Conventions Of Horror Film Trailers

LightingLighting is very important in Horror trailers as the light in the scene is very often representative of the atmosphere. If the

scene is well-lit or has ambient lighting then all is considered to be well, hence why in a horror film trailer the lighting is often very dark and eerie as it adds to the overall horror

experience; enhancing the audience’s unease. The lighting links with Todorov’s theory of equilibrium. When there is

equilibrium the scene is well lit and when the equilibrium is disrupted then the scene becomes dark as it adds to the

audiences fear.

Examples of Lighting:

Both of these images were taken from the 2013 horror ‘The Conjuring’. As you can see the image on the right is poorly lit, with no other source of light than a match flame and

you can tell from her facial gestures that she is scared and panicked, representing an uneasy atmosphere. Whereas, the picture on the left shows a well lit room with four

adults talking; this represents a calmer atmosphere.

SettingIn a horror trailer, generally, the setting can be anywhere; in

the woods, in the home, or in the middle of nowhere, yet they all have one thing in common, they are all isolated and

cut off from people. This is done as it creates tension and suspense for the audience as they can guess that something

bad will happen.

Examples of Setting:

Woman In Black

Friday the 13th

The Amityville Horror

Evil Dead

ColoursPredominant colours used in a horror movie trailer are red, black and white as all have obvious connotations with the

horror genre. Red – Represents blood, danger and the devil.

Black – Represents darkness, suspense and mystery.

White – Can suggest coldness (personality of the villain) and is representative of ghosts and spirits.

Editing And Camera• Conventionally, at the beginning of a horror film trailer

long/wide shots are used to establish location and represent the character as isolated/vulnerable. Cuts are slow and steady at this point of the trailer.

• At points of disequilibrium, the pace of cuts and variety of shot types increase and close-ups become more frequent to show the character’s terror.

• A generic edit in a horror movie trailer is a dead black out in which the entire screen goes black. This type of edit adds anticipation and suspense and often represents the end of something thrilling.

Music And Sound• Generally, at the point of equilibrium, we hear eerie slow

sounds which convey an uneasy mood and adds tension as the onlooker expects something sudden to happen.

• At points of disequilibrium, the tempo and franticness of the music increases, which coincides with the narrative at that point.

• Common sounds in horror trailers are – Wind, creaky doors, screams, howls and unnerving laughter.

The StingThe “Sting” is the final sequence of shots at the end of the trailer. It is usually shown after the title of the film is shown and is often followed by the release date. A good example of this is the red-band trailer of Evil Dead (2013) The sting can be seen from 2:00 to 2:18 on this trailer. (Can be seen below this PowerPoint).