Analysis of Teaser Trailers

Slither (2006) Teaser
• The trailer begins oddly enough with a series of different yet important classic film titles like the Exorcist or The Thing and their relative dates. This makes the Slither trailer unique in a way that it doesn't follow the correct trailer conventions.
• During the text floating into darkness on the screen, a narrative voice can be heard, relating to how these films had “one thing in common” which then leads on into massive font type words saying “They were all for sissies”. This film is obviously trying to make itself look good by making fun of timeless classics and providing a witty sub message. Perhaps this was created to draw in more audiences and therefore become more successful.
• I should point out that this is a sub-genre of horror films: comedy horror. It does not in any way spoof other horror films, but provides witty and humour through dialogue in the movie. It is a small fact that some horror films contain funny dialogue in order to lighten the tone up a little, but with this movie there is humour throughout the whole film.
• The pace suddenly quickens, providing us with a series of quick montage shots from the movie, essentially telling us a quick story.
• Also, heavy metal music plays during this entire trailer. Now the trailer is starting to follow horror trailer conventions.


Friday the 13th (2009) Teaser
• This trailer follows the lines of a standard horror film trailer, and that was to be expected from a timeless blood slasher classic in the past, milked dozens of times into unnecessary sequels and sometimes clashing with another franchise.
• The trailer begins with a slow pace. Showing us calm images of desolate forests and clear lakes, with normal animal and bird calls in the background.
• Additionally a low whooshing sound, almost similar to a hum or chorus begins. It is at this point in the trailer that it suddenly goes to being calm and secluded to being very dark and dreading.
• A woman's voice can be heard, possible within the world of the film, edited to comply the trailer itself, give it meaning and story. Without this, the audience would be lost. But not for long as they are shown in a quick montage of shots the imposing antagonist of the entire franchise in the flesh and of course, the iconic hockey mask.
• This image could have helped to make the audience realize what the film was about. The audience is further made more aware of the movie title was in fact the narrative I was speaking of earlier. The woman's voice could be identified as Jason's mother, also telling us the main context of the what the film is about.
• The trailer contains it all: flash-lights, heavy breathing and gasps from running teenagers and screaming girls, everything you would expect to see and hear in a standard horror film.
• At the end of the trailer, Jason's hockey mask can be seen floating erringly into the background and the film tile in big broad lettering.


Halloween (2007) Teaser
• Another horror franchise remade, by Rob Zombie. A classic slasher genre with a mute, murdering psychopath bent on killing all. This trailer follows the conventions of a standard horror trailer, just like Friday the 13th and not anything like Slither (which was a comedy).
• A normal montage of shots in order to quickly tell the story to original fans or new ones.
• Blood, gore and knife slashes soon follow afterwards, as the trailer shows Michael growing from a demented child into a adult, the stuff of psychological nightmares.
• The trailer indeed carries a lot of “violence” on the screen, where as Friday the 13th cuts to black whenever a violent act will follow. In this trailer, we can see a little brutal killing but like all other conventions, the trailer must restrict our viewing pleasure in order for us not to get too much of the plot.