Sound in trailers

Sound is an effective tool when enhancing emotions and creating the tone of the trailer. A soundtrack as well as sound effects, must be chosen carefully to give off the right impression and create the desire mood.
Here are a few examples of sound effects in trailers and how they've been used for certain techniques.

1. The pulsating, electronic music in the Tron Legacy trailer

The soundtrack chosen for this trailer was made by Daft Punk; an electronic music duo. This particular song is full of heavy drum beats, a low electronic rhythm and dramatic pulses.
Since the film is based on a videogame, this suits the futuristic, modern atmosphere that the audience is meant to get absorbed into. Unlike some of the other soundtracks used in the movie, this one has a serious, dark vibe to it. This technique makes the trailer itself seem daunting and almost sinister. It gives the impression that the film's plot will be grave and serious.



2. The serene music at the start of 'Transcendence'

These effects are achieved with classic instruments (e.g. a piano, or a violin), with lengthy notes for a slow, peaceful experience.
The idea of the movie is a scientific experiment which will allow humans to 'transcend' and achieve greatness. It is a dream which combines natural gifts, technology and intelligence to form a perfect ideal.
The sounds fit with the clips shown. The sombre notes are played as images of the earth, Cities and machines come onto the screen. It creates the feeling that we are lonely and insignificant beings, ignorant to the vast universe and in need of power. It is not an exhilarating experience, which would suit the excitement of such a life changing prospect. Instead, the trailer is sophisticated and recognises the serious consequences of this experiment; rather than just hyping it up as a cool thing to make our lives more fun and luxurious. Since the trailer starts off as quite morbid, there isn't a dramatic change in the tone as things start to go wrong later in the video.
3. The distorted, echoed low hums in The Grudge trailer

This strange sound is mixed with distorted voices and high pitched screams. It brings a ghostly presence by sounding inhuman and otherworldly.
The way in which the sounds drag on and flow in all directions, mirrors the way that the Grudge moves and creates the sense that she is always haunting you. The music is mixed with louder, dramatic drop sounds cut through the relaxed atmosphere, for the more scary scenes. This works well for the jump scares.





Foley artists are people who add sound effects to videos, especially when they are not recorded at the time of filming. They can emphasise noise, change sounds and make up sounds which are otherwise unnatural.

This clip explains what Foley artists are, how some sounds are created and where the work originated from.
For example, a punch in an action movie wouldn't really make such a loud thump. Foley artists have recorded this noise by simple actions, like hitting an apple with a baseball bat - and layering this sound over the visuals.
But in recent years, modern technology (e.g. pre-recorded sounds) are more commonly used due to convenience and time saving. Foley artists must be careful to sync the sound to the action, very precisely to make it believable.


Diegetic sound is when the source of the sound is visible on screen.

This clip from Texas Chainsaw Massacre, shows leatherface using a chainsaw, the cops beating him and some hands being sawn off.
We can hear the chainsaw, the thumping sounds and the gruesome squelches at the same time that these images are being displayed. We know that they are therefore the source of the sound, which means it is diegetic.







Non diegetic sound is noise that the characters can't hear, but the audience can. This includes music, narrator commentary and implied actions (e.g. the sound of footsteps as someone runs away off screen).

In this clips from 'Jaws' (at 1:42), the shark's theme tune plays as it preys on people in the water. The characters can't hear the music, it's only to build suspense for the viewers.

Strauss Narrative and film trailers

Levi Strauss's theory about media, is similar to that of Vladimir Propp's. But he didn't just consider the types of characters involved in narratives; he thought that the narrative's revolved around conflict between 2 opposite types of characters.
Here are the 9 binary opposites that are most commonly used to drive a film's plot;

• Hero VS villain
• Good VS evil
• Human VS inhuman
• Humane VS inhumane
• Beautiful VS ugly
• Innocent VS corrupt
• Modern VS archaic
• Town VS nature
• Civilization VS barbarity

He also thought that the moral of the film (e.g. how the conflict is resolved) was interesting. For
example, would good always triumph over bad? Can human beat inhuman?

This Batman poster shows the conflict between Hero (batman) and villain (penguin) which also implies good VS evil. Cat-woman could be considered as a chaotic neutral in this role.

