Narrative graphics - example research

 I've looked at many trailers with narrative text in the trailers for inspiration and for what is conventional and successful in horror trailers. There are certain themes I found through out. They range from 2 - 5 different narrative screens in a trailer. I think they are best when there are 3 or 4 of them. They tend be just one sentence that is broken up into different screens. I think its successful and slick when the narrative screens link to and become a sentence with text that wouldn't normally been seen as narrative, like the title of the film or the release date. 'The Babadook' and ' The Conjuring 2' are examples of this. Another theme is that in between the different narrative graphic screens, there is usually one or two clips from the actual trailer. Also, they tend to have the last screen of the narrative be the most dramatic.

There are also themes within the words used. They usually just give a very vague suggestion of what the film is about, and make sure to not give too much away. They often create questions more than answer them, for example when it says, 'discover the secret of what she wants' in the trailer for the film 'Annabelle'. Another theme is that they often address the audience, this makes it feel more direct to the viewer. Examples of this are, 'You'll never guess her secret', and 'You can't get rid of The Babadook'. 

INSPIRED BY TRUE EVENTS ................ The Strangers

WE ALWAYS TELL OURSELVES ................ The Strangers

THERES NOTHING TO FEAR

BUT SOMETIMES WE’RE WRONG

If it’s in a word .............. The Babadook

Or it’s in a look

You can’t get rid of

The Babadook  

FROM THE TRUE EVENTS OF ED AND LORRAINE WARREN .........................Conjuring 2

THE MOST DOCUMENTED CASE IN PARANORMAL HISTORY

ON JUNE 10^{TH         ......................... The Conjuring 2}

DISCOVER THE TRUTH

BEHIND THE EVENT

THAT SHOCKED THE WORLD

IT WAS NEVER    .................. Ouija: Origin of Evil

JUST A GAME

BEFORE THE CONJURING ....................Annabelle

THERE WAS ANNABELLE

THIS OCTOBER

DISCOVER THE SECRET

OF WHAT SHE WANTS

There’s something wrong with Esther ..................... Orphan

You’ll never guess her secret

THIS JANUARY     ........................................MAMA

THEY’VE COME HOME

BUT NOT ALONE

A MOTHER’S LOVE NEVER DIES

FEAR   ................... Woman in Black

HER

CURSE

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Title examples

Here is a large selection of fonts that I like and would be successful for the title of the film. I found them on dafont.com.

My favourites are: Crack Babies, Black Widow, Old Dreams, OLD DOG NEW TRICKS, RUDE BASIC, Plague death.

I like the one which look old, dirty and scratched. However, its important that they are clean enough to look not blend into some backgrounds to much or be hard to read.

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REC - film poster analysis

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STATIC - Poster

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THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL - poster analysis

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Timing of graphic screens

As I thought I liked the amount and timings of the graphic screens the most in the trailer of 'The Conjuring 2" the most, I thought I'd focus on the timings the most....


0:00-0:02 - 1st Ident
0:02-0:03 - 2nd Ident (then fade to black)
0:35-0:38 - black with white text saying its based on a true story (fades to the next scene)
0:47-0:49 - another narrative screen again saying its based on a true story (fades to the next scene)
1:20-1:22 - saying who its directed by (cuts in and out)
1:48-1:49 - saying when its coming out (text moves slightly closer to us then fades to next scene)
1:54-1:55 - narrative text to create tension and fear
2:06-2:07 - next part of the narrative text from the previous one
2:25-2:28 - the title of the film
2:28-2:34 - frame of the films social media advertising

However, one aspect of this trailer that was missing that I like is when you think the trailers over, as the narrative of it seems to have calmed down after the montage, but then there is one more scare, and then the real end of the trailer. This is a good way of creating more fear and messing with the minds of the audience.

One example if this is, is the trailer of the film 'The Badadook'. Here are the timings for this film...

0:22-0:23 - saying who directed the film
1:03-1:05 - Sundance award boast
1:48-1:50 - Narrative text (part 1)
1:55-1:57 - Narrative text (part 2)
2:01-2:03 - Narrative text (part 3)
2:05-2:09 - Film title
2:19-2:23 - credits

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The Others - Trailer graphics

This trailer had very little title graphics. It consist of the just the ident, title of the film and the date release + boast of it being in theatres everywhere. Each title screen is united by the solid black background in each so it has a universal look which relates each component.

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The Strangers - trailer title reserach

 
Again, each title graphic screen is very similar so they all relate. They all have very dark backgrounds and, apart from the two idents, they all have a blurry and green element in them. Giving a feeling of there being something lurking in the darkness. Im the actually title screen which says 'the strangers' on it, it has the most powerful imagery as it is the one with the most distinct image in it which is a masked figure. The image is still blurry, making it slightly abstract. This makes it not too distracting from the title. It is fitting that the most powerful and scary image is paired with the title to create the biggest impact.

This trailer has many graphic screens. It includes; two idents, 'INSPIRED BY TRUE EVENTS' screen (this is conventional in horror films), then there are three screens which build tension and add a narrative to the trailer. It also talks about the audience through talking first person but encaging the viewer as it says 'We always'... and 'We're wrong'. This sequence builds up tension and fear before the screen with the actual title. This builds it up to give the title a more dramatic effect. After the title screen is a screen with the two lead actors names. The last screen says 'coming soon' which is a trailer convention. It also has the film's website address. It also has the two idents very small and in black and white at the bottom.

The Babadook - trailer titles

This trailer has a childish drawing style for the background in each screen (apart from the award screen). The drawings relate to the film as they are the drawing of the book that the film is about. They are both eerie and stylish. They have a vignette effect. This makes it look more eerie and also add a a stylish theatrical effect.

This trailer consists of the directors name, an Sundance award boast, then there's a three screen sequence of text which give a suggestion of what the film is about but keeping it general and vague. Then is the title of the film is the next screen. The font it much larger that the other text. This adds attention and importance to the title.The last screen consists of credits and the production companies involved.