IT
The new trailer for the remake of the 1990's classic mini-series and terrifying novel published by Steven King is a perfect example of a horror trailer which meets all conventions to make people scared whilst also making them have to go see the movie.
The plot of the movie is that a clown called Pennywise the dancing clown is killing children to eat them in a small town called Derry, so a group of kids known as the losers club decided to take matters into their own hand and find out what is happening in their town.
The plot of the movie is that a clown called Pennywise the dancing clown is killing children to eat them in a small town called Derry, so a group of kids known as the losers club decided to take matters into their own hand and find out what is happening in their town.
The trailer also uses Mise-en-scene in the location of the trailer this is because it takes place in a small town in America which is a scary atmosphere because at the start it is shown as a regular town which is a safe place for the kids to play which makes it more scary when Pennywise starts to kill because the only place they are safe is no longer safe which will cause the people watching to feel that even their homes are no longer safe.
WHAT DOES THIS TRAILER DO WELL?
The trailer does many things well which makes it a terrifying experience. One of these is the cast of the film. This helps make the trailer more scary because it starts of by showing kids playing and having fun with each other before things suddenly get worse and they have to try and survive against the killer clown, this cast makes the trailer scarier because when people were kids everybody had fears of things like clowns which are now being used against them so the person watching the film wants the kids to survive whilst also being scared of what might happen to them.
Another thing the trailer does well is the use of Mise-en-Scene to help create a creepy trailer. The first way it does this is through the use of costume. This is because Pennywise is dressed up to be shown as a regular clown whilst also keeping a unnerving atmosphere which even adults watching the trailer will feel. Another way the trailer uses Mise-en-scene is through the use of props. An example of this is the red ballons which can be seen throughout the trailer. This is effective at creating terror because people think of balloons as positive things which people like as children. This makes it more terrifying as Pennywise is using the props as a way to lure kids in before killing them. The use of red ballons is also important as the colour red has strong connotations of blood and death which can be seen throughout the trailer.
Another thing the trailer does well is the use of Mise-en-Scene to help create a creepy trailer. The first way it does this is through the use of costume. This is because Pennywise is dressed up to be shown as a regular clown whilst also keeping a unnerving atmosphere which even adults watching the trailer will feel. Another way the trailer uses Mise-en-scene is through the use of props. An example of this is the red ballons which can be seen throughout the trailer. This is effective at creating terror because people think of balloons as positive things which people like as children. This makes it more terrifying as Pennywise is using the props as a way to lure kids in before killing them. The use of red ballons is also important as the colour red has strong connotations of blood and death which can be seen throughout the trailer.
The Invitation
The Invitation is a modern, psychological horror film. While attending a dinner party at his former home, a man thinks his ex-wife and her new husband have sinister intentions for their guests. The trailer is accompanied by a sinister piece of non-diegetic, string based music. The production and distribution companies are shown and we are then introduced to our protagonists as they make their way through the Hollywood Hills to a party. They arrive and are greeted by their old friends, but from the beginning it seems like something is off. More people arrive at the dinner party who are unknown to the group and our main protagonist, Ethan, suspects something is wrong. However the rest of the group seem to be at ease. The trailer follows Ethan through the house as he uses the restroom and spies on the hosts. The trailer is good at not revealing too much about the film other than that something clearly isn't right which means when you watch the film you are greeted by a surprise.
WHAT DOES THIS TRAILER DO WELL?
The trailer for this psychological horror is brilliant as it does not reveal too much about the film whilst still keeping the element of suspense. The accompanying music used in the trailer lets people know that the film is still a horror even if the initial footage may not totally resemble that of a horror film. By this I mean the dinner party atmosphere in which we are introduced to at the start of the trailer doesn't traditionally fit in with the idea of a horror film. By breaking the traditional horror/thriller scenario's, The Invitation is coming at horror in a new way.