This is a analysis of three horror trailers

1. Conventions of Horror
Film trailers
By Mohamed Bushra

2. Purpose of film trailers
• A film trailer is made to publicize the film before it
is published in cinemas, it is a type of promoting
which elevates the film to the audience, ought to
the trailer be effective, the targeted audience will
come to watch the film when it has been released.
• The trailer does not reveal the whole story of the
film, but only shows several plots. The effect this
has on the audience is that they are curious and
encouraged wanting to find more about what
happens in the actual film.

3. • When looking at different genres, the effect that
the director wants to create through the use of a
trailer will vary.
• For example in a comedy film, the director wants to
create a light-hearted atmosphere, therefore
he/she includes funny plots from the film to make
the viewer laugh.
• On the other hand, a horror trailer will create a
mysterious atmosphere trying to scare the viewer.

4. Film Titles
• Every film trailer starts with a
disclaimer which shows which
audience is suitable for the film,
films have to show this so that
anyone who is not suitable to watch
the film can stop watching.
• Additionally, the titles of the
producers and distributors of the
film are also shown in the opening
trailer. A great example of these in
the trailer of Annabelle These are
included so that the studio needs to
get credit for the work they have
done.

5. Annabelle title analysis
• The film title appears at the end of the
trailer.
• Font style: The font of the title is Serif Font,
this font creates a serious mood connoting
that the movie will not be light-hearted.
• Motion: The text appears from the wall
with the text camouflaging the pattern of
the wallpaper, which is an ominous feeling
created. This again connotes to the
audience that this film is about ‘spooky’
activities in the house. The name is coming
out of the wall, because at the beginning of
the trailer the woman died near a wall and
the letter ‘A’ was on it.
 Added to the motion of the title, there
is the source of light that moves from
top left of the screen to the right. This
motion creates a shadow under the
title of the film, this shadow creates
shapes of coffins when looked at
closely which is a sign of death.
Connoting to the audience that this
film is unpleasant.

6. • During the trailer there are also
other titles being shown such as
the producers’ name and other
films that he directed e.g. The
Conjuring.
• These inform the audience
about the genre, but also what
they can aspect to see in the
film.
• By showing the name of the
previous of film it shows that
this is prequel of ‘The
Conjuring’. This is a great way of
attracting audience that have
enjoyed the movie and now can
see this one.
 Throughout the trailer, the
audience is being invited to
find out more about
Annabelle “THIS OCTOBER
FIND OUT WHAT SHE
WANTS”, this has been done
also trough the use of titles
by sticking to the same font
style and background.

7. Applying theories to ‘Annabelle’
• I will apply Vladimir Propp theory of characters function in a narrative to this
trailer as it fits very well.
• In this movie there several characters:
• Annabelle (Villain) 
• Mia Gordon (The princess/victim) 
• John Gordon ( Sort of hero) 
• Father Perez (Donor & Helper). 

8. • Annabelle is clearly the villain in this film, this is because she is behind the
chaos surrounding the family if Mia. She is doing this because she has the
blood of the satanic couple that was murdered in the beginning of the
trailer.
• Mia is the victim in the trailer but in Propp’s theory she is sort of the
princess, she is established to be this character as throughout the trailer she
is the one that gets attacked by Annabelle.
• John is the hero, but he only suits this role for the first 30 seconds as we see
him fighting in these seconds and he tells Mia ‘go inside’ to protect her. He
then shares the role of being a victim, but Mia is the main focus of
Annabelle. He is not the main victim as in trailer regarding families the dad
is not teased and this is properly because of our stereotype that men are
stronger than females physically and in horrors it is also mentally.

9. • Father Perez is the donor & helper, the audience know this because of
their previous experience in ‘The Conjuring’ which also contained a
priest. We also know that he is a donor & helper because he offers
advise to the family on how to deal with Annabelle.

