3. The trailer for ‘The Basement’ is
arguably the most important part
of the promotional package, as it
combines elements seen within the
poster and front cover and expands
upon them in much greater detail.
It is also what audiences will turn
to, if they find these other pieces of
media interesting and memorable.
Consequently, it is vital that I
construct the trailer successfully
and get the balance between
satisfying their expectations and
retaining individuality right. For
this reason, I have chosen to
comparatively analyse five trailers
that, for me, capture the essence of
what I want ‘The Basement’ to be
like – as all fit within the same
supernatural subgenre and
advertise their own film in
memorable ways.
4. C
o
n
v
e
n
t
i
o
n
s
Throughout each of the five trailers, conventions are met and
altered in equal measure. Composition-wise, a conventional
horror trailer would open with either an introductory scare to
signify the genre, or more commonly, establishing shots and an
emphasis on characters and backstory. With the exception of
The Woman In Black, all trailers generally abide by this
structure, and tend to focus more on establishing an
‘introductory scare’ with long shots, ambient lighting, and
only hints of threatening imagery. As this is a less common
convention, the audience can assume that these films –
although well suited to their subgenre – are intent on
capturing the audiences attention immediately. The scares
used within these scenes are often minor, to give the audience
only a ‘taste’ of what type of horror with define the film, and
whether or not this will appeal to their tastes within that
subgenre. For example, the child claiming that the dead
person is ‘standing outside my window’ in the Sixth Sense
perfectly utilises the conventions of a creepy supernatural
horror that relies on tension and narrative to stimulate fear, as
opposed to jumpscares and horror imagery. Oculus also uses a
similar approach with its introductory scare, and categorises
the films into a more sophisticated branch of supernatural
horror that the audience will be able to recognise immediately
due to certain trigger conventions – a creepy child, a covered
figure representing a ghost etc. Another convention of horror
trailers would be a character introduction following these first
scares/establishing shots, and once again, every trailer delivers
this with the exception of ‘The Woman in Black’. This film
applies to many conventions of the genre itself while ignoring
typical trailer conventions, and although this may alienate
some viewers, it will appeal more to the die-hard fans of the genre
that the same old style of other horror trailers. Moreover, the way in
which this trailer was composed – with no backstory, clear
narrative, and limited build-up to scares – resonates more
profoundly with the gothic subgenre, which focuses much more on
creating atmospheric imagery and visual scares than other trailers.
The combination of gothic and supernatural here will doubtless
appeal to the more experienced fans of the horror genre, who are
familiar with distinctions between subgenres and will recognise the
devices used in order to create individuality for this film. In regards
to the soundtrack and diegetic sound, this film also twists the
conventions of a horror trailer by maintaining the same eerie
voiceover throughout, with next to no diegetic sound/dialogue to give
meaning to the shots used. However, stabs and rolling drums appear
and accelerate in pace alongside the shots as the trailer progresses –
akin to the ‘montage’ that is conventionally used in most trailers,
and is generally used by all of the trailers here. This is perfectly
exemplified by ‘The Shining’, which obeys the conventions of a
trailer as the soundtrack gets faster and louder in accordance with
the faster and louder sequence of shots – all of which end in a
crescendo, followed by silence and the appearance of the title strap.
Adding onto this, the placement of a title is the only convention that
every trailer here abides by, as it is placed at the end or just before
the end in every single one. The title is the feature that is most
important for the audience to remember, and it is for this reason it is
placed at the more recent end of the trailer. The final convention
used within most horror trailers is the final scare/jumpscare, used
just after the title – and interestingly, most of the trailers here ignore
this, with the exception of ‘The Shining’ and ‘The Cabin in the
Woods’. As these two films contain more elements of violence than
5. the others being analysed, it is more understandable that they use a final jumpscare, as this is a
feature more associated with gory slasher films that tend to focus more on causing audiences to leap
out their seat, instead of building tension and terror up slowly. It also shows why Oculus, The
Woman In Black and The Sixth Sense neglect its use – these films consider themselves to be more
sophisticated in terms of narrative and character development, and therefore want to create scares
with a more long-lasting effect and deeper meaning.
