Research: Horror Film Website Analysis

Below is the link to my YouTube video upload of generic conventions of horror film websites

https://youtu.be/o_qlZCmDhVA


The transcript of my research is pasted below in case some of the red text is hard to read:

Conventions of Horror Film Websites
For a horror film website to be successful among its audience it needs to be interactive and contain multi-media features. This is completed by having navigation links to various pages to navigate around the site and including videos, images, graphics, text and sounds. 

Navigation
Typically the navigation bar or buttons are at the top of the homepage so that when the page is first opened the audience can instantly see what pages are available to look further into to gain more information about the film. However it is also common for the navigation bar to be down the side of the page, like on the                                                                    Conjuring 2 website. 
It is conventional for horror film websites to have the content pages of cast information, gallery, videos, the trailer and a synopsis, some even have games. There are various ways of users                       distinguishing what the hyperlinks on the page are; the hyperlinked content might be in a button that makes it clear that you can click it to navigate you to another page, or when the cursor is placed over the text it is likely to increase in size or become bolder, or the text might change colour to highlight the text. The font style of the text used throughout the website for the headings and text is a simplistic font so that it is easy to read. To maintain communicating the genre, some horror film websites make the hyperlinked text/buttons change colour to red to symbolise blood and gore with an effect of flickering, shaking or dripping. Furthermore sounds are sometimes incorporated when the hyperlinks are clicked to enhance the horror further and create a surrounding feel upon the user.

Multimedia Features
The various multi-media used within horror film websites conventionally includes sounds or music playing as soon as you open up the website to immediately create an eerie atmosphere for the user. This continues playing on repeat therefore making it constant on the users mind to maintain the scariness of the film. There is often an option to mute the sound on the website for those who may find it too disturbing or irritating having it play over and over again. Furthermore some might find it hard to concentrate on reading the text with background music playing. Another conventional feature of using sound with the website is when clicking on a hyperlink. This again maintains horror from the film by creating a surrounding around the user that makes them feel more involved and interactive with the site. Therefore they are focused and do not lose interest when using the website as the sounds keep them alert.
The use of moving video content and animated features also maintains the users’ attention because their eyes will always be directed to the moving parts. Additionally this incorporates a range of features so that the audience are engaged and interested as just having text and still images can be boring to look at and read from therefore including interactive features and animations ensures that the users are always fascinated and attentive. 
Having text is important to ensure enough information is provided however having too much information can become tedious and mind-numbing for the audience to read whereby they stop taking in information because there is so much to process. Consequently delivering the information in various ways through video content, games and graphics enables information to be included in a more presentable manor whereby the audience are more interested to engage with it. 

Background
The background of horror film websites typically are a dark colour or content from the film, like an image or even video content running in the background like on the Insidious website. On the Annabelle website the background appears black however when you move the mouse cursor around the page the Annabelle doll is revealed through a torch light. This helps to connote the genre of the film as well as maintaining consistency throughout all the film material. 

Film Title
Similarly with the poster, the title of the film has been made the largest and most prominent so that the audience can clearly see that the website they have visited is of the film. The font style is the same to maintain consistency throughout the material of the film so that the audience can identify that this is the film’s house style. It is also conventional for the title to be situated centrally on the page as this enables the film to be recognised instantly as attention is drawn there. However it is common to be situated on the top left of the page as people typically read from left to right, top to bottom, and so will notice the title first. It is conventional to use a contrasting colour of white against the black background because this makes it clear to read and stand out from the rest of the page. This could also connote the binary opposite to symbolise the good and evil within the film which portrays the genre as horror.

Institutional Information
Likewise with the poster the institutional information is situated at the bottom of the page as this is not a key advertising method to selling the film. It is included to give acknowledgement and credit to the companies and people involved in funding and producing the film. Again its font size is small so that it does not overwhelm the bottom of the page yet is still noticeable and readable.  An alternative way of including this information is having the private policy, terms of use, and credits at the bottom of the page where users will have to click on the hyperlinked text to find out more, like on the Annabelle website shown in the video below. This way the credit block does not take up too much of the page.

Social Media
A conventional element of horror film websites are the use of social media links. This helps to advertise the film further as the audience can share the film related material to friends and family on the various social media sites. This enables the film to be more widespread over different audiences as social media is used widely every day in addition to being almost like free advertisement for the producers as awareness is spread through online word-of-mouth.

