Horror Trailer Overview

 

I have looked at a range of horror trailers in order to discover reoccurring elements and common conventions within them.  I chose six supernatural trailers to look at, as I am creating a trailer from this genre, this will aid me when deciding my narrative and what must feature in my trailer.

The six trailers I viewed were; The Unborn, Orphan, Silent Hill, Intruders, The Ring and Sinister. After watching each trailer I noticed that they each fulfilled the expectation of a horror trailer and featured most of the common convention; producing an effective creation. Each of the six trailers use a soft, light colour scheme at the beginning of the trailer during the equilibrium when then changes to harsh darker colours one the disruption starts to occur. It signifies to the audience that the protagonist is no longer safe.  For example sinister features many dark shots; used highlight the character within the frame similarly to the ring and the unborn. This use of shot encourages the audience to connect with the character on screen and build up tension within the atmosphere whilst the audience feel the character as may be in danger either psychologically or psychically.  

 

Each of the trailers features a female protagonist, with hair; represented as innocent and vulnerable however, feisty and aware of her surroundings. Each protagonist faces a number of challenges that they fight against and eventually overcome but the question is will they survive? Can they make it to the end? In the Unborn the character of Casey is haunted by her unborn twin and seems to become possessed by his spirit however, she stays functioning as normal. As the trailer comes to an end Casey is still remaining, however the sting shows us as an audience she was horrified by the sight of her mother as a moving skeleton, this memory may never leave her and psychologically affect her. Similarly in Orphan the character of Esther consistently has power over those who surround her. She uses her individual power to make her foster parents suffer. She holds poisonous emotions because she was adopted and she is not afraid to show this when she creates conflict between herself and others. However on the other hand, both Sinister and Silent Hill show a different ending for the female protagonist. Both protagonists are young, playful, fulfil the stereotype of a fighter (long dark hair) however they are oblivious to the dangers in life.  The end of the sinister trailer reveals that the young girls soul has been taken and is now owned by Bagul, she is controlled by him. Similarly, in Silent Hill, the young girl Sharon is taken by the demoniac humans of Silent Hill and turned into a possessed being, leaving her parents behind.

All six supernatural horror trailers feature very dark lighting used to highlight the character within the frame and take attention away from the characters surroundings.  Furthermore dark lighting is also used to create fear of the unknown. Along with the dark eerie lighting the trailers feature grotesque imagery such as demoniac figures, deformed humans, blood and horrific imagery. The trailers also feature figures than are unclear in the form of moving shadows, or swift movements from an undefined being. 

 

The most common type of editing seen in supernatural horror trailers is cuts. Cuts are used to create a jumpy atmosphere within the audience. However fade to blacks and dissolves also feature. Fade to blacks are used to encourage the audience to rapidly think what is going to happen next. On the hand, dissolves are used during the less intense part of a trailer; usually at the beginning coinciding with light hearted action.  

Furthermore supernatural horror trailers feature common locations such as isolated areas, a large house with plenty of green around it and a small village. Each of the six trailers I viewed feature these locations and keep away from cities or interaction with other people than their family however, they may make contact with a character such as a police officer, a priest etc when seeking advice/help. Props are also used within these trailers such as religious imagery, child’s drawings which connote communication with the dead/spirits, children’s toys, abandoned woodland areas. Costume and make up is usually dark and also plain to represent a sense of reality but also the fear of the unknown. An apparent element within each of the six trailers is that the females all have long dark hair and are represented as innocent but at the same feisty.

The most common camera shots used throughout film trailers are point of view shots. A point of view shot comes in two firstly showing a character staring at something then secondly showing what the character is looking at. These shots are often used to allow the audience to view the object exactly from the characters point of view. Point of view shots make us an audience feel like a target ourselves as if we are exposed to the world within the film. Close-up shots are also popular within horror trailers as the effectively show the character’s facial expression, exposing how they are feel.

Each trailer features a number of straps usually four or five. Straps are used to give the audience a better understanding of the films narrative and tell them something directly that a sequence of images cannot. Straps appear inbetween straps and usually describe the previous shot or the ones that will follow. Straps that feature towards the end of a trailer display the film, title, film producer/director, release date and company credits. This information is useful to the audience if they wish to further research the film that has just been advertised. Other optional pieces of text are also used like extra information about production staff, reviews or star ratings and the film’s website URL. In addition to this strap lines start to appear after a definite change in music and sometimes during a fast editing montage at the end. Most strap lines appear in the same font on the same background, however Sinister is an exception, it uses different coloured text and background amongst its straps.

 

In my opinion the most important part of a trailer which must be executed perfectly is the sound.  Usually at the beginning of a horror trailer the sound is either faded into the background or non-existent. This changes when disruption occurs and the audience is made aware of danger. A sudden introduction is used to bring in darker sound that is more noticeable. This sound is used to accompany fast cuts and horrific shots that are used to help create tension. Horror trailers also use a range of non-diegetic sounds for effect such as, heartbeats, whispers or heavy breathing. These type of sounds gradually build up the audience’s heart rate and force them to the edge of their seat. These sounds are all conventions that occur in horror films and are used trailers as well. Supernatural trailers feature some long shots that feature slow motion; sometimes towards the end or in the sting. When these shots are on screen no sound is used to emphasise the characters pain and encourage the audience to sympathise for the character that is experiencing torment. In some occasions the sting may feature little noise that lulls the audience into a false sense of security which makes their reaction that much worse.

To conclude each trailer successfully features and follows the common conventions of horror. They attract there wanted target audience and promote their films effectively. This is why these horror films are popular in today’s society as we as an audience long to be satisfied by thrill seeking moving media that will keep us captivated and wanting more. Our enjoyment is fulfilled with the use of tension, cliff-hangers and unnatural horrific imagery.