3. ICONOGRAPHY…
Clothing:
In Creep your unable to see costume within the first few minutes of the trailer due to
the fact that the scenes are being viewed from a point of view angle. This indicates that
the audience have not got a sense of what type of character this is because it is
difficult to tell from what people wear. Later on in the trailer we clearly see that that
the woman is wearing casual clothing which could represent a normal person who most can
Lighting:
relate to.
A lot of darkness was used in Creep to remind the audience the fact that the film will be
scary with a connotation of darkness which is danger and evil. The dark mise en scene
immediately alerts the audience to the genre of the film, which is important to reinforce
in the opening minutes. Harsh fluorescent light was used in Creep. The film is based in
the underground which was effective to use dark chiaroscuro and silhouette lighting.
There was also a point of view shot with a combination of lagged shots in order to create
a more effective lighting.
Location:
The film is set in Charing Cross underground station which is quite unique as most
slasher /horror films are based in domestic and exterior areas. However in Creep, the
whole film is based inside the underground station which links to the main character as
she is trapped inside. For a slasher/horror film the location of using the underground
seems like a mysterious place. The use of the London underground scares an audience as it
is one many people can relate with, therefore we view it as a way to be in that situation
ourselves. Also, it surprises but confuses us to see the station empty as we’re used to
seeing it filled with hundreds of busy people rushing to get around, therefore the empty
and abandoned setting gives us a chill.
An isolated setting is used to have this effect on the audience, as no one is around and
therefore no one can help this girl. This is a common aspect and convention of the
horror/slasher genre as it allows terrifying sequences to take place as there is nothing
Props:
or anonymous/killer is a stop to it. The trailer is set in an underground station in
The no one around to out shown holding a knife,
London, and in most horror movies as it is a
this is seen this is therefore the films unique selling point also due to the fact this
film was a British success.
way to express the genre so it can be
noticeable to the audience.
4. NARRATIVE…
The narrative device used in the trailer is the unknown/killer which the main character
must overcome by escaping the danger. It follows the story of a woman locked in the
underground at night where she is followed by a killer living in the sewers below.
It is set in quite a dark place, which is common with a lot of horror/slashers. It gives
the audience an idea of what happens at the beginning of the film but doesn’t give the
audience any clues to the conclusion. The trailer shows one main character, who is known
as the ‘final girl’ that is used in most horrors. The trailer also introduces a other
characters who seem to be working on the tracks and two other men who are in the same
position as the girl. The trailer gives quick glimpses of the ‘creep’ however leaving
enough information hidden to make sure it does not give away too much.
CHARACTERIZATION…
There are elements from the horror/slasher genre which are repeated in most horror films
such as the ‘final girl’ who is also featured in this trailer as we expect that she
survives due to all existing horror movies following the same aspects.
There are also binary opposites used in genre such as the victim and the killer. The
trailer shows one obvious main character, who follows the typical character of the ‘final
girl’ that is used in horrors as she is a young and attractive. The trailer also briefly
introduces other characters all if which are men. It shows a couple of men who seem to
work on the tracks and two other men who are stuck in the same situation as the girl.
5. SOUND…
The most frequently used type of sound was silence overall, which adds to the intensity
and builds up momentum to that fact that something is going to happen. Also non-diegetic
sounds were used, such as a beat of music which always matched or was in sync with the
on- screen movement or atmosphere. This appeals to the audience as it allows them to
interact more with the moment and movement.
In addition, with the use of gloomy non- diegetic sound, it gets the audience slightly
scared also it enables the audience to anticipate that something may suddenly happen. As
this is happening there is an introduction of stingers and high pitched music, building
the tension as the action kicks in. The music generates the atmosphere for the audience
as a tense and paranoid mood is created.
EDITING…
In Creep, motivation cuts where used when diegetic sounds were used to form a reaction
from the characters more effectively. The fast speed of cuts allows the audience to get
into the fast momentum and also the quick transition cuts portrays well to the genre of
the film within the opening two minutes. This is efficient in a way to build the audience
up to the main plot. Conventionally slasher/ horror films are played at fast tempo in
terms of the action which the editing has a huge part to play to convey this.
The titles used in the trailer are made by the use of editing. Another aspect of editing
which was used in this trailer was the sound effects at the end when the title of the film
appeared. After each shot, a subtitle was presented which the audience has to read in
order to feel more engaged. At the end of the trailer, an enigma is created as the last
shots of the scene have been shown to makes us question his identity, his reasons for
killing people, and if the girl survives.