Targeting the Audience
Having a website that is easy to navigate around is normally significant to maintaining the target audiences’ attention as this avoids them becoming frustrated and agitated, and not want to use the website. Making the navigation bar text change colour or highlighted in some way that makes it clear that, that is the page being viewed enables the audience to be aware of the page they are on and choose a different one when they have finished on that page. Similarly they know which page they are about to click on because when the cursor is over the hyperlinked text, it creates sound, moves or changes colour to again differentiate it from the other navigation links.
Incorporating aspects of the film like the sounds, graphics, videos and images enables them to connect with the film more than simply watching it. If they have already expressed interest in the film or poster it is likely that they have visited the website because they are intrigued from the theme and styles used. Therefore the theme and style of the website needs to be maintained with the house style, to ensure that they are still fascinated and want to find out more. Including various entertaining aspects to the site like exclusive footage, information about the cast, photos and games further entices the audience into exploring the site because they cannot gain this information from anywhere else. This is likely to want them to share it with others which will help promote the film. Some horror films may have a book in addition to the film however people who have seen the films are likely to be more interested in graphic content that does not involve too much text or reading. Therefore including little amounts of text does not overwhelm the audience, and so maintains their attention. Too much text is likely to appear boring, tiresome and uninteresting to them, resulting in them not wanting to visit the site. This is likely to negatively impact the reputation of the film and so the overall views and sales.
Having all the relevant film content incorporated into one website makes it easier for the audience to discover more about the film as less researching using search engines is needed as it is all in one site. Even content that might lead to a new tab can still be found on the website which makes it easier and more convenient for the audience as again it means less searching needed elsewhere. For instance looking up film related content on social media or purchasing merchandise, this could be hyperlinked on the website so that the audience do not have to make an independent search elsewhere, this will direct them straight to the official content. 

Advertising the film & Merchandise
All the content on the website will be related to the film either by including scenes from the film or simply the characters dressed as they were in the film. 
On the Woman In Black website, it even includes a hyperlinked image to the DVD of the film. This promotes the hard copy version of the film which is available for the audience to buy. Alternatively advertising when the film will be in cinema further advertises the film. It is common for the websites to include reminders or links to pre-book tickets.
Including the social media links throughout the website enables the film to be shared to a wider audience because the users of the website can navigate round the social media pages and share it with friends and family. This marketing technique is beneficial to the producers and companies involved in making the film because advertisement is produced through word-of-mouth meaning it is free for the producers to gain viewers and spread awareness.
Within the synopsis, or reviews that may be included on the website, further advertising of the film can be made through the language persuading people to watch the film. For example high-star ratings from critics or newspapers makes people more likely to want to watch the film because they believe if these organisations have rated it highly, then it must be a good film to see and is worth watching. Furthermore within the synopsis it is common to include language about the producer and/or director that helps sell the film. For instance on the Conjuring 2 website the phrase ‘record-breaking’ portrays that the previous work has been a huge success implying that the following pieces are likely to also be a success and so make people want to watch the film.


Below is the link to my YouTube video upload of my Screencast-o-matic of the Insidious 2 website analysis:

https://youtu.be/uMJhuBdy8Uc


In case some of my speech is not clear, I have included transcript below:

When you first open up the Insidious 2 you can instantly experience various multi-media, of sound, a flickering image and having to interact with the page to enter the site. Using the words ‘enter further’ implies that users are being offered time to consider if they want to see further into the horror which further suggests how horrific the content might be, so this is used to create a warning before being fully revealed to the user.

Once the button has been clicked on, more sound is produced to create an atmosphere of horror and reveals the homepage where the navigation bar is at the top of the page with the title of the film in the centre, alongside its caption and release information.

The navigation hyperlinks are illustrated in a simplistic sans serif font whereby when the cursor is hovered over the text, it changes colour and moves shakily. The font is used so that it is easy to read yet maintains aspects of horror through the change of colour to red to symbolise blood and violence, and making the text shake can portray uneasiness and unnerving. Also sound is produced when the cursor is placed over the text and when the hyperlink has been clicked on. All of which help communicate the genre of the film and its theme. The pages of the navigation bar allow you to navigate to the other pages of the website as the navigation bar remains on all of the pages. So that the user knows what page they are viewing, the text heading of the page remains in red with the shaking effect to highlight that this is the current page being viewed. The content on this website is a synopsis of the film, information about the cast and filmmakers, photos from the film, videos, downloadable content and a game.

The institutional information is found at the bottom of the page on all pages of the website. This gives credit and acknowledgment to those involved in the film making and funding. There are links to the private policy, terms of use, cookies, SonyPictures.net (the producer and distributor) and worldwide release dates.

The social media links are here on the page which helps advertise the film and merchandise because the use of the hashtag can be used as a powerful marketing tool, which is vastly used in today’s society and by the target audience. This can promote merchandise of the film because the hashtag insidious can be used alongside the content on different sites which enables users to find out more about the film or related material.

The colours used are conventional of the horror genre of black, white and red. The black and white contrast with each other making it easy for the audience to read, and the red contributes to an additional contrast which is commonly associated with blood, anger and violence. These are maintained throughout all the material related to the film, so in the trailer and on the poster. Therefore, this will maintain the target audiences’ interest and desire to see the film. Making it easy to navigate the website will attract the audience to make full use of the website because they will remain interested and fascinated with the content without feeling frustrated at a slow moving and confusing layout. Little text has been included which makes it more enjoyable for the audience because it enables them to learn more about the film without having to read too much information which can be tedious.

Overall the main multi-media features of this site includes the sounds incorporated when the user interacts with the site, having moving image content that maintains the audiences’ attention as well as the photos and videos relating to the film helps attract the audience.

