Olivia Middleton
In a trailer the sound and music is very important as it creates the specific tone in which helps the audience feel a certain way for example, if you are watching a horror trailer you should expect to hear eerie, ascending sounds that will along with what you are watching scare you. Our horror trailer will create suspense and produce fear in the audience by using the sound that we make.
Influences
From the start of this trailer there is non-diegetic sound of music, played by a male singer with a low, deep voice. This initiates a sense of uneasiness as the words "The beast in me" are played in the background, the voice is also unsettling as it is so low and menacing. After this, there is a creaking door sound at 43 seconds, this is one very important and frequently used audio code within any horror film whether it be slasher, supernatural or psychological.
Furthermore, there is the sound of a chainsaw revving up from 51 seconds, which is quiet and almost an underlying noise. The sound design in this trailer is effective because, it reflects the storylines motive by using a full chainsaw effect 55 seconds into it. This implies to the audience that the film will in fact be of the slasher sub-genre, as this type of weapon is a typical convention of these films (it connotes phallic imagery by penetrating someones skin). This sound is also very loud and creates instant fear because chainsaws never signify anything good or joyful. We will not use this in our trailer as, it does not relate to it, we will not be using a chainsaw so it is unnecessary to have the sound of one in our trailer.
As well as this, there are quick cuts between each shot which pair with the montage of short scenes. At 1 minute 11 seconds, there is a quick drone sound, these are very common in horror films as they build tension and fear within the audience. They have a similar effect to the ascending tone which is also used at 1 minute 28 seconds, this sound is eerie and is typically created by a violin. Both a drone and ascending sound effects are very good and effective designs for a horror film or trailer, we will be using both of these in our trailer. Throughout the trailer there is a quick scratching sound which is again another audio code that may freak the audience out, this sound is very disturbing and "cringey" to some people, this then of course mirrors what the film is about as the contents is very gorey and violent. This sound effect is good and we may use it in our trailer, as it plays on the audiences personal bugbear.
Lastly, with each shot comes a loud boom noise at 1 minute 50 seconds, this is very effective as the rapid speed of it creates suspense. We will most probably use this in our trailer as it injects fear and anxiety into the viewers, which they cannot do anything about.
Furthermore, there is the sound of a chainsaw revving up from 51 seconds, which is quiet and almost an underlying noise. The sound design in this trailer is effective because, it reflects the storylines motive by using a full chainsaw effect 55 seconds into it. This implies to the audience that the film will in fact be of the slasher sub-genre, as this type of weapon is a typical convention of these films (it connotes phallic imagery by penetrating someones skin). This sound is also very loud and creates instant fear because chainsaws never signify anything good or joyful. We will not use this in our trailer as, it does not relate to it, we will not be using a chainsaw so it is unnecessary to have the sound of one in our trailer.
As well as this, there are quick cuts between each shot which pair with the montage of short scenes. At 1 minute 11 seconds, there is a quick drone sound, these are very common in horror films as they build tension and fear within the audience. They have a similar effect to the ascending tone which is also used at 1 minute 28 seconds, this sound is eerie and is typically created by a violin. Both a drone and ascending sound effects are very good and effective designs for a horror film or trailer, we will be using both of these in our trailer. Throughout the trailer there is a quick scratching sound which is again another audio code that may freak the audience out, this sound is very disturbing and "cringey" to some people, this then of course mirrors what the film is about as the contents is very gorey and violent. This sound effect is good and we may use it in our trailer, as it plays on the audiences personal bugbear.
Lastly, with each shot comes a loud boom noise at 1 minute 50 seconds, this is very effective as the rapid speed of it creates suspense. We will most probably use this in our trailer as it injects fear and anxiety into the viewers, which they cannot do anything about.
This trailer immediately throws the audience into the mayhem by using non-diegetic high pitched sound and the frantic dialogue of the characters. We will not do this in our trailer as we would like to have a build up of tension using the Todorov theory rather than complete disorder all the way through, we would preferably not like to use too much dialogue in our trailer as well.
