1. ‘Investigate how far the
trailer for Dark Shadows
conforms to genre
conventions’
By Deebiga Kana

2. Why is Horror so popular?
Usually horror movies are created to frighten people with evil characters and plots from
realism to supernatural that gives you a rush and evokes emotions. Some scenes gives an
adrenalin rush in responding to the horror which is why generally people love horror because
of the tension and nerve. One popular theory is that horror films touch on emotions that
other films don't.
Horror movies are so popular because it allows
the reader to be in a different world – explore
in their own fantasy so they get to feel the
same emotion, experience as the character is
feeling in the movie . Because of that feeling,
you tend to want to feel more of that emotion.
The genre horror, is unique. It always has a
twist (normally in the climax point) where It
gives you the fright & suspense which other
genres generally don’t do. Normally horror
movies start off calmly ,tranquil and family
warming and suddenly starts off with dramatic
high pitched music and you see death.
Horror movies are usually popular in Halloween because horror links to the theme of
Halloween e.g. fright, darkness, demons etc. which is the most reason why people love to
watch horror in Halloween. There are many types of horror films e.g.
monster, gore, supernatural, romance etc. which appeals to the audience.

3. Conventions of Horror
 Dark corridors/hallways
 Ghosts
 Gloomy forests
 Death
 Blood
 Supernatural events
 Dark sky
 Suspense and Adeline
 Pale faces
 Old fashioned clothes
 Old architecture
 Shadows
 Mist/fog
 Staring eyes
 Femme fatale
 Black, purple, red colours
 Camera angles/movement: Low angle,
High angle, Extreme close up, Extreme
long shot, Point of view shots, tilt,
pan, arc, push in pull out, close up.
 Eerie, sinister music
 Long takes to build up
frights/suspense

4. Why are Sub-genres necessary?
Sub-genres: a version of the main genre and may contain new
elements. They are often used to prevent a feeling of the act of
blending components together thoroughly and loss of identity.
Some audiences get bored of the same the genre and might want
something new in that genre to gain their interests.

5. The main things have changed are appearance, technology, realism and audience’s expectations.
Appearance of this vampire from Appearance of this vampire, 2012:
1922: Old, old- How Vampires have new, modern 21st century
Fashioned and black. changed from the clothes worn. No bright
The face is plain yet
frightening. No bright
1922 past to now 2012 horror colours however
it’s not black and white
horror colours added but in colour. His appear-
just pure white. No ance doesn’t look fright-
jewellery or ening instead he looks ap-
accessories worn to pealing and good looking.
show his abundance. Normal teenage clothes
The picture is black worn that doesn’t look
and white which
gothic to scare the
shows how old and
less exciting the
audience. The picture is
technology was in colour therefore
because It was still shows good technology
Developing around the used and shows that
1920s. Back then, this this is a modern
Might have been what the audience expect vampire used nowadays.
because they didn’t/wouldn’t know that Because this vampire looks attractive, it will
technology can be developed. Obviously engage to the audience more. Stereotypically
people were fascinated watching something vampires are seen as something terrifying but
on a TV which they didn’t get to watch this vampire portrays another different version
before. of a vampire (sub genre).

6. Conventions of a movie trailer:
What are movie trailers suppose to do?
Trailers inform potential audiences about a film with the purpose of engaging to the
audience to go to the cinema.
The conventions of a movie trailer:
 Showing bits of clips of the actually movie to inform the audience what’s it’s about
and mostly what genre it is.
 Big bold title usually shown in the end to not only it’s big enough to remember and
it’s shown at the end so that you can remember it better but to also tell you what’s
the whole movie is called.
 A male narrator narrates the trailer because they tend to have deep voices than
women.
 The appropriate colours used to relate to the genre to detonate about the genre
explicitly.
 Trailers last for at least 2 mins so that the audience might find it less boring and
easier to remember the whole trailer & if it’s a really good trailer that lasts 2 min, it
leaves the audience determined to watch the movie e.g. action ( what happens to
the main characters etc.).
 Has appropriate music linking to the mood, scene, genre to engage to the audience
e.g. happy cheery music in a romantic fantasy scene or fast dramatic music in
action/horror.

7. Dark Shadow’s Trailer
Introduces with a voiceover (credits and intertitles) as Johnny Depp, which many
people love, therefore meets the audience’s expectations because they may think
Johnny Depp is an inspiration or aspiration to them.
At the beginning of a trailer show’s the main character’s past, informing the audience
what’s happening and what may happen next in link to it.
Music starts to be gothic/dramatic along with dark gloomy scenes & starts to get
upbeat as soon as comedy is shown that gives the audience pleasure because it makes
you want to get involved and see more of the scenes shown.
Lots of close up shots and fast pace which engages the audience because it makes
them feel part of the scene.
The start of the pace begins to be slow and then fast in the end which relates the mix
of genres that gives the audience please by revealing different genres put together in
one trailer.
Dialogue of the character is old which intrigues the audience because you wouldn’t
think an old dialogue would be used in a modern movie.
Special effects used e.g. explosions, fire, to emphasis the movement and action that
allows the audience to loose track of their reality and make them feel involved in the
scene.

