Horror Film Trailer Codes and

Conventions Documentary:
Transcript

Introduction: Georgia
Horror film trailers are used for marketing purposes, and to engage
a potential target audience.

This is done by creating an enigma code, (Roland Barthes), by only

showing the audience the first two stages of Todorovs narrative
theory, (equilibrium and disruption), and sometimes recognition
of the disruption). This is to leave elements of the story
unexplained in the trailer, and hence it becomes a mystery to the
reader. Therefore, this will make the audience want to go and watch
the film once they have seen the trailer.

Here are the purposes of a horror film trailer and where they are
seen:

Purposes Where are they seen?

To advertise a film Before films at cinema or on

DVD/Blu-ray.

To generate interest Internet- YouTube, Apple Trailers,

IMDB, films official site

To give a hint of the TV- adverts. TV spots, chat shows

films content ect.

Horror films have changed over the years, but they still have the
same purposes.

Production Details and Text: Georgia

In horror film trailers, the production company logo is shown at the

beginning of the trailer, so the audience can make the link between the
production company and the film itself.

Also, the logo is often desaturated to indicate the dismal and depressing
tone of the film. For example, the Warner Bros Logo for The Conjuring 2
is desaturated.

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Moreover, some production companies help to indicate the horror genre of
the film.

For example, Twisted Pictures, has a black background connoting the

dismay and the darkness of the genre, and the nail with barbed wire wrapped
around it suggests brutality and pain.

Moreover, horror titles always appear at the end of the trailer, so it will
be the last memorable thing in the audiences heads. It will also allow
them to easily create a buzz around the release of the film either through
word of mouth or social media.

They are also usually succinct, using only one or two words. These are
typically the name of the film's antagonist, or words related to the
antagonist, or malevolence in general. Horror titles often use ominous
words, and reveal little about the film itself other than the genre, adding
a sense of anticipation.

Serif fonts are used in the majority of cases, due to the background of
horror films being largely in gothic horror and german expressionist films.
Due to this established and older genre, serif fonts would have been common
then. This seems to have been passed down to modern trailers. Serif fonts
tend to have pointed parts on, which could be suggested as sharp and
threatening.

However, there are still a few exceptions of film titles that use sans
serif fonts. Also, intertitles are used that are usually match the font and
colour of the title.

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For example, a sans-serif font is used for the Insidious 3 title. This is
unusual, but it makes sense due to the context of this film; the setting is
a modern family home, and the font helps establish this. This makes things
more frightening when unnatural occurrences begin.

There is a theme of decay, the background appears dirty, as does the text.
Also the three I's in the title are highlighted in red, symbolising that
this is the third instalment in the Insidious franchise.

The font styles of the intertitles are consistent with the font of the
title, to indicate the horror genre to the audience and create a cohesive
brand. Ambiguous intertitles such as The Terrifying Secret are used to
create fear within the audience and keep them watching the trailer.

Moreover, The Babadook title is more conventional of the genre, as it

uses pieces of paper, seeing as the film revolves around a haunted book.
Stained paper is used due to the film's plot being focused on a book.
However, the stains still give a feeling of decay, which once again
reinforces the genre.

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Moreover, the intertitles are positive reviews such as A Flat-Out
Masterpiece and There Goes Your Peaceful Nights Sleep, along with 5
stars, which will attract a mainstream audience to go and see the film as
it is what people are talking about, due to its good reputation.

Also, the intertitle From The Makers of Saw and Paranormal Activity is
used to attract fans of the previous popular films. The font styles of the
intertitles are consistent with the font of the title, to indicate the
horror genre to the audience and create a cohesive brand.

The Sinister title uses a serif font, and uses cracked wallpaper and
paint to give the logo a decayed, unsettling feel. There are also stains
beneath letters, which make the letters looks as though they themselves are
a part of the wall, leaving their mark over time.

Furthermore, the intertitle From The Producer of Paranormal Activity and

Insidious is used to attract fans of the previous popular films. The font
styles of the intertitles are consistent with the font of the title, to
indicate the horror genre to the audience and create a cohesive brand.
Ambiguous intertitles such as Once You See Him are used to create fear
within the audience and keep them watching the trailer.

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Deterioration a central theme of most horror films, so titles like this
help to reinforce the genre. Overall, title screens should be disturbing or
unsettling in some way, to match the genre of the film and make it
attractive to the audience.

Mise n Scene: Freya

Many horror films tend to take place in forests, haunted houses, and
in dark, unknown towns.
Many of the scenes in most horror films use dark/low-key lighting
which emphasizes that fear is present and to build suspense.
The cool colour palette is used in many of the scenes to make the
atmosphere appear more cold-hearted and mysterious.
The trailer IT, for example is set in a bedroom, it is raining
outside and cool colours are used to make the atmosphere more cold-
hearted and to give the impression something bad is about to happen
and the lighting is low showing that fear is present. This is
definitely a typical horror trailer.
Cooler colours tend to show characters being scared or in risk taking
situations, for example they are running in a cold forest and being
chased by someone holding a knife.

