Research into horror

trailersJenny Albinus

Shark Night 3D

The trailer starts with a shot of college or University.

It shows different characters, both male and female, packing and planning a trip away. They use a montage to edit these clips together.

There are several shots of them arriving and having fun.

Then it cuts to an establishing shot of where they are staying. The words ‘miles from shore’ help show the viewer that they characters are isolated.

More shots show the characters having fun. Shots like this show off the aspect of romance in the film.

More text appears on the screen as a male character dives into the water. The white writing is basic against the under water background.

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Another shot of the group of characters, this shot is mainly girls which has most likely been placed to show male viewers.

This shot is showing the viewer what they are doing. A man water skiing on what appears to be an average lake.

However the light music then changes into a dark and tense piece. More text appears but this time the background is dark water, showing that something is wrong.

An underwater shot looking up tells the viewer that something is underneath the water skier.

After a shot of the man suddenly falling off his board it shows him struggling in the water before going under.

Then the producers credits appear. The text is again over the dark water and then red liquid starts to seep in. This shows danger and potential death.

Another under water shot for a brief second.

Then there is the first sight of the creature. It is easily definable to the viewer. The music quickens.

An aerial shot shows the signs of danger. The shot moves in closer from above.

A quick glance at a new figure capturing the shark indicates that this is planned.

The next few shots are all edited together quickly. They flip through them and match the pace of the music.

It ends with the films title and once again the blood oozes on to the shot.

I chose to look at this films trailer as I like the fast editing of clips and the use of text. I think the way the blood comes into view is clever and I’d like to look at recreating this to fit my own ideas.

Don’t be afraid of the dark

The first 45 seconds of the trailer show a pitch black screen. There are eerie whispers talking however.

Suddenly the word “don’t” appears on the screen with a loud jolt of music. This is made to surprise the viewer.

This is a quick shot of what appears to be the main characters.

The word “be” appears with another holt of music.

The word “afraid” appears next after more shots of the characters.

A shot of the little girl pulling something off, indicates old and hidden things. There are a few more shots like this in a montage form.

“of the” has bee grouped together to save time.

Shot of the characters in trouble follows. The man and the little girl bother find themselves in danger. The editing is fast paced.

The word “dark” stays longer than the other words. It does not have an image in the text as the other words have. This shows that it is the main word.

The music stops and the only sound is the girl breathing and moving under the bed sheets, torch in hand.

After small shots of the sheets from her point of view suddenly the ‘monster’ appears for less than a second. It screams and the shot cuts out with the echoes of the girls screams. It ends with credits.

Again, I like the use of text in this trailer. I like the fast editing and the fact that you only see the ‘monster’ once briefly at the end. I also want to use the effect of have a whisper to begin with as I think this sets a creepy mood for the trailer.

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