The trailer for Spider-man shows a clear conflict between Spider-man the hero (who represents good) and green goblin the villain (who is evil).
The movie is about the battle between these 2 opposite forces and the innocent parties that get dragged into the process.
It is obvious that Spider-man will win, which enforces the lesson that good will prevail over bad. Since the target audience is children, this might be to convince them to behave sensibly.
In most conflicts, the 'good side' (e.g. human, humane, beautiful, innocent) will win. This gives the movie a happy ending and leaves the audience feeling relived and uplifted.
However, in a lot of horror movies, the inhuman enemy (e.g. zombies or serial killers) will win at the end. This is to make the film more disturbing and enhance the unsettling feeling of it.   
My trailer will show the deadly encounter between a person (who represents innocence and humanity) and a dark, bloodthirsty force. The taunting of the demons and the battle of sanity and survival will form the narrative. But I won't show the resolution of the conflict because that will ruin the ending. Trailers should have a sense of mystery, so as to intrigue and audience and make them want to watch the film.

Todorov Narrative and film trailers

Tzvetan Todorov came up with the idea of equilibrium and disequilibrium in the narrative of a story. Here are the 5 stages that he narrative goes through, according to him;

1. Equilibrium - everything is functioning normally in the fictional setting.
2. Disequilibrium - there is a disruption in the environment, which turns the world upside down.
3. Recognition - the characters recognise the disruption.
4. Repair - they attempt to solve the issues that the disruption has caused.
5. New equilibrium - the society either goes back to normal, or a new one is formed. Either way, there is a new environment, in which society functions normally again.

An example of this structure is the trailer for Independence Day.

This is a movie about the end of the world. It is set in our reality, which we are already familiar with. This is the 'equilibrium' stage of the theory.
The trailer then shows news reports and footage of destruction; which shows the disruption of live as we know it. The main characters recognise this, as the world descends into chaos.
They try to 'repair' the circumstances by escaping and fighting for survival. Government officials also attempt to fight the enemy.
A new equilibrium is not shown at the end of the trailer, because this would ruin how the movie ends. But it will either end with the characters being annihilated, or defeating the enemy, or compromising with the enemy and starting a new world.
I think this a suitable narrative structure for disaster films. It shows the extent of how the disaster affects live, how much damage it does, how it could end and how people would try and survive in that situation. The casualties and damage from the disaster also creates lots of opportunities for emotional moments.
I think that this theory would work really well in my trailer. Most horror movies actually follow this structure. First the characters are happy and living their lives, until an evil presence disrupts their live and they must put an end to this. Paranormal Activity is a classic example of this.
This narrative theory usually focuses more on the events of the disruption; not the characters. The disruption stage is the perfect opportunity to introduce the horror and scary creatures, which the main character must escape from.

Propp Narrative and film trailers

Vladimir Propp developed the theory that a narrative is based around characters; that they act as tools to provide structure for the text.
According to him, the main characters in any text included; the villain, the hero, the donor, the helper, the princess, her father, the dispatcher and the false hero.

This poster for 'Warcraft' portrays many characters that the movie revolves around. From the red mist and evil expressions, we can assume that the characters on the left half of the poster are the 'villains' and the characters on the right (with the blue mist) are the 'heroes'. The contrasting colours and side to side placement, clearly shows the division between the two parties and difference in ideals. There is a female at the front, who we can assume is the main character's love interest, or 'princess' according to Propp.





This is the trailer for The Wolf of Wall Street.

The plot is based around the lives of stock brokers; specifically Jordan Belfort. He assumes the role of 'hero', while his friends and employees are the 'helpers', his trophy wife is the 'princess', his best friend is the 'false hero' and his former boss is the 'dispatcher'. Each character plays an important role; which drives the storyline and creates the journey of Jordan's life.
For example, without his helpers, Jordan wouldn't be able to make a successful business and live his luxurious life. Without the 'princess', he wouldn't have a family and without the 'false hero' Jordan wouldn't have suffered his downfall. His former boss was also an important tool in the narrative, because him firing Jordan started his journey.

I think this theory is realistic because a person's life is usually influenced by the people around them. Apart from natural disasters, most narratives are based on the relationships of the main character. Examples include; romantic movies (based on love between people), horror movies (based on evil villains) and action movies (with friends and enemies). Even in a disaster/apocalypse, characters (like friends and family) are also plot devices, as the main character usually has to go on a dangerous journey to save them.
Without a variety of characters that enable or oppose the main character, there is little to drive the main character. Even if a character is alone in a dangerous environment (like Liam Neeson's character in 'The grey'), there would have to be a relationship (e.g. love for their partner) to emotionally drive them to overcome the obstacles presented and to survive in order to reach that person.
A critique of this theory would be that it's too stereotypical for a narrative to be based on these 8 personalities. By putting characters under common headings such as 'princess', they lose credibility as individual people with unique persona's.

