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Overall Analysis - Trailers

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Marc Walsh
Marc Walsh

The document analyzes conventions used in horror movie trailers to establish genre and create tension for the audience. Trailers typically frame shots in a way that leaves parts unclear, use camera shakes to disorient viewers, and cut shots short to build mystery without providing full context. Editing increases pace and uses shorter cuts to transform a sense of normalcy into one of threat. Sound design employs tension-building techniques like repetitive clocks and startling stingers. Settings aim for realism to make the content seem genuinely frightening. Color palettes and roles for male and female characters also adhere to horror conventions. Effective trailers employ these techniques to hook audiences through an escalating sense of tension, mystery and threat.

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OVERALL ANALYSIS TRAILERS
MEDIA LANGUAGE
CAMERA Through all the different trailers I have analysed the main convention is that the shots are framed in such a way to leave out or make part of the shot unclear. This creates enigma codes and makes the audience feel uneasy. Many of the trailers that I have analysed add a shake to the shots, which disorientates the audience, meaning that they do not get a clear image of the narrative. The rule of thirds also is used to show venerability, we see most characters placed on the right vertical meaning that they are the last to be read on screen, and therefore will be the most venerable.
EDITING In the trailers that I have analysed the editing is a very important aspect of helping the audience to identify that the genre is horror. We see normality presented at the start using cuts and shot speeds that are normal, however we are introduced to a reality that is not normal, and here the speed of the cuts increases and this builds tension. The editing is also used to cut shots short, meaning that the audience do not get a full sense of what is going on. This creates enigma codes for the audience and hooks them, as they would want to find out the full narrative.
SOUND Sound is used to build tension, the best example of this is in the Dawn of the Dead trailer where the repetitive sound of a ticking clock is heard. This builds tension in the audience and would start to scare them. It shows the audience that horror trailers are there to attract are those who enjoy the trill of being scared and see a horror movie as they want to be frightened. Stingers are the most common sound in horror trailers. They are used to break tension and scare the audience. This immediately establishes the genre of the piece also, as by scaring the audience they would know the film is of the horror genre.
MISE EN SCENE The settings used in the piece are there to create a more realistic narrative. From looking at all the trailers, they are set in real places bringing a sense of reality to the piece. This will mean that the audience are more likely to be scared by the trailer, as according to the hypodermic syringe theory would believe what is happening of the screen to be real. Therefore the horror of the trailer will still be there with them even after it has finished. The use of lighting is another aspect that helps the audience identify that the trailer is for a horror film. This is because it is mostly low key, apart from when we see normality when normal key lighting is used.
GENRE
How Horror Is Established The genre of horror is established thought the use of colour in the shots, all shots seem to have a lot of red, this is either though the mise en scene such as the costume or props. And example of this was in Dawn of the Dead where the costumes all had red elements to them. Another example of the use of colour is in the way the An example of this is in the Paranormal Activity trailer where the shots were either coloured red or green this also helps to establish the genre of horror. This is due to red having connotations of blood and death and green has connotations of the super natural.
NARRATIVE
The Plot Of A Horror Trailer Fritec’s triangle theory can be applied to a horror trailer’s narrative, for example in the Dawn of the Dead trailer the shots at the start show rising tension, that build to a climax. In Dawn of the Dead the tension is broken which completes the triangle. However trailers could only use the raising tension side of the triangle which means that the tension builds until the end leaving the audience tense when the trailer is over. Horror normally contain both men and woman, however the man is normally the dominant and protective character and the woman is innocent and the character who is in danger. This is shown in both Dawn of the Dead and 28 Days Later where the woman is shown as weak and the man is strong as he is the person who survived.
WHAT I NEED TO INCLUDE I need to make sure I include in my trailer: Different camera angles/shots to make sure I include and exclude certain parts of the narrative that will help create enigma codes that will hook the audience. I need to use a soundtrack that builds tension. As well as including stingers to scare the audience. My editing needs to build tension and pace though having longer shots at the start and shorter shots at the end. The setting needs to be realistic so that I can create some realism from the trailer.

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Overall Analysis - Trailers

  • 3. CAMERA Through all the different trailers I have analysed the main convention is that the shots are framed in such a way to leave out or make part of the shot unclear. This creates enigma codes and makes the audience feel uneasy. Many of the trailers that I have analysed add a shake to the shots, which disorientates the audience, meaning that they do not get a clear image of the narrative. The rule of thirds also is used to show venerability, we see most characters placed on the right vertical meaning that they are the last to be read on screen, and therefore will be the most venerable.
  • 4. EDITING In the trailers that I have analysed the editing is a very important aspect of helping the audience to identify that the genre is horror. We see normality presented at the start using cuts and shot speeds that are normal, however we are introduced to a reality that is not normal, and here the speed of the cuts increases and this builds tension. The editing is also used to cut shots short, meaning that the audience do not get a full sense of what is going on. This creates enigma codes for the audience and hooks them, as they would want to find out the full narrative.
  • 5. SOUND Sound is used to build tension, the best example of this is in the Dawn of the Dead trailer where the repetitive sound of a ticking clock is heard. This builds tension in the audience and would start to scare them. It shows the audience that horror trailers are there to attract are those who enjoy the trill of being scared and see a horror movie as they want to be frightened. Stingers are the most common sound in horror trailers. They are used to break tension and scare the audience. This immediately establishes the genre of the piece also, as by scaring the audience they would know the film is of the horror genre.
  • 6. MISE EN SCENE The settings used in the piece are there to create a more realistic narrative. From looking at all the trailers, they are set in real places bringing a sense of reality to the piece. This will mean that the audience are more likely to be scared by the trailer, as according to the hypodermic syringe theory would believe what is happening of the screen to be real. Therefore the horror of the trailer will still be there with them even after it has finished. The use of lighting is another aspect that helps the audience identify that the trailer is for a horror film. This is because it is mostly low key, apart from when we see normality when normal key lighting is used.
  • 8. How Horror Is Established The genre of horror is established thought the use of colour in the shots, all shots seem to have a lot of red, this is either though the mise en scene such as the costume or props. And example of this was in Dawn of the Dead where the costumes all had red elements to them. Another example of the use of colour is in the way the An example of this is in the Paranormal Activity trailer where the shots were either coloured red or green this also helps to establish the genre of horror. This is due to red having connotations of blood and death and green has connotations of the super natural.
  • 10. The Plot Of A Horror Trailer Fritec’s triangle theory can be applied to a horror trailer’s narrative, for example in the Dawn of the Dead trailer the shots at the start show rising tension, that build to a climax. In Dawn of the Dead the tension is broken which completes the triangle. However trailers could only use the raising tension side of the triangle which means that the tension builds until the end leaving the audience tense when the trailer is over. Horror normally contain both men and woman, however the man is normally the dominant and protective character and the woman is innocent and the character who is in danger. This is shown in both Dawn of the Dead and 28 Days Later where the woman is shown as weak and the man is strong as he is the person who survived.
  • 11. WHAT I NEED TO INCLUDE I need to make sure I include in my trailer: Different camera angles/shots to make sure I include and exclude certain parts of the narrative that will help create enigma codes that will hook the audience. I need to use a soundtrack that builds tension. As well as including stingers to scare the audience. My editing needs to build tension and pace though having longer shots at the start and shorter shots at the end. The setting needs to be realistic so that I can create some realism from the trailer.