Overall, the most conventional of all these trailers would be ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ in regards to
structure, sound, and composition of shots. The trailer starts with establishing shots and a melodic
soundtrack, with introductions to stereotypical characters of a horror film, and progresses to a series
of straps, a montage, and a title and final scare at the end. Interestingly, this film actually promises
the most ‘unique’ narrative to its audience – highlighted through the straps – and it can therefore be
said that this strictly conventional structure is used ironically. Occasional flashes of humour
throughout mock the decisions that are usually made within similar horror films, displaying a sense
of self-awareness, and how this trailer has been manufactured to give the impression of familiarity,
despite being of a very different spirit to other films of its genre. Evidently, this reflects the plot of the
film, where the conventionally ‘dumb’ teenagers go to the conventional ‘cabin in the woods’ and are
killed off, conventionally, one by one; but this is all engineered by a business company who control
everything that happens for profit. This separates ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ from the other trailers
being analysed, due to its prominent self-awareness, strict application to conventions, and
underlying twist of everything audiences come to expect from a film called ‘the cabin in the woods’.
Other trailers, such as The Sixth Sense and The Shining, are infrequent in their pacing and alter
certain conventions to fit the atmosphere of the film, such as the unusual foreshadowing of horror
shown at the beginning of The Shining trailer, or the extended montage intercut with slower scenes of
dialogue in The Sixth Sense. Ultimately, The Woman In Black is the most unconventional of all
trailers, despite having the greatest focus on horror imagery – creating a juxtaposition of
expectations that will fully capture the attention of horror fans.
6. CONTENT OF SHOTS
The Shining OCULUS
The trailer starts with a voiceover talking about a tragedy of a man
killing his family, and runs concurrently with shots displaying a
man with an axe – insinuating that the voiceover is talking about
this character. Naturally lit establishing shots are juxtaposed with
tracking shots and close ups of the man wandering around the hotel
– all with the implication of violence and scares, but without
showing any. There is then a twist, as the audience realises that the
voiceover was talking to this man about events that had already
happened, and those first shots therefore serve as foreshadowing to
what the audience now know will happen again. As the trailer
progresses, the soundtrack slowly begins to shift from orchestral
violins, cymbal beats and occasional stabs to a rhythmic, primal
drum beat running throughout, punctuated by the sound of church
bells at every strap. The use of orchestral music, associated with
peace and sophistication, turning into drum beats and church bells,
associated with tribal rituals and the promise of the afterlife, is
reflective of the protagonists descent into madness, thus completing
the foreshadowing at the beginning of the trailer and creating a
cyclical effect. Furthermore, the shots begin to quicken in addition
to the use of a faster soundtrack, and gradually become more violent
until the trailer culminates in a stark image of blood pouring from an
elevator. Conventionally, these shots continually darken, although
are still contrasted with scenes depicting the protagonists family,
who are mainly placed within a lighter setting and wear lighter
clothes to symbolise their innocence. A final scare is used, including
a stab and the antagonist directly addressing the camera – an unusal
feature that forces the audience to look away, before making them
jump suddenly with the scare of the axe through the wall.
An immediate scare is used as the trailer starts, where a cloaked statue appears to move in
the reflection of a mirror, assumed to be the source of evil, and non-diegetic stabs and
continuous eerie sounds are used to maximise this and grab the audiences attention
immediately. Following the production logos, character introductions are made focused
around the two protagonists, and through dialogue, a backstory regarding the brother is
made available to the audience. However, as he is placed within high key lighting and
various offices and restaurants, the audience can assume that he is no longer the danger his
backstory makes him out to be, and is instead attempting to recover from a past tragedy.
The previously outlined source of evil (the mirror) is then re-introduced to the audience,
and a series of rapid, flickering close ups of pictures of the mirror fully consolidates its evil
power, especially in conjunction with the screech of non-diegetic violins as it is shown.
Proceeding this, establishing shots are unconventionally used at this midway point through
the trailer, and the lighting darkens and shots lengthen as the scenes depict a flashback to
the protagonists’ childhood. The use of dark here and lengthier shots lend the ‘past shots’
more significance, and suggest that everything happening in the present is based around
these events, where the evil first made itself known. The audience are able to understand
this is a flashback through various match-on-action shots and jump cuts depicting the past
and present brother and sister, and the continued use of this suggests how the past and
present are interweaved throughout the film – a unique dynamic in a horror film that places
greater emphasis on the convention of a backstory. Up until the montage of fast shots are
used, the trailer has an ebb and flow of shots that vary in length, and this is matched by a
series of bass drops and electronic stabs that seem to mimic the ‘past and the present’ style
of the film. Conventionally, the shots continue to darken as the montage approaches, and
flicker shots are repeatedly used to generate a feeling of uncertainty - are the monsters real,
or were they invented by the children and they can’t let go? Various ghosts and demons are
shown here, which is not uncommon at this point in the trailer. Throughout the montage, a
conventional non-diegetic sound is used to fully escalate the level of horror being shown,
akin to a kettle burning on the stove. Whispering can also be heard and this is loudened
until the scenes cut to the title strap with a final stab of otherworldly sound.