Below is a navigation map I have completed of the Insidious 2 website:

Production Schedule

Below is the plan of Kirsty and I's filming schedule:

Film Trailer Animatic

Below is the link to Kirsty and I's animatic trailer, Silent Screams.


https://youtu.be/aVMTDo7aaZk


The animatic was made by scanning in Kirsty and I's storyboard drawings and cropping each scene into a single image. The sounds used throughout the animatic vary from downloads from Freeplay Music and sounds created by ourselves. The animatic was put together using Windows Movie Maker and Audacity for overlaying the sounds.

Audience Feedback on Storyboarding

Kirsty and I worked together on drawing the storyboard and gained feedback from a target audience which suggested some ideas. 

Our original storyboard lacked scenes of horror and did not victimise a character which resulted in a lack of interest. Therefore we changed the beginning of the trailer from Sylvia sorting out old photos in her room to a flashback scene of the five friends on their camping trip from the past. This is then disturbed by a loud banging knock sound which changes to the present of Sylvia being woken up and opening her front door to find a parcel. 

Originally we simply had Sylvia opening up the parcel to reveal a necklace of her friend Chelsie, who died unknowingly on the camping trip. However the feedback suggested maybe we could incorporate more horror by including a butchered bone in the box as well to horrify and shock the audience. 

The scenes of Sylvia at home in the evening remained the same however is shown as a bad nightmare she has instead of real life that encourages her to talk to her friends who were on the camping trip. Originally we told the story as the friends were scared by the occurrences and so visited the forest where Chelsie died however the target audience felt that if they were scared, then they would not return to the forest. Therefore we changed it so one character, Matt, suggests going back to the forest to give Chelsie justice. The remaining three friends did not agree and attended school the following day where Matt was not present and so then decide to see if they could find him in the forest.


We incorporated more fast flickers of Chelsie to help increase the pace of the trailer and haunt the audience.


To include an alternative element of horror we decided to incorporate the idea of an Ouija Board that will show parts of the four friends trying to communicate with Chelsie (their dead friend). To include horror we decided to go round the circle of friends in the present day flickering between shots of them being traumatised and hurt in various ways that relate to Chelsie's death. This then cuts to a long shot of Sylvia sobbing loudly flickering between a close up of a demon-like appearance of Chelsie and a close-up of Chelsie drowning.


Towards the end of the trailer where the shots are at the fastest pace we decided to have close up shots of the Ouija board spelling 'DIE' over three shots. In between these three shots were each of the four characters looking hurt and distressed.


We finish the trailer with a long shot of the forest with Chelsie looking ghost-like with a flickering, strobe effect to create sharp, short bursts of film. This cuts to the title of the film and then the credit and release date.

Storyboard

Below is the scanned in documents of the trailer storyboard. Between Kirsty and I we drew the scenes and wrote the comments describing the shot types, sound effects and transitions.

Research: Sound Analysis

Below is the link to my video analysing sound used in Horror Films:

https://youtu.be/m9gi7ODr_t8

I have pasted my sound transcript in case some scenes move too quickly for viewers to read:

The score is the first thing that the audience hear, the instrumental chiming noise can immediately create an eerie atmosphere as it is an uncomforting tone of collision of the bars that can connote the genre of the film as horror. 

The trailer starts with the score playing and shows the production logo. The score used in the Babadook sounds like an unsettling, eerie organ key being pressed. This can suggest that the book is the sinister source of horror because the visuals shown of the mother and son reading a book in bed should be a relaxing, calm and homely activity, yet because of the score, this is not portrayed. The setting of the room having dull colours with low-key lighting can also imply the sense of horror further as this comes across as unhomely.

Following on from this is the introduction of characters where we see the book for the first time and hear the characters dialogue. From the way the mother asks where the book has come from suggests that she is unaware of the book implying that there is something mysterious and strange about it. The eeriness of the score playing in the background of the dialogue alongside unfamiliar sound effects makes ordinary events that should not be scary become unsettling which further highlights how there is something suspicious and unusual about the book.

When the mother begins to read the book she has a calm tone to her voice showing no fear, however the words used create the idea that there is something horrifying about it; “if it’s in a word, or in a book, you can’t get rid of the Babadook.” The use of the negative contraction word “can’t” suggests that no matter what you do there is no possible way of disregarding the Babadook, this foreshadows that the horror within the film is going to relate to not being able to eliminate the horror.

When the ‘Babadook’ is announced for the first time the score introduces an ‘ahhh’ sound coming from ominous voices, implying some form of supernatural spirits to signify the presence. This can make the audience feel intrigued and to create enigma to find out what the story is about, who the Babadook is and what he is going to do to the mother and son as well as creating a feeling of anxiety in relation to this character.

After the mother has read the line “you can’t get rid of the Babadook” the score changes from simply an ominous organ sound to including what sounds like ominous choir voices. This corresponds with dialogue of the mother and the sound effects suggesting how the Babadook is an ongoing presence in the characters’ lives.

