Conventions of Horror Movie Trailer

A horror movie trailer usually incorporates various scenes introducing the characters, storyline and some scary scenes to appeal to the audience. The trailers in general are often known for their extensive use of lighting to help highlight the different characters and their role in the movie, for example the protagonists are usually shown in a light area whilst the 'evil' is shown throughout a darker atmosphere such as night time. The main aim of a horror movie trailer is to persuade the audience into watching the film and would often do this through the use of storyline and character emotions to help relate more to the audience. Some key stereotypes of an horror movie trailer include:

• a diverse use of camera shots and angles
• some sort of voiceover is common 
• a unique feature of the film e.g. a ouija board 
• use of non-diagetic music to increase tenseness
• increase in pace as the trailer carries on
• some sort of montage at the end to showcase the scary parts
• breathing can be used to add effect
• lack of sound or music in parts

The trailer usually incorporates an establishing shot to show where the majority of the plot will play out and this is often some sort of abandoned building to help the audience assume of the characters isolation form any from of help. Horror movies also tend to lack any big name actors or actresses as to keep the audience from relating them too much to another role and thus ruining the realism of the film as a whole. They tend to show at least one major jump scare in the trailer to help entice the audience as they would want to watch the movie so that they can get frightened.  Horror movie trailers are also renowned for appealing to a certain type of target audience with the teenagers usually being appealed to more through the common use of a younger actor or actress as the protagonist. The trailer often incorporates the companies involved early on in the trailer whilst often leaving the names of the characters a mystery, helping to keep to the sense of realism throughout the trailer. Horror movies are split into different categories much like the thriller genre such as:

• Psychological horror
• Supernatural horror
• Slasher

The trailer often includes an extensive use of music to add effect to the scene and make it seem tense to the audience as to appeal to them more. Depending on the type of horror the antagonist changes to match it, with paranormal horrors ensuring that the enemy remains unseen whilst a slasher would use the killer to incorporate the fear into the audience. Some various camera shots are used more often then others such as a pov shot from the killers perspective or an over the shoulder shot to help show the imminent danger the characters are in, whilst the focus on the cameras is to ensure the characters are shown extensively as to relate them more to the audience and further persaude them into watching the movie.