For my trailer, I will have some characters that have close relationships with the main character. They will act as tools to help the character in difficult times, give them something to fight for and act as familiar faces which gives them a sense of reality in a nightmarish situation.
However I don't want stereotypical characters, because this will make my trailer cliché. My trailer's plot will be based on the main character; the other characters won't have much impact on the events in the storyline. This is because I want my trailer to focus on the horror factors; it is not for a movie that's based on human relationships or character development.

Barthes Narrative and film trailers

Roland Barth has 2 codes, which relate to how media texts are perceived.
His first theory, is the 'enigma code'. This is the theory that every text (e.g. posters, films, tv etc...) implies a question, which draws the audience into the piece by curiosity.

For example, this movie poster features 3 different characters; two of which, are hidden. This creates many questions, like 'how are they?' and 'what do they have to do with the main character or the plot?'
The name of the film; 'gone' is also vague, as we don't know who is gone or where.
These mysteries show that the plot is mysterious and riddled with twists and revelations; thus making it seem like an entertaining film.





Barth's second code is called the 'culture code'. This links to the stereotypes that the media uses, to familiarise audiences with particular places and people. Culture is an important aspect in media, as it can affect the behaviour of characters and create obstacles in the film's storyline.

For example, this is the poster for the film; 'ill manors' - a crime drama depicting the lives of people living in the worst parts of England.
The main character is wearing tracksuits, as he holds a gun, whilst standing in front of a grey city. The culture of this place is represented as miserable and dangerous in this poster; which reflects the way in which most people view council estates.





                                              
This is the trailer for the mystery thriller; Shutter Island.
It is a film about 2 detectives investigating a criminal who is situated in an asylum for the criminally insane. There are many mysteries within this trailer, like who the criminal is, what the asylum is hiding and how he got away with his crimes.
This complicated plot is enticing because it seems packed with interesting characters, clever games and revelations.
For my trailer, I think that the plot should be a bit of a puzzle to keep it interesting and to create a goal to work towards. Aimlessly trying to defeat a number of creatures is entertaining, but not entirely interesting. Audiences are sick of clichés; they want something different and intelligent to watch. Horror movies that have creatures and curses (which is my idea) also have conspiracies. For example, in a movie with a haunted object, the characters would try to find out about the object's origins. 

This is the trailer for 'Bend it Like Beckham'. It follows Barthe's culture code, as it portrays negative stereotypes of strict Indian families and sexism in sport. These two factors get in the way of a girl's dream to be a professional footballer.
Culture based narratives are somewhat realistic, but their portrayal of certain groups can be negative and biased. This can lead to people having poor and ignorant opinions on certain cultures.
My trailer isn't going to have any racial stereotypes because the storyline won't have anything to do with culture. The characters in my video will just represent an average, middle class family.

Forms and conventions of film trailers

This prezi outlines most of the forms and conventions found in movie trailers.

When are trailers released?

It is imperative that a trailer is released at the appropriate time, in order to get people excited about it, right up until its release date. It has to be released early so that there is enough people interested in watching the film, but not too early that they forget or get bored about it before it's even released. The opening weekend is when most people watch the film, so the advertising campaign has to be coordinated with this date. After this weekend, the buzz usually dies down, so everything up until this date is important.
Key release dates are usually during significant times of the year, such as; the summer holidays, Christmas, valentines day and school holidays. This is because most people are off work during these times, so they therefore want entertainment and have more time to relax. The release date also depends on the type of audience that the film is aimed at. For example, a chick flick like 'PS I love you' would be released on valentines day because it is about romance, which fits with the time of year. A horror film like 'Ouija' would be released around Halloween, because it is aimed at teens and that time of the year is focused on horror. Therefore the trailers for these movies would be released near these dates, in places that relate to the campaign. For example, a poster for a chick flick may be advertised near a place that sells chocolate and flowers for valentines. Or they might include a gimmick like 'treat your girlfriend this valentines day'.
Certain months like January, February, September and August are often called 'dump months' because this is when more obscure and less successful films are released. Because they aren't expected to generate much revenue, the producers wouldn't have a large budget for the advertising campaign. They would probably release the trailers nearer the time of the movie's release date since it's more likely that viewers would forget about it.
Many factors cause this decline in the entertainment industry during these 'dump months'. For example, September is when school starts, so people have less time to watch films due to these responsibilities. The advantage of this however, is that there is little competition since the more established films are released during other months.
Friday is the most common day of the week that films are released. On the other weekdays, most people, they have to get an early night for the sake of getting up for work/school in the morning. But on Fridays, they have the luxury of staying up late and ordering a takeaway since they have the weekend to fall back on.
Factors that distributors take into account when releasing a trailer include;

