Here is my recut version of The Age of Adaline trailer. I changed the movie's genre from a fantasy/romance genre to a horror. I did this by using final cut pro - this was my first time using the software. I found it a little tricky at first but I now feel comfortable using it. I added scary music, reversed some of the clips, added a 'monster' and changed the order of the trailer to make it seem more like a horror.
How you decided on the trailer you picked and why you picked it?
I researched different films I had scene and thought for each one what genre it could be cut into. I ended up deciding on this film as I found the original quite boring so I wanted to make it more interesting and exciting.
Why you chose to adjust the genre of your trailer to the one you picked?
When deciding on the genre, I thought that turning a romantic drama into a horror would be the most effective with the footage I had. I chose the horror genre as it’s the opposite to what the original genre was - drama/romance into a horror. Also, I believe the conventions of horror films are quite clear so it was easier to know what types of features to include.
How you went about the production of your trailer (editing, sound, etc.)?
I cut up each scene in the original trailer and reordered them into the order I thought would work best for a horror trailer. I followed this structure when I was on final cut pro. I added scary music and edited the romantic scenes out of the trailer so it looks more like the girl is being haunted/stalked my a weird creature. I also reversed one of the clips to make it seem like the woman was closing the curtains instead of opening them. I also chose to start the trailer so it didn't seem like a horror film which is a typical convention of horror trailers. I attempted to include jump scares as they are another common convention. At the end of the clip, I used old fashioned music and the sound of a projector to try and suit what the characters looked like on-screen. I also got rid of most of the dialogue from the original trailer as they were saying romantic lines which didn't suit the genre that I was trying to recut the film into. Throughout the trailer, I edited in a strange creature to look like the main character was being haunted. This created a build up when towards the end, the creature is revealed to the audience. I kept with the original voiceover at the beginning of the trailer because I thought it sounded quite positive which would help with the contrast later on. I also tried to make the trailer in more of a chronological order - if it was an actual film, it would probably start off quite happy and then start to become more of a horror as it goes on - this is what I tried to do with the trailer.
Time management of the production (did you meet deadlines, etc.)?
Yes - I think I managed my time quite well as I met deadlines.
Problems that arose during production and how (or if!) you overcame them:
I originally did a different trailer but thought it wasn't a complete contrast to horror films so decided to pick something different. I also found it hard to find a good song to play in the background so it changed quite a lot but I eventually found one that I feels fits quite well. I also found Final Cut pro a little tricky to use at first but the more I used it, the more comfortable I became with it.
What you have learnt from this process and how you will improve for next time?
I have learnt how to use final cut pro. Next time, I could make it longer or develop a clearer story. I could also make the lighting a little darker so it would give it more of an eery feel. I would have maybe also added text between each scene which would create a tagline or speak directly to the audience so they would feel connected. I would probably do a little more research before picking a trailer next time to make sure I was confident I could definitely recut it into a different genre to avoid the delay of having to change trailers later on.
Below is the storyboard for the recut version of the 'The Age of Adaline' trailer that I have created. I cut up the original storyboard to make a guideline for my recut version. However, most of the dialogue will be removed and replaced with tense/scary music. I also plan to add a supernatural element to the film so it will look like the main character is being haunted by something.
The above video is the trailer for the 2015 film 'Insidious: Chapter 3'. The film's title appears at the end of the trailer which means that anticipation and intrigue will be created throughout until it is revealed. However, due to the trailer featuring a lot of conventions that the previous Insidious movies have featured, audiences may be familiar with what franchise this film belongs to before the title is revealed. The film stars Lin Shaye who has appeared in the other two Insidious films and also 'Ouija' - this suggests that she is known for horror movies and provides a sense of familiarity for audiences and continuity for the franchise (it isn't a whole new cast). The trailer is just under 2 minutes and 50 seconds long which means that it is a full theatrical trailer.