10. Mise-en-scene: Location
• By the look of the trailer the
story is based in a family
home, especially the bedroom.
The director chose this
location because this is where
most of us feel safe and is our
private area that not many
people visit and by disrupting
this he creates a suspense in
our subconscious.
• The house is portrayed as a
dark, uncomfortable and cold
place. This is because of the
chiaroscuro lighting used, plus
the shadows. This makes the
audience feel unwelcome and
sets the horror genre directly.

11. Camerawork & Editing
• In the film trailer of ‘Annabelle’ the director used a
variety of camera shots. The trailer begins in a slow
pace, as everything is being introduced to us. There
are a lot ellipsis cuts in the trailer, however the
pace builds up ones the scary couple appear which
creates tension and drama.
• This feeling gets stronger due to the combination of
non-diegetic sound which has a increasing beat but
also flashing jump cuts to disorientate the viewer.

12. Sound
• The trailer starts with non-diegetic sound which is a
short bass, followed by the conversation of Mia &
John. The bass catches the viewer by surprise and
creates tension as Mia heard a scream next door.
• The bass appears again but with increasing tempo
and volume after John comes out of other house
covered in blood. This builds the tension in the room
as we know that something big will happen. This is
when we see a women holding a doll, at this point
the sound is cut off and the screen is black.
• We only hear “I like your dolls” from the women,
which directs us to the conclusion that this movie
will be about the doll she was holding.

13. Establishing The Genre
• I concluded that ‘Annabelle’ is a horror film,
because of the events that were shown in the
trailer. For example she turns the music player on,
which is a supernatural event.
• Additionally, there are a lot of semiotic meanings in
the trailer. Such as the use of chiaroscuro lighting,
jumpy music, goriness, make up etc.

14. Scream title analysis
• The title of the film diminishes (big to
small) as the film continues. The text is
in bold put on a black background, this
makes it stand out but also shows the
purity of the colour white being
trapped by the black background
connoting bad.
• The letter ‘a’ in the word scream turns
red and in a knife symbol. Meaning that
the word ‘Scream’ has great
significance and the film will contain a
lot of screaming. Additionally, the
colours are also important here. The
letter ‘a’ is in red and it creates a
negative atmosphere as red connotes
danger. The rest of the word was white
and we usually link white with ghosts.

15. • The titles in the trailer are on a black
background covered in smoke, this creates a
ghost theme.
• And the words ‘A GHOST FROM THE PAST’
connotes that a person from the past is coming
back. This can mean a victim that survived in
other films or the villain himself.
• The text is in capitals and looks like the font is
‘Ariel’ or ‘Calibri’. There text is not funky but
rather serious suggesting the genre, as horror
uses our fears against us.
• The text ‘ONE CALL STARTED IT ALL’ revers back
to the previous ‘Scream’ films and how the
villain started killing his victims.

16. Characters
• The victims in the trailer are
mostly females with the addition
of some male characters, who
are linked to the victims.
However, in this film a victim
that survived (Sydney) in the
previous films is back.
• This is unusual for horror films
as the villain makes sure that no
victims survive, but it appears
that he’s back to finish what he
started.

17. • Sydney is the final girl in the previous film,
everyone was killed around her but she survived.
• The final girl is re-establishes a new equilibrium by
confronting her own fears.

18. Setting/Location
• Horror movies are usually set in the
woods or an isolated area where it
would be hard for the characters to
escape, easier for the villain to
dispose their bodies and cover his
tracks. On the other hand, Scream
goes against this as it uses a public
setting.
• This is because we all feel safe
when attending school, thinking
that nothing can happen to us.
• The trailer also reveals other
locations, such as the houses of the
victims which are in isolated areas.
There he successfully gets into their
mind and starts playing mind games
with them.

19. • The effect of using public places on the audience, is
that it will build fear into them by thinking that
events such as in the trailer can occur there.
• The threat and fear that is created in this film is
concerned with the invasion of our familial and
domestic locations. The killer invades the home and
attacks his victims there.

