Investigate how far the trailer for Dark Shadows conforms to genre

conventions

Teri Kennedy-Smith

Why is horror so popular?

Horror films are designed to scare and disgust viewers with evil characters, plots and events that

can range from realistic to completely supernatural. Horror also gets people’s adrenaline pumping which helps the audience to feel engaged with the movie

as the feeling is addictive. People also enjoy the fact that when they are watching a horror DVD they are

completely detached from reality. Horror is also popular during Halloween as it offers people a sense of community and allows them to get in the spirit.

Also, fear is the quickest and most dependable emotion that movie makers can bring out in us.

Dark foreboding building – low angle making it look bigger

Architecture contrasts with the weather. The weather is made to look calm however the building is implying otherwise

Gothic architecture associated with genre

Barnabus is made to seem dominant and powerful from the low angled shot

Archaic costume associated with gothic

The fire implies

danger and something

sinister

Chandelier is a typical convention of a gothic genre

Warns the audience about her character

Archways and arched windows: typical conventions of a gothic genre

Dressed in black which implies danger

and something sinister and dark

Dark surroundings, puts focus on her. The darkness symbolises something sinister.

Low angle shot making her look vulnerable.

Facial expression shows discomfort and unhappiness which ties in with the genre.

Dark surroundings, puts focus on Barnabus.

Old piano is a typical convention of gothic horror.

Low angle shot making Barnabus appear more dominant and powerful.

Red curtains=gothic architecture. Links to genre. The red also indicates danger.

A coffin is a typical convention of a gothic horror film.

Dark surroundings, puts focus on the coffin. Puts focus on the coffin.

The chains indicate danger and being contained. This hints to the audience about the content of the movie. It is also associated with the genre

The black coffin indicates death and something sinister. This is a typical convention for the genre

Investigate the past representations of vampires and how and why they have changed since 1922

In the 1922 movie: Nosferatu, vampires were pale, had fangs, a reflection, a shadow and they were hideous. Also, if they made contact with sunlight, it was fatal. They were immortal and had enhanced speed. They could shape shift into a wolf and they were followed by rats. These were typical conventions of vampires in this time period because it was still based on vampires from the 1800’s. Dark shadows in 1966 shows a change in the typical conventions of horrors. Vampires are shown with ordinary skin colours, their fangs are retractable, the have no reflection however they have a shadow. This may be because of an advance in technology. Directors were more willing to experiment therefore making fangs retractable. In Forever Knight 1992, vampires go back to being pale, however their fangs are also retractable. Vampires also have a reflection and a shadow. Also, if they came into contact with the sunlight, it was fatal. The fact that the fangs are retractable is significant because it makes the audience more engaged with the movie as they feel that this is realistic and could happen in real life.

Frostbitten (2006), vampires have pale skin and their fangs grow even bigger when they attack people. They have no reflection however they do have a shadow. The original vampires in this movie look human all the time. All the vampires in this movie have orange eyes that turn red when their bloodlust is awakened. The vampires also have exposed veins. The vampires shown in this movie are immortal, have enhanced strength, enhanced senses, enhanced speed and unnatural healing. These vampires can not fly but they can shape shift.

Twilight, 2008, shows a change in the typical conventions of vampires. Their skin is pale, harder than diamonds and sparkles in sunlight. They don’t have fangs but their teeth are sharp and serrated and coated in venom, but not pointed. They also have a reflection and a shadow. This could be due to the fact that people may have wanted or needed a change to the typical vampires that they see. The directors of the movie may have also wanted to try something completely different (a ‘game changer’).

