The trailer summarizes the plot of the horror film The Amityville Horror. It begins by establishing the normal suburban setting and then reveals that the house the main characters move into was the site of a gruesome murder. Strange events begin to occur in the house, hinting at a supernatural presence. The trailer builds an ominous atmosphere through imagery and dialogue while keeping many plot details ambiguous, leaving the viewer wanting to learn more about the horror that awaits the characters in the house.

1. Film Trailer Analysis

2. Comedy – The Hangover This comedy trailer begins with a establishing shot of a very nice big house, the trailer then proceeds on to show inside the house and introduce to us some characters, whilst also bringing in the comedy nature, with one wearing very tight underwear, and a funny reaction shot of the other character. The trailer then goes on into the production company logos, as the soundtrack kicks in, then fades out to quieter background music whilst more characters are introduced, again with comedy thrown in, with the character trying to convince his wife his friends are mature, and just as he is saying this, his friends turn up being very immature. Next we find the 4 characters on the roof in presumably Las Vegas, were they are all happy and seem to be celebrating, this showing the equilibrium of the film. After a very quick montage showing a few shots very quickly which appear to show there night, although not clear enough to see, we get a new shot of a trashed hotel room, this showing the start of the disequilibrium. After a few more shots showing what trouble they got them selves into, including the comedy of a tiger in the bathroom, only being noticed while a presumably still hung-over character is using the toilet. The trailer then goes onto a few bits of text using a neon lights, to represent Vegas style font, saying reviews and little information about the film such as what other films the director has worked on, being other well known comedy films, suggesting this should be similar. This is proceeded by a final comedy shot of a naked man jumping out of a car boot and onto one of the characters, leaving the viewer wondering why they were in there, if it is from the night whilst also being very funny. Lastly the trailer finishes with a text again in the neon style, only this time brighter and bigger, of the name of the film so the viewer can remember it if they liked the trailer.

3. Action – The Bourne Ultimatum This action trailer begins wit ha shot fading in from black, showing the films main character walking through a busy place, the main character stands out from the shallow depth of field, and also the determined looking face he has on. He also seems to be walking at a pace, suggesting he is trying to get to somewhere by some certain deadline. After this the production company logo comes up. This is followed by a shot of presumably the enemy in a hi-tech building, with a big map seeming to track somebody, although not clear, the viewer assumes that this person being tracked is the man we saw walking with pace earlier. The production company logo acted as a nice ‘barrier’ between the 2 clips to separate the 2 groups of people. We then go on to get a shot of the main character in a fist fight with somebody leaving a room, they are fighting with un-human like control, suggesting action as the protagonists in actions always have amazing fight skills that no normal person could have. We then get a lot more action filled shots after, such as explosions, gun fights and cars falling off buildings, these are also as well as extreme fighting skills, very common in action scenes in action films, and often the parts the audience watches the film for. In between these shots we get text saying ‘on august the 3 rd ’ ‘Bourne’ ‘comes’ ‘home’ between these screens of the text, which is in the same font and colour for all, these are placed quite close, with very quickly cut action bits between, this gives the viewer the date of the film, and the Bourne comes home suggests links back to previous films in the series, so viewers now if they liked the originals they will likely like this film. The silver font is also very modern and secret agently, suggesting the silver being a new colour and very technological colour with most equipment being used is of this colour. We then get a last montage of action involving police cars flying and being blown up. The films name follows this, being in the same font as earlier text, however the word ‘Bourne’ is emphasized, again linking back to earlier films in the series, reinforcing from earlier. The final shot is a silhouette of the main character walking through a corridor with lots of pipes, and seems underground of a building, they also have a bag slung over 1 shoulder, because you cannot see the facial expressions of the character as they are silhouetted, we wonder why they are there and what for, especially with the bag, the slow paced shot also slows the end of the trailer down, ready for the final details to come up about the film, so the viewer is not still excited and likely to forget them.

