- Isolated Location
- Ghosts/supernatural
- Darkness
- Fear of the unknown
All of these conventions are evident in The Conjuring Trailer
The trailer is divided up into 3 parts. The first part ends at 0:33 when the wardrobe door opens. This is when the atmosphere/mood of the trailer changes-the music stops, and an eerie silence takes its place. The audience see the first glimpse of the 'supernatural' thing that is haunting the family. The second part begins here but ends at 1:25, when the pictures come crashing down, and non digetic music is played with the title credits. The genre is established through these credits, as the still I took from the trailer 'from the director of Saw and Insidious' the audience would recognize it to be a horror film because of these two very successful, previous popular horror films. Similarly, the credits 'Based on a true story' again frighten the audience as it has actually happened to people before and therefore could happen to them.
The digetic sound at the beginning of this trailer is very effective, in terms of creating a build up and suspense. The family whom are excited to be entering their new home shout things like "I get my own room" and the audience would recognize the ordinary characters that are relate-able, which enables the audience to have a more in depth relationship with the characters and therefore when the characters are scared so are the audience. As the trailer progresses the horror conventions become more evident the screams of the family for example and the voice of whatever it may be that is haunting the family. All of these aid the feelings of fear and terror that the audience cannot escape.
The non digetic song 'Time of the Season' by The Zombies that plays establishes the era in which the film is set in the 1970's. Similarly the orchestral music that is a sort of backing track for the trailer, all add to the intrigue felt by the audience, for example; when the man is walking through the hallway slowly towards the door there is a loud orchestral music playing and it builds audience anticipation as they will think what is he going to find at the end? Then when the music has reached the climatic finish there is a loud bang and the cut to black editing is really effective again reinforcing the audiences further intrigue as they become engrossed in the trailer.
The Mise-En-Scene is also effective in this trailer, the family are dressed in typical 1970's fashion the man has a very unfashionable mustache and jumper, again reinforcing the era. The family look like a typical happy family, and this is where the fear is evoked, reiterating the idea that the family look very ordinary and are relate-able to the audience viewing the trailer.
The location is a isolated, vast, perhaps quite ancient house. The fact the house looks quite old and this implies there is a history behind its previous inhabitants, either good or bad, but evidently it is a horror film so it is inevitable it will be bad. The first full view of the house in the darkness is at 1:03, it is overwhelmed in complete darkness, and what comes with the darkness is of course the fear of the unknown. The use of low key lighting in this particular still from the trailer enhances the eerie atmosphere as there is only a single light on in the house, and the trees almost look like a forest around the house again reinforcing the idea of an isolated location a typical convention of a horror.
Editing is vital for audience interest in a horror trailers. In most horror trailers including this one, the editing begins slow, setting the scene and then when the supernatural occurrences begin, the pace usually speeds up and add to the audience intrigue. Cuts to black, are also highly effective as they conceal vial information that the audience want to know and only reveal a small part of the plot. The clips used in the trailer never reveal an ending but they do have an almost story line, and the trailers do tell a story. It starts off with a happy family moving into their new home and suddenly something bad happens but the audience are never sure if the problem the character/s face gets solved again an way of inciting the audience further.
I also decided to look at a Romantic Comedy trailer, in order to recognize how it is different to a horror film through media language and conventions and how through these too factors it entices the audience to go and watch it.
Rom com conventions:
- A man and woman in love
- Issue preventing them from being together
- Aspects of comedy
- Sometimes another person in the way
The use of non digetic sound at the beginning of the trailer immediately establishes the genre. The music used could be considered quite comical, perhaps slightly slapstick, similarly with the voice over narrating 'Ruben's' Life in perhaps a slightly mocking way. This music is quickly cut at 0.34 when the 'problem' that is evident in a Rom com arises. Again different music is played is a more sympathetic way however again it is quite mocking and patronizing towards the main character making him appear foolish. As 'Ruben' recognizes the problem and begins to try to solve it, the music becomes less mocking and makes him look as if he is in control of the situation. The love interest is then introduced and that is where the interest within the audience lies. As this is continued throughout the duration of the trailer the audience wonder whether they will end up together or not.
Similarly the use of Mise-En-Scene again is effective as like in 'The Conjuring' the two characters in 'Along came Polly' are very relate-able as they are ordinary working class people. This is portrayed through the clothes they wear, the apartments they live in and because of their jobs. All of this would be of interest to the audience as they feel they can relate to the characters and therefore have a deeper connection with them.
The use of lighting is usually natural light to reflect that of a realistic and relate-able place in which the audience can relate too. There is never usually complete darkness in a Rom-Com, but there can sometimes be Low Key Lighting sometimes to create a romantic scene with candles etc. in order to show the developing relationship between the two characters.
Camera work in a Rom-Com trailer is slightly different to that of a Horror. The use of long shots are often present in Rom-Com trailers to tell the story and show the two characters together this is shown in 'Along Came Polly' when they are dancing together, and eating at the restaurant together. However Close Ups are used in both horror and Rom-Com as they portray heightened emotions of the characters whether is be absolute fear and terror of the character in a horror film or the heartbreak or happiness of a character in a Rom-Com in both they are highly effective in expressing the emotions of the character and perhaps the audience as they would have built a relationship with the relate-able characters present in both.
In horror films like 'The Conjuring' high and low angle shots are often used to show superiority of specific characters or in this case super natural 'beings' They make not only the character feel inferior but the audience too which again evokes the feelings of terror and horror within the audience.
Editing in this particular trailer is at a very consistent pace throughout, it like 'The Conjuring' trailer tells a story in the trailer, but conceal important plot lines in order for the audience to go and watch it to find out what happens. However in contrast to horror trailers the editing is at a slower pace, this is mainly because it is reflecting that of ordinary day life, and unlike a horror the fast pace almost represents the audience's heart beating fast in anticipation whereas in a Rom-Com this is not the desired effect on the audience.
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