Horror Trailer Analysis

Having watched some horror trailers I was then able to tally the types of shots and camera movement and have represented them as bar charts, I was also able to comment on the sound, horror iconography and any issues of representation. The four trailers I looked at were; the anti-Christ, the fourth kind, nightmare on Elm Street and the crazies and the information I found is be below.
The Anti-Christ


Sound Significant dialogue Love, “what are you most afraid of...the woods”
Music: Harmonic opera music, a choir
Other noises: Panting, snapping sticks and animal cries
Horror iconography Girl in toilet, woods, darkness, house in the middle of the woods (isolation), Satan, anti-Christ and screaming
Issues of representation
Man has authority, vulnerable woman, sex and baby crying


The Fourth kind


SoundSignificant dialogue “staring at me”, “what you’re about the see is extremely disturbing”, “an owl” actress speaks as actress
Music: airy soft sounds, silence, high pitch screeching and loud drum beat
Other sounds: camera turning on and off, screaming and scratching
Horror Iconography True story recreated and real footage shown, isolated area, cabin in mountains, aliens and abductions, ancient links, legends.
Issues of representations Curious female, strong female, male victims and final girl theory

Nightmare on elm street


SoundSignificant dialogue: “anyone here”, casual chat, more talk about capture and nightmare
Music: metallic clanging sound, heavy drum beat getting faster
Other noises: fire, thunder, Banging and clanging and screaming
Horror Iconography Isolation, hallucinations (unknown), child, unknown person, hospital, phallus shaped objects
Issues of representations Men cope with it better, screaming girl-male gaze

The Crazies


Sound Music: Mad world by Gary Jules, airy quite soft song and a drum beat getting faster
Other noises: fire, screaming, gunshot and a silence
Horror Iconography: Trail of blood, no signal on phones- no connection with the outside world, mysterious character walking into a field, fire, zombie, a community event turned bad
Issues of representation: Dominant male characters, husband turns on his family-male gaze

Having completed this analysis of horror trailer, there a certain things traits that are common in all the horror trailers. the most common camera movements was moves away,moves nearer and moves down. i think these three were are most common in horror films because these moves create more intensity in the trailer. moves nearer may be used to make the viewer notice something they wouldn't have from a distance, moves away can be used to show the surroundings which may be shocking and moves downs may be used to show a how far away the characters are from contact and this was what i found the camera movements were often used for in the horror trailers i saw.

The types of shots that was frequently used were medium shot and close ups. close up are used very often in horror trailers because they create a sense of uneasiness. Also Long shots were often used to show isolation in the trailers i watched.

The sound in the horror trailers were usually airy, slow which got faster as more was revealed also there was usually a repetitive drumming beat.

Icon horror features in the trailers were blood, isolation and darkness these are common in horror trailers because they use actual fears people have and intensifying them making them even more scary. what i found which is not often used in horror trailers was in the fourth kind the actress spoke as an actress this was used to make it seem more realist as the film.