Editing and Camera Shots

Scream, The Hills Have Eyes and Saw

Edits and Transitions used• Tracking shot is used to following the

pace of the trailer/film whether it is fast or slow and this also allows the audience to keep up with the plot of the film. Tracking shot also allows to show action in the trailer and the most common action used in horror films is running away from the antagonist.

• Match on action is also used for action . It shows the running and also slamming of doors so the victim can hide from the antagonist (killer/murderer)

• All of these are shown in the Scream (1996) trailer.

• Shot reverse shot is typically, almost always used for dialogue which it is in all three trailers I have chosen to analyse. It is used to create drama and it can also help highlight key characters.

• This is shown throughout all three trailer; Scream, The Hills Have Eyes and Saw.

Key Characters • Key characters can be highlighted in

multiple ways such as shot types and narration.

• The Key characters are highlighted mainly through camera shots such as close-ups and medium shots. It shows us there facial expression and reactions to the antagonists and this enables the audience to identify them to their character role. For example, if they are a victim, by looking at the detail of their costumes and props around them as they can give clues to there character role. For example in Scream , when the first victim Casey is introduced, we meet her with a close up shot and this allows up to look at her costume which is pale colours, mostly white and this is a symbol of purity and that tells us that she is the victim.

• In Saw the main characters are highlighted through medium shots, voice overs and lighting. The main characters are introduced through medium shot and again, this allows us to look at their surroundings and costumes to tell us what their character role is. We are able to identify Adam as a victim because he is handcuffed to the wall. Also there is a voiceover in the trailer, telling the audience some of the plot of the film – “Adam you need to kill Gordon or Diana will die…”

• Light is used to create an atmosphere or highlight key points and characters within the plot. Horror trailers use the absence of light (low key lighting) in order to create an intense and uncomfortable atmosphere (this is used throughout the all three trailers so it makes the audience uneasy when watching.)

• As with most trailers, quick, fast moving cuts are made to show the action within the movies. With the two horror trailers I chose to analyse, a lot of dark shots are used in order to create suspense. This is also done by adding slower cut and longer shots, making the plot feel slow at first and then having the pace quicken as the trailer displays more of the plot.

• With Scream, towards the end of the trailer, quick editing allows the trailer to build up suspense and then allows the action elements to become apparent.

• This editing is also used in The Hills Have Eyes trailer. They use the same technique to allow the audience to understand what is happening at the beginning of the trailer and essentially what is the plot of the film.. (A family are going on holiday and are doing a road trip across the desert to San Diego) and then it becomes a bit slower to build suspense and fright. Then they use quick cuts to show action and build up even more suspense.

• Conventional trailers use a range of camera angles and movements to keep the audience constantly engaged. Close-ups to create a tense atmosphere.

• Various colours can be used to represent different things such as themes and genre; it is common of the horror genre to use symbolic colours such as red, black and white in order to make it easy for the audience to identify the film as being a horror.

• White and red typography are used on a black background; sticking to the conventions of the horror genre. The colour red is used by the horror genre to represent blood and black is to portray darkness and white represents purity and innocence.

• Black is the main colour used throughout all three horror trailers as it’s the most common colour used to represent the horror trailer. Black portrays evil, darkness, mystery and death which are all codes and conventions of a horror. As

• Black is the main colour, it is paired with corresponding colours that all have meaning to relate to the plot of the film.

• In the trailer for Scream (1996) the main colour which are shown throughout the trailer are black, red and white.

• Saw – the colour pallet used are quite cool colour which are blue, black and white.

• And in The hills have eyes, the main colours are black and warm tones like red, yellow and orange. And these colours help represent the narrative as these colours represent the dessert and heat, which is the main setting in the film.