4. Opening crane shot 2 shot of main characters Production company Explains there was a murder All lack screen before horror Stuff kicks in Girl screaming at window Text narrating a bit of The story Close-up of face in pain Actor credits, date and Other companies involved Horror – The Last House on the Left This trailer begins with a crane shot of a car driving down a road, although this doesn’t show the horror genre itself as it could be for any, the fact it is a wide empty road, with tall trees on each side, and the crane is going up to a high angle shot looking down, suggests it may be a journey to somewhere unusual. We then get a 2 shot of presumably the 2 main characters of the film in the car, again nothing unusual, but the fact they seem slightly on edge, the tense music in the background and the line ‘we are making the turn now’ reinforced they may be going somewhere unusual. After this, the production company logo comes up, however is shaking, this a common feature of text in horror films to be shaking a bit. Then we get a bit of dialogue about a murder, and to reinforce, an old looking newspaper on screen with a story about a murder, suggesting one happened along time ago here, meaning the place could still be haunted and has just generally a scary feel to it, the screen then goes black as the sound goes silent for a few seconds. This is proceeded by some scary looking shots common in horror films such as the someone with a knife, and a girl at a bloody window screaming and hitting it trying to get out, this makes it very clear the film is a horror, and is aimed at a older audience. In-between these in the editing there are cuts to text beginning to narrate the story such as ‘it was a brutal crime’ this tying in with the earlier newspaper article of a murder, reinforcing it was a bad crime. The scary shots continue with people screaming and running and a lot of blood, and we get a close up of a man held by something, although unclear what, and he is screaming and looks in pain, we don’t see what is holding him to keep it mysterious and not give away the story, the trailer then slowly fades to a couple of screens with some final info on the movie such as dates, actors and other companies involved.

5. Horror – The Uninvited This trailer opens with the logo of the production company, it is a well known company, so lets people who like the company know its by them, and suggests they should like the film. After a few shots setting the scene of 2 friends, we get a shot of an eye with lighting on it in the shape of a keyhole, the fact it is very dark suggests the element of the unknown were she is, however the keyhole implies she is peering out of somewhere and is hiding form someone. The trailer then goes on to the character at a funeral, and hear it goes lack and white as they see a young girl at the funeral, the trailer does not say who the girl is, but the creepy look she is giving at the character suggests that could have been who they were hiding from. We then get a shot of some text saying what else the producers have done, to further reinforce to people who like the company and producers that the film is likely to be to there liking. The trailer then goes back to the graveyard and is in black and white, however now the girl is with 2 other people, the 2 others seem oblivious to the main character there, but the girl keeps looking back at her with the same creepy look as before, we then get the main character googling about a young girl murder, this suggesting she is dead the girl she is ale to see, and being in a graveyard she may have risen from a grave, this very common occurrence in horror films. We get one last bit of black and white of the girl in her house, looking back with a confronting face, the the trailer then cuts away to a lot of fast paced cuts of stuff smashing, people running and screaming, and blood all over floors and walls. This quick montage finishes with a shot of the main character looking upset and scared, and covered in blood. She is also out of breath, suggesting she has been in some sort of battle. The title of the film then comes up, and stays on screen for a while so the viewers have time to read and memorize it. Lastly following this is a shot of the young girl presumably from the old fashioned clothing that can be seen similar to what she was wearing earlier dropping a glass of milk, and as it hits the floor and smashes, the white liquid changes to blood, this being very scary and making the viewer wonder what happened.

6. Horror – The Amityville Horror This trailer begins with the production logo company. It is on a black background, and although this doesn’t definitively say horror, it begins to suggests horror. We then go on to get shorts showing normality, such as a helicopter birds eye view shot of a normal typical American car going up a typical American style road. We then go on to get a text part setting the location and date of the film, in this case it is in New York in 1975. Next we see the car earlier going up the road pulling up at a big sort of mansion house, this begins to suggest horror as this is the type of house often found in horror films, although it is still not clear it is a horror. Next comes some dialogue outside the house, being told that there was a murder in the house, and her reaction is very scared and shocked. We then get a shot going through the door and tilting up a staircase, and inside is very dark and scary showing us the house is probably haunted after the murder. This goes on to show a girls silhouette stood at a window, until a lightning strike outside and it lights her up. We then get some more text, telling us it is based on a real story. Whether this is real or not is debated in most horror films, yet either way it adds to the film and makes it scarier as there is in your mind it may not be a story and made up and could really of happened. This is followed by a few newspaper articles on the murder and some scary shots of lightning outside startling the characters, shots of people being scared by other things, and a lot of screaming. In this there is a typical shot of someone screaming, this is in-front of plain black and he merges in a lot to it, suggesting something is pulling him in. After are a few shots of the main character being startled and looking round for something, yet it not being made clear what startled her or what she is looking for. The trailer finishes with a shot of the title of the film with its logo, it is based on black which ties with the rest of the text in the trailer, yet keeps the dark horror feel.