Horror Trailers

Insidious

• The production information given in this trailer tells us that it is made by a company called 'Film District'. The written information also tells us that it is made by the makers of well known modern cult horror film 'Paranormal Activity'.
• The fact that it is made by those who made Paranormal Activity could be considered as a selling point as this is likely to bring in viewers who have seen Paranormal Activity with the expectation that it will work as a horror film.
• The trailer establishes genre early on with the ominous and exaggerated sound of the metronome. Genre is also clearly established with the presence of paranormal, supernatural beings who oppose a threat on the inhabitants of the house~ the classic haunted house story.
• The film, like most horror films, is targeted at young adults. This is indicated by the cast who are mostly fairly young. 

Scream 4

•  The trailer indicates that the film is produced by Dimension Films and directed by Wes Craven.
• The unique selling point of the film is that it is a sequel which may or may not have a conclusion to the series. Another selling point is that it is made by Wes Craven who is well known in the world of horror movies.
• The trailer establishes genre very simply with the talk of serial killers and gruesome murders. However it is arguable that it doesn't need to establish genre as most are familiar with the Scream series.
• The target audience for this film is clearly a young audience. This is indicated by the high school setting and the common stereotypical feature of a teen horror film, everybody is good looking.

Human Centipede

• As indicated in the trailer the film is produced by a company called IFC Films.
• The unique selling point of this film is the fact that it is a horror film that it totally unlike any that has come before it but at the same time obeying the rules of a horror film.
• The film establishes genre straight away with the familiar story of young attractive girls getting lost in a remote area of a foreign country. The mood of the film is established when they reach the house of the demented surgeon. in some respects the establishment of genre and mood, and certainly narrative is reliant on the information within the graphics.
• The target audience for this film would be relatively small due to the extreme nature of the narrative it may be the case that the film will only appeal to those who can 'stomach' films such as 'Saw' and 'Hostel' effectively tapping into an already established niche audience.

Let Me In

• As indicated at the beginning of the trailer the film is made by Overture Films and Hammer. It is Directed by Matt Reeves of Cloverfield.
• There are two main selling points to this film. The first is that it is an adaptation of a popular book. The second is that it is an Americanization of the original independent Swedish adaptation of the book. This allows the film to tap into two niche audiences that may overlap. The director could also be considered a selling point.
• Therefore the main audience for this film would be fans of the book and / or fans of the original Swedish version. However this audience is not directly addressed in the trailer so it is arguable that the target audience are fans of the film Cloverfield, which is mentioned as they share a director. The makers may have done this to distance themselves from the book and the Swedish film as they may like to have their version as a separate entity that cannot be compare d negatively.

The Strangers

• Straight away the trailer tells us that the movie is made by 'Rogue Pictures' and 'Intrepid Pictures'. We are not told who the director is. However at the end we are told that it stars Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman.
• The selling point of this film is arguable the fact that it is 'based on true events' whether this is very loosely or otherwise. The story line may also be a selling point as the trailer tells us a fair bit about it.
• The trailer establishes genre slowly to start with. At the beginning one might assume that it is a romance film. however there is a sudden change in atmosphere and tone when a loud bang is heard. From that point on it is clear that it is a horror film. The lack of gore and the apparent tension and relatively slow pace suggest that it is a psychological horror film.
• The target audience for this film is the core audience of 15-26 year olds as it is fairly commercial and is based on something everybody would find scary, a group of masked intruders who's only motive is to frighten you.

There is definitely an identifiable format in these trailers as they all start of relatively slowly and then quicken in pace once the genre has been successfully established. It is arguable that the trailers for some of the other genres do not follow this format and may in some cases, for example independent dramas ignore all formats. The trailers are constructed in this way to show that they have depth, in the slow beginning, and action, in the fast paced section. All of these films are successful in selling the product through simplicity of the format, although some of the content of the actual film and some narratives may have been of questionable quality.

TS