes a more dramatic effect.
• As there is fast pace editing towards the end of
the film, the music also gets faster, which engages
the audience more – overall very effective.