The following deep noise sounds like a monster breathing heavily. This can imply that an inhumane monstrous character is related to the book. This creates fear among the audience as they do not know the relevance of the monster as of yet – assuming that it is the Babadook. This heavy breathing can portray the arrival of the Babadook and can suggest that it is coming to life, making it clear that his presence is progressing as the trailer progresses through the sound emulating it.

A main use of the non-diegetic sound is used to create emphasis on ordinary movements that have some significant impact as well as incorporated effects to further create tension and horror upon the audience. For instance the emphasised synchronous sounds of moving the bed sheets when looking under the bed and the creaking from opening the wardrobe matches the visuals which contributes to the horror as these sounds are everyday sounds that we would not think much of ourselves however we can distinguish that the stressed sounds have some significant impact to the story. The sound of the doors creaking can contribute to the sound of the Babdook’s presence coming closer to the characters in addition to adding to the horror genre as this noise is often associated with horror therefore the audience can establish that horror is the chosen genre.

The constant chiming and thud sound within the score creates a rhythmic pace for the audience to follow which maintains their attention and builds up tension where scenes of action and horror are about to occur. The chiming noises are uncomforting against the harsh banging sounds as they contrast with one another. Because the sounds are not compatible with one another this can symbolise the conflict between the binary opposites of innocence and evil, implying conflict and danger on the audience. The heavy banging sound against the calming chimes creates a harsh impression on the audience which can make the audience feel uncomfortable and fearful. This can also suggest conflict and collisions between the two opposites portraying the horror genre.

As the trailer progresses the dialogue between characters becomes more uneasy due to the series of disruption. Later on in the trailer when the mother has reported how her son is seeing ‘monsters’ she gets very upset, emotional and shaky, which we can hear through her dialogue, as it comes across as the realisation of her going through this alone with her son with no one else to help. The dialogue is also used as a sound bridge to overlap scenes so that what we are hearing does not synchronise with what is being shown on the screen so that we can concentrate on the behaviour of the characters. The breathing sound within the score becomes heavier and more intense creating momentum suggesting that the horror events are getting closer. In addition to creating the impression that the Babadook is getting closer to the protagonists, hence their troubled and anxious tone of voice.

When the mother looks through the book on her own the score remains with the single drumming bang sting with her dialogue telling herself that “It’s just a book, it can’t hurt you”. Between when the mother says ‘book’ and ‘it can’t hurt you’ the sound effect of a monstrous screech is included. This highlights that it is not just a book, and that there is presence of the antagonist. Then we hear the sound of fire on the BBQ burning the book. The fire crackling is emphasised through synchronous sound to help reinforce the action being shown. Therefore the audience can see, hear and understand that the mother has tried to remove all of the Babadook’s presence.

Halfway into the trailer during the scenes of the house at night, silence is used to create the idea that the previous scene of burning the book had resolved the issue of the Babadook. However when the mother is in bed there is a sudden deep sounding triple knock which can suggest that the Babadook is trying to enter the house. This was foreshadowed when the mother was reading the book and said how the Babadook will arrive after three loud knocks. The following sting of the thump sounds like breaking through wood, as though the Babadook had broken his way into the house. This makes the audience feel apprehensive about what the Babadook is capable of. Furthermore the audience cannot see the Babadook but are shown the impacts he creates on the protagonists which highlights his power and evil presence.

After this we hear a heavier breath sound effect and the pace of the score increases, with the drumming sound getting stronger with no choir voices. This makes the atmosphere more intense and fearsome as the loss of the voices could imply that the mother and son are now alone and are up against the Babadook on their own.

When the Babadook’s figure is shown in the background of a scene through an eyeline match, it disappears with a quiet screaming sound effect. This can suggest that the heavy breathing effect from the beginning of the trailer has intensified to a more powerful sound that reinforces the significance of the Babadook and contributes to the horror and restlessness of the audience.

The sound effects used for the Babadook throughout the trailer suggest when the danger and horror is most significant when we see his impact on the characters. Not revealing everything leaves the audience with questions that make them want to watch the film. The use of the Babadook’s sound effects to imply danger differs from typical horror film trailers which commonly use bangs, crashes and screams to signify the horrific and violent events without giving too much away visually. For instance when there are first hints of the Babadook’s presence we hear heavy breathing which gets deeper as the trailer progresses suggesting that it is getting closer. This changes to a quiet screeching sound and then later onto his voice implying that he is present in the character’s view. The unfamiliar and strange sounds made by the Babadook indicate how the book is unordinary as the audience cannot recognise the sounds.

A cut after the mother walking away from the police station is followed on by a close up page of the book of a character holding a knife whereby the sting of a knife slashing through air is used. This emulates the glimpse of the abrupt shot of the book which creates instant fear among the audience as this form of violence is terrifying; particularly as it is a weapon that is often used for everyday usage only. This creates the impression that the horror can occur in the everyday life of the audience.

