Horror Trailer Conventions
One of the most common conventions of a horror trailer are that the trailer always starts with an equilibrium normally showing a group of protagonists having fun or planning on going somewhere. However, the equilibrium will be quickly disrupted in some way usually with one of the protagonists being attacked by the antagonist. After this the trailer will become much more intense which can be seen through the sound in the trailer as we will hear intense, dramatic music to increase the tension to scare the audience. Furthermore, a music sting is a common convention in the horror trailer as catch the audience off guard because of how sudden it is. This is similar to Tzvetan Todorov's (1973) 4 act theory which states that a film while begin at a equilibrium only for it to be disrupted and the film being about repairing it.
Another common convention that we can see in horror film trailers is that we will see at least one character get killed or injured by the antagonist to show the audience how much of a threat they are to the characters in the trailer. Also this can be used by producers to hint at who is going to die in the film when it released as it will make the audience start to speculate about what is happening in the trailer compelling them to go and see it which would make the producers a larger profit.
The setting in a horror trailer can also be very conventional as it will mostly be set in a very isolated location far away from civilisation this is so that the protagonists are truly alone and at the mercy of a deranged killer this location could be many things such as the middle of a forest, an abandoned town or campsite. In Addition, the location will usually be seen during at night time as it helps create a dark and gritty atmosphere within the trailer to further increase the suspense and tension in the trailer.
The Camerawork in horror trailers are also very conventional as they are used to make some scenes more intense for example a low angle shot is commonly used to make the antagonist look superior to the protagonists in the film as if they were looking up to them making them feel as if they could never be as strong as them. There is also a high angle shot which does the exact opposite of a low angle shot as it is used to make someone seem inferior to the world around them as if they were being looked down on which it is how it is commonly used as the antagonist is normally taller than the protagonists so that they feel powerless towards them.
Here you can see the trailer for the film A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) which I'll be analysing.
Unlike many other Horror trailers the trailer places us already in to the horror instead of it being about the equilibrium being disrupted. The first thing that stands out to me is when one of the people chasing the man gets out of his car and shouts 'Krueger' this is the first indication this is a Nightmare on Elm Street films which will immediately hype up fans of the series as they are getting a new film we also see this when the factory is being burned down as before he dies Freddy takes his jacket off revealing his signature stripped sweater to further help attract audiences to the film.
After the factory burns down the trailer cuts to black and the producers name appears which is in a dark red colour with blood splatters surrounding it. This is a convention of the horror genre as the colour red is normally associated with hatred, death and blood hence why the font is this colour. In addition as it shows the producers name fans of his work may be more interested in going to see his new film to see if they will enjoy it.
After this scene we see that the characters start having dreams and are shown a variety of bizarre scenes such as a room where it is snowing inside of and a room full of candles. These scenes are shown to confuse the audience so that they acknowledge that what they are seeing is part of a dream so nothing is supposed to make sense. This scares the audience as it makes it impossible for them to predict what is going to happen next so they brace themselves for the worst possible situation increasing the suspense and tension in the trailer.
We are then shown a close-up shot of Freddy Krueger's signature knife glove as he scrapes it against the wall creating sparks which light up the scene. As you can see in the scene we can see a ghostly figure of what we assume to be Freddy's next victim this has been done so that the audience can place themselves in the victims situation which makes them feel scared and nervous as they know that they are going to be killed and they are powerless to stop him.
We later see this same scene this time from the victims perspective showing Freddy walking towards us during this we can hear his laughter in the background. This has also been done to make the audience feel like they are trapped in that corridor with Freddy Krueger which creates suspense and tension as they have no idea how they are going to get out of that of trouble. After this scene we get a shot of the Elm street sign this has been done for similar reasons I mentioned earlier so that fans can immediately recognise this as one of those films which will lead to them wanting to go and see the film making the producers a larger profit.
After this sequence we can hear in the background girls chanting Freddy's theme song which the characters hear in their dreams before they are killed this makes the trailer more suspenseful as it creates an ominous atmosphere as it as children are stereotypical associated with the demonic and supernatural in horror films. We are then shown a montage of Freddy attacking his victims in their dreams in a variety of ways one of the most shocking one of these is his hand rising through a bath tub that one of his victims are sleeping in. This shows themes of the horror convention of punishing promiscuity which is people being killed in horror films for acting very sexual and while we do not see this happening in the trailer it may be a hint of what occurs in the film.
Going to the end of the trailer the last shot that we see is Freddy approaching one of his victims raising his arm and saying 'this won't hurt one little bit' the trailer then cuts away. This has been done as in many of his films before he kills his victims Freddy says a one liner referring to the way that they are dieing. For example, one of his most iconic one liners comes from Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) when he kills Jennifer by crushing her with a TV he says 'Welcome to prime time Bitch!'. Looking at what Freddy says in the trailer it suggests that he is killing his victim in a hospital as a doctor would normally tell you that what they are about to do with you wouldn't hurt even though it will hurt. This implies that Freddy is putting her into a false sense of security before killing her which shows us how evil Freddy is.
