2. In order to evidence the typical conventions of a
horror trailer I have analysed two different trailers to
show how they use the different codes and
conventions to target their film to the audience.
From previous research I know that the generic
conventions of a horror trailer usually include:
- Isolated location
- Eerie music (fast and slow pace) (sometimes silence)
- Short takes
- Supernatural activity
- Close ups
- Tension and suspense
- Religious
3. The Cabin In The Woods is about how five friends go on a break to a
remote cabin in an isolated woods. Paranormal events begin to
happen and they have to come together to try and survive. This film
goes with typical conventions as the women are weak and rely on
the male figures to help them survive. The trailer contains a lot of
slow and fast pace music to help create mood and atmosphere. This
film adheres with Todorov’s theory of equilibrium and Propp’s theory.
These two screenshots shows the generic isolated location which creates an
eerie feeling as they’re far away from society and people are commonly
scared of the unknown. Being alone somewhere not familiar with the
surroundings can be unnerving and scary.
4. Using typography in a horror trailer is very common as this creates extra
suspense without giving away parts of the film. It is generic to say ‘From the
producers of..’ as this creates an inherited audience from previous films.
Using close ups and extreme close ups is a generic convention of horror trailers
as it creates suspense and tension without giving away the whole shot. The
Cabin In The Woods uses this well as the two main close ups are of women
which is a generic code that women are weak and vulnerable.
5. Orphan is about a husband and wife, who have recently lost their
baby, adopt a 9 year old girl who isn’t as innocent as she first seems.
Paranormal events begin to happen when Ester starts acting out of
character. This film goes with typical conventions as there is a
religious link as well as an typical family home where things go
wrong. The trailer contains a lot of slow and fast pace music to
create mood as well as close ups to build tension and atmosphere.
This film adheres to Todorov’s theory of equilibrium and Levi Strauss
binary opposites as the young girls turns from innocent to evil.
Orphan uses generic conventions of location to portrait an isolated feeling. In
the first screenshot there are lots of people yet the location is still detached
from other buildings whereas the second screenshot is much more secluded
once the girl is with them.
6. In this film there is a strong religious link which is used by many horror trailers. This
is because many people don’t understand old traditional religious views which
people find creepy and uncomfortable.
Close ups of items are also popular in the horror genre trailers. This builds
tension as the audience doesn’t know what’s going to happen; it creates a
series of unanswered question in the viewers head which leads them to
wanting to find out by watching the film. In this first screenshot the slow
opening of the door builds suspense as the audience doesn’t know what’s
going to be behind the door. The second screenshot of the swing moving very
fast and the tree in the background not moving shows there is no wind which
sparks the question of how the swing is moving violently fast by itself.
