2. Conventions
• Horror sub-genre- stimulates viewers mood, heightened
levels of; terror, fear, anticipation, dread, anxiety and
surprise.
• Villain, mysterious psychopath killer or serial killer; strong,
mental, stalks victim, physically deformed, violent and
brutal, use of weapons and props; knife, cleaver, chainsaw,
axe.
• Victim; teenage, rebellious, unaware of their surroundings
• Hero; female, sensible, senses killer, last woman standing,
may or may not be killed at the end.
• Location; isolated, college or campus like setting.
• Thriller conventions; tension and suspension.
3. Narrative Structure of Slasher Trailers
• Establishing shot, sets the scene and introduces
characters, and shows equilibrium.
• Building of a problem or crisis
• Introduced to victim, and shows the disturbance of the
equilibrium
• Teasing shots of the film, reveals the problematic
events but does not show the full extent
• Further complication shown through a dramatic end
• Trailer ends on a cliff-hanger, to keep the audience
hanging so they go and see the film.
4. 1st Slasher Trailer – Texas Chainsaw
Massacre
• Establishing shot is an old woman singing to a teenage girl, implies
that she is looking after her. (implied equilibrium)
• Disturbance of the equilibrium is the teenage girl questions the
woman, this implies that she doesn't know where she is and we get
the idea that she is the victim.
• We get tease shots of teenage couples, in an isolated setting
driving, then tease shots of a car crash.
• We see weapons; guns, chainsaw, knife, bear trap and brutal
violence in tease shots in dark, low key lighting.
• Heightens levels of fear, fast paced editing.
• The contrapuntal sound of the lullaby and the brutal violence
creates anticipation.
• We don’t see the way the film ends – the new equilibrium –
because then we wouldn’t go and see the film.
5. 2 Slasher Trailer - Urban Legend
nd
• Equilibrium at the beginning, college campus,
students, party
• Victims, teenage
• Weapons, axe
• Unknown villain
• Stalks the victims
• Serial killer
• Anticipation
• Fast paced
• Quick editing
6. 3 Slasher Trailer - Prom Night
rd
• Equilibrium – teenage girls, on campus, prom, couples.
• Fast paced editing low key lighting.
• Villain, man, unknown identity.
• Anticipation, fear, surprise.
• Stalker obsession, serial killer.
• Peeping tom, creeping, girl hiding from villain, cuts and he is next to
her, creates fear.
• Cut cross scenes enforcing fast pace
• Isolated campus
• Weapons – knife
• Use of reflections – mirror
• Silence to loud screams
• Lighting, low key, flashing
• Typography – “night to kill for” ironic
• No resolution – cliff-hangers
