For my research so far, I have looked at many trailers related to my chosen theme, Horror. By looking at horror trailers I was able to compare and contrast the features within the trailers, this includes the Camera work, Mise en Scene, Editing and Sound, doing this should help me when it comes to filming and editing my trailer.
A convention of a horror trailer is to ask the audience a question, this will keep the audience wondering and wanting to know more about the film. For example "What happens to the victims?" is a question that may suit film trailers like Wolf Creek, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Blair Witch Project.The audience know something terrible has happened to the victims but are not sure what and if they survived.
There are many more conventions such as:
- Non-diegetic backing track to build suspense and create an eerie atmosphere for the audience.
- Diegetic sound such as creaking doors, screaming and a loud bang.
- The majority of trailers start of with a happy, calm vibe before deteriorating into a predicament.
- Fast paced short shots and fading cuts are used to add atmosphere and leave the viewers wondering, meaningless unless you have seen the film.
- The use of pathetic fallacy, such as the weather, to create atmosphere. Usually stormy weather is used in a horror trailer.
- Depending on the genre, blood and gore is a common code/ convention.
- The use of Iconography such as knives in a slasher film to meet audiences expectations of horror trailers.
- Dark lighting has an eerie effect and the audience feel a sense of fear and mystery.
- Victim(s) and villain(s) are shown, victims before villains.
- Multiple indexical signs such as blood which represents death.
- Contributing to the Uses and Gratifications Theory- affective needs should be met for the audience, they should feel scared when watching a horror trailer.
- Voice over narration to fit the genre, more deeper for horror trailers.
I have chosen to look in to the trailer of 'The Strangers' (2008)
I will be looking at the narrative structure, sound, editing, camera work, location and codes/ conventions.
The film falls into the category of suspense- thriller
At the start of all film trailers a rating card is shown (depending on if the film is produced in the United Stated) to indicate how closely the trailer abides by the rules of the MPAA's (Motion Picture Association of America) standards. The films studio are Rogue Pictures and Intrepid Pictures, there is a clip at the start of the trailer just after the rating card (NC-17 Rated as it contains material inappropriate for children) was shown, to promote the studio.
Narrative Structure
"They start with a beginning (act 1) that lays out the premise of the
story."- This is shown in the first 25 seconds of the trailer, the clips shown represent the couple are romantically involved through the use of props such as candles, rose petals and champagne and the use of body language when the hug each other. The use of speech also helps to lay out the premise of the story when the female character tells the male character "I love you Jimmy". This shows that the couple have a strong bond, this increases the emotion connection between the characters and audience.
"The middle (act 2) drives the story further and usually ends with
a dramatic climax."- The trailer starts to speed up as well as the tension that builds with it. The narrative of the story becomes clearer as you see one of the villains for the first time and you can hear loud noises and bangs, therefore hinting that the characters face danger.
"Act 3 usually features a strong piece of "signature
music" (either a recognizable song or a powerful, sweeping orchestral
piece). This last act often consists of a visual montage of powerful and
emotional moments of the film and may also contain a cast run if there
are noteworthy stars that could help sell the movie."- The dramatic climax starts when the audience are shown a series of shots showing all of the villains and the victims reactions to danger. As the end of the trailer approaches, the audience are presented with a final burst of eerie and tense quick shots that will make them feel scared and possibly make them jump.
By following the conventional structure of a horror trailer, it lets the audience know what to expect. This builds tension and adds an atmosphere.
Quotes from-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trailer_%28promotion%29#Definition
Sound
The music at the start of the film is very calm and romantic (piano), possibly hinting that the two characters are in love. Sounds are enhanced, such as the crickets in the background and the match strike to show a calm and quiet environment. The characters at the start of the trailer don't talk to each other but whisper, this also represents a quiet environment but could also be seen as romantic. Speech in the clip isn't something you would associate with horror, for example "you are my girl" and "I love you Jimmy", however this makes the audience feel happy for the couple and therefor have created a emotional connection with the characters, not wanting anything bad happen to them. About 25 seconds into the trailer you hear a loud bang, this is put just after a series of calm clips to startle the viewers, it also spoils the romantic moment between the two characters. A swing (diegetic) is heard squeaking, this creates a chilling and unsettling atmosphere for the audience and adds tension. The sound of this swing is heard throughout the next few clips, this could be effective for highlighting that the swing plays a part in the film. The characters are no longer whispering but their voices feel unsettled therefor making the audience feel insecure however the male character says "It's okay there's nothing here" reassuring the audience and comforting the other character, this also portrays to the audience that he is masculine and protecting his partner. When the long show of the female character in the kitchen appears, a masked man appears from behind her then a loud bang is heard, the intention for this sound is to make the audience jump. From this point on the music becomes a lot more frequent syncronising with the faced paced clips. A faint heartbeat can be heard just before the music stops and the record player starts to play, this could represent the emotions/feelings of the characters. Towards the end of the trailer, a signature piece of jumpy music is played and screaming is heard, this could represent murder. Right at the end you hear the villains voice for the first time, "because you were home", this puts the viewers on edge as there was no real reason for torturing the couple, therefor the viewers may feel a relation to this as it could happen to anyone. It also acts as an Enigma code, making the viewers want to watch the film so they know what happens to the characters and the real reason why they were torturing the characters.
Editing/ Camera work/Angles
At the very start of the trailer it's an establishing shot to let the audience know of the environment. It shows a lake and a woodland area, no other houses are seen nearby so the audience know the house is secluded.
At the start of the trailer, you see a lot of dissolved shots where two shots don't suddenly change but blend together. They are shown during the romantic environment of the trailer to possibly represent a calm and tranquil atmosphere and also lets the audience know there is a romantic relationship within the narrative.