• The timing of the trailers release. As stated before, an early release risks that the audience forgets about the movie; but a later one may not give enough of a gap before the opening weekend to gain a large following. They should also ensure that the target audience will be interested in the movie at that time of the year. Holidays are ideal because there's no work/school to distract them.
• When the target audience is most likely to see it and get excited for it. During the Christmas holidays for example, families would be actively seeking out Christmas movies to watch on the day. This is a good time to advertise a Christmas or a snow themed movie.
• Competition. It is bad for 2 trailers of the same genre to be released at once, especially for box office films. For example with an action movie, one is likely to overshadow the other and take away attention from it, particularly if it gains more hype. On the other hand, if an audience is anticipating the release of a superhero movie, they'd probably be aware of other superhero movies that are also being released near the same time. In fact, a bit of competition and comparing between the films will bring them both publicity.
• When other countries are releasing the trailer. It is better to release them around the world at similar times, because having more people hyped at once will make the movie more popular. In this day and age, people from many different countries share things via social media and the internet. If a trailer is released in the US, it is likely that it will be shared in the UK. There is no point in releasing the trailer months in the UK months after the US, because by then, the hype will have died down. So the campaign has to be coordinated in all places.  

According to 'Pearl and Dean' (http://business.pearlanddean.com/films_trailers), some of the latest trailers to be released right now, include 'Beauty and the Beast' 'The BFG' and 'Ice age'. They are being released at this time of the year because they are aimed at kids and it is a couple of weeks before the summer holidays. This gives them just enough time for kids to be excited about the films and ready to watch them when school is over. The time between the trailer's release and the opening weekend is quite short because kids are more likely to forget about the film in a longer period of time.
Other successful movie trailers like 'Ghostbusters' and 'Doctor strange' are being released right now, for the same reasons. They are targeted at an older audience (like teenagers and young adults), but the timing of the summer holidays still applies here. This is when families spend time and sit down together; which is an important factor when creating awareness for the film.

Where are film trailers shown?

Movie trailers are shown on almost every media platform, so that the film can get wide coverage before its release. These platforms can include; cinemas, DVD's, movie and trailer websites, television, YouTube and social media. Where there are specific audiences (like in a cinema or a DVD of a certain genre), distributors will show trailers that will appeal to this target market. Although a mass media campaign gives the movie the best chance of success; viewers don't always respond to trailers and there can be many disadvantages of advertising on certain types of media.
This prezi shows the pros and cons of showing trailers on those platforms.

Unique selling points

What are film trailers and who are they for?

A film trailer (also known as a preview) is a 2-3 minute series of clips from a feature film, that are designed to promote the movie before it is released. They do this by using synergy (e.g. posters and billboards) to create awareness of the film. A trailer is structured so that it gives a summary of the plot and shows some of the best scenes - without spoilers. This lets the audience see if the content appeals to them and if so, they will want to watch the film for those cool scenes. Trailers often use music to create a certain effect; e.g. a slow song with dark tones could create an eerie effect, which would suit a horror or mystery film. Another main feature in trailers are the captions (often accompanied with a narrator) which explains the plot and uses prompting language such as 'are you ready?' to create hype for the film.
However, some trailers can be misleading. For example, a mediocre film may have trailer which gives it an exciting impression; but this leads the audience to be let down when they watch the actual film.
Movie trailers are aimed at their target audience, which includes either males or females in certain age groups (like 16-20) who have a particular taste in films. For example, an animated film will be aimed at children, so it will be advertised on children and family TV channels during the day where they are likely to see it. Many people nowadays watch movie trailers on Youtube. Youtube will help the target audience see the trailer by recommending it on related videos.
We also see movie trailers at the cinema before a film is showcased; on social media, in internet ads, television and on the radio. Films can have 2 -3 versions of trailers. This may be because one is PG rated and one contains adult content; the latter will be shown later at night. More reasons for multiple trailers is to preview more clips from the film and to generate more hype from the audience as the film's release date draws closer.
The date in which the trailer is released often depends on how much anticipation there is for the film. For example, the trailer for 'Suicide squad' (an anticipated superhero film with an all star cast) was released an entire year before the movie's release. During that year, the film has accumulated a large fan base through interviews with the cast, articles, discussions and predictions of the storyline. This is more effective than releasing the movie soon after the trailer as the hype would quickly die down.

 A message will appear before the video, which shows which audience the trailer is meant for. A film can have a PG trailer, as well as one with more adult content.

 Here is a screenshot of a movie trailer, with a matching poster. This advertises the film on multi media platforms. This is called 'synergy' or 'cross media convergence'.

 Promotional material such as; interviews, exclusive posters and news articles help to raise awareness and build hype for the movie; even months before its release date.