20. Editing & Camerawork
• We see a lot of medium close
ups in the trailer, the audience
sympathise and connect with
the characters. This is due to
the emotions shown.
• There are also wide shots used
to denote that several
characters will be at risk, but
also to keep everyone in the
shot so the audience can
question who the victim is or
the villain.
• This actively engages the
audience as they start
guessing who the killer is
based on what they have seen.

21. • The use of high angle during scenes
where the victims get attacked, is to
show vulnerability and weakness as
the audience are looking down on
the victim.
• We also look up to the villain as he
stabs the character, we see this from
her position. This makes the villain
look powerful and dominant.
• The trailer also uses eye line match
to ask the audience ‘WHATS YOUR
FAVORITE SCARY MOVIE’, this gets
the audience to think that their
favourite film might turn into reality.
• The trailer also contains handheld
camera and

22. Sound
• The trailer contains slow drum beats which build up as
the trailer continues. The pace of the drums picks up as
with the jump cuts, it gets faster because it enforces a
shock as a reaction from the audience.
• Your heart beats faster as the notes of the non-diegetic
sound get closer, which builds up to events such as
stabbing of characters. Additionally, the trailer contains
a lot of ‘screams’ from female characters.
• The sound of screaming is a reaction of the victims to
release their fear at that time, but also to alarm the
audience that terrible things are happening.

23. • Other sound found in the trailer, is the phone
ringing. Which is part of semiotic used by the
director to connote that it is a way the killer
chooses and communicates with his victim.

24. Costume
• The costume of the characters in the trailer
is that they’re wearing casual clothing. In
contrast, the killer wears a black clothe
which implies that he’s the villain as we
associate the colour black with mystery
and the unknown.
• Additionally he wears a white mask with
the black clothe, this is to hide his/her
identity but also to create fear into the
victims. The colour contrast between the
mask and the black clothe can represent a
good deed that the villain thinks he’s
doing.
• White shows purity, however the
proportion of black is greater than white
there it connotes that is maybe too late to
help the villain has he/she is deeply lost.

25. Iconography
• Iconography can be seen as a ‘genre
indicator’, as we expect to see certain
objects on screen for a particular genre.
• Scream and other classic horror films use
knives and masks. These are used
throughout the film to signify the villain.
• A knife is an intimate violent weapon,
the only way for the killer to attack is
from close range and hit many times.
This increases the pain and fear of the
victim as the killer is so close.
• The mask is used a way to disguise the
identity of the killer, that’s why horror
film use them. This also disorientates the
viewer.

26. Audience Pleasure
• Rick Altman (1999) argues that genre offers audiences’
a set of pleasures. These pleasures are emotional,
visceral and intellectual puzzles pleasures.
• For an horror film to be effective, the positioning of the
audience needs to be perfect. This can be within a
scene where we are in the shoes of the victim waiting
for the killer to attack us.
• The use of POV forces us to enter this state and
experience the fear of the victim, the dangerous
situations we experience make the pleasure of the film
final and our safety even more substantial.

27. • The pleasures that horror films provide the
audience is emotional and visceral pleasure as
Slasher films such as ‘Scream’ generate a strong
response from the audience. Additionally, the
goriness elicits a physical effect upon the audience.

28. Establishing the Genre
• We know that this is a horror film because of the
violence, blood and the type of editing used which
gives the audience a scare.
• The costume, props and location also give a away the
genre of this trailer. For example the mask, knife and
black clothe of the villain tells the audience that there
will be violent scenes and goriness.
• Having seen the previous ‘Scream’ movies I know that
this is a Slasher film.
• However if I didn’t see the previous films, than the clue
will be in the title as the number ‘4’ is in red and looks
like a sharp knife as previously stated.

