Shannon Cannan The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) Theatrical Trailer - YouTube

WHAT IS THE FUNCTION OF A FILM TRAILER?

The function of a trailer or preview is to show what actors and directors are taking part within the movie itself, to encourage the audience to watch the movie, to inform the target audience about the film, it advertises the film and lastly because it is part of the marketing making of a film.

New line cinema have used posters, webpages and a movie trailer to promote this film because it is the most effecting way to get peoples attention, and also because it is the most successful in the marketing business. Most film trailers that are made now in the 2000 century are always very successful because they engage with the audience the most and use the most up to date sounds effects and horror graphics. If the target audience is able to connect with the film trailer and are able to understand the story line or be amazed by the trailer it normally encourages them to go out and buy the film or go and see it in the local cinema. I think that The Chainsaw Masscre’ trailer was successful because it does not reveal all and it makes me personally wonder what actually happens and what is the story line behind all the killings. I can link this movie with other movies that I have watched and thoroughly enjoyed such as House Of Wax and The Hills Have Eyes.

GENREThe Chainsaw Massacre was released in 2003 and is based in 1973 as we learn from the trailer, it is a Horror themed film, throughout the trailer we are able to learn this by the typical conventions which

are genuily used in all horror films. Some examples of these would be the typical isolated area’s where there are no villages around or many people to get hold of when in trouble, we learn from the

trailer that the isolated house is going to be where most of the action happens we see this house through a very clear long shot. Also another common convention used in a horror film is the age and

number of actors, in this trailer we learn that there is a group of 6 teenagers around 17/18+ and typically there are two female one brunette and one blonde, and then 3 males.

The trailer last approx 2 minutes and 21 seconds, which is normally the average trailer length, after watching other horror movie trailers such as The Hills Have Eyes and Paranormal Activity 1,2&3 normally run inbetween 2-3 minutes. I found in this

trailer that we was able to discover a lot, and that we was able to gather information such as the number of characters, where the mis en scene was based. From watching

the film I was able to count the number of shots used, there are a total of 91, a numerous amount of this are still shots, of the female character running, there are a number of transactions used throughout the trailer to bring the shots together such as fading into a blank screen and then back out into a still shot. Many of these shots

provide such as information such as the location and date.

Relating The Code And Conventions Used In

The Chainsaw Massacre

THE CHAIN SAW MASSACRE CODES AND CONVENTIONS

Isolated Area – The house Usually based in an isolated area where there is no one to help the characters.

Group of 5 Teenagers Attractive male who normally dies, Geeky character normally wearing glasses

Typical blonde and brunettesCamera Shots – fast and quick cuts Fast cuts normally uses to create a

sense of fear and panic. Black cutsare normally used to create fear and questioning.

Sound – Screaming, chainsaw, Diegetic sounds such as footsteps Footsteps to create tension, sound of weapon

used, screaming.

The Chainsaw Masscre trailer reveals to us 6 teenagers who are travelling to Texas, we are introduced to this at the beginning of the trailer. We learn from the trailer that out of the 5 characters that both females are in relationships with 2 males out of the group, we learn this as we see one couple in a medium 3 shot kissing, and also by the diegetic sound of the other couple as we hear the male say “Tell me how much you love me.”. From the beginning of the Chainsaw Masscre trailer we learn that the group of friends have a strong bond and are caring, as we discover that they pull over to help a girl who is walking along the road on her own. As the trailer proceeds we learn that they stick together as one friendship group as they discover the house that they need to go to. This is very stereotypical for a horror movie, as normally each character gets picked off one by one, this happens in the film ‘The House of Wax and also Jeepers Creepers’. But we do not discover what happens to the group in the trailer, this creates an enigma and makes us the audience wonder “What happens to them?.”

Here is a screen shot of the characters sat as a group. But we do no know why they are sat here.

Throughout the trailer of The Chainsaw Masscre we are able to gather information from the intertitles provided. Throughout the trailer they use the same colour theme and writing to keep a tidy look, many of these titles have either the sound of a heartbeat overtop of them or running to create a

horror enigma.

HOW IS DIEGETIC SOUND USED IN THE TRAILER?

“THEY’RE ALL DEAD”

“WHAT WERE THEY ALL DOING HERE”

“WHO’S KILLING WHO?”

RUNNING – OVER EXAGARATED FOOTSTEPS

SCREAMING

CHAINSAW

HOW IS NON DIEGETIC SOUND USED IN THE TRAILER?

SOFT CALM MUSIC

HEART BEAT

HEAVY BREATHING OVER TOP OF SHOTS

CAMERA SHOTS BEING CLICKED

DRAMATIC UPBEAT MUSIC – as trailer progresses

Through out the trailer both diegetic and non diegetic sounds are used, I personally feel that this is important throughout a movie trailer because its creates a balance of realistic

and non realistic. By using a range of diegetic and non diegetic sounds its keeps the movie trailer more interesting and keeps the target audience on edge. If you was to play one song

track throughout the whole trailer it would get boring and this would make the viewer loose concentration. At the beginning of The Chainsaw Masscre we are able to hear a soft calm song which sets the scene of the young free teenagers in the car travelling, it makes

us the audience feel very calm and relaxed as they are and also as they enter Texas, it almost makes us feel that this is a holiday of a lifetime. This lasts for 38 seconds, at this

point the teenagers have picked up a woman who appears to be the same age as them the diegetic dialogue ‘There all dead’ changes the mood and music tone. At 40 seconds we

hear the non diegetic sound of the heartbeat and this creates, represent and also highlights the horror of the film. From 40 seconds onwards the diegetic and on diegetic

sounds become very dramatic and upbeat as we hear a lot of conventional noises such as screaming, running and echoes. This creates the tension of the trailer as the audience

keeps wondering what is going to happen next. As the trailer progresses the music becomes a lot more faster as move is revealed, I especially took interest in the snap shots

noises, as it emphasises that someone is watching them very closely, the more photos that are being taken the louder the noises becomes. At 1 minute 19 we hear the dramatic

sound of the metal door sliding this is a typical conventional horror sound and theme as it creates a question in the audiences head ‘What is behind the door’?.

I thought that this was a very important shot throughout the trailer, because its makes the audience think ‘oh wow this has actually happened’ and it

makes the little fit of fear extend, because it makes them wonder if that could happen to them next time they go on holiday. It creates a sense of fear

throughout the movie, and it makes them want to see it more because its based on a true story.

From the beginning of the trailer we learn that it is a horror based film, even though that we do not see anyone getting murdered throughout the trailer we learn that there is some sort of killing from

the diegetic dialogue which is spoken throughout the trailer, we also learn that the person killing the people is a man as one female character says ‘He’s killing them’ so we know that she has seen him killing someone or something. But we are unsure of who the murderer is and who he is killing. After analysing The Hills Have Eyes and The Chainsaw Masscre, I found that the settings and story

lines where very similar, and as you can see the same sort of camera shots are also being used. The shots of the door are used frequently this creates a sense of enigma ‘What is behind that door?’. It

creates a sense of fear because normally the fear is not knowing what is behind the door than actually knowing what is happening and who is behind there.

Shots of the door

THE END