Codes and Conventions of Genre Specific Posters and Trailers: Horror

Hamish Taylor-Law

Language

Horror film trailers often use similar language styles to create a sense of fear. Here are few examples of the vocabulary commonly used.

Text Style

In previous years horror films would often write with a hand drawn text that looked like blood

But as technology has progressed and film posters are no longer hand drawn, often film titles appear as if the words have been scratched in, as the connotations of this are pain and fear.

Other horror movies have started writing in AN OVER COMPUTERISED STYLE depending on the subgenre of the horror, as these are designed to look like home movies

Brand Identity

Brand Identity - Saw Horror films such as Saw that become a

franchise with multiple sequels because they are so successful often play on the fact that they are so well known

They will use key icons in the film to advertise new films because they are so well recognised

In this poster, they use the face of the main antagonist, and even though his face is very vaguely made, Saws target audience will know immediately who it is

They also do not even specify the name of the film, people know because of the font and roman numerals what film it is.

Also they use ‘he’ and don’t name who ‘he’ is, but the audience know exactly who they’re talking about.

Other Examples of Brand Identity

Freddy VS. Jason

Halloween Nightmare on Elm Street

Scream Chucky

Blue filter and Colour Palette

Horror films often use colour correction in post production and this comes across in their trailers. Typical they will use a bluey-green filter over their entire film, and stronger in particular scenes.

SAW

The Ring

These cold colours are supposed to make the audience feel scared, whereas warm colours such as orange and yellow make the audience feel safe and comfortable. The only time they may use these colours in the trailer could be at the beginning with the comforting start (see slide)

Comforting Start

Horror film trailers often have very calm and comforting beginnings to build suspense and lull the audience into a false sense of security

If the trailer jumped straight into the action it would not be as shocking or have the same impact

The lighting and the music are often a lot more brighter in comparison to the rest of the trailer

The switch is usually immediate and signaled by a phrase or title appearing on the screen

Carrie (2013)

Dark Circles (2013)

Representation

Gender and age are often represented quite similarly across horror films

Females are either represented as pure innocents that are being terrorised by this threat or as promiscuous troublemakers

The promiscuous females are usually killed off quite quickly and are unlikeable whereas the innocent ones usually survive

Teenagers are usually represented as foolhardy and children as innocence that has been corrupted or possessed by this evil

Recurring Motifs

There are certain objects or concept that often appear in horror films and trailers

They have become convention of horror films Some examples of these motifs are children and

innocence, and the use of eyes

Motifs Cont.

There are other conventional themes that occur in horror trailers that aren't just objects.

For example the location and lighting are often used in a particular way to create a sense of fear

The location is usually secluded (though there are some exceptions) and the lighting is usually artificial and inconsistent

Shrooms is an example of a film set in a secluded location in the Woods in Ireland.

28 Days Later is an example of an exception to this as it is set in daylight London. However it is secluded in another way as it is deserted which makes it more eerie

Sound and Music

Diegetic sound that is actually occuring in the scene during horror film trailers is majority diaglougue. They will often edit key bits of dialogue and cut them together over different scenes to establish the storyline

In terms of non-diegetic sound horror trailers often have a low rumbling throughout the trailer with classical instrument such as violins with high screeches

Some trailers also have sound effects like scratching and creeking that will have been added in by a Foley artist

Their may also be a voiceover artist that may explain the story but this is less common in horror films

The ‘cut back’

At the end of horror film trailers there is usually another final ‘jump’ after the title has been shown

For example in The Wicked, the end title is shown and then a head and shoulders shot of the main character, then it quickly jumps as she is grabbed and the trailer ends

THE WICKED TRAILER

Bibliography

Absurd Carrie Chucky Dark Circles The Eye Freddy VS Jason Halloween Insidous Nightmare on Elm street The Omen Orphan Paranormal Activity The Ring The Ring 2 Saw Scream 4 Shrooms 28 Weeks Later