Analysing Horror Film Trailers

Analysis of Texas chainsaw massacre trailer

Beginning:
o Longer clips of footage
o Calmer music
o Less action
o Graphics
o A small clip of the problems to come.
o Starts off normal-equilibriums

Middle:
o Quick cuts-shots get shorter
o Non-diegetic sound- heart beats suggesting anxiousness and something bad is about to happen.
o Sounds get louder gradually
o Clips are made as pieces of photography symbolised by sounds of a camera

End:
o More graphics
o Edited scenes e.g. fades
o Quick cuts
o Very short, snappy scenes
o Louder more intense non-diegetic music
o More action sequences
o Title of film at the end followed by a short scary clip of the film.


Analysis of Sorority Row trailer

Beginning:
o More diegetic sound e.g. laughter, screaming and dialogue
o Equilibrium- in sequence
o Quick cuts
o Graphics explaining events
o Calmer action sequence

Middle:
o Intense action sequence e.g. more screaming
o More lighting to show intense action
o More use of non-diegetic sound
o Clips are longer to explain more of the action sequence
o Language used in graphics are negative

End:
o Very quick cuts-rushes the action sequence
o Dramatic non-diegetic sound
o Diegetic sounds is amplified
o Title of film at the end followed by a short scary clip of the film.