When we hear the Babadook’s dialogue the score returns, during the scene of the mother being lifted off the bed, with the ominous choir vocals portraying that the supernatural spirits have control over the mother and possess her. Again this shows the visuals of the Babadook’s effect on the victims without actually seeing him - only hearing him to establish his presence.

The voice of the Babadook has a very low pitch making his voice sound deep and monotone, creating an effect of an unforgettably dark vocalisation. Especially when he repeats “bring me the boy”, this creates the impression that he is demanding and unresponsive. His voice comes across as inhumane and robotic like adding to the horror effect immediately making the audience fear against him. Furthermore the pace of his voice is slow resulting in his speech to linger in the minds of the characters and audience. This can create a frightening impact on the viewers as it makes them feel uncomfortable hearing the voice over in their head giving them the idea that there is a supernatural presence close to them.

The synchronous sounds in the trailer are used to exaggerate the sound of the action. You can hear the mother shutting the door, locking the door, and closing all the windows clearly because they are emphasised through matching a stereotypical sound of that action to the action shown on screen. This makes the simple actions, which the audience might do themselves without taking too much notice, have a significant impact to help reinforce the action shown. This makes it clear to the audience what the mother has tried to do.

The dialogue of the son when the mother has been possessed is a repetitive noise as though he is trying to block out what is happening or trying to defend and protect himself from the power of the Babadook. The noise he makes is an ear-splitting chant that remains ringing in the audience’s minds making them feel uncomfortable and disturbed.

Towards the end of the trailer where the pace is at its peak, the sound organisation has become chaotic corresponding with the sanity of the mother. The screeching sound of the Babadook has increased making the situation very intense and invading, making the audience feel further disturbed. In addition to hearing the mother scream and car swerve implies how distressed, anguished and deteriorated the mother has become.

The title screen of ‘If it’s in a word’ is revealed with the sound effect of a crashing, breaking through wood sound which indicates that the Babadook has invaded the lives of the mother and son.

The sting of a knife slashing through the air returns when the mother has been possessed and relates back to the character drawing in the book earlier on in the trailer. This creates immediate distress on the audience as they do not know what the mother is going to commit and instantly fear for the son as he is now alone up against the Babadook and his mother, and so the audience want to save him.

The dialogue of the mother to her son changes after she has been possessed – she becomes very threatening towards him. This contrasts to the beginning of the trailer and in another scene whereby she tells her son that she is sick and needs help. This stresses how she is desperate for help and worried for her and her son. This creates anxiety on the audience because they are concerned for the son. It also creates enigma as to what will happen to him, and what the mother will do. Therefore this contributes to the tension and horror.

All the action and sound comes to a halt when the title screen of ‘The Babadook’ is revealed with a sudden sharp clash of cymbals followed on by heavy breathing which this time is the mother. The heavy breathing is joined by the mother’s dialogue of “It isn’t real, it isn’t real. It isn’t real” to try and calm herself down from what has happened. The score now sounds like sirens going off indicating how the events were alarming. The finale of the Babadook’s voice is much slower and ends in a pitch of a high piercing, screech leaving the audience feeling restless as the last thing they hear is the Babadook’s demoralising expression.

The credit screen appears with the ending of the Babadook’s voice pronouncing its name which appears to disperse, fading out along with the score coming to an end that also fades out coming to a silence which implies that it has all come to an end.

The use of sound is a key factor in the horror film trailer because it is used to set a mood that makes the audience feel restless as well as not giving too much away from the film.

For instance in ‘The Babadook’ sound is used to notify the Babadook’s presence as we do not see him, only hear some sounds made by him and the effects on the characters. This makes the audience apprehensive as to what he is like, and why he is like this, resulting in them wanting to watch the film.

Sound Analysis Conclusion

•      Sound is used to heighten suspense and horror upon the audience which enhances the emotional impact of the scenes shown.

•      Both diegetic and non-diegetic sound is used in horror film trailers. The diegetic sound includes the dialogue of characters and ambient sounds. The non-diegetic sound includes the score, sound motifs, sound effects, stings and synchronous sound. The use of diegetic and non-diegetic sound together can set the scene and pace of the trailer as well as making the audience feel uneasy.

•      The tempo of music increases as tension and dramatic action occurs with a range of pitches used to help create an intense and uneasy atmosphere among the audience. The variations in sound tempo and pitch can disorientate the audience because so much is going on that they cannot focus on one thing.  

At the beginning of the trailer the sounds used is mostly a score and character dialogue. This is because this is where the equilibrium is being shown therefore the audience can relate to the characters and build relationships with them. As the trailer progresses, the pace of the trailer increases and so more sounds are introduced to build up tension and drama, such as sound motifs, synchronous sounds and sound effects.

Dialogue between characters helps with the building up of relationships so that the audience can interpret how they behave with one another and how this changes as time passes. The tone of protagonists’ dialogue become more uneasy, nervous and unstable at significant events of horror. This demonstrates to the audience how they feel weak, vulnerable and helpless, making the audience feel sympathetic and concern for the victims.

