1. Film Trailer Overview
These 4 filmtrailers have been successfully designed to promote films within the Slasher
sub-genre. Each trailer follows a general structure and features numerous Slasher
conventions. By conducting this overview, I will be able to identify a common structure and
common features that I should use when creating my own Slasher trailer.
The first trailer I looked at was Friday the 13th. The trailer opens with the logo of the
institution that created it. This instantly tells the audience that the film was created by a
well-known and well respected institution. It is a feature I will use in my trailer as it creates a
professional feel. The trailer then starts with an establishing shot of the lake and a Voice-
over about Jason drowning. This instantly tells the audience that the filmwill be set in an
isolated woodland area, a perfect setting for the antagonist to dispose of the victims. Voice-
overs are an effective feature of film trailers as they give the audience a slight insight into
the narrative and in this case, Jason’s back-story. The narrative of the trailer is that a group
of teenagers go to lake to work as camp counsellors. In the first part of the trailer, they are
happy and are shown partying and drinking. This is a well known convention of Slasher that
can be identified in all Slasher horrors. They are typical Slasher victims. This is commonly
used in Slasher horrors as it creates the idea that the teenagers are being punished by the
antagonist for their rebellious behaviour, if they didn’t drink and party, they wouldn’t have
got themselves into the situation of being pursued by the antagonist. The editing in this part
of the trailer is a fast montage to show them letting loose. There are a number of fast cuts
and the non-diegetic sound is very upbeat. This is to reflect the fact that the characters are
2. relaxing and having a good time and will enable the audience to see the contrast between
the beginning of the trailer and how it changes when everything starts to go wrong. The
editing then slows down and the non-diegetic sound cuts out. A blonde character falls in the
water and this is where the mood of the trailer changes. We see a long, point of view shot of
Jason standing by the water and this is the first time we see him in the trailer. Throughout
this trailer, there is a use of slow fades to emphasise the horror and the change within the
film. This is a typical convention of horror trailers as the black screen reflects the inevitable
doom for the characters and the fact that there is no way of escaping the antagonist. Only a
couple of straps were used in this trailer with only basic information such as ‘From Producer
Michael Bay’ and ‘The director of Texas Chainsaw Massacre’. This information will help draw
in the audience as they know it was produced and directed by people who have successfully
produced and directed classic Slashers, so this one will be of the same standard. Throughout
the trailer, numerous Close-up shots, Wide Shots and Low Angle Shots are used to show the
victims and the antagonists. The Wide shots effectively show the setting, which is an
isolated woodland area, typical of Slasher films as there is nowhere to escape to. The non-
diegetic sound used is intense and eerie. This helps to build up the tension and suspense of
the trailer. Also, at one point in the trailer there is a piece of NDS that replicates a
heartbeat. This is an effective convention of trailers as it places the audience in the trailer as
it reflects the fast-paced speed of their own heartbeat as the tension builds. The trailer uses
typical Slasher mise en scene. The antagonist wears overalls and mask with machete. This is
a typical costume for a slasher killer as it conceals his identity. All the girls wear minimal
costume, this helps to present them as the typical ‘slut’ characters of slasher that is usually
one of the first to die. This helps to inform the audience that the film will follow typical
slasher convention. The lighting is dark ambient in most of the trailer. The trailer also
features the typical blonde who dies and a brunette final girl who is more masculine and
wears conservative clothing.
The second trailer I looked at was for My Bloody Valentine. Just like the trailer for Friday the
13th, it opens with the institution logo that created the film. This informs the audience that
the film was created by a well-known and well established institution. The trailer then opens
with an establishing shot of the mine. This gives the audience an instant insight into the
narrative of the film as it suggests that the mine will play a big part in the narrative. The
narrative of this trailer is that there is a Valentine’s Day murder at the beginning of the film,
then the killer returns. Typical of slasher, he terrorises and kills teenagers with the typical
slasher ‘slut’ victim featuring in the trailer as being killed. It also features the conventional
characters of a blonde bimbo who is killed early on and a brunette final girl who wears more
acceptable clothing, with the final girl in this case being presented mostly wearing baggy
checked shirts. Similar to Friday the 13th, the editing at the beginning to fast and matches
the fast-paced non-diegetic sound. This appears to be a convention of Slasher horror
trailers, perhaps representing that in Slasher films, unlike other sub-genres, the action
begins straight away, rather than featuring a slow build up. The trailer then features a
3. diegetic voiceover of a witness. The voiceover occurs on a wide shot of the police
investigating the mine and states that someone was following them. The lighting in this shot
is dark with characters in silhouette with the only light in the shot being the torch on their
helmets. This instantly begins to build up the tension and suspense in the audience as they
expect something bad to happen. The non-diegetic sound becomes more eerie and intense.