8. Dark Shadows is a hybrid of gothic, comedy and fantasy.
This meets the audience’s expectation and also engages their attention
because the more genres used, the better it is and also shows the
intertextuality between the genres.
Directors and Producers use hybrid genres to create a more
commercially successful film that will appeal to a wider audience and in
result produce a larger profit.
Hybrid genre films are also important because the majority of people
that go to cinemas are usually in a group of individuals with different
tastes, so watching a film that contains different elements may suit
many diverse people which would be more successful in the film
industry.
E.g. an action movie aimed at men will increase its audience but by also
including elements of romantic drama within the plot also appeals to
women therefore gains more audiences.
The idea of Genre can be described in the following ways to d

9. Hybrids help to develop genres and keep it fresh because the more
genres used the more plots in a scene can happen. Hybrids are there to
make the audience feel less bored of one genre itself.
By involving 2 more genres allows a combination of different feelings
towards each genres shown. E.g. Gothic romance and comedy: Gothic:
You might feel the adrenaline and tense as something reaches to the
climax, Romance : You would feel pleasure or enjoy the romance
between a couple, Comedy: You would laugh at something funny that’s
in the scene.
Also another purpose of hybrids, even if it retains an existing audience
by accompanying them, it can also attract a new one by identifying their
tastes of what genres they may like.

10. Twilight Breaking Dawn 2 Trailer
It connects to the audience by:
The narrator is Bella (Kirsten Stewart) which will gain many audience’s
attention because it involves a celebrity endorsement.
Dramatic music with fast scenes make them as if they are part of the
fantasy/ in another world .
Different actors and actresses (Robert Pattinson, Kirsten Stewart) play
their role in the trailer therefore it attracts the audience especially those
who are big fans of twilight.
Different scenes showing different problems that allows the audience to
question about it and figure the answer for themselves when they are
actually watching the movie. Also leaves the audience the urge to watch
it.

11. Black san serif title spaced Bright lighting near the title
out on the top of the and the blood to show the
poster to show the name of main parts of the poster.
the film Dark lighting around the
Blonde girl dressed in white border of the poster and
Leaving blood on the wall. near the girl which
Blood represents indicates the girl is
horror, death etc. which mysterious and could be
could suggest the girl could evil.
be evil. Also the blood is in The background shows a
shape of a demon/Satan room (maybe the girl’s
which explicitly shows the room) which also may
genre is horror/thriller and leave the audience
tells the audience, that’s the thinking to why or what’s
culprit/villan. happening in a small
room.
Sub heading is in a small
font that gives you a hint Background colour is gray
what the film is about. and white maybe to imply
Cracked walls indicated something good may turn
heavy action is involved or into something evil .
can indicate something
caused the cracks on the
wall which is mysterious.

12. Trailer Dark Shadows Website
Shows action and movement Shows the Synopsis which tells
which engages to the audience as the audience the past of the
it makes them want to feel apart character, which may interest the
of the adventure. audience and leaving them
 Shows different bits of scenes. unquestioned and more curious.
Informs the audience about the  Shows the gallery of the film
celebrities taking part in the actual (different images of the film).
film. E.g. Johnny Depp Informs the audience about the
 Tells you the date at when the cast and filmmakers. E.g. Tim
film will realised at the cinemas. Burton
Shows different links to where
you can by the DVD or which
cinema the film is shown at.
Shows downloads of posters

13. How the audience have changed since early days of cinema:
From before to now, the audience’s taste in genres still change depending on how good
it’s made.
Because the audience’s tastes changes, so does the expectations change too. This means
the demographic changes too because a portion of the population may like a genre that
another portion of a population might not like.
Demographic groups tended to be conceived along lines of age and gender rather than
class. By 1922, 40 million film tickets were sold per week. By 1929 this number had
increased to 90 million tickets per week.
However, historical events were a huge impact on film industries. E.g. the economic
state of the Great Depression demolished into film industry profits. Because of this
theatre admissions dropped off by 12 percent to 70 million per week and one year later
to 55 million per week. Over the two years - 4,000 theatres went out of business due to
the depression. And with the onset of World War II, audience composition changed
dramatically and with a lot of male population gone off at war, Hollywood films targeted
female audience instead. This contributed to the rise in the 1940s of female film genres
such as woman's photography, which appealed to the female audience e.g. wives.