3. CAMERAWORK
• The use of the wide shot near the beginning of the trailer clearly displays the
abandoned, run down setting of the garage. The empathizes the isolation of the setting.
Isolated settings are very typical for horror films as they connote a certain amount of
vulnerability.
• About mid-way through the trailer the large male character is shown in a low-angle mid-
shot, the other are then shown in a high angle wide shot. This separates the larger male
character from the others and signifies he is superior to the others and thus, in charge.
• The use of low and high angles are applied heavily in this trailer. The two strong male
characters are almost constantly shown in low angles compared to the weaker females
and the weak stoner character who always seem to be show in high angles. This
connotes that the two strong male characters are dominant and, by definition, in charge.
This is quite typical of horrors as someone always seems to take charge and giving
orders. And more often than not, it‟s a strong male.
4. SOUND
• Non-Diegetic upbeat music is used at the beginning of the trailer which represents the
youthful, energetic nature of the main characters. The music is very light-hearted as are
the characters, this fits with the genre as the victims in horror films tend to be quite young
(usually teenagers) and, for some strange reason, they always seem to be quite
attractive.
• The aforementioned music changes roughly half way through the trailer to a very cliché
heartbeat. Followed by more dramatic, deep music. The change in music coincides and
enhances the trailer‟s change in tone. At the beginning it was all sunshine and
rainbows, now it‟s dark and strange. This is again typical of horror films as it makes the
viewer feel uneasy and gives them a sense that „all is not right‟.
• The use of the dialogue in the trailer also suit the genre as shown by the use of words like
“those things”, “they sent them to get us”, “getting back, that‟s your concern.” and the
slaughterhouse imagery implied in the phrase “the lambs have passed through the
gate, they‟ve come to the killing floor” such vague, hostile phrase are very common in
horror films and suggest cause a feeling of fearful uncertainty in the viewer.
5. EDITING
• The pacing of this trailer is constantly changing. At the beginning it is moderately
paced, not especially slow and not especially fast. This connotes that everything's fine
and normal at this point. Then the pace seems to slow down as the main characters reach
the garage. This heightens the sense of unease the garage causes. The pace temporarily
quickens after the phrase “the lambs have passed through the gate” as the audience now
knows something really bad is going to happen. This enhances the growing feeling of
danger and empathizes the effects of the increased heartbeat like music. Then the pace
slows down to a crawl giving the trailer a kind of „calm before the storm‟ effect. As the
pace slows down, so does the audience. This build significant amounts of tension which is
then detonated by an explosion in the pace of the trailer. The trailer rapidly cuts from on
shot to another, barely giving the audience time to realise what‟s happening. This causes
a certain amount of panic in the audience which is another common effect of a good
horror film. The pace only then slows down back to normal when the film‟s title is shown
shortly before the end which heightens it‟s impact on the audience.
6. MISE-EN-SCENE
• The costumes used by the characters are very typical for a horror genre. The
attractiveness of the main characters is empathized by the limited amount of clothing they
wear, especially the young women. Victims wearing scarce clothing is another common
feature of horror films as it connotes vulnerability, weakness and youth. For some strange
reason, monsters seem to enjoy killing beautiful teenagers which is why this trailer clearly
depicts the main characters as such.
• The settings employed by the trailer are clearly designed around a central theme in horror
films: isolation. First, the main characters are in a mobile home. This is a much more
isolated way of living than if they were in a hotel or other public place and implies they are
traveling far away from civilisation. Then there‟s the abandoned garage which shows they
are the only people around who need to use it which in turn suggests there‟s no one
around to help them should they need it. Finally, there‟s the cabin itself. In the woods. A
beautiful, natural paradise with a lake not far away. This is so typical of horror films
because natural settings full of secret dangers strongly enforce the common theme of
corruption. And of course, a cabin in the woods is an extremely isolated place to be.