This helps to build up the tension and would bring the audience closer to the edge of their
seat. The editing begins to speed up, which is common of trailers, with the first jump scare
of the trailer being a close up of the antagonist. The tension built up in the shots before are
effective in making the audience jump when they saw the antagonist for the first time. The
trailer then cuts to a medium shot of the crime scene with a voiceover of the news report.
We see a close up of a bloody hand. This informs the audience that a gruesome murder
must have taken place in the mine. There are multiple shots of different parts of the
suburban town. This is a typical location for a Slasher film. There is then a long shot of an
abandoned supermarket with the killer standing at the end. This is typical of Slasher films,
when the antagonist strikes when the victims are alone. This is when the audience first
properly see the antagonist. Dark ambient lighting is used in this shot, and throughout the
trailer, which creates a silhouette behind the antagonist. There is also the use of flickering
light bulbs to reflect the disturbance caused by the intrusion of the antagonist. The trailer
ends with a montage, with shots of each victim. This is an effective tool used in horror
trailers to draw the audience in by quickly introducing them to each character.
The third trailer I looked at was for the 2010 remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street. Unlike
the other two trailers, this one opened with an establishing shot of an old school American
diner. The opening of this trailer doesn’t follow Todorov’s narrative structure as it doesn’t
show the characters equilibrium, it instantly injects horror. I thought this shot was a very
effective one to feature right at the beginning as everything about it screams horror, and
the Slasher sub-genre. Firstly, the location appears to be deserted. The car park in front of
the diner is completely empty. This instantly tells the audience that this must be a horror
trailer as it has the typical public location that is isolated and deserted. This is further
reinforced by the fact that it is set in the evening, there’s a storm, and one of the lights in
the sign is flickering. Any horror fans would instantly see this shot and know it’s a horror.
There is an effective use of lighting in this shot, where a red tinted lighting from within the
diner is reflected over his face. This suggests to the audience that something bad is about to
happen to him. The location is a typical Slasher location as he is alone and isolated. His
isolation is further presented to the audience through a pan of the deserted diner. This
increases the tension within the trailer as horror fans will know this a bad sign that
something bad is about to happen. There is a wide shot of the kitchen where there is a pan
on fire. Any Slasher horror fans will instantly relate this to the antagonist, Freddie Crougar,
and his back-story. It suggests to the audience that Freddie must be lurking and it is not long
until the characters suffer like he did. It also connotes hell. This suggests that all hell is about
to be unleashed on the male character, and that this is the beginning of constant hell for the
4. other characters in the film. A pan combined with a crab shot is used to show the male
character slowly investigating the kitchen. The use of the slow pan and a crab shot creates
the feel of someone watching him. This reinforces the tension and idea in the audience that
Freddie is lurking. It is at this point where the first Jump Scare of the sequence is used. This
is an effective placement of a Jump Scare as the tension has been built up amongst the
audience. This is where the audience first see Freddie. . The Jump Scare is further
emphasised through the intensified diegetic sound of Freddie’s knife slashing his hand. This
is a common convention of Slasher horror films as by intensifying the sound of the knife, it
emphasises the fear and the gruesome death the victim is about to endure. The institutional
information is then presented, suggesting that the terror has only just begun. There is an
effective use of diegetic voice-overs throughout this trailer. This is an effective use of
diegetic sound as it helps to anchor the shot being displayed and gives the audience an
insight into the narrative. The narrative of this trailer appears to be different to other
Slasher trailers. This is because it doesn’t appear to completely follow Todorov’s narrative
structure as the audience are never presented with an equilibrium. The trailer appears to
skip the equilibrium and go straight to the disruption, Freddie. We see Freddie tormenting
the first male character, then the other characters conferring about ‘the man’ who is always
there in their dreams. Also, unlike other Slasher horrors, the narrative doesn’t begin with a
death, just a brief encounter with Freddie. Another convention used throughout this trailer
is the use of slow fades. Fades are effective in emphasising the horror and the idea that
darkness is coming and is inevitable. The first strap is featured, like my bloody valentine, 1
minute into the trailer, saying ‘From the producer Michael Bay’. This will entice the audience
and make them watch the film as they know that Michael Bay has a solid history of
producing successful and terrifying Slasher films. On this strap, a non-diegetic sound of a
heartbeat kicks in. This appears to be another pattern between the four trailers. This is
effective in building up the tension among the audience and is a way of the audience putting
themselves in the trailer. This is because the fast-paced NDS of a heartbeat would reflect
that of the audience. The NDS cuts out briefly on a shot of the final girl drifting to sleep in
the bath, then a stab of NDS kicks in when we see Freddie’s hand emerging from the water.
