Horror Trailer Analysis

Tayla Emmons

Media language
In the following slides I will be analysing three horror trailers which are The Purge The women in black Paranormal activity 3 I will be analysing how the trailer has been produced through the use of cinematography, sound, editing and mise-en-scene.

The Purge

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lekx_Zl qyWk

The purge
Cinematography- there are a lot of extreme close ups, close ups and mid shots throughout the purge. By using close ups it gives the audience a more understanding of the characters faces and expressions. Over the shoulder shots during the trailer are used to show the audience that the victims are being follows by the villains to build up tension. The victims are shown to have low authority as there are several low angle of the villains showing that they have more power to the victims. Editing- There is writing at the beginning of the trailer giving a brief of what is happening. There is a straight cut to a family and there home showing that they are wealthy. Everything begins to speed up towards the end of the trailer creating tension for the audience. There are also fade out cuts during the trailer which is associated with horror films. Sound- During the trailer there are voices overs which make it looks realistic like its a news report. There is also non diegetic music put over the trailer to build up tension showing us that its a horror film. The sounds used have been emphasized to scare the audience. Mise-En-Scene- Dark settings have been used as they are stereotypical of a horror film and the audience will know straight away. Blood and darkness are related to the horror genre and also masks are used in several horror films to hide the villains identity.

Women in black

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lReem WmO5o

Women in black
Cinematography- The trailer begins with an establishing shot which shows the audience where the action will be taking place throughout the film. There is a lot of close ups and mid shots to show the characters facial expressions and to show the creepy child's toys. There are low angle shots of the house to show its power of it. Dark lighting has been used because this is typical of horror trailers. Editing- Fade outs have been used during the trailer leaving a black screen which is a typical colour associated with the horror genre. Shorter takes have been placed together in a face pace more towards the end of the trailer to show tension. Sound- At the beginning of the trailer the sound of wind has been used, this is a typical sound associated with horror trailer as it creates are eerie atmosphere. There is a voice over of a child telling the story of the film in a nursery rhyme style. These are both used in horror trailers a lot to create a scary feel. There is the sound of a child's toy playing when there is tension in the trailer which speeds up. Mise-En-Scene- The setting of the horror trailer is an old place which is very dark which is very common in horror trailers. There is a lot of use of child's toys which creates a scary feel to the trailer. Blood is a typical convention of the horror genre also and deserted places.

Paranormal Activity 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90r3CnP I0AM

Paranormal Activity 3
Cinematography- the camera used in this film trailer is handheld like home videoing cameras. Using an handheld camera makes the film look more realistic to the audience creating a more scary vibe. Also the handheld camera makes a shaky hand recording showing that the character is scared when recording, this is also shown through the mid shots and closes ups of the characters facial expressions. There are mirror shots, flashbacks during the trailer giving them a better under standing of the film wanting them to watch more. Editing- The editing during the trailer is that there has been a distorted and fuzzy look to the recordings this makes it look more realistic to the viewers. Some shots have been sped up creating tension throughout and cuts back to the previous paranormal activity films. Also there are slow motions cuts to build up tension because the audience will know that something is about to happen. Sound- The voice over throughout the film which has been distorted and creates a nervous atmosphere which is typical of the horror genre. The non diegetic sounds creates tension throughout along with the screams. The child's laughter creates more tension also. Mise-En-Scene- The trailer has a very dark lighting which is very typical. A bright light is used to emphasize the scary dark parts in the trailer. The characters look casual as its a home made video making it look very realistic and gives it more of a scary atmosphere.

Film auteurs and their visual aesthetics

Tim Burton is an American film direction, film product, writer, artist and animator. He is most famous for his dark, gothic and quirky take on horror and fantasy style movies such as corpse bride and Edward scissor hands. Tim Burton films combine fantasy and horror together to create a very recognisable style to the film. Films will use a lot of animation some of which even looks slightly like a cartoon seen in film such his movie the corpse bride. However Edward Scissorhands is not animated. Also Tim uses Johnny Depp in his films as the main actor this makes Tim Burtons films recognisable and creates a fan base.

Inspiration for my horror trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D51QgOH rCj0 -Blair witch project. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_UxLEq d074 -Paranormal Activity