7. There are many notable similarities between the two films. Both trailers start by shifting attention towards their characters in favour of the setting or
narrative, and although Oculus uses a scare to capture the audience’s focus, audiences are already compelled to wonder whether or not it was in her head –
an idea echoed in the madness of the protagonist of The Shining. They also use an unconventional structure throughout their respective trailers, where the
audience are tricked into thinking that they know what is happening, before being surprised by a new element revealing itself, seen in the twist of events in
The Shining and the complete change of tone as the film falls back into the past in Oculus. Ultimately, this gives the films a sense of individuality, while
they retain to conventions enough so that the audience are walking away with their expectations satisfied. As both films are set primarily within an isolated
residence, the surroundings themselves and the way they are lit are very similar – with uses of profile lighting and low-key lighting to distort the characters
at hand, representative of the ambiguity present in both films. A montage of clips, punctuated by straps, are used to reveal snippets of the climax in both
trailers, and generally speaking, portray relatively similar imagery focused on blood and darkness surrounded by an air of mystery.
Generally, however, the two trailers are more different than similar, largely down to their respective directors’ own individual styles. Throughout the Oculus
trailer, the camera is often static, and presented at low angles throughout the first half in order to generate tension and give the idea that the evil resides only
within the mirror. By contrast, Kubrick uses fluid camera movements, aided by a SteadiCam, to slowly build up an atmosphere as he tracks, zooms, and fades
away from the characters within his film, displaying how the threat in The Shining is following the antagonist wherever he goes, differing to Oculus’ source
of evil. It can therefore be argued that Kubrick’s film exudes a sense of sophistication and humanity within the evil that plagues the characters, and for this
reason, the soundtrack consists entirely of hard drum beats and orchestral movements – all to be associated with a higher level of humanity and danger.
Oculus, on the other hand, is driven by an otherworldly entity that resides within a mirror, and it is for this reason that bass drops and electronic fuzz is used
within the soundtrack as the sounds are computer-generated and much more alien than Kubrick’s more traditional take on horror. In accordance with this,
substantially more horrific imagery can be seen during the climactic moments of the Oculus trailer, where demons are utilised in a series of ‘taster’ scares and
the colours rarely vary from black, blue and yellow. This fits in with the fact that Oculus is a film much more rooted within the supernatural genre, whereas
The Shining only has the merest implications of the otherworldly evil throughout – and Kubrick shows this through focusing on vibrant colours and second-long
snippets of the supernatural that suggest only the implication of violence. Ultimately, this consolidates how The Shining is arguably more concerned
with the psychological subgenre of horror. Fades and long establishing shots serve as evidence for this idea, as well as an increased amount of voiceovers and
diegetic dialogue, suggesting a much more character-driven film. Although Oculus also utilises similar devices at the beginning of the trailer, it is much more
reliant on visual scares in order to coerce potential viewers into watching it, suggesting a transition from the character-driven narrative to the more typically
placed visual effects and tricks of the supernatural subgenre.
8. The audience are introduced to the nature of the film through slow
establishing tracking shots that eventually settle in a deep focus
medium shot of the young boy, who claims a dead woman is standing
outside his window – despite the audience being unable to see anyone
there. Although this is an introductory scare, the lack of any non-diegetic
sound is unusual, as well as the actual absence of a physical
fright, alluding to the less horror-driven, more psychological nature
of the film. Fades are then used to transition into the next series of
scenes – each of which are very short, and build up further tension by
cutting each shot off with the non-diegetic sound of a camera shutter.
The lighting constantly fluctuates between the darker, low key shots
of the child, and the ambient lighting whenever he is with someone
else – indicating that the ability to ‘see dead people’ is his alone.
Characters are then introduced and the conversation of the child and
his therapist bridges scenes together, and gives meaning as to their
content, which shows him being bullied and outcast. Again, the actual
soundtrack is very quiet and almost unnoticeable, consolidating how
the film will focus more on its characters than actual scares. As he
confesses his ability to ‘see dead people’, a non-diegetic heartbeat
pumps in accordance with short, tension-building, dark shots, and
this continues for about 30 seconds. The shots are around a second
long and give the impression of hidden, visual information –
suggestive of a plot twist or some form of underlying mystery. Stabs
punctuate these shots in the semblance of thunderstorms which
eventually culminates in a longer, shallow focus shot of a children’s
room, followed by the inevitable jumpscare the whole trailer has been
building towards. A church organ, stabs, and drums can be heard in
the soundtrack as the montage begins, where diegetic and non-diegetic
sound compliment each other as shots are shown of someone
being shot, ghosts appearing, and a car crash. It then cuts to the title.