Analysing genre

I will be analysing a series of trailers that focus on specific categories of the horror genre.

Sub-genre 1: Survival horror



While it's true to say that all horror movies focus on the survival of the main characters; survival horror is a specific type of movie genre where they must use their skills and resources to live in an extreme environment (like a post apocalyptic word) or must survive against deadly enemies (like zombies or numerous creatures).
As Daniel Chandler stated, this genre is a 'distinct type of text' that simplifies and organises the mass chaos of the environment. An audience can look at a zombie film or a horror about a terrifying alternate world and they can predict that the plot will be based around the characters trying to preserve their lives against the obstacles of their circumstances. As John Fiske mentioned, this is both convenient for the audience and the producers. This is because the producers don't have to go into depth when explaining and advertising the intricacies of the film's premise, or worry about making their survival film different from others. Survival horror films (particularly zombie ones) are quite popular among fans. They are commonly watched because they don't have difficult plotlines that demand attention. Most people are content with viewing the entertainment of characters being victimised by the enemy; often in a gory way. Another reason that survival horror is so popular is because the premise of the film often portrays a dystopian society; whereby the events of the movie could actually take place. Many people like to imagine how they would survive if a zombie virus were to break out, or if they were trapped in an unforgiving environment like silent hill. This relates to Barry Keith Grant's comments about audiences relating to recognisable characters who are represented in this sub genre. For example, above is the trailer for 'World War Z'. This is an apocalyptic survival horror in which the majority of mankind has been infected by a rabid virus. The plot revolves around Gerry Lane, who must protect his family and help save humanity. Unlike most horror movies, WWZ is less gory and more action based; meaning it can be watched as a family film. The hero is a middle aged retired father who represents characteristics of a typical family man, which works as a short hand communication with the audience.

The second trailer is for silent hill; a film about a woman who searches for her daughter in the desolate land of silent hill (a purgatory filled with deadly creatures). Silent hill is a hybrid survival horror, which combines mystery, curses, religion, psychology and monsters. Although the plot is much more convoluted and detailed than a typical survival horror; it is nonetheless recognisable as such due to the threat of numerous creatures (a common element) that constantly attack the heroine.

 

Sub - genre 2: Paranormal horror

This is the trailer for 'The unborn'; a horror about a girl who is haunted by her twin brother who never got to live - because her umbilical cord killed him in the womb. It is mostly a paranormal horror since the villain of the film is an evil spirit. But like most horrors, it contains many other elements that make it more of a hybrid genre. These elements are; psychological disturbance, thriller, mystery and religion.
The familiar characteristics (reference to Barry Keith Grant) that make it recognisable as a paranormal horror include; nightmares, visitations, possessions and jump scares involving the spirit. These scenes in the trailer make it convenient (referencing John Fiske), as the audience knows what to expect when watching the movie and how the characteristics will try and deal with the situation (usually with an exorcism). Most paranormal horror's are simplified this way, which creates order (reference to Daniel Chandler) in the chaotic world of ghostly hauntings. Because of this, paranormal horror movies are very distinct and despite the occasional twist at the end; quite predictable.

Sub - genre 3: Psychological horror                      

Psychological horror movies go beyond just wanting to scare their audience; they seek to create a more lasting impression. They either portray characters with extreme mental illnesses, or they show graphic, twisted material, designed to disturb viewer on a deep psychological level. There is no limit to the types of storylines that producers come up with, in order to achieve this. 'Saw' is a typical type of torture film, where a deranged psychopath locks up his victims and tortures them in gory ways. These types of films often include extreme body modifications which effectively shock and disgust the viewer; disturbing them with the fact that someone could inflict such harm on another. Attached is the trailer for 'Clown' - a gory psychological horror in which the main character's fear of clowns manifests itself into his being. It is categorised as such because it portrays a character losing their mind, as well as targeting audiences through this common phobia.
Attached is also the trailer for 'Goodnight mummy'; a film about the psychological changes that a woman goes through, after having a massive surgery and how this effects her twin boys.
It is difficult to categorise psychological horror movies, since many storylines are so diverse and different from each other - there aren't many common elements in each. Another reason is because the psychologically disturbing aspect of these films can be found in all horror movies, so it is not a very specific sub genre. Some films (like goodnight mummy) may not have ghosts or gore, but they are undoubtedly horror movies. Therefore, this sub-heading is a simple way to categorise them and label the unorthodox contents of the movie. Daniel Chant's comments (about labelling texts) and Barry Keith Grant's quote (about crossover genres) are relevant when describing the psychological sub genre. However, John Fiske's statement about common elements in genres cannot be applied here, because as stated, the storylines in psychological horror movies are too different to compare to each other.