At around the middle of the trailer, the characters begin to get suspicious of the noises they're hearing and become more interested of where they're coming from. The use of Eye line matches allows the audience to see what the character was/is looking at, therefore we know that the characters feel unsafe and are looking to see if anyone is there and also enables us as an audience to have a sense of what they were feeling. This is a way of connecting the audience to the character.
The majority of cuts are simple cut shots used to show a change of setting, compress time and to build up an atmosphere. The trailer also features straps such as "Inspired by true events" this adds a sense of realism and puts the audience on edge as there's a possibility it could happen to them.
There's a long shot of the female character stood in the kitchen, this shot goes on for quite a long time, possibly suggesting that the villains are going to torture their victims slowly and painfully. it could also show that the victims feel they have been watched for a while. As the victim enters the kitchen, he stands there watching her, I as an audience felt nervous for her as I was unable to know what he might do to her, Its even worse because she hasn't seen him yet so we feel as if she is unprotected. The screen then fades out to a blank screen accompanied by a loud bang, making the audience jump.
We then see three separate long shots of two of the villains, then the shot cuts back to the characters looking back with a panicked reaction, the shots are then cut back to the location of where the victim was standing however the victim has disappeared. This shows that the victims are hiding from the characters so that they remain unseen however because we as an audience have seen them, it makes us feel apprehensive and concerned for the victims.
We are then shown a close up shot of the male characters phone on fire, we automatically know that this is something the villains have done from the close up shot of the male characters face, because his phone is on fire, it no longer works so the characters have no way of communicating if they need help, this makes the audience feel vulnerable for the characters and uneasy.
About 1 minute and a half into the trailer, the climax kicks in as an axe chops through the door and chairs are pushed over in a rush of panic. The camera work is harsh creating an unsettling feeling, the quick shots begin to speed up along with the record player, the relations
hip of cuts are rhythmic meaning the shots fit accordingly to a rhythmic pattern, in the trailer, the shots fit in with the music at the end of the trailer. Following the horror trailer convention, there would be a short final shot after the immense burst of short, faced paced shots. This is known as the sting as is shown after the title, this shows a long shot of a villain appearing out of the darkness and slowly walking towards the camera, this portrays that the villain is coming after the audience next.
As the film title is show you can see the face of one of the villains, however is it blurred to that the identity remains hidden even more.
Locations
The location is somewhat explored during the start of the trailer, you see a establishing long shot of the house, where the majority of the film is set, the woodland area and lake. An establishing shot is used to let the audience know this is where the action is happening. The location shown follows a convention of a horror film location (house in the middle of nowhere) so the audience may recognise this is a trailer for a horror film before any of the narrative or characters are revealed.
The audience are aware that this is a big house, this adds a sense of vulnerability to the characters as someone may be hiding in the house and because it is so big, the characters may not hear or see them.
The use of a house also adds a sense of realism for our audience, the audience can relate to such a location making them feel unnerved and making the film more believable. The whole trailer is shown in the house so there's not much variety, but having it shot all in one place could represent being trapped and unable to escape.
Mise en scene
Lighting
The lighting also helps contribute to the codes and conventions, the dingy, dark lighting creates an mysterious and unstable environment.
The lighting maintains low-key throughout
the trailer to show consistency. The majority of lighting is made through use
of natural sources such as a fireplace or candles, this creates a warm
atmosphere making the scene more homely, this allows the audience to be more
surprised when the action kicks in.
Artificial lighting is used, such as a torch
(also a horror convention), this draws the audiences attention towards the
torch light acts as a focal point in the clip. This is useful when wanting the
audience to look at a specific object of person.
The lighting also links to realism from the use of lights from the garage, lamps and the headlights on the car. Many people use this lighting on a daily basis so there's a link that this torture could happen to them. The last shot at the end of the trailer shows the use of Low-key lighting on one of the villains. This being a horror conventions adds mystery because they're hiding in the shadows, aw well as a sense of the unknown.
Body Language
At the start of the trailer, the body language of the victims is very calm and soft as they haven't been introduced to the fear yet and it also shows that the couple are have a romantic relationship. However as the trailer progresses you start to see that the characters body language changes and they become powerless and closed, for example, when the female character realises that there is someone out there trying to get them, she kneels on the floor, this shows she feels helpless. Another example is when the axe smashes through the door, the female character staggers behind the male character for safety whilst the male character stands in front of the female character, this shows the male character acts as the authority and is trying to protect the female character and that the female character feels vulnerable.
Near the end of the trailer, you can see the villains standing over the victims, this shows the villains have authority over the victims. This portrays that the victims have been caught and are now extremely vulnerable to what the villains may do to them. This makes the audience feel tense as they are unable to help the couple.
Props
The props at the beginning of the trailer symbolise a romantic atmosphere, such as candles, rose petals and a jewellery box. All these props are shown as close-up camera angles so the audience definitely see them, It may also be that the prop is significant in the film. The reason romantic props are shown at the start rather than at the end of the trailer is to build up tension. Later on in the trailer the props change to an axe, knife and a record player representing the violence in the film. You also see the masks in the film for the first time, this puts the audience on edge as they don't know who are behind the masks. The violent props are all horror conventions and all horror films will use some sort of scary prop to influence their audience perspective of the film.
Costume
The main pieces of costume in this film are the masks, they hide the identity of the villains so they remain unknown, adding suspicion and making the audience feel uneasy, you cannot see the eyes of the villains so communication between the audience and the villains becomes difficult therefore making the villains seem inhuman. The masks they use are also very creepy adding a sense of fright when they appear on screen. The villains however wear casual clothing that links to the theme of realism that they are in fact humans and humans are capable of pulling off these cruel actions. The victims also wear casual clothing to link to the audience and realism to show that these acts of cruelness can happen to anyone.