The score is non-diegetic so the characters cannot hear it therefore the audience can hear more than what the characters can. This can create dramatic irony in addition to portraying the genre as horror. Furthermore it creates a rhythmic pace for the audience to follow that also creates an eerie mood and atmosphere that makes the audience feel anxious through the varied pace and pitch of sound. Commonly at the start of the trailer the score is calm and tranquil to reflect the protagonists’ lives at the current time. The pace increases as time progresses symbolising the chaos brought into the lives’ which can disorientate the audience making them feel further uncomfortable.

The pace of the score can be used to create tension within scenes when there is a significant moment that needs to be highlighted so that the audience can prepare for any dramatic action that is going to happen to the characters. Towards the end of the trailer where intense action is at its peak, fewer visuals are shown meaning that the audience are relying on the sound to inform them about the events in the film leaving them wanting to see what happens in the film.

Ambient sounds help set the scene of the environment by making it feel realistic to the audience as the sounds are part of the diegesis. Using these sounds in horror films can impact the audience by making them feel disturbed knowing that the sounds used in the horror film could be familiar to what they are used to in their everyday life, making the horror last longer.

Sound motifs can define which characters are victims and villains through the pitch and tempo of sound used. For instance unfamiliar, disturbing and uncomforting sound effects are commonly used when portraying the antagonist to make the audience fear against them and immediately dislike them. Whereas for the victims, the sounds used are more settling and during events where they are suffering, a more upsetting, touching sound is used to make the audience feel empathy towards the protagonists.

The sounds associated with the villain are always more aggressive, intense and unsettling compared to when showing the victims.

The distressing, unfamiliar sound effects contribute to making the film more horrific by setting the mood and giving life to lifeless objects. The enhanced sounds can make the audience feel uncomfortable and play on viewers’ thoughts which can recur in their minds making the horror impact longer.

Synchronous sound is used to match with movement going on in the scene to add a more dramatic approach as it reinforces the action shown. This makes the action more significant, realistic and create suspense on the audience because they might not know the relevance of emphasising the sound, leaving them to question what is going to happen. Typically it is used when the villain is walking towards the victims - their footsteps are emphasised to create uncertainty on the audience to make them feel as scared as the protagonists.

Stings and hits should be timed to surprise the audience and signify when a key event is being revealed. The short bursts of sound tend to be loud, sharp, irritating sounds that make it uncomfortable for the audience to listen to yet intriguing for them to want to know what will happen. The harsh, discordant and unexpected sounds can also make the audience feel instant fear and restlessness because they can distinguish that horror is related to these sounds.

Research: Editing of Existing Horror Film Trailers

Below is the link to my video on the editing analysis:

https://youtu.be/kASmwcLpVNA

Editing Transcript
I have also pasted the transcript below that I followed when recording my video.

For my editing research of horror film trailers I have looked a 3 horror film trailers of the paranormal and psychological horror sub-genre. I have analysed the overall time duration of the trailers, the pace and cuts, transitions, parts of the film included and the sequencing of this material and the institutional information. I have studied The Babadook, Oculus and Don’t Blink; I will be focusing more on The Babadook trailer because this is most relevant to my chosen plot.

From looking at all three film trailers I can conclude that the overall time duration of trailers is between 2 to 3 minutes long. Therefore only a small percentage, about 0.02% of the whole film is revealed. This only gives the audience small glimpses of the film which creates enigma within the audience, leaving them with unanswered questions resulting in them wanting to know what will happen, and so will watch the whole film. Within this time a clear narrative must be shown with an introduction of the main characters. Trailers are made by selecting clips that have a significant impact to get the audience excited and clearly communicate the genre.

The length of the cuts varies throughout the trailer with the beginning typically having the longest shots and fewer cuts. This is because this is where the equilibrium typically from the start of the film is being shown which enables the audience to understand the storyline, what events have occurred and to introduce the characters in addition to showing something significant in their lives. This could be moving house, adopting a child, inheriting a toy. In the Oculus trailer, the mirror has impacted the lives of the two siblings and this is suggested at the very beginning when the female says “hello again, you must be hungry”, and in the Don’t Blink trailer, a group of friends have travelled to a log cabin high up in the mountains isolated from civilisation. This allows the audience to develop feelings for the characters making them feel concerned during events of horror. Fewer cuts make the pace slower because the same shot is being shown for longer. For example the start of The Babadook is of the mother and son in bed reading the book therefore the concentration is on the story of the book which significantly impacts their lives. A slower pace is commonly used where there is less dramatic action to allow the audience to understand the plot, events and characters and it can also reflect the calmness of the characters’ lives at this point in time.

During my research I measured approximate timings of the length of cuts during the start, middle and ending of the three film trailers to prove that as the trailer progresses the shot durations get shorter with more frequent cuts which you can see on screen now. As you can see the start of the trailer has cuts lasting longer, with mostly none being less than one second, in the middle section the length decreases with some being less than one second and no more than 2 seconds. And at the end of the trailer, there are cuts lasting for only half a second as intense, exciting action is shown as short bursts to ensure that little is given away to the audience to create enigma.

