1. Detailed analysis of Horror movie trailers
28 days Later (Trailer)
Mise-en-scene
The use of mise-en-scene inthe trailerfor28 dayslateris veryeffective andconventionalfora
Horror movie,forexample,throughoutthe trailerlow keylightingisused.Thisisusedtoconnote a
sense of dangerandsuspense.The settingof the filmisalsoveryconventional,itissetina run down
and abandonedcitysetaftera Zombie apocalypse.The plotof thisisverycommonamong Horror
moviesandthe settingiseffective asitcreatesa sense of isolationandalsoshowsthatthe main
character isalone,thisshowshimtobe indangerand vulnerableashe has justwokenupinhospital
and has nobodytohelpo protecthim.The use of costume isveryeffective,he is wearingdirtyand
oldhospital clotheswhichsuggest thathe has a lack of suppliesandhasbeenleftalone foralong
time,the hospital clothesalsomake himlookveryvulnerable.Make-upwasusedeffectivelyforthis
filmtomake the actors looklike zombies,whichisveryconventional forthe Horrorgenre.
Sound
At the start of the trailerthere is the soundof a thunderstorm, thiscreatesa sense of danger.There
isalso the soundof shoutingwhichconnotespanicanddanger,thisisthensupportedbythe sound
of a helicopterwhichshowsthatpeople are evacuatingthe citybecause of the outbreak of an
'infection'.Thisshowsthatthe situationisveryseriousandforthe maincharacterto be leftalone in
the middle of itall isverydangerous,whichistypical fora Horror movie.Afterthe 'evacuation'stage
of the trailer,itshowsthe 'devastation'stage,here theyhave usedthe soundof explosionstoshow
that the situationissobad that theyhave hadto blow up parts of the city to try and stopthe
apocalypse,thisagainshowsthe dangerthatthe maincharacter faces.Afterthe startingpart of the
trailer,the manwakesupin an abandonedhospital,thisisonitsownconventional asitshowshe is
alone andisolated,butthisissupportedthroughthe use of sound,ashe walksaroundthe hospital
youcan hearhisfootstepsveryclearlyandloudlyastheyechothroughthe emptybuilding,this
showsthat there isnoother soundandthat he it totallyalone,ashe walksaroundhe alsoshouts
'Hello',thisshowsthathe is unaware of whatis goingon andas he getsno reply,itagainshowshow
he is isolatedandalone.Afterthispart,the dialogue inthe trailerconnotespanicanddangerasit is
mostlyshoutedorappearsto be saidin a panickedandfearful manor.Tense non-diegeticsoundis
alsousedto create tension.
Camerawork
In the trailerthe use of cameraworkisconventional foraHorror film, andalsomakesveryeffective
connotations.Atthe beginningthere isawhipzoom, thisgivesthe beginningof the trailermore
pace andmakesthe beginningof the trailerexciting,thisiseffective asitdrawsthe viewerin.When
the character has awokeninhospital amastershotto show the abandonedandrundownhospital
setting,thiscreatesthe sense thatthe characteris isolatedandalone whichisconventionalforthe
genre.once he has leftthe hospital there are manyestablishingshotsthatshow how emptythe city
isand again showinghowisolatedthe maincharacterisas a resultof the apocalypse.Closeupsare
alsousedthroughoutthistrailertoshowthat hisemotionandconcernas he wondersthe
abandonedcitytotry to findhelp.Anotherthe shouldershotisusedwhenazombie jumpsdown

2. behindone of the people,thisisconventional asitshowsthe zombie,orinoverHorror cases the evil
creatures,issneakinguponan unsuspectingvictim.A trackingshotof the zombie runningupbehind
the personshowsthe dangerhe is in.Towardsthe laterstagesof the trailer,a highangle wide shot
isusedto showthe main charactersabout to drive intothe darktunnel,thisconnotesdangerand
alsocreatessuspense.
Editing
Conventionallyforahorror film,there isa mixture of fastandslow pacedediting.The fastpaced
editingisusedtocreate a sense of excitementanddangerwhereasthe slow pacededitingisusedto
builduptension.Atthe startof the trailerthe pace of the editingbuildsupthe tension.Inthe later
stagesof the trailerthe editingisveryfastpacedwhichshowsthe excitementinthe film.Thisisvery
conventional foraHorror movie trailertoincrease inpace as itgoesalong.Nearthe beginningof the
trailervisual effectsare usedtoshowthe effectsof the 'infection',thisgivesthe viewerabetteridea
of whatisgoingon in the trailer.The editingissloweddownwhenthe maincharactercomesoutof
hospital;thisshowshowvulnerableandisolatedhe is.
Conventionsofthe genre
Overall,the trailerfor28 days laterisveryconventional.The mise-en-scene inthe trailerisvery
conventional,forexamplethe isolatedandrundownlocationandthe use of low keylighting.The
soundisveryconventional asitconnotespanicanddanger,like the people shoutingandthe noises
of the helicopterevacuatingpeopleawayfromthe area.The cameraworkand editinginthe trailer
are alsoveryconventional astheyconnote veryconventional thingsforHorrormovies,suchasthe
establishingshotsandthe slowpacededitingcombiningtoconnote the isolationof the main
character.
Conventionsofform
The form of thistrailerisveryconventional.One wayitIconventional amthe wayitbeginswiththe
Greenbandcertification.Alsothe trailerexplainsandshowsthe plotof the movie,withoutrevealing
too muchin the wayof spoilers.The wayeditingisusedisveryconventional foratraileras itnot
onlybuildsupsuspense,butalsoconnotesexcitementanddanger,whichwouldappeal tothe target
audience of a Horror movie.