Furthermore, at 9 seconds there is a loud female scream which obviously indicates sheer terror in the character, re emphasizing the fact that this woman is the 'Last Girl Standing' as the name shows. This is a conventional attribute in slasher films as they often have Final Girl's in their story lines, who commonly have masculine features for example a unisex name and brown hair, they are also almost always virgins who never mix with any form of teenage rebellion like drugs or alcohol. As we can see the "last girl standing" is in fact a brunette female. We may well include a final girl in our trailer as it is a common convention in slasher films.
There is a slow, ascending tone which is sped up at 53 seconds. This creates suspense and fear for the audience who are forced to feel the anxiety that the sound brings. We will use an ascending tone in our trailer as it is very effective in causing fear.
As well as this, the loud bang of an axe smashing through a wall at 1 minute 2 seconds makes the viewers jump as it is unexpected. It is quick and well placed because, the previous sound is slow and quiet rather than fast paced which would make it less effective as the bang would get lost in the chaotic background noise. Also, the axe is again used, it is thrown through the air at someone creating a slicing noise and then the sound of it cutting through flesh is quickly followed. This allows the audience to understand the gorey and violent nature of the film, showing that it is in fact a slasher film. We can assume that the noise of ripping skin is not enjoyable, and may make some people uncomfortable, this is what the slasher sub-genre is purposely doing; this relates to the catharsis theory as it gives the audience the opportunity to "purge" and release their repressed emotions through violence. This sound effect would be good to use in our trailer as it explicitly shows the nature of the film without any confusion.
In this trailer, there is a lot of dialogue throughout which is less effective as it basically gives the entire film away to the viewers. We will not be doing that in our trailer and shall keep the amount of dialogue to a minimum.
Towards the end at 1 minute 37 seconds, there is a choir sound which pairs with the religious, cult denomination idea. It appears to get louder and slower again building the suspense and tension. We will not be using this in our trailer as this could then become confused with a supernatural horror film and we would like it to be clear that ours is a slasher.
Furthermore, at 9 seconds there is a loud female scream which obviously indicates sheer terror in the character, re emphasizing the fact that this woman is the 'Last Girl Standing' as the name shows. This is a conventional attribute in slasher films as they often have Final Girl's in their story lines, who commonly have masculine features for example a unisex name and brown hair, they are also almost always virgins who never mix with any form of teenage rebellion like drugs or alcohol. As we can see the "last girl standing" is in fact a brunette female. We may well include a final girl in our trailer as it is a common convention in slasher films.
There is a slow, ascending tone which is sped up at 53 seconds. This creates suspense and fear for the audience who are forced to feel the anxiety that the sound brings. We will use an ascending tone in our trailer as it is very effective in causing fear.
As well as this, the loud bang of an axe smashing through a wall at 1 minute 2 seconds makes the viewers jump as it is unexpected. It is quick and well placed because, the previous sound is slow and quiet rather than fast paced which would make it less effective as the bang would get lost in the chaotic background noise. Also, the axe is again used, it is thrown through the air at someone creating a slicing noise and then the sound of it cutting through flesh is quickly followed. This allows the audience to understand the gorey and violent nature of the film, showing that it is in fact a slasher film. We can assume that the noise of ripping skin is not enjoyable, and may make some people uncomfortable, this is what the slasher sub-genre is purposely doing; this relates to the catharsis theory as it gives the audience the opportunity to "purge" and release their repressed emotions through violence. This sound effect would be good to use in our trailer as it explicitly shows the nature of the film without any confusion.
In this trailer, there is a lot of dialogue throughout which is less effective as it basically gives the entire film away to the viewers. We will not be doing that in our trailer and shall keep the amount of dialogue to a minimum.