Here you can see the trailer for the film A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) which I'll be analysing.
Unlike many other Horror trailers the trailer places us already in to the horror instead of it being about the equilibrium being disrupted. The first thing that stands out to me is when one of the people chasing the man gets out of his car and shouts 'Krueger' this is the first indication this is a Nightmare on Elm Street films which will immediately hype up fans of the series as they are getting a new film we also see this when the factory is being burned down as before he dies Freddy takes his jacket off revealing his signature stripped sweater to further help attract audiences to the film.
After this scene we see that the characters start having dreams and are shown a variety of bizarre scenes such as a room where it is snowing inside of and a room full of candles. These scenes are shown to confuse the audience so that they acknowledge that what they are seeing is part of a dream so nothing is supposed to make sense. This scares the audience as it makes it impossible for them to predict what is going to happen next so they brace themselves for the worst possible situation increasing the suspense and tension in the trailer.
 |
| Freddy's knife glove |
We later see this same scene this time from the victims perspective showing Freddy walking towards us during this we can hear his laughter in the background. This has also been done to make the audience feel like they are trapped in that corridor with Freddy Krueger which creates suspense and tension as they have no idea how they are going to get out of that of trouble. After this scene we get a shot of the Elm street sign this has been done for similar reasons I mentioned earlier so that fans can immediately recognise this as one of those films which will lead to them wanting to go and see the film making the producers a larger profit.
 |
| Freddy's hand rises through the bath tub |
Going to the end of the trailer the last shot that we see is Freddy approaching one of his victims raising his arm and saying 'this won't hurt one little bit' the trailer then cuts away. This has been done as in many of his films before he kills his victims Freddy says a one liner referring to the way that they are dieing. For example, one of his most iconic one liners comes from Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) when he kills Jennifer by crushing her with a TV he says 'Welcome to prime time Bitch!'. Looking at what Freddy says in the trailer it suggests that he is killing his victim in a hospital as a doctor would normally tell you that what they are about to do with you wouldn't hurt even though it will hurt. This implies that Freddy is putting her into a false sense of security before killing her which shows us how evil Freddy is.
Action Trailer Conventions
Action film trailers play out very differently to horror film trailers this can be seen from the start of them as we are usually place right into the middle of all the action which we can see as the editing will be fast paced cutting to different parts of the action to excite the audience. The soundtrack will be loud and thrilling which gets the audiences blood pumping hyping them up for the films release. The trailer is also edited to keep the action going which means that there will never be a scene in the trailer without any action which helps make sure the audience doesn't lose interest while watching.
The action in the trailers is usually portrayed as being over the top showing off some of the best parts of the action scenes which is also used so that the audience doesn't lose interest in the film. During these scenes we will usually see violent fight scenes and large explosions which are cut together so that they fit with the trailers soundtrack. This means that the trailer will be more enjoyable to watch is it makes it somewhat similar to a music video as the music normally conforms with what is being shown on scene.
As I briefly mentioned explosions and other special effects are used to make the action scenes more thrilling as an explosion can be seen as the pinnacle of an action scene as many trailers will be building up to the explosion which can be done in a multitude of ways such as having the soundtrack get louder, the editing becomes more fast paced or by showing the scene just before the explosion so that we can see the characters in the trailer realise what is about to happen. All of these methods help raise the suspense and tension in the trailer which makes the initial explosion much more overwhelming.
Another interesting convention in action film trailers can be having the heroic protagonist some comedic moments in the trailer this normally done through the use of one liners. While these more commonly used in action from the 1980's they are still used in many action films today and are used to lower the tension but still entertain the audience.
Here you can see the trailer for Mission Impossible (1996) a very conventional action film trailer which I'll be analysing.
The trailer starts with a ambient silence with no music playing we then hear a monologue of a man giving a mission to a spy during this he mentions that if he is caught the government will erase all information on him. This creates suspense and tension within the trailer so that the audience understands that this mans is on a life or death mission and is fighting for his life making them feel uncertain as they are unaware of what is going to happen. During this scene the editing is slow paced showing us several other spies who will be on this mission slowly fading from one to the other. This has also been done to also create suspense as it shows us more of whats at stake as all of these people may potentially die so we fear for their lives.
After this we see a man lighting a match which he uses to ignite an explosive, while we don't see the explosion go off we see that the match has been used to start the mission impossible theme which plays throughout the rest of the trailer. The main feeling that you get from the song is that you are sneaking around hiding from your enemies so that they don't see you in other words this song makes you feel like you are a spy which helps immerse the audience as they feel that they are in the the same situation as the rest of the characters. Immediately after this in big bold writing we see Tom Cruise's name appear who is playing the main role in the film this is an example of a trailer focusing on its most famous actor as no other actors names appear in the trailer so they are using Tom Cruise's name to make more people go to see their film increasing the production companies profits.
After this the editing becomes more faster paced as the action starts where we see scenes of Tom Cruise sneaking through air vents, fighting guards and being suspended in mid air. This has been done to excite the audience as we see Tom Cruise doing things insane feats which thrills the audience as they we see how brave and fearless he is which are conventions of an action hero this will also hype the audience up for when the film is released as they would want to see more of the action scenes like what they have seen in the trailer. This makes Tom Cruise's role fit the role of the hero which was created by Vladimir Propp in 1928 as part of his narrative theory. Tom's character fits this role as he is shown to be strong and fierce as if nothing could stop him as if he was invincible.
The next action convention we see is the use of an explosion to destroy a car this is used to be the pinnacle of the action as the first explosions sends the car flying which shows us how much of a threat the explosion was as it throw a car as if it was a toy. Suddenly, another explosion occurs engulfing the car inflames this has been done to catch audience members off guards who thought the explosion was over but also to show us how much danger Tom Cruise's character is constantly put through which makes the audience feel sympathy for him but also shows him as being a powerful person as he manages to survive through all of this.
However, the action doesn't truly start until we get to the end of the trailer were the last scenes are in very fast paced editing showing Tom Cruise doing things many people would consider to be impossible such a jumping from a burning helicopter onto a moving train barely getting onto it this is a convention of the action hero stereotype as they are shown to live through the impossible in spectacular way which can also be seen in the trailer when he is running from a flood destroying everything in its path. All of these insane action scenes can be summed up by the trailers tag line 'Expect the Impossible'.
The action in the trailers is usually portrayed as being over the top showing off some of the best parts of the action scenes which is also used so that the audience doesn't lose interest in the film. During these scenes we will usually see violent fight scenes and large explosions which are cut together so that they fit with the trailers soundtrack. This means that the trailer will be more enjoyable to watch is it makes it somewhat similar to a music video as the music normally conforms with what is being shown on scene.
As I briefly mentioned explosions and other special effects are used to make the action scenes more thrilling as an explosion can be seen as the pinnacle of an action scene as many trailers will be building up to the explosion which can be done in a multitude of ways such as having the soundtrack get louder, the editing becomes more fast paced or by showing the scene just before the explosion so that we can see the characters in the trailer realise what is about to happen. All of these methods help raise the suspense and tension in the trailer which makes the initial explosion much more overwhelming.
Another interesting convention in action film trailers can be having the heroic protagonist some comedic moments in the trailer this normally done through the use of one liners. While these more commonly used in action from the 1980's they are still used in many action films today and are used to lower the tension but still entertain the audience.
Here you can see the trailer for Mission Impossible (1996) a very conventional action film trailer which I'll be analysing.
 |
| Action scene from the trailer |
The next action convention we see is the use of an explosion to destroy a car this is used to be the pinnacle of the action as the first explosions sends the car flying which shows us how much of a threat the explosion was as it throw a car as if it was a toy. Suddenly, another explosion occurs engulfing the car inflames this has been done to catch audience members off guards who thought the explosion was over but also to show us how much danger Tom Cruise's character is constantly put through which makes the audience feel sympathy for him but also shows him as being a powerful person as he manages to survive through all of this.
 |
| Burning Helicopter stunt |
Film Trailer Conventions
 |
| Twisted Pictures logo |
The next convention is the films name appearing in the trailer. They usually appear at the ending of the trailer including the date that the film is set to appear in cinemas (if the date is unknown it will be replaced with coming soon followed by the year of release). The title of the film will be in big bold writing so that it stands out and can be viewed easily by a larger audience.
In addition, the trailers will normally focus on the most famous actor who plays a role in the film this is to attract a larger audience to the film as many people will recognise the actor and if they enjoy films that they have already appeared in it will compel them to see their upcoming film. For an example look at the above Mission Impossible trailer as you'll notice that it mainly focuses on Tom Cruises character.
 |
| Social media platforms which the films trailers may have links to |
 |
| BBFC film ratings many horror action films would be either 15 or 18 depending on the content |
After looking at all of these trailer conventions I will try to see which ones would be possible for my group to use for our film as we would not be able to create things such as special effects any were near as good as trailers made by film companies. I have made a list summing up the conventions I would like to use the most in my film trailer that are in the realm of possibility:
- Have one of the characters killed on screen to make the antagonist more threatening
- Conventional horror camerawork to emphasise who has the power in the trailer and create suspense and tension
- Fast paced editing during the action sequences to make them more intense and exciting for the audience to watch
- An action movie one liner to lower the tension for comedic value most likely will be followed by a jumpscare as audience will be in a state of laughter and relaxation
- Include generic film trailer conventions (certificate, film company, etc) to make it look more professional
No comments:
Post a Comment