Product Research - Film Trailers

This trailer begins with the licence which allows all audiences to view this trailer. Most people expect to see these licences at the beginning of film trailers. This then cuts to the production company, to establish whether it is mainstream or independent. Since this film only has one production company it suggests that this is an independent trailer. A very loud animal-like growling sound is heard which unsettles and shocks the audience, which is followed by a very loud continuous buzzing sound which is continuous throughout the whole trailer. Plain white text then appears on a black background giving us a history of the story. This clip is also shown right at the beginning of the movie, and being included in the trailer, at the start, suggests that this is the most important aspect of the film. This then cuts to a hand-held shot of the woods and a quotation from a review by ‘Newsday’ is shown on top of the shot. Whilst this is being shown, we can hear a lady screaming and crying in the background making the audience wonder about what is going on. There is some sort of eerie chant in the background which is also continuous throughout the whole trailer. When this shot cuts to another hand held shot of the woods with another review quotation from ‘Entertainment Weekly’, a very loud, unsettling lightning sound is heard during the transition. This sound unsettles the audience as they are unaware that they are going to hear something like this, and it is much unexpected, surprising the audience. The shot is not very clear and this confuses the audience as they do not know what is going on. However, the quotations may persuade the audience to go and watch the film because if it is getting good reviews, the audience may feel that the film is worth going to watch. This quotation form ‘Entertainment Weekly’ then cuts to another hand held shot of someone running through the woods. The man is screaming someone’s name very loudly and is very out of breathe suggesting he is very scared and is trying to run away from something, at the same time, trying to find his friend. The lightning sound is again heard as this transition takes place, again unsettling the audience. When this shot cuts to the title of the film, which is on a plain black background, the lightning/screaming sound is heard and is very loud and is very long in duration. This shocks the audience. Another plain background shot is shown with ‘This Summer’ written on it in a plain, white font. At this point, we can hear a woman screaming and crying but we don’t see who it is, intriguing the audience as they want to find who she is and why she is crying. After this shot, the film’s website is shown, and here we can hear people screaming, crying and out of breathe, suggesting that they are, or have been, running. The audience may feel that they are not told much as they have not been able to see much in this trailer. The lighting is very dark and the whole trailer is in black and white, making the audience wonder what actually happens. Because the audience are kept in isolation, and do not actually get to see the people in the film, it may want them to go and watch the film to find out what actually happens. All of these techniques are conventions of horror film trailers.
(The duration of this trailer is 40 seconds).



The trailer starts with the logos of the different production companies involved. This establishes whether this film is going to be mainstream or independent. Since there are several production companies, it suggests that this is a mainstream movie. There is then a shot of the moon which cuts to a high angle shot of two cars on an empty road. The darkness and moon implies that something bad is going to happen. The music from the beginning of the trailer is sort of techno, dance music, but this then cuts to eerie, empty sounds when the shot fades out and into the text. This causes the mood to change and surprise the audience. The text which appears has a fire like background, and the colours used are orange and red. These colours are usually associated with danger. The text which continuously appears on the screen after the movie shot fades out. The text is only a sentence long, and tells aspects of the narrative of the film at different times. This technique is used to try and persuade the audience to watch the film because they may feel as if they now want to find out what happens at the end, being told what happens at the beginning. Scanning and tracking shots are used to establish the isolated setting. The six friends are shown from different angles implying they are being watched from everywhere. This is then shown when it cuts to a point of view shot of someone looking at them through a window. We only see their hand which creates suspense and makes the audience wonder who is watching them and why. There is a worm’s eye view of two friends walking up the stairs which suggests that by entering this building, they will be placed in danger. The music consists of drumbeats which get faster and louder as the two friends decide to have a look at the building. When inside, there are very short duration shots of the different things inside, and of the friends themselves. These shots are broken up by fades which creates mystery for the audience as they are not getting to see the full picture properly. This then cuts to a very unclear, dark image and only a creaking sound is heard. This suggests to the audience that something unexpected is going to happen. This immediately cuts to a very fast paced montage of close ups of the friends screaming and breathing very heavily. The close ups allow the audience to see the fear in their eyes. These shots are very unclear and are in the dark which unsettles the audience as they do not know what is going on. The action begins after this shot, and the music becomes very fast paced and is still quite eerie. The music increases in pace and volume until it reaches a crescendo. It then goes back to the drumbeat which mirrors the audience’s heartbeat. The texts which appear now are explained by the shots used. Such as ‘There is a reason they look so real’ is shown between one of the friends who is stuck in a chair and is having hot wax poured over him. This cuts to the title of the film, melting, as it is made with wax. The music becomes very eerie at this moment, unsettling the audience. This then fades out with the voice of one of the friends saying ‘what’s going on?’ but we don’t see her face. There is a close up of a hand coming through the wax wall, and then it cuts to the website of the film and ‘Coming Soon’. The audience think that the trailer is over, but there is another very short duration shot right after which surprises and scares the audience as they were not expecting something else to appear. All of these techniques are conventions of horror film trailers.(The duration of this trailer is 1 minute and 55 seconds).