Towards the end at 1 minute 37 seconds, there is a choir sound which pairs with the religious, cult denomination idea. It appears to get louder and slower again building the suspense and tension. We will not be using this in our trailer as this could then become confused with a supernatural horror film and we would like it to be clear that ours is a slasher.
This trailer begins with a short boom which is overridden by a car horn and cheering, this leads the audience into a false idea that they will automatically be scared. These sounds both contrast each other, one connoting fear and the other pure happiness. This is a good idea however, I dont think we will include this in our trailer.
The non-diegetic country music that is played in the background at 22 seconds emphasizes the fact that these youths appear to be in the middle of no where, seemingly on a farm increasing their risk of danger (we already know that something bad is going to happen to them). This will not be included in our trailer as it does not correlate to our ideas.
At 23 seconds there is a male scream that is merged with the neigh of a horse, this indicates that even the animals are distressed and therefore the characters should be even more so. This is very effective and a unique idea which we could adapt to apply to our trailer, by using different sounds and combining them together.
Throughout this trailer there is frequent screaming especially at 32 seconds, which appears to be non-diegetic signifying that the characters within the film dont actually know what kind or how much danger they are really in. Also, at 53 seconds there is a door slam and a female scream. We will include screaming in our trailer because, it is a typical and very significant aspect of a horror film.
Furthermore, there appears to be a soothing almost lullaby like sound in the background of a cracking drone, this is at 1 minute 6 seconds. This is a good idea as it juxtaposes between the possible innocence of the victims and the horrifying antagonist that kills all of them in violent ways. It also creates a creepy tone for the audience of the film.
At 1 minute 18 seconds there is an ascending tone, which gets louder and louder building the suspense and tension. As well as this, there is a faint echo that says "RUN" as the door is slammed at 1 minute 24 seconds, this is a very clever idea and I think it would be good to include this in our own trailer. This is because, it implies that this character is directly speaking to the viewers, forcibly involving the audience and therefore adding a sense of fear that they could be the next victims.
Lastly, there is a menacing laugh at 1 minute 33 seconds which again is a regular convention in horror films, it shows how evil and threatening the antagonist really is. We can include this in our trailer as it is very conventional.
The non-diegetic country music that is played in the background at 22 seconds emphasizes the fact that these youths appear to be in the middle of no where, seemingly on a farm increasing their risk of danger (we already know that something bad is going to happen to them). This will not be included in our trailer as it does not correlate to our ideas.
At 23 seconds there is a male scream that is merged with the neigh of a horse, this indicates that even the animals are distressed and therefore the characters should be even more so. This is very effective and a unique idea which we could adapt to apply to our trailer, by using different sounds and combining them together.
Throughout this trailer there is frequent screaming especially at 32 seconds, which appears to be non-diegetic signifying that the characters within the film dont actually know what kind or how much danger they are really in. Also, at 53 seconds there is a door slam and a female scream. We will include screaming in our trailer because, it is a typical and very significant aspect of a horror film.
Furthermore, there appears to be a soothing almost lullaby like sound in the background of a cracking drone, this is at 1 minute 6 seconds. This is a good idea as it juxtaposes between the possible innocence of the victims and the horrifying antagonist that kills all of them in violent ways. It also creates a creepy tone for the audience of the film.
At 1 minute 18 seconds there is an ascending tone, which gets louder and louder building the suspense and tension. As well as this, there is a faint echo that says "RUN" as the door is slammed at 1 minute 24 seconds, this is a very clever idea and I think it would be good to include this in our own trailer. This is because, it implies that this character is directly speaking to the viewers, forcibly involving the audience and therefore adding a sense of fear that they could be the next victims.
Lastly, there is a menacing laugh at 1 minute 33 seconds which again is a regular convention in horror films, it shows how evil and threatening the antagonist really is. We can include this in our trailer as it is very conventional.
This trailer also uses a lot of dialogue which tells you the entire story without you having to watch the film. We will not do this in our trailer as it then makes the film pointless to watch.
