The trailer summarizes the plot of the horror/thriller film "House of Wax" in just over 2 minutes through a series of rapid shots. It establishes that a group of friends become stranded in a deserted town and encounter increasingly strange and disturbing events, including wax figures that look too realistic. Scenes of screaming, blood, and murder build tension and intrigue around who or what is behind the strange occurrences in the town. While most of the storyline is revealed through the quick cuts, the trailer leaves the ultimate fate of the characters ambiguous to encourage viewers to see the full film.

1. ADVANCED PRODUCTION-RESEARCH-TRAILER RECORD SHEET
Film TE/TR
(Teaser/
Trailer)
Question's raised Category
(True
story,
novel,
comic
fictional,
film,doc
u)
Comments (on Genre,
own reaction)
Shot list (B/W, SFX etc)
House of Wax Trailer Where were they
originally going
which made them
have to stop at an
isolated town?
How come the
town is not
noticed on the
GPS?
Why is the town
deserted?
Where are the
citizens of the
town?
Why are the wax
models so real?
What was that
creaking sound?
Why are they all
screaming?
Fictional
Film
Horror/Thriller,
action.
There is only dialogue
before the fast shots
start, but they is only
small conversations
There are some
graphic scenes i.e.
wax model's face
melting, which implies
that the movie
contains gory and
bloody scenes which
is not suitable for a
young target audience
The music and the
fast shots works well
together, creating an
uncomfortable
atmosphere within
the audience, which is
what a horror film
should do.
Zoom out slightly from the 'Warner Bros.' logo in a Sepia effect.
Black background with the 'Village Roadshow Pictures' logo
'Dark Castle entertainment' logo
Establishing shot: moon – low angle
Long shot: two cars – High angle
Mid shot: in one car – eye level
Mid shot: outside of the car – tracking shot
Long shot: cars driving pass camera – low angle
Fade to black
Title screen 'Six friends are lost' zoom in slightly
Fade to black
Long shot of the cars – high angle
Close up shot
Close up of GPS
Fade to black
Title screen 'In a place not listed on any map'
Fade to black
Establishing shot of town – Crane shot, moving upwards
Establishing shot of a building – crab shot
Long shot – a person's point of view from a window
Fade to black
Crane long shot: survey panning of a building
Long ariel shot of two characters, tilting upwards towards the building
Extreme close up of hand
Close up (x4)
Sudden stop to a black screen
Close up of a male character

2. Why did the lights
of all the shops
turn on all of a
sudden?
Why is the girl’s
lips glued
together? Who
did this to her?
Who is that man
clinging on to the
car?
Who is holding
that knife?
Why did the boy
punch that man?
Who is the cause
of this mass
murder?
Which characters
survived?
How will they
escape the
clutches of the
killer?
As it is a trailer, most
of the storyline is
given away in the
shots and the text
featured.
Sudden stop to a black screen
Fade to a close up shot of masks, dolly shot
Fade to black
Close up shot of another male character
Fade to black
Mid shot: dolly shot towards the models – high angle
Fade to black
close up: tracking shot – high angle, fade to black
Close up – low angle, fade to black
Full body shot: tracking – high angle, fade to black
Mid shot: tracking
Fast cutting (flashing) – close up of object
Flash to black
close up – long shot of door – eye level
Black screen
Fast cutting: close up of the male character screaming
Fast cutting: extreme close up of other characters screaming – background is
dark
Fast shot - Close up: tracking, fade to black
Fast shot – chose up, fade to black
360 degree spin: dolly shot, crosscutting to long shots of buildings – goes
from extreme long shot – close up
Tilt downwards – low angle, fade to black
Extreme close up – tilting downwards
Black screen
Fast cutting: Mid shot – eye level
Close up of foot
Close up of car wheel
Long shot of the man (killer suspect) clinging on to the car whilst person
inside it is driving
Close up of girl looking back
Full shot of the car
Close up of a bloody knife in the hands of a man
long shot: tracking the girl running into the building
mid shot
Over the shoulder shot
Extreme close up
Full body shot: dolly shot (backwards)

3. long/mid shot of killer, fade to black quickly
mid shot
mid shot: canted
full body shot – low angle
full body shot – high angle
close up – dolly/tracking backwards
mid-long arial shot
long shot
mid shot
close up of face in fire
mid shot: crab shot
close up of foot
mid-long arial shot
close up of face, zoom in rapidly
close up – low angle
mid shot of person kicking another character – low angle
long arial shot – 360 degree spin
close up of main male character
mid shot of killer/POV shot from a victim – low angle
Flashes to a black screen
Title screen 'There's a reason' – zoom in slightly, fade to black
POV shot/extreme close up of metal object – out of focus background
Extreme close up of victim
mid shot – zoom in slightly, fade to black
Title screen 'They look so real' – zoom in slightly, fade to black
Close up of a different metal object, zoom in
Close up of hot liquid wax
mid shot of metal equipment
close up (x2) – POV shot
mid shot
mid shot – high angle, crab shot
mid – close up shot
close up of hand
mid – close up shot, zoom out slightly
fade to a long shot, zooming out
Title screen 'House of Wax' zoom out – consistent to previous shot
Close up of hand in wax
Fade to title screen 'Coming Soon', fade to black

4. long shot/POV shot, fade to black suddenly