Conventions of a Movie Trailer

Film trailers are an important part of a films marketing campaign; they are like adverts for a film. Trailers inform potential audiences about a film with the purpose of encouraging people to see the film at the cinema.Key conventions of a trailer are credits and inter-titles. This helps the audience to know who is in the film that they are watching and also make a decision as to whether or not they may want to watch it based on their favourite actors. They also tell the audience what company made the film and also the film name. This offers the audience a sense of community and recognition. They are able to familiarise with the actors and company and thus make a decision easier. Sometimes there will be conversations between characters and it helps the audience to base a further judgement on the film as they will decide whether or not they like what is going on. The trailer could also have a voiceover. We see trailers on the TV, in the cinema, online, on DVD’s or tube stations etc. Sometimes, especially in the cinema, they are targeted to their intended audience. So if someone is watching a 15 rated horror movie in the cinema, the majority of the trailers will be 15 rated movies or lower and also in the horror genre.We usually see the trailers at the same time that the film is being edited. This is to hold the audience’s interest. If the trailer is released too early, it means the audience is more likely to either forget about the movie or loose interest. If it is released too late, it doesn’t give the audience enough time to get excited about the film.Trailers engage the audience by giving a sense of energy; something more colourful and exciting than reality. They do this by having jump cuts. It is a way of gaining popularity for the film. It also offers the audience a sense of intensity; something more fast paced and fits more in over a short period of time and reality. Trailers are structured to include the best bits of a film to encourage as many people as possible to see the film.

The architecture in the opening contrasts with the weather. The weather is made to look calm however the building is implying

otherwise. The gothic architecture and the dark foreboding building hints to the audience what type of genre the movie is. The low angle

shot also makes the building look powerful and dominant and it hints to the audience that this house will play a major role in the film. The majority of the scenes from this trailer have a dark light or dark

surroundings in or on them. This indicates something sinister. It also allows the audience to familiarise with the trailer and recognise its

genre.

The trailer offers the audience a sense of intensity; something more fast-paced and that fits more in over a short space of time than reality. A trailer needs to offer this because they are only

one or two minutes long and they need to place in scenes from the film that will most attract the audience to make them want

to watch the movie. This also offers the audience a sense of energy; something more colourful ad exciting than reality. This attracts the audience because of the adrenaline rush they feel.

The main movie trailer tells the audience that the film will be a hybrid. A mix of both horror and gothic. Typical conventions of horror are graveyards, coffins, full moon, mist, old/abandoned houses, shadows and darkness. Typical conventions of a gothic

horror are mist, storms, demons, blood and churches. The trailer is also unconventional in some ways as it shows the

woman as the antagonist. This contrasts with typical conventions because women are usually the victims in horror

movies as they are seen as vulnerable.

The trailer tells the audience that the movie will not conform to typical conventions of its genre. It hints to the audience that the

vampire is the hero. This goes against all conventions as vampires are usually painted to be seen as harmful, evil and

hideous characters. The fact that the vampire in this movie will be the hero is a typical convention of a Tim Burton film. The pale faces and the gothic architecture shows the movie conforming to

typical conventions. Shadows in the first screenshot imply something unknown or something hidden. This is used to

intrigue the audience.

Twilight – New Moon

The trailer of this film conforms to typical conventions of its genre however there are some ways that it doesn’t. The genre of

this film is a hybrid of horror, teen and there is also a slight gothic element. New Moon is a movie that changes the way the typical vampires are viewed. We see a piano which is a typical

convention of a gothic genre. The vampires follow the convention of coloured eyes and pale skin. Vampires are seen as

both heroic and villainous in this trailer. This adds something new for the audience. It is a way to engage them as it is showing

them something that is rarely used in most vampire/horror movies.

The vampire in this movie is shown to be the hero in this movie. This doesn’t conform to typical conventions. The reason for the female actress is due to the fact this film is main audience is females and they would probably love to be in the middle of Edward and Jacob and have them fighting over them.

The dark surroundings in the poster imply something sinister and unknown to the audience. This is a typical convention of gothic/ horror movies as it offers the audience a sense of energy and intensity. The vampires in this movie also follow the typical conventions of vampires such as coloured eyes and pale skin.

The serif font conforms to the gothic genre of the movie. It makes it seem more traditional.