This suggests that one moment of weakness and vulnerability and Freddie is there to take
advantage and dispose of them. The final straps feature within the montage at the end of
the trailer. The first strap, ‘On April 30th’, is an important feature in the trailer as after the
audience are hooked in by the trailer, the second strap reels them in by informing them of
when they can watch the whole film. The last two straps are effective in hooking the
audience in even more; ‘Welcome to your new nightmare’. The use of direct address allows
the audience to place themselves in the film and adds to the fear and tension generated by
the trailer as it suggests to them that Freddie is coming to them next. In typical horror style,
the trailer ends with a sting of Nancy in the hospital about to receive and injection that will
‘put her right to sleep.’
5. The final trailer that I looked at was for the 2007 remake of the classic Slasher; Halloween.
The trailer starts with a voiceover of a news report, with multiple quick shots of a crime
scene. This instantly suggests to the audience that the trailer is promoting a horror film. It
also helps to build up the intrigue about what crime has happened that caused such a huge
reaction. This appears to be a common convention that I have identified across these
Slasher filmtrailers. The non-diegetic sound of a heartbeat is introduced as we see Michael
Myers in prison. This is an effective feature of the trailer as it helps the build-up the
suspense and tension among the audience, and also reflects the pace of their heartbeat
speeding up. This is a convention used in all four the trailers and is one that I think is
extremely effective so I will use it in my own trailer. The trailer also intensifies certain
diegetic sound for effect. This is a feature also used by the Nightmare on Elm Street trailer.
At this point in the trailer, the diegetic sound of Michael’s handcuffs is intensified. This is
used to allow the audience’s attention to focus on his handcuffs. This is most likely because
something is about to happen related to the handcuffs. By intensifying the diegetic sound,
the trailer builds up the tension and reels the audience in even more. This trailer in
particular is different to other Slasher trailers as it uses a lot more straps that the common
Slasher trailer which only features basic information on straps like the release date. The first
set of straps features as we see Michael Myers attempting to escape from the mental
institute. Also unlike other Slashers, this trailer features a non-diegetic voice-over that
occurs with each strap. This may be because it allows the audience to focus even more on
the strap. In between each strap, ‘This summer Rob Zombie unleashes a unique vision of a
legendary tale’, there are short close ups of Michael, before we see him escape. This is
effective in enhancing the tension already created by the trailer as the audience would
know something bad is about to happen. This is further reinforced by the stab of NDS which
kicks in as Michael escapes. The volume and intense nature of the NDS informs the audience
that Michael escaping is going to have terrible repercussions for other people. The NDS then
cuts out on an extreme long shot where the audience see Michael dragging one of his
victims along the floor. This is the first time the audience get a real sense of what Michael is
capable of. This also suggests to the audience that this brutal murder is only the beginning.
This is further emphasised in the next scene which begins with the intensified diegetic
sound of a knife. This is an effective jump scare and would instantly reel in the audience as
they would know that this is only the beginning. The NDS kicks in again at this point but is a
more intense and much faster track. This reflects the change in the trailer as the equilibrium
has been disturbed by Michaels’ reappearance. Like the other three trailers, this trailer uses
numerous slow fades between shots. This could be due to the fact that by using a slow fade,
it reflects to the audience the darkness and death that is to come. The fade always
continues onto another shot which suggests that the darkness, and Michael, is unstoppable.