Cuts are commonly used in film trailers because they are giving quick, short glimpses of what is happening in a short time space to ensure that not too much is being revealed, but enough to draw the audience in to watch the film. Therefore scenes from the film are shown in fast, sharp shots so that not a large amount of the film is given away. This results in the audience only knowing elements of the film partially as the trailer only shows a minute amount of clips from the film. This enables surprises to occur and questions to be answered when watching the whole film. For example in The Babadook there are about 80 cuts and a range of locations used this ensures that not too much of the same part of the film is revealed leaving the audience with questions like how the Babadook interferes with the lives of the mother and son. Consequently the audience are left with queries giving them the desire to go and watch the film. The use of cuts keeps action constantly coming as there is no time for the audience to think about what they have just seen as the next scene is already being displayed. This can help keep the audience watching and engaged as different scenes follow on from one another abruptly leaving no break.

Fast pace shots trigger fear on the audience because the speed of the shots make the audience feel anxious and curious as to what is going to happen next. This is achieved by using frequent cuts with short shot durations so that the audience is only shown glimpses of events in the film.  The fast paced cuts disorientate the audience whereby they begin to feel a sense of urgency. The audience cannot focus on one thing at a time due to a range of actions taking place from various perceptions. Fast paced shots are most effective when there is a lot of dramatic and significant action happening as there is too much for the audience to take in what is being shown and so are left uneasy and inquisitive. This ensures that they do not see too much of the film to the extent that they feel like they have already seen the film.

Slow paced shots are often used at the beginning of the trailer when less significant action is occurring because the wanted intention is to give the audience something smooth to follow so that they can gain an understanding of the plot and characters to allow them to make connections with the situation of the film and work out who they sympathise for. The audience needs to be engaged with the story line and have an idea of the plot so that they have a desire to watch the film otherwise they would have no interest as they do not understand what events and why they have occurred. These slow paced shots give the audience time to think about what they are seeing and to highlight that nothing too ‘out-of-the-ordinary’ is occurring. Slow paced shots are achieved by longer shot duration times with fewer cuts. Slow paced shots often result in the pace of the trailer to gradually increase with a higher frequency of cuts to create tension and lead onto the scenes of more dramatically thrilling action and horror.

The transitions commonly used in trailers are fade-out to black or fade-in from black. They are often used at the beginning to middle of the trailer where the pace is slower. Fade-out to black is used at the end of a cut to smoothly show transition into the next shot. This prolongs experience to build up emphasis on the film as the blackness can suggest that something terrifying is going to happen without revealing what has happened. This intrigues the audience to want to watch to find out what happens. Because the fading transition is not a fast motion, they can suggest calmness which contrasts with the chaotic editing later on in the trailer. Fade-out to black also enables the audience to understand that different parts of the film are being shown so that they do not disorder the events of the film. Fading out to black makes the cutting smoother because it gives the audience guidance, and makes the overall trailer flow as it prevents abrupt scene changes that increases the pace of the trailer which disorientates the audience. However at times of action and fast paced editing, short abrupt cuts will be used to build up tension on the audience which will draw them into watching the film. Fade-out to black also gives the audience a short time to think about what has been shown allowing them to decide how they feel about what has happened. 

The structure of a trailer commonly follows the first three steps of Todorova's Narrative Theory, and is often in the chronological order of the film. Typically a film trailer begins with the equilibrium to allow the audience to get to know the characters and have a base line of what they are like and what is going on. Then a disruption occurs which impacts the everyday life of the characters, and then we are shown their recognition of the disruption. At the beginning of the trailer we are shown the characters and atmosphere to be normal and content with everything being how it should be; this is followed by a disruption which causes a problem for the characters and ‘disrupt’ the normality they are used to. After that the recognition of disruption and realisation occurs showing the characters living a more chaotic, unsettled and disturbed life.  The reason why stage 4 and 5, the reacting to disruption and new equilibrium, of the theory are not shown is because this would give too much of the film away, informing the audience what will happen throughout the whole film, which leaves them with no unanswered questions and no desire to see the film as they know what will happen. Therefore there is no uncertainty or unknown upon the audience making the film unfrightening and leaving no mystery. The sequence of the cuts does not have to be in chronological order to the order they occur in the film.

For example the Oculus film is different to the usual layout because the film is told in the present day in addition to flashbacks from the past which reveal the story of horror of how the horrifying events occurred and impacted their lives in the present day. The opening seen of the trailer is in the present day suggesting what the purpose of the mirror has to do with the horror brought into the lives of the siblings. This creates enigma on the audience leaving them wondering what the mirror has done to impact the lives of the protagonists, its history, and why would the protagonists want to discover it again. Creating enigma draws the audience in to continue watching to find out what has happened, how and why. After the recognition of disruption where Kaylie unravels the mirror and Tim is discharged from a psychiatric hospital, the building up of relationships between the two characters is shown through shot reverse shots. Then the trailer is juxtaposed having the past and present run alongside one another changing between the two. This structure of a trailer toys with the audience’s expectations therefore keeping them engaged because it is something they are not used to. This is thought to be a development in the trailer genre within the modern day.