29. The Women in Black Title
Analysis
• The trailer reveals that Cross
Creek Pictures, Momentum
Pictures and HAMMER
produced this film. Cross
Creek has produced ‘Black
Swan’, ‘Pride and Prejudice
and Zombies’

30. • The title colour is white put on a black
background, the colours are serious as black
connotes death and the white purity.
• The text is simple and appears out of the
black background, like it is trying to escape
the darkness. Suggesting something being
trapped in the dark.
• The words ‘FEAR’, ‘HER’ and ‘CURSE’ are
shown in in order. The director is talking
directly to the audience, warning them of
what is to come.
• The texture of the text is bold and slightly
eroded again serious connoting pain and
death. Therefore the audience decode fear
from these 3 words.
• The film title appears from the background
but this time there is more smoke, it
appears from behind the smoke. Connoting
that something will show itself in the film.

31. Characters
• The protagonist in the film is Arthur
Kipps who is a young lawyer. We
know that he’s the main character
because of the colour scheme of this
costume.
• He wears a strong black suits,
compared to other characters it is
very dark as theirs is more greyish.
• We also see a lot children in the
trailer, which would suggest that they
have a significant role to play.
• Additionally we see a women in one
of the scenes screaming, but we
don’t know who she is and why she
is screaming.

32. Mise-en-scene: Costume &
Props
• Using dolls and toys is a
feeling of purity,
innocence and are
associated with our
childhood. However, this
is not their role in a
horror film as it creates a
sinister atmosphere.
• The dolls and toys also
portray a disturbing scene
as it shows an effect if
tension and fear. As the
doll is just looking straight
on the audience.

33. Setting/Location
• Most of the settings shown
appear dark and isolated, which
creates a sense of fright as the
character is abandoned from the
rest.
• We also see children shown
from behind bars (fence), we
associate bars as being
trapped/imprisoned. Therefore
the children are trapped because
of the ‘women in black’
• The location of the house is in
the middle of woods which is a
convention of horror films, the
house is surrounded from all
sides therefore also emphasising
that the character is surrounded.

34. • The colour & lighting in the beginning are
bright but as the trailer continues gets
darker. The colour black is mostly used and
portrays a sense of death and danger.
• The trailer shows the room of a child,
followed by all the toys and dolls. We
directly associate the film to be about
children.
• Modern horror films are using our loved
ones against us. We see children as
innocence and pure, however this trailer
uses them to frighten us.
• We also see an establishing shot of the
village, so we know that it is not a modern
film.
• From this I can say that the film is based in
Victorian times, due to the costume and the
buildings used.

35. Editing & Camerawork
• As every horror trailer at the beginning the pace is slow,
however as we reach the end of the trailer you see quick,
fast and jump cuts which all help to build tension. The pace
of these cuts makes the audience wonder of the scenes they
just saw and creates a sense of fear into them.
• An example from the trailer is the black fades between each
scene and the showing of ‘the women in black’.
• Additionally , the use of parallel editing creates this fear. We
see toys moving in one room, children’s tea party in the
other and then the protagonist (Women in black).
• The use of these events and techniques foreshadows to the
audience that something bad might happen.

36. • The trailer contains several close
ups of toys in the house, they’re
positioned in the middle of the
screen therefore fitting the rule of
thirds of composition.
• The camera zooms in the toys and
shows their eyes clearly, this
creates an emotional relationship
with the audience but at the same
time it makes you uncomfortable
to be that close.
• The close up used creates a sense
of suspense and unease as you
focus is only on the dolls/toys.

37. • Additionally there also long shots used, mainly to
set the setting. For example you see location where
there is only fog and mud, the colour scheme us
greyish.
• Additionally, we see a cross in the scene which the
camera and the character focuses on. This connotes
that the atmosphere is gloomy, dull and the theme
of death.
• We also find high angle shots, these are mainly
used on the main character. They show the
character to be small compared to the surroundings
but also how he is isolated in a large house.
• In one of the scenes a high angle shot is combined
with a POV shot, as it appears that the audience is
standing on the stairs and are looking down on the
character.
• The effect of this is that we see the character as
powerless, vulnerable and most importantly a
victim.

