Style and Tone

We want a suspenseful and scary trailer because that is our genre. Side light and back light is often used in horror films to create a shadowy, dark effect. This creates tension and mystery, as we feel like we aren't fully aware of everything, and something could be lurking.

As we will be creating a very low budget film, we won't have a lot of special effects, but we still want to create a scary and tense element to our film. We could do this by using lots of close up shots of small little actions. For example an axe coming through a door or a shot of some ones bloody hands. Close up shots are not only possible for us to include, but are also very good for creating tension as it can make the viewer feel very near and in reaching distance of what ever threatening image is on the screen. Making it more engaging and more like they can't escape. These shots can also be used to capture the characters emotions very clearly which gives a big impact and makes the audience engage and empathise more with the feelings of terror or anguish.


















Another convention in horror films that as an impressive effect is when there is a mid-close up shot of the antagonist and there is something behind them that the viewer can see but the character can't. This gives powerful effect because it can be used to create a lot of tension and fear because, for example, we can see someone creeping behind them and the viewer knows the character can't see.


High angle shots can be used to show the vulnerability of a character in a horror film. The high angle makes them look small as it is like they are literally being looked down upon. Low angle can also be used to create fear in horror films. If the villain is filmed on a low angle, they seem big and powerful as the viewer feels small and like the villain is looking down on them


Titled angles are also often used in horror films. They can add dramatic tension and are quite disorientating, giving the feeling of something being not quite right. For example, there being something supernatural going on and gives the feeling that, that supernatural being has a large and fearful presence.




Hand held shots and over the shoulder shots can be used to make the viewer emphasise with the character, as the audience see things the same time they do, and in the exact same way. There fore it makes the audience feel like what's happening in the film is sort of happening to them. This makes it much more terrifying. Hand held shots are especially effective as they create a shaky effect which can show how nervous the character is and also adds more drama and action.


Sound can also be used to create a tone to our film. Enhancing the sounds in scene can create tension and make it very atmospheric.


As our film is going to be very low budget, we can create tension and mystery by never actually showing the villain. We can just suggest it though different sounds and shadows and maybe little glimpses of the body. Trailers often do this to not give too much away, keeping the audience gripped.


A convention of horror, that we could easily do to create drama/fear and could be used to create a successful ending to our trailer, is to have a power cut. It could be very effective and stylistic to have this to create an ending to our trailer.






http://www.slideshare.net/kbamediastudies/codes-and-conventions-in-horror-films