In The Babadook the trailer begins with an equilibrium of the mother and son reading the book in bed, this lasts for around 18 seconds with 10 cuts. This is part of character development whereby we can clearly interpret that the relationship between the mother and son is strong. Here the mother is looking after her son as she is reading a book with him positioned close together. Furthermore in the wardrobe shot we can comprehend how the boy relies on his mum for protection from the way he clings round her waist. The book is what disrupts their lives by haunting, stalking and possessing them, this lasts for about 28 seconds. The recognition of the disruption includes scenes of the mother burning the book, being asked if she is okay by a co-worker, going to counselling, and reporting that her and her son are being stalked. Then towards the end of the trailer more frequent cuts are shown with fast shot durations to show glimpses of the horrific events that occur within the film.

Shot reverse shot for character interaction is most commonly used at the beginning of the trailer when the editing is at a much slower pace so that the audience can get a glimpse of the characters and understand who they are supporting and sympathise for. This editing technique contributes to the development of characters showing the relationship between them and how they feel about each other. For instance here in Oculus the shot reverse shot is used near the beginning of the trailer when the two siblings are talking about their past to enable the audience to understand their relationship. Shot reverse shot enables the audience to see and listen to the conversation between characters, focusing on one face and expression at a time; this allows them to see their emotions and reactions alternatively as though the audience are part of the conversation.

Eye line match is another editing technique used to allow the audience to relate to the characters more as they are revealed to what is going on in the characters’ situation from the characters’ point of view. Therefore this can make the audience feel fear among the protagonists as they can see what the victims see at the same time as the victims see for themselves. This gives the audience a feeling as though they are part of the horror which then adds more suspense and distress on the audience. For instance in The Babadook trailer an elderly character is sat watching the television, then a close up of the mother of the child, followed by the elderly women again with a figure made to be the Babadook and then a close up of the mother’s horrified facial expression.

It is likely that the opening of the trailer will be the logo of the production company who made the film, or the title of the film because this signifies that the upcoming is film based. For example in the Babadook trailer the first scene is the production company E One Entertainment Media Company; the Oculus trailer opens up with the certification rating of the film to make people aware of the upcoming images and clips, and meets the legal requirement.

The title of the film is likely to be more towards the end of the trailer when the producers believe that they have shown enough to convince viewers to watch the film. Having the title at the end of the trailers makes the audience focus on the highlights of the film then they can decide if they want to watch it and can remember the name of it as it is one of the last things they see. Sometimes the name of the film is repeated throughout the trailer. In the Babadook trailer the noun ‘Babadook’ is repeated through character speech. The title of a film can make the audience feel an intended emotion and feeling, particularly fear and uneasiness, especially if the title is disturbing or implying something is not entirely right. Sometimes the title of the film can hint at events in the storyline, and it is common for horror films to have short, abrupt titles because this can imply mystery as one word does not give a lot away. For instance ‘Oculus’ is defined as a design representing an eye, and the trailer states how the mirror powers you to see what it wants you to see. The title ‘Don’t Blink’ has a negative power word which makes you wonder why you cannot do what it is telling you to not do, and so makes you curious to what the film is about and relevance to not blinking.

The Babadook title appears at the end of the trailer and lasts for 3.7 seconds, and the institutional information is after the title lasting for 2.95 seconds. This is so the audience can remember the name of the film, who produced it and the release date, allowing the last shot to fade into the film title shot to leave the rest of story unknown.

Credits are shown at the end of the trailer to acknowledge those who were involved with the funding and production of the film such as Sony Entertainment Pictures, Universal, 20^th Century Fox. It is also common to include reviews and critics as these can help sell the film to others. Seeing actors and/or directors feature in a film that the audience like, will make them more likely to want to watch the film and therefore help make the film a success by purchasing the film in some way. Likewise seeing a film produced by the top producers gives the audience high expectations of film and more likely to go and watch it as they have high reputations with huge successes previously meaning that they have the money to fund a film that has been made remarkably. This could be major film companies or individuals like Jason Blum – founder and CEO of Blumhouse Productions.

Having reviews incorporated with the trailer can help the audience decide if they want to watch the film from hearing what others have to say. The reviewers can be a reliable source particularly when film critics and directors have reviewed films.

The release date of the film within the trailer informs the audience when they can see the film. This is commonly found at the end of the trailer near to the title and institutional information so that the audience can remember the date, shown here in the Oculus trailer at 2:28, 3 seconds before the end. Leaving the release date unknown by stating ‘Coming Soon’ can leave the audience waiting, and let them keep track of the actual release date. This is most commonly used when a teaser trailer is released prior to the official trailer to ‘tease’ and steer up interest within the audience. The official trailer is likely to have the official release date so that the audience will be ready to go see the film when it is out.

Social networking can be a way of promoting the film further by creating a buzz for the audience and giving them more interaction with the film. Therefore on trailers it is common for social media links to be advertised for viewers to follow and interact with for more information on the film.