This document discusses various camera techniques used in horror movie trailers such as establishing shots, close-ups, point-of-view shots, pans, tracking shots, hand-held camera shots, tilts, zooms, static shots, fades to black/white, and over the shoulder shots. These techniques are used to build tension, make audiences uncomfortable, show characters' emotions, emphasize settings or characters, create a sense of chaos, and maintain flow within trailers. Examples are given of how each technique has been effectively used in popular horror movie trailers.

1. Camera Angles and Effects
Trailer Research

2. Establishing shot
This is when the setting fills up the frame, it is mostly used in
the beginning of a scene to emphasize the setting, for
example if there is a haunted house in the movie, an
establishing shot would show the house at the beginning to
build tension and draw the audience into the set. These are
three establishing shots from the trailers ‘Possession’. ‘The
Woman in Black’ and ‘The Cabin in the Woods’.

3. Close up or extreme close up
This is when the camera closes up on the subject, it is used
in horror films to make the audience feel uncomfortable and
for their concentration to be on the actors emotion. The shot
on the left is a close up from the trailer ‘The woman in black’
and the shot on the right is an extreme close up shot from the
trailer of ‘Insidious’.

4. Point of view
This is when the camera is from someone’s point of view, the
camera creates the effect that the consumer is seeing what
the actor would see. This is mostly used in horror films to
show a suspicious character up to something or in chase
scenes from the victim’s point of view. For instance these are
POV shots from the trailers ‘Insidious’ and ‘Mama’.

5. Pan
This is when the camera moves left to right, or right to
left following a subject. This is used in horror movies
when a suspicious character comes into play, the
camera follows the character to emphasize on his part
in the movie. Moreover it is used in chase scenes to
follow the victim as he is trying to get away. These
examples from ‘The Woman in Black’, ‘The Orphan’
and ‘The Unborn’ are comparatively static compared to
a chase scene and are used to create tension.
Tracking: is the act or process of the camera following
something or someone.

6. Hand-held
This produces a jerky movement which creates a
sense of reality in the scenes. Furthermore horror
movies use it to create chaos in the scenes; it is
especially used in chase scenes. A good example of
this is the film ‘Paranormal’, ‘REC’ and ‘Quarantine’
filmed with a hand held camera. The clip displayed
from ‘Quarantine’ is a good example of being chased
and hunted down.

7. Tilt
A camera technique in which the camera is stationary
and rotates up and down. Tilting the camera results in
a motion similar to someone nodding. This is used to
asses the scene and give the viewer more to process
so they can gain a greater understanding from the clip.

8. Zoom or Crash Zoom
A camera shot that changes smoothly or rapidly (Crash
Zoom) from a long shot to a close-up or vice versa.
Used to express sudden fast movement or realisation.
This shot has been used within the trailers of ‘Sweeny
Todd’ and ‘Cabin in the Woods’.

9. Static
Random noise, such as crackling in a receiver or specks on a
television screen, produced by atmospheric disturbance of the
signal. An effect used to show an unwelcome presence, this can
be a great transition to use instead of fade to black to show
variation, whilst also creating an uncomfortable atmosphere which
can lure viewers in. ‘REC’ and ‘The Apparition’ display two different
uses of static to produce the same emotion.

10. Fade to White/Black
Two types of transition techniques to maintain continuous flow
within the trailer. These effects are used in many trailers
including ‘Let me In’ and ‘Orphan’ adding to the professional
image of the film. Fade to black can notify an end of something
which is why it is the most common transition in trailers. Whereas
fade to white signifies a new beginning.

11. Over the Shoulder
A shot of someone or something taken from the
perspective or camera angle from the shoulder of
another person. The back of the shoulder and head of
this person is used to frame the image of whatever (or
whomever) the camera is pointing toward. Helps
the audience place the characters in their
setting. Examples can be found within ‘Possession’,
‘Mama’ and ‘Let Me In’.