Horror is a genre which relies on fear factors; therefore it is essential that all horror movies follow similar convention, the majority of which seem to also be portrayed in the trailer itself. It could be argued that before even viewing a trailer, the audience first relates to the genre itself. This fact was argued by Thomas Schatz, who stated that this is the defying reason behind cinema viewings in the first place. With this in mind, there are various elements of the horror genre that I felt was necessary to try and incorporate within my media product, the first of which being specific settings.

Woodland setting in Wrong Turn 3

It is clear that within many horror films, the setting is a key principle, since this can in fact arouse fear itself. Many horror films use conventional settings such as isolated places, for example within a wood land, or abandoned warehouse, a place which relates to a past experience or current experience of the main character(s), along with religion based institutions. These areas are commonly used in horror films in order to represent the fear of the characters, though in some cases they also represent the fears of the audience. Although I did not use any of these locations, I instead wanted to bring the fear to the main characters whereabouts, which suggests that she is unable to escape. Along with this, I also focused on many of the ‘scary’ scenes being shot at night time. This, alone, creates more fear than being in the daylight since, often the fear of the unknown is more frightening than what we can actually see. This is represented through shots such as the stalker being sat in the back of the car and being highlighted by the cars head lights.

Head Light shot from my trailer

Canted Angle from my trailer

Technical codes are also important in retaining the conventions of the horror genre. Camera work is often not seen as completely conventional, in order to express the uncertainty of a situation. This may be done through canted angles, or the use of an off balance rule of thirds. I found this particularly useful in filming some shots, for example the shot involving the obsessive photos of the main character, since this may seem eerie and bizarre to the audience. Along with this, another technical code which was useful was using the point of view shot. This shot allows the audience to feel as if they are in the victims’ shoes, which once again creates fear and anxiety. Within my trailer, this shot was used at the very end, since I felt that if the entire trailer was filmed from a point of view shot, you would not be able to experience other shots which also add to the fear. A particular technical feature which I feel works very well in horror films, is the use of depth of fields. This allows the audience to be aware of both the victim and the villain, whereas the characters in the film are not aware of this, therefore giving the audience an idea of what may happen, which creates suspense. This is a difficult feature to create, though I did also attempt to include this in a park setting. Following the shots types there are also conventional sounds and build ups which are present within many horror trailers. After studying various horror trailers, it is clear that there is often a sense of equilibrium at the beginning, which is represented by the calm music, and in some cases, a mainstream backing track is used. This, however is then disrupted, and is represented by a change in music, often using a sort of drop, or silence.

Title of my trailer

Silence is a particularly grasping feature in trailers, since it puts the audience on edge. I found all of the features particularly useful in creating my trailer, since as the

trailer goes on the pace of the music increases, as do the pace of the shots. However, at the end of the trailer, there is silence; the only sound within the piece is the dialogue of the victim. I feel that this allows the audience to relate with the victim, and really adds to the shock of the final killer shot. A further convention within the technical side of the trailer includes the use of text on screen. It is obvious that trailers, not only horror, all seem to display the title of the movie at the end of the viewing. This is an essential part of my trailer, since it allows the audience to remember the title, rather than seeing the title at the beginning and then forgetting it after viewing the trailer. Unlike typical conventions, I have slightly challenged this by putting my title just before the killer shot. I feel that this worked successful within my trailer, though looking back it would have been a better representative of a real life trailer, if the title was at the end. Further text in trailers may include quotes from magazines, production companies and in some cases, the actor’s names. After looking at various trailers, it was clear that the production companies are normally placed at the beginning of the trailer, hence why mine are also placed here. I felt that it was unnecessary, however, to name any of the actor’s, since they are not well known, and therefore this would not add anything to the trailer itself.

Freddy Krueger

Something which is essential in identifying with the characters and the genre was the specific iconography used within my trailer. Looking at iconic horror films such as Scream, The Ring and Friday 13th, it is clear that these films all include specific costuming and iconography to relate to the villain. Although my character’s costume isn’t as drastic as that of Jason or Freddy Krueger, throughout the film he is seen in a dark blue jacket and a pair of glasses. This look therefore can both be seen as typical ‘student’ attire, though when looking deeper into it, the dark jacket represents an element of death and remorse. Along with this, it could be argued that this dress code seemingly challenges conventions, since it could be seen as stereotypically ‘geeky’ and therefore lacks strength, however the glasses also suggest some kind of intelligence, which could mean that the villain uses this to his advantage within the film itself.

Equilibrium in my trailer

It could be argued that horror films follow a narrative structure in order to keep its story conventional, and easy to understand and follow. Todorov stated that horror stories start with equilibrium and are then disrupted, to lead a chain of events and the climax of the film. He then argues that these points are then settled and peace is restored, normally by the hero of the film. I believe that my horror movie follows this structure to an extent, though it could be argued that this is seemingly difficult to display in a trailer. Although this is the case, I feel that the shot at the beginning set the scene, and shows a sense of peace and equality, since displaying the two girls simply chatting in a neutral environment. This is then disrupted by the mounds of text messages from the stalker, which leads to the chain of montages throughout the trailer. I feel that although the trailer is not in chronological order, the audience still gets an understanding of what the film is actually about, which follows conventions of modern day horror trailers, themselves, and therefore shows evidence of following Todorov’s narrative structure. It could be argued that my trailer also shows a clear divide between good and evil, represented through the victim, Kelly, who is being stalked, and the villain, James who is the stalker. These roles show a divide and represents binary oppositions. This is another key convention within horror films, since it shows the divide and allows the audience to relate to the genre itself. It could therefore be argued that although my trailer follows many conventions of a typical horror trailer, it also challenges many of them, in order to suit my trailer specifically. Although this is the case, I have tried to stick to the conventions as closely as possible, in order to make my trailer look as realistic and professional as possible. I feel that it successfully does this, and can easily be recognised as a horror trailer due to the conventions used.