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 Contrasting to this is the way the warmer colour palette. Scenes
which use the warmer palette usually involve romance or suggest the
character is feeling relaxed. The warm and energetic lighting creates
a positive atmosphere in the current environment, an example of this
could include a character sitting at home on the sofa with their
family.
The locations in these films also links to the colour palette used,
for example settings that use the cooler palette, tend to be in areas
such as in an attic,basement, forest or in an old house.
Whilst scenes that use colours from the warmer palette usually take
place in characters homes, restaurants and when a two characters are
going on a date or meeting up.
An example of a film trailer which shows the presence of warm
colours is Suicide Squad. In most of the trailer, colours from the
cooler palette are used, however in one of the scenes when the joker
is communicating with one of friends in a bar area, warmer colours
are used, which suggests that the characters are feeling calm in this
moment in time.
Brighter lighting in films tends to indicate something good has
happened, for example someone has been told some good news; however
darker lighting suggests bad news and negativity.

Cinematography: Freya

One main feature which I noticed is that in many horror films an extreme
close up is used to show fear and to make the audience aware that someone
is either being attacked or in danger. As well as this, long shots are
used, to show the location where the event took place -usually showing what
happened after the attack or to show another character running to search
for the endangered character. These sort of scenes usually take place in a
forest or the woods,therefore panning of the camera is used to follow a
character to where they are going or to show them running away from a
situation. But, one shot many of the horror trailers have in common is that
they use an establishing shot to introduce us to the location.

The Snowman trailer for example introduces us to the storyline by showing

the scene of where the events take place; this shot only tends to be used
when introducing the audience to a new environment, and is a good way of
informing the audience whether the place is safe or not. Usually after
these shots have taken place, either a mid shot of a character or a shallow
focus shot is used to focus on a character whom we are introduced to at the
start, however the character (s) shown at the beginning of many trailers
nowadays dont tend to survive. For the film, The Snowman, which I
decided to analyse, I noticed that the woman which was shown was killed,
this was shown a few seconds after when one of the characters said Weve
just found the body. This is usually when the camera pans across the
screen to slowly reveal the character's body. This movement is used to
shock the audience and to make them feel as if they are involved in the
scene.

What I also noticed was that each horror trailer, had a certain object or
item, for in the trailer annabelle a doll was used. Every time the object

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comes on the screen, I had always noticed that the camera was zoomed into
their face, or on the important part of the object.

Another trailer I noticed which did this was Wish Upon. The cursed box,
was zoomed in, between many of the other scenes to show that it was always
there/ always watching over the character. I think that the use of the
zooms emphasizes how haunting these items really are and to inform the
audience they will always be watching over a character. However, if there
is no item involved, there tends to be an over the shoulder shot to suggest
someone is watching them- horror trailers which use this shot include ones
which involve a murderer attempting to kill someone or someone watching
someone. A similar shot which is also used is the point of view shot, this
is so the audience members can see through the eyes of the characters, to
see what mysterious activity they are up to or to show them creating a
wicked plan.

To conclude, I noticed that many horror trailers use similar shots, angles
and movements- close-ups are often used to show fear, mid shots are to show
the characters actions, long shots show a character trying to run away,
shallow focus shots are so the audience instantly focus on a particular
character, rather than the background, extreme close-ups are to show the
characters expression in the most clearest way, usually just showing their
eyes (this can be shown on a villain's face too, to show the anger and the
jealously they are feeling towards a good character or just to show their
confidence in what they are doing, over the shoulder shots to make the
audience feel they are watching over someone and the main one which is used
in almost every horror film, the establishing shot, to show where all of
the action takes place.

With the angles, quite a few are used, including the low angle, to
emphasize a character's importance and to show them as imperior, the high
angle to show part of a scene and to usually look down on someone crying on
a victim after they have been injured or killed, and the birds eye view to
show the whole scene and where the event happened (this is usually used the
next day in the characters world, or the establishing shot is used).

For the movements, it is slightly different, panning shots tended to be the

most common shot used; to either reveal a body or to slowly reveal a scene.
Another few movements I also noticed was the tracking and crabbing shots,
however some movements I only saw on some, included the hyperlapse to show
events progressing overtime and the snorricam, which shows how a character
is feeling, by just showing the face moving.

Sound: Rachel

IT:

Dialogue from film is often used.

Music builds through trailer- the effectiveness of silence is used to
open the trailer, and slow music builds an atmosphere of identify the
horror genre.
Ends in a sting.

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The Bye Bye Man:

Camera shutter sound effect, children laughing sound effect.

Dialogue from film.
Volume builds to match editing speed and build atmosphere.
Ends in a subtle sting.

Editing: Rachel

IT:

Production Logo to open the trailer.

Fade to black transitions.
Editing speed increases as trailer progresses; builds fear.
Intertitles used between action.
Title appears at the end.

The Bye Bye Man:

Production Logo to open the trailer.

Use of photo flicks.
Fade cuts and straight cuts.
Intertitles used between action.
Begins and ends with the same scene.
Fast paced editing- builds throughout trailer.
Title appears at the end.

Representation: Tori

Women:
Traditionally portrayed as the damsel in distress and the victim.
A common stereotype within horror films is the dumb blonde which is
supported in films such as Scream and Scary movie - this
character is usually killed quite quickly.
The final girl theory: the final girl in the film is the most
masculine in terms of strength and survival and the most vulnerable
women are killed off first. The final girl challenges the stereotypes
of women in horror films.

Settings:
Haunted houses - basements and attics are often the centre of the
location, usually abandoned or derelict, some sort of tragic accident
previously happened in the house.
Rural locations - isolated and hard to escape, forests.

Conclusion: Tori

In conclusion, there are a number of codes and in horror trailers that can
be recognised and categorised into the micro and macro elements such as:
mise en scene, cinematography, sound, editing and representation.