Establishing shots show stills of a cluttered room in a house, and shallow
focus close ups are used to depict the old toys littered everywhere. The shots
are framed with silence until one toy starts striking a high-pitched note on
his harp, which is then integrated into the soundtrack and recurrent through
the whole trailer, forming the basis of most of the sound in this trailer. Close
ups of these toys are then intercut with further still shots of the house and its
surroundings, enforcing the already-apparent gothic atmosphere. A little
girl’s voice then serves as the voiceover to the recurring high pitched note,
and this gives the impression of a childlike lullaby that suggests an area of
focus for the film. The shots are largely static and dimly lit as the trailer
progresses, and are timed in accordance with each strike of the note.
However, as the trailer approaches Radcliffe’s character going towards the
haunted house in the marshes, slow zooms and panning shots are used to give
the impression that the house is coming to life as he gets closer and closer –
an idea also supported by the notes getting faster and closer together in the
soundtrack. Almost every shot is lit using ambient lighting, but as this is
filmed in a gothic location, this is always dark, and all the colours available
are washed out greys and whites, implying that the house has drained all its
surroundings of any life. In one shot, the ‘woman in black’ herself is revealed
in a shallow focus long shot, and it is at this point stabs, drum beats, and
rattling sounds are added to the ‘lullaby’ bridging the scenes together,
turning it altogether more sinister, implying the corruption of innocence.
Proceeding this, the shots shorten in length, punctuated by the barrage of
new non-diegetic sounds building up to a crescendo, and depict various
conventions of the supernatural subgenre; ghosts, creepy children, excessive
amounts of fog. Unusually, only one strap is used to depict the actor’s name –
suggesting that he is the main selling point of the movie, as well as generating
more focus for the action at hand and more flow between the shots. An
extended scare is used in silence before a heavy drum is heard, and the scene
fades to the title strap with the sound of childish whispering.
9. There are few similarities between The Woman In Black and the Sixth Sense trailers. The typical ‘creepy child’ convention is utilised and recurrent throughout
both trailers, serving as the basis behind the soundtrack in The Woman in Black and the main character in The Sixth Sense. Innocence is juxtaposed with clear
visual horror as Cole (the boy in the Sixth Sense) is exposed to seeing ‘dead people’, and it is this theme that intercuts shots of Cole with low key lighting shots
of various ghosts and entities. Similarly, in The Woman in Black, the little girl’s voice anchors the gradually worsening scenes together through a non diegetic
sound bridge, implying that she also sees ‘dead people’ in the form of this woman in black, the ‘spectre of darkness’. This use of minimalistic contrapuntal
sound corresponds with the simplicity of The Sixth Sense trailer, which is more of a character study than a horror-laden exploration of the supernatural. In
conjunction with this, both trailers fail to actually depict any scenes of visual horror, and the antagonist(s) in these are only usually scene for an instant, or within
a shallow focus shot in the distance. Ultimately, this generates the ‘fear of the unknown’, a powerful tool in urging audiences to go and watch the film.
Due to the more unconventional nature of The Woman in Black trailer, a greater amount of differences can be observed between the two trailers. In the trailer for
The Sixth Sense, the non-diegetic soundtrack shifts and gradually loudens in accordance with the more hectic montage towards the end, changing from a
monotonous church organ to a heavy drumbeat. However, the lack of any real visual horrors here suggest that this soundtrack mimics the unravelling of a
characters mind, as many of these shots shift focus to Bruce Willis’ character – implying a psychological undercurrent for the film. The Woman in Black, on the
other hand, is almost entirely anchored together by the singsong narration of a child, and although a rise in violins and a use of a stab can be heard at the end, it is
short-lived, generating less tension but creating a more sinister atmosphere. Unlike the trailer for The Sixth Sense, a greater emphasis is placed on atmosphere and
environments within this trailer, with the majority of the shots comprising of slow zooms, long shots, and a mixture of low/high camera angles. Although the
character of Daniel Radcliffe is repeatedly shown – largely due to his celebrity status – the film focuses more on its visuals, and is reflective of the gothic subgenre
which it also falls into, also reflected in the Victorian clothing and poor conditions of the townsfolk. This also explains why the trailer draws attention away from
backstory, narrative, and character introductions, as it is primarily focused on creating a visual atmosphere that will summarise the premise of the film in a way
that its respective target audience will be able to recognise immediately. Furthermore, the Sixth Sense also displays a greater array of colours and shifts in scenery
multiple times, weaving a more complex narrative akin to the psychological subgenre it encapsulates, and the lighting and sounds are physically manipulated to fit
the scares on screen. By contrast, The Woman in Black retains the same, flat colours of black and grey throughout, with the majority of the gloomy lighting being
natural and the isolated voiceover serving as a narration to the scenes within the trailer. Generally, this gives the audience the impression that, although it is
visually striking, the Woman in Black is a simple, traditional horror film, while the Sixth Sense is a groundbreaking, mystery-laden horror thriller driven by its
characters and narrative.