6. CINEMATOGRAPHY…
The trailer starts of with a handheld/ point of view shot of the main character in order
to create a real life effect and also to identify with the character to see what they
see. The effect of using a shaky camera reflects the character’s uncertainty of the
situation and nervous mind, as the point of view shot takes the audience into the scene
with her and makes us feel her anxiety. The cut to the shot of a woman waking up shows
the way in which we are introduced to the main character, immediately we develop a
connection with this character as the tension that has been created at the start leads us
to our suspicion for her and what could be happening. In a way we are able to relax in
this shot as the music has been cut and she appears to be in a normal situation, but at
this moment the audience is left to think we can hear a train coming in the background.
However this doesn’t last for long as the quick pan leads us to realize that she seems to
be completely alone and there isn’t any form of help around her.
A montage of shots is then shown which seem to blur into one, the combination of fastpaced shots adds more characters and story lines into the plot as it appears to be full
of chases and increases the pace of the film and leaves us wondering what’ll happen next.
All of the shots are extremely dark which is clever as we are not sure of what could
happen next and our confusion of what we see in front of us is still there. The shots
begin to increase rapidly in pace which increases suspense and ambiguity. We see a flash
of a knife, letting us know that this film is gruesome and some sort of bloody
destruction will arise. Certain characters were shown in shock through a close up which
from this we can assume that there is less chances of them escaping. By the end of the
trailer the woman is isolated and left completely defenseless to what the other
characters got themselves into. The title of the film ‘Creep’ is displayed at the end of
the trailer in a way to permanently anchor the name in our minds making us think about
what might of happened to the victims. There is a shot of a baby doll and dead babies
around it, this again creates a disturbed image in our mind as it seems out of place and
leads to confusion and feeling agitated.
A clear shot of a mysterious man is introduced in the middle of the trailer which
frightens us as it is not what we expect and it also intrigues us further as it adds a
twist to our suspected storyline. However, the next camera close-up on him convinces us
that he is a victim too which begins to make us care what happens to his character. The
fast cuts to a bloody hand grabbing onto the train leads us to question ‘will she ever
escape?’. The quick transition shots of a dark room, a flashlight and the tunnel
highlights all possible escape routes, however this may be a risk as we cannot receive
comfort knowing that something will happen unexpectedly...
7. CINEMATOGRAPHY…
The trailer starts of with a handheld/ point of view shot of the main character in order
to create a real life effect and also to identify with the character to see what they
see. The effect of using a shaky camera reflects the character’s uncertainty of the
situation and nervous mind, as the point of view shot takes the audience into the scene
with her and makes us feel her anxiety. The cut to the shot of a woman waking up shows
the way in which we are introduced to the main character, immediately we develop a
connection with this character as the tension that has been created at the start leads us
to our suspicion for her and what could be happening. In a way we are able to relax in
this shot as the music has been cut and she appears to be in a normal situation, but at
this moment the audience is left to think we can hear a train coming in the background.
However this doesn’t last for long as the quick pan leads us to realize that she seems to
be completely alone and there isn’t any form of help around her.
A montage of shots is then shown which seem to blur into one, the combination of fastpaced shots adds more characters and story lines into the plot as it appears to be full
of chases and increases the pace of the film and leaves us wondering what’ll happen next.
All of the shots are extremely dark which is clever as we are not sure of what could
happen next and our confusion of what we see in front of us is still there. The shots
begin to increase rapidly in pace which increases suspense and ambiguity. We see a flash
of a knife, letting us know that this film is gruesome and some sort of bloody
destruction will arise. Certain characters were shown in shock through a close up which
from this we can assume that there is less chances of them escaping. By the end of the
trailer the woman is isolated and left completely defenseless to what the other
characters got themselves into. The title of the film ‘Creep’ is displayed at the end of
the trailer in a way to permanently anchor the name in our minds making us think about
what might of happened to the victims. There is a shot of a baby doll and dead babies
around it, this again creates a disturbed image in our mind as it seems out of place and
leads to confusion and feeling agitated.
A clear shot of a mysterious man is introduced in the middle of the trailer which
frightens us as it is not what we expect and it also intrigues us further as it adds a
twist to our suspected storyline. However, the next camera close-up on him convinces us
that he is a victim too which begins to make us care what happens to his character. The
fast cuts to a bloody hand grabbing onto the train leads us to question ‘will she ever
escape?’. The quick transition shots of a dark room, a flashlight and the tunnel
highlights all possible escape routes, however this may be a risk as we cannot receive
comfort knowing that something will happen unexpectedly...