At this point in the trailer both the NDS and the editing speeds up. This reflects to the
audience how the action is reaching a climax as we see Myers taking his victims. It also helps
to reflect the pace of the audiences’ heartbeat as they are hooked in by this trailer. The
second set of straps is then featured with the conventional fast montage; “on august 31st
6. evil has a destiny.” This straps help to anchor the action on the screen and draws the
audience in even more. This is because it makes the audience think about what his destiny is
and why he is doing this, making them want to watch the film. The NDS of a heartbeat, used
at the beginning of the trailer then kicks in again as the editing slows down. This is an
effective convention used in the majority of Slasher trailers. It is most effective when used in
the slower parts of the trailers as it can make the action more dramatic. The trailer then
ends with a long shot of a silhouette, who we assume is Michael, carrying a girl. This would
leave the question in the audiences’ mind of who is the girl he is carrying and what will
happen to her? This would make them have a desire to watch the film and find out. The
ending is also less conventional than the other Slasher trailers, which usually end with a
Sting that injects one last scare into the audience rather than an ending that leaves them
with questions. However, this may suggest to the audience that although this is a remake, it
is going to be different to other Slasher films.
There are many common patterns shown on these four Slasher film trailers. The first effect
that is used in every trailer is the use of slow fades. This is very effective in building up the
tension as it keeps the audiences focus on the screen. It also helps to build up the trailer
rather than starting the trailer with numerous fast cuts from the beginning. It allows for the
trailer to build with the editing getting gradually faster. By gradually building and escalating
the speed of the editing, the trailer can build the tension and fear among the audience.
Another common convention is the use of a Non-diegetic heartbeat somewhere within the
trailer. This is effective in bringing the audience into the action. This is because they would
feel as if they are part of the trailer as the NDS of a heartbeat would reflect their own
heartbeat which becomes faster and faster as the trailer continues. Non-diegetic sound is a
very important feature in these four trailers as it helps to set the mood of the scene and
show the changes as the equilibrium is disturbed. For example, in the Friday the 13th trailer,
the beginning uses an upbeat NDS as we see the teenagers letting loose and partying in
their cabin. When the action on the screen changes to something more eerie as we see
Jason for the first time, the NDS changes to a much more intense and eerie NDS. The NDS
also changes alongside the diegetic sound. For example, as the DS becomes more panicked,
amplified, scream-orientated, the NDS may become more intense, faster, louder, and
frightening. Another common convention is the use of voice-overs. Each trailer uses a voice-
over in the trailer with Halloween and My Bloody Valentine being news reports, and Elm
Street and Friday the 13th using diegetic voice-overs from somewhere within the film. This is
an effective feature of Slasher trailers as it gives the audience a better insight into the
narrative of the film and the backstory of the antagonist in the case of Halloween, Friday the
13th and My Bloody Valentine. Three of the four trailers use very basic straps. In each of the
trailers, the straps are presented on dark backgrounds with cracked-looking fonts.This may
be because as Slasher is such a well-known sub-genre with clear conventions the audience
don’t need extra information to anchor the action. Whereas with other genres such as
supernatural, more detailed straps would be required. However, Halloween uses multiple
7. straps within the trailer. This could be because Rob Zombie states in the trailer that he
wanted to make a unique version of Halloween. Another common convention used across
the trailer is the location. Three of the four trailers is set in a small suburban town where
the killer can strike easily. This is a conventional Slasher location as it is small and isolated. It
also means that the characters within the filmall know each other, meaning the deaths will
be even more heightened. A Nightmare on Elm Street is the only trailer where a school is
also part of the location, another conventional Slasher location. Friday the 13th is also set in
a typical Slasher location of an isolated woodland area. This allows the killer to dispose of
his victims easily as they have no way of escape. Although the locations are different, they
are all conventional Slasher locations. In each of these locations, there is an essence of
isolation where the antagonist can strike easily. Each trailer also follows the typical structure
of a film trailer. This is where the audience are firstly presented with a group of teenagers
rebelling and having fun; this is the equilibrium. We then begin to notice the disturbance
where the trailer changes as the antagonist is presented for the first time. This is where the
trailer begins to escalate as the teenagers try to find a solution to the problem. We then see
the teenagers being attacked one by one until there is a stand off between the antagonist
and the final girl. The trailer then presents a montage of fast action shots before the title of
the film is presented. A sting then features at the end of the trailer to inject one last bit of
horror.