Opening
The trailer begins with a quick establishing shot of a flat-building. This sets the scene and lets the audience know where the film is taking place. The main character is first introduced by her voice and then she is shown on-screen. She is speaking about wanting her mum back - 'wish you could answer me mum'. This develops the character and may make the audience connect with her through sympathy. During the opening, mid-tempo positive music is playing which suggests that this is going to be a drama film. However, a traditional convention of a horror movie trailer is that they set the scene of a 'happy lifestyle' or different genre and then partway through, they introduce the horror - the same thing happens with this trailer.
Build Up
The first relationship that is established is the one between the main girl and her mother - through the dialogue, it suggests that the girl really misses her mum which suggests that they were close. A relationship between the girl and her father is then introduced when they are seen hugging which suggests that they are close too. However, as the trailer progresses, a psychic is introduced - Elise who tries to help the main girl. This establishes a connection between these two characters also. The final relationship that is introduced is the one between the girl and the demon as it has possessed her and is 'feeding on her soul'. As the trailer goes on, more conventions of a horror film are revealed which means that more 'horror-like' relationships are introduced too.
Problem
Like I mentioned before, the trailer doesn't portray the film as a horror at the beginning. However, 25 seconds in, Elise says 'you have to be very careful, if you call out to one of the dead, all of them can hear you' - from this point, the music changes and becomes a lot for tense, scary and dramatic. This moment will then clarify to audiences that this is a horror film as a typical element of those types of films are trying to communicate with dead people. Another problem that is seen in the trailer is the fact that the girl becomes possessed and the demon is 'feeding on her soul' - this suggests that in the film, Elise will try and help her get her soul back and destroy the demon.
Events
The most prominent event that occurs in the trailer is that the girl is being haunted. This is executed through tense music and jump scares. This means that not only the girl on-screen is being scared but audiences may also be frightened too. Another event that occurs is the girl being taken to hospital. This suggests that she may have been injured or is at risk from death which increases the danger of the supernatural element that is haunting her. Elise has to go where the demon lives - whilst she is there an evil laugh can be heard which is another typical trope for a horror movie. Elise also says 'give her back' and a distorted version of the girl can be seen on-screen. This suggests that she has been taken.
The trailer also includes text. When it says 'the producer of The Purge and Sinister', it makes audiences aware of the genre due to previous successful films. If may also lead to them being more likely to seeing the film as they enjoyed previous films that were made by the same person. Other text includes 'the origin of the Insidious saga' - this makes audiences aware that this is part of the Insidious franchise and that it is a prequel to the other films. The trailer also directly speaks to the audience through the text - 'prepare for the most terrifying chapter yet'. The word 'terrifying' emphasises that the genre of the film is a horror as that word is commonly associated with this genre. Also, due to the film being 'chapter 3' - it suggests that the franchise is like a story and makes the audience think that they have to continue watching as they would never not read the next chapter of a book so why would they not watch the next chapter of a series of films. The title also uses the colour red which connotes danger.
A sense of familiarity is also provided 48 seconds into the trailer - the same song is used that has been used in the other trailers for the franchise ('tip toe through the tulips') - not only is the song creepy which suggests that the film is a horror but it will also make the audiences aware that it belongs to the Insidious franchise.
Other typical horror conventions that are used in this trailer are a teenager as the main character, dark lighting, jump scares, tense music, a supernatural element, a risk of death and loud noises.
Overall, I believe that this trailer has not been edited in a chronological order. However, like the trailer, I do believe that the film will be quite calm at the start and the horror will increase as it goes on. The trailer will have been edited to show some of the scariest scenes to entice audiences to watch the movie. From this trailer, I believe that Insidious: Chapter 3 is a horror movie.
Below is a compilation of 10 trailers for recent or upcoming horror movies that I came across whilst choosing one to analyse:
We made a presentation on genre. We specifically looked at the horror genre and its key features, recent examples, the history, significant changes, hybridisation and why horror films appeal to their target audiences.