38. Sound
• The trailer uses non-diegetic and incidental music which is a
children’s music box. The use of children’s toys connotes
innocence and purity, however the pace of the music is slow
and calm and as I said before it make the audience uneasy.
• We hear the music in every scene that involves toys and
dolls, this reminds the audience that children will play a big
part in this movie.
• Diegetic sound has also been used successfully, for example
with the weather (lightning, rain etc.) this creates a dark and
gloomy atmosphere and the audience will think that
something will happen as we associate these sounds with
something negative.
• These two have been combined and when played it takes
away the child-like innocence and purity which puts the
audience in an uncomfortable situation.

39. • At the end of the trailer we see fast paced
scenes, however the use of sound was
minimal. We expect to hear diegetic
sound of what is happening in the scene
e.g. fire, screams etc.
• However, the only thing that continues
playing is the music box but it is
asynchronous as it doesn’t fit what is
happening on the screen. The effect on
the audience is that they’re disorientated
as what they’re hearing doesn’t link to
what they’re seeing.
• The power of silence has been used in
this trailer, the silence builds tension.

40. Semiotics
• In the trailer we see a picture of a family in
which the eyes are removed by someone.
• The eyes are seen as someone’s identity, the
windows into one’s soul and a prominent part
of the imagery. (“The Black Cat” & “The Tell-
Tale Heart”).
• Therefore, this family’s soul has been removed
and makes us question by who.
• The use of a deserted mansion, it adds to the
themes of fear and tension as it is the centre of
the trailer.
• For iconography, the use of the dolls and toys
connotes the genre of the film. This is because
the audience look for clues to identify the
genre and their foreknowledge they bring to
the trailer allows them to identify the genre
easily.

41. Establishing the Genre
• The audience established that this is a horror film,
from the film titles e.g. ‘The Most chilling Ghost
Story of Our Time’ which suggest supernatural
events happening.
• The use of dolls and toys as part of semiotics
connotes the genre.

42. Conclusion of conventions
Sound
• Lots of non-diegetic sound
• Voice over
• Mood
Setting/Location
• Isolated places
• Abandoned house
• Isolated town
• Countryside
• Woods
Props
• Knife
• Axe
• Supernatural power
• Never a gun, weapon needs to kill you slowly
and painfully
Characters
• Parents
• Teenagers
• Children
• Villain/Killer
Villain/Killer
• Psycho
• Masked killer
• Usually male
• Ghost/Demon
• Doll
• Outcast
Colour scheme
• Dark
• Gloomy
• Blackish/Greenish

43. Editing
• Short clips
• Jump cuts
• Fade to black
Camerawork
• Close ups
• Establishing shots
• Tracking
• High angles
• Wide shots
Titles (Order)
• Disclaimer
• Distribution companies
• Film title
• Release date
Camerawork
• Close ups
• Establishing shots
• Tracking
• High angles
• Wide shots
• POV
• Handheld

44. Iconography
• Dark Colours
• Lighting non-naturalistic
• Props (weapons and
masks)
Narrative Structure
• Hero/protagonist
• Final girl
• Reasons behind the
objectives of the killer
Themes
• Good vs Evil
• Supernatural
• Nightmares
• Lust
• Beyond death
• Religion
• Zombies
• Revenge

45. Fears reinforced by horror films:
• Vulnerability – something that the audience has experienced and has
effected their life
• Fear of the unknown – Humans are known to be scared of the unknown
• Death – this also an unknown, you can’t escape it or predict how you die
• Nightmares – Everyone has experienced
What the film does to the audience:
• Scares and makes them panic, causing your brain to release adrenaline
and increase your heart rate.
• Invokes new fears or fears that we tried to hide for a long time. The new
fears will last long after the film has finished.
• Not all horror films end in a way that we expected, leaving the audience
in a shock.

46. Thank You