10. The trailer opens with a series of long-medium range shots of the various characters, backed by a
modern pop-orientated soundtrack. A series of fades create further character depth, as one girl
states that their destination ‘doesn’t even show up on the GPS’, and this is evidently the
stereotypically unintelligent blonde of the group. These shots are all ambiently lit and depict the
characters wearing light colours, packed as a large group, with their upbeat and excited dialogue
serving as a sound bridge alongside the soundtrack. A sudden stab, followed by silence, is heard as
the extreme long shot of their caravan fades to black – the conventionally placed first strap depicting
gates opening (representative of the gates of hell) and implying that all is not all cheery as it seems. In
the next few scenes, where the gang meet a threatening hillbilly figure, the previous soundtrack is
replaced by a series of quiet orchestral movements that build up to crescendo’s that correspond with
every sinister line and visual device on screen. Shot-reverse-shots and eyeline matches are used to
introduce tension into the trailer, with zooms and slow pans giving the impression that they are
being watched as they approach their conventional ‘cabin in the woods’. Thus far, the target
audience will be well within familiar territory – but the next series of straps challenge this with ‘You
think you know the story….Think again’, suggesting a unique take on what otherwise appears to be
a stereotypical horror film trailer. This is then supported by the extended tracking shot of a bird
disintegrating on impact with a forcefield, in correlation with a rising crescendo that cuts to silence –
insinuating that this is the aspect of the narrative that has been changed, and the ‘turning point’
within the trailer. From the moment one of the characters ironically yearns to ‘get this party
started!’, various match-on-action shots are used to show men flicking switches intercut with shots
of various pheromone fogs rising from the ground, forcing the audience to ‘think again’ about the
nature of the horror at hand. Here, the non-diegetic sound of a drumbeat can be heard next to a
swelling of high-pitched violins that continue to crescendo and stab throughout the rest of the
trailer, consolidating the change in pace. The lighting darkens throughout the following shots, as
day turns to night and the lighting is either artificial or low key, symbolising the appearance of the
horror. At one point, the sound cuts to a comedic dialogue scene as one of the characters suggests
that they ‘split up’ = a common convention of horror films that usually gets the characters killed.
This highlights the films self-awareness, and mockery of conventions. Indeed, the film does not even
seem particularly focused on scaring its audience, as various manners of supernatural entities are
shown at high angle, wide shots, and a screamo soundtrack combines with this in order to create a
film designed purely for entertainment. This is reflective of the reason these characters are forced to
undergo such horrors. A montage of shots such as these occurs, followed by a fade to the title strap.
THE
CABIN IN
THE
WOODS
11. Although each of these horror film trailers are different in their own
right, analysing them has given me a much deeper understanding of
how I want my own trailer to look like. Despite The Woman in Black
trailer being my favourite for its sheer individuality, I have decided for
my trailer to follow a more conventional structure that is more
reflective of the composition of The Shining trailer. However, I feel that
the backstories and character introductions often detract from the
atmosphere being created within a trailer, as illustrated by Oculus, and
for this reason will only briefly introduce the characters of Joel and
Kerrie. This is because I want to focus on creating an atmospheric
trailer with highly vivid imagery, as I feel this is more likely to be
memorable as it strays from the normal expectations of a trailer while
sticking to the conventions of the subgenre. Regarding the non-diegetic
sound, The Sixth Sense’s use of a church organ may be replicated
during the final scenes of my own trailer, as I feel it evokes a feeling of
dread and foreboding that is second to no other instrument. Mainly,
however, the soundtrack to ‘The Basement’ trailer will be inspired by
The Woman in Black’s use of a single, high-pitched piano note, as the
silence between these sparse sounds is a greater indicator of tension
and uncertainty than any other sound could hope to produce. Within
the first half of my trailer, however, the scenes will be anchored
together by sudden orchestral stabs, with long periods of silence in
between, to create a stark contrast to the horrors available on screen.
In regards to this, more visual horror will be shown in my trailer than
any of the ones analysed above – with the possible exception of The
Cabin in the Woods. This will help enforce the imagery for the film and
resonate its unique premise.