At 29 seconds there is an echo and a twinkling noise that sounds similar to wind chimes, this is a unique sound that doesnt appear in many horror film as it does to connote scary things.
There is a drone at 37 seconds which is a conventional aspect in horror films, we will be using this sound effect in our trailer as it brings it to a more classical and typical horror film.
Also, at 55 seconds there is a clock ticking which is effective as it represents the little time that these characters have to make a selfish or selfless decision and survive. This would be good to include in our horror trailer as it can also build tension and suspense, inducing fear into the audience as it makes them believe that something bad is about to happen. Straight after the ticking clock at 56 seconds there is a short laugh, indicating the antagonists have a lack of care towards their victims and they feel no empathy or guilt over what they are doing.
There is a male sobbing at 59 seconds, this shows how terrified this character appears to be and is effective as it makes the viewers feel sympathy for him. However, this would not be included in our trailer because it makes it too personal and the audience do not need to have any feelings or emotional connection towards the characters at this is stage in a trailer.
At 1 minute 6 seconds there is a climatic bang/boom this comes at a good point because it is unexpected therefore shocking the audience and creating more fear. Tense music is played while this ensues and continues at 1 minute 9 seconds, this is of course non-diegetic and builds anxiety within the people watching the trailer.
There is a sharp whipping sound at 1 minute 12 seconds, this accentuates the torture that the characters are going through and will continue to go through. As well as this, there is an audio code of ripping flesh, this is very conventional and makes it very clear that this film is a slasher. It also signifies phallic imagery, in the trailer there is a knife stabbing a woman's leg, this indicates rape as this weapon is penetrating her skin without consent and by force. We will use these types of sound effects in our trailer because, they are frequently used in slashers and we would like oour sub-genre to be explicitly clear to the audience.
At 1 minute 17 seconds there is a variety of relating noises; screaming, a sigh of relief and then a loud boom. This makes the audience think that all may be fine but then out of no where there is a shock almost jumpscare but instead of being at the end of the trailer it is at the end of this series of events.
Lastly, there is a piano playing at 1 minute 31 seconds which sounds very upbeat and cheery, again showing the little emotion and guilt the antagonists feel towards the victims.
At 29 seconds there is an echo and a twinkling noise that sounds similar to wind chimes, this is a unique sound that doesnt appear in many horror film as it does to connote scary things.
There is a drone at 37 seconds which is a conventional aspect in horror films, we will be using this sound effect in our trailer as it brings it to a more classical and typical horror film.
Also, at 55 seconds there is a clock ticking which is effective as it represents the little time that these characters have to make a selfish or selfless decision and survive. This would be good to include in our horror trailer as it can also build tension and suspense, inducing fear into the audience as it makes them believe that something bad is about to happen. Straight after the ticking clock at 56 seconds there is a short laugh, indicating the antagonists have a lack of care towards their victims and they feel no empathy or guilt over what they are doing.
There is a male sobbing at 59 seconds, this shows how terrified this character appears to be and is effective as it makes the viewers feel sympathy for him. However, this would not be included in our trailer because it makes it too personal and the audience do not need to have any feelings or emotional connection towards the characters at this is stage in a trailer.
At 1 minute 6 seconds there is a climatic bang/boom this comes at a good point because it is unexpected therefore shocking the audience and creating more fear. Tense music is played while this ensues and continues at 1 minute 9 seconds, this is of course non-diegetic and builds anxiety within the people watching the trailer.
There is a sharp whipping sound at 1 minute 12 seconds, this accentuates the torture that the characters are going through and will continue to go through. As well as this, there is an audio code of ripping flesh, this is very conventional and makes it very clear that this film is a slasher. It also signifies phallic imagery, in the trailer there is a knife stabbing a woman's leg, this indicates rape as this weapon is penetrating her skin without consent and by force. We will use these types of sound effects in our trailer because, they are frequently used in slashers and we would like oour sub-genre to be explicitly clear to the audience.
At 1 minute 17 seconