CONVENTIONS OF HORROR TRAILERS/ POSTERS/ FILM

MAGAZINESAFRA MALIK

HORROR TRAILERSCAMERA

Canted angles are used at least once in most horror trailers in order to make the audience feel confused and to create disorientation. Occasionally there are POV shots which allow the audience to see what the protagonist or antagonist is viewing; this draws the audience in more as they can feel like they're actually involved in the film. Extreme close- ups are also used often to show the expressions of characters and since fear is the emotion show cased the most, it creates a sense of terror because the audience can empathise with them.

SOUND

The soundtrack used for a horror/thriller film trailer is vital as that’s what completes the fear factor in it so music is needed that sounds ominous and suspenseful. Most trailers use instrumental music that doesn’t have words or if there are lyrics involved they are closely linked to the trailer.The music tends to build up and slowly crescendos before going completely silent and then a sudden noise is heard which tends to surprise the audience as it’s unexpected.Voiceovers of screams, whispers or one liners also tend to be added and since the audience can’t see the person behind the voice it heightens the scary element as it creates fear of the unknown.

EDITING

Thriller/horror film trailers often start with slow editing and cuts that fade to a black screen so everything seems normal and the audience begins to feel uncomfortable as they know something is coming up but unsure as to when. Then the trailers begin to transition into faster editing like jump cuts to speed up the pace and to heighten the suspense created.Sometimes the background is blurred in order to make a character seem more in focus and something will move in the background which creates fear of the unknown as well as the audience can’t visually see what’s in the background but know something is there.

MISE- EN- SCENE Props play an important role in horror/thriller film trailers as they can showcase what’s going to occur. If a weapon is included as a prop then this

indicates that there’s going to be violence and possibly blood and gore. If a prop like a Bible or an ouija board is used then the audience can tell that the plot is linked to religion or supernatural beings. A significant prop used in most horror/thriller films is a mirror as it portrays reflection mainly as a comparison between who the protagonist used to be and who they’ve become; or it’s used to show something in the background whilst a character is looking in the mirror.Cult and religious themes are used a lot in horror/thriller films and the colour black and red as they have connotations of danger and blood.

NARRATIVE

The main narrative used in horror/thriller films are that main character/s are against the antagonist which is usually a superior, supernatural being. The main character/s often doesn’t know what’s going on for the first portion of the film until they seek help or guidance on the matter.In terms of teen horror/thriller films, the main characters tend to be a group of teenagers however in this group there is often one character that stands out and is the main survivor (final girl)/ All of the elements mentioned previously will most likely be incorporated into our own film trailer so that it can be easily conveyed as a thriller/horror film trailer. We’ll use shots like canted angle shots, over-the-shoulder shots and extreme close-ups in order to amplify the fear factor. Furthermore we’ll incorporate a lot of shots where the background is out of focus but the main subject is in focus so that if something appears in the background it can’t be easily seen so it creates a mysterious effect.

MAGAZINE FRONT COVERS• General conventions of a horror magazine are very easy to spot. The main image of the

new movie appears in the middle and usually takes up a majority of the page. The featured articles appear on the left third of the article. The main image is always conventional as the actor whose modelling, is always in character, this promotes the film and attracts audience, especially when they see the actor in the role as it gives them a taster of what the movie will include. For example, if it features a zombie, the audience will know the film will include a lot of gore and blood, if it’s of a man with a mask around his mouth, its most likely going to be about a cannibal or psychopath. The use of blood is also very conventional of the horror genre.

• Typography that is used is conventional to a horror magazine with the use of a large red masthead that is eye- catching and appealing with this conventional colour. Text that is used is typically Sans- serif which adds to the boldness of the magazine which identifies important and conventional information relating to the horror genre. The text of the main article is always slightly larger which creates hype for the movie.

• The layout of the magazine uses the route of the eye as the first thing that is seen is the masthead followed by main image which is conventional to the genre and the majority of film front covers as it relates to the title below. Extra information is added at the bottom of the page which informs the target audience with things such as reviews, interviews and more which would attract attention and appeal to the target audience.

• The colours that are used are mainly black, red and white. This is typical for horror and is eye- catching to the audience. Also this range of colours have been placed and used in the way they have in order to contrast, and the text stands out more. The front cover is much more visually pleasing and conventional because of this.

FILM POSTERS• Typical codes and conventions of horror film posters make the target audience look forward to the movie as it’s

the first glimpse of what it will be like, for example, they will see the actor in character and find out what kind of sub genre it is (slasher, psychological, supernatural, gothic…) and thus attract the right type of crowd.

• One very conventional feature of a horror poster is the use on extreme close ups of the face, most commonly the eye. There is often a manipulation to the eye that creates an unnatural and eerie look, this draws the audience in because it is unusual. The crop of the eye fills the frame which generates impact and expresses the emotion of fear, as the eyes are often widened with fear. This makes the emotions relatable to the viewer and creates enigma due to the fact that nothing else can be seen other than the emotion and whatever manipulations have been applied. In the ‘Candyman’ poster for example, the iris is a deep red, and the silhouette of a dark figure, creating further enigma as we know the eye is seeing something we cant but we don’t know who or why. There are also parts where additional things have been added onto the eye, for example, in the movie ‘The eye’ a hand is coming out of the bottom of the eyelid. This makes the audience look at it in a different way, due to the unnatural and disturbing nature of this image, therefore making them drawn to the poster and the film. The eye is often that of the victims, as they are the character that feels fear along with the audiences, as we almost see what they see. The close crop and close up zoom means the viewer only gets a small sense of the themes and storyline of the film, making it a teaser poster, leading the audience to want to find out more and see the film. This is an effective convention due to these factors, and can be very effective for supernatural horror films.

• Many horror films use a house as a setting, so there are a number of horror film posters with a eerie photograph of the house, either with the protagonist in the foreground or the house on its own. The main genre which uses houses are psychological and supernatural horrors such as Insidious and House at the end of the street, however there are also slashers which take place in a house such as Amityville horror. The background around the house used is often dark and the sky is foggy or manipulated in order to look strange and unnatural. They are often large traditional houses and have the potential to be haunted and are creepy looking. When a movie is based in a house, it unsettles the viewer because of the feeling safety that is usually linked with the home. Posters in which a house is used often creates enigma because we do not know whether it is the people who live in the house or the house its self that causes the disequilibrium.

• Another effective convention used in horror posters is a dark figure. This pose is particularly effective at creating enigma, and is mostly used when depicting evil. The lighting that is used is usually dark and is sometimes backlit in order to highlight certain parts of the silhouette, often in unnatural ways to makes it seem more eerie. The fact the identity of the villain is concealed and there is only a small hint of what they are wearing, doing and what they look like creates mystery around the character and can be considered a teaser poster through this technique, as it makes the audience want to see the film due to the enigmatic nature. This convention is often used in slasher films as the villain is the key to the plot. For example, a serial killer with a bladed weapon. Low lighting is paired with the dark silhouette to carry on the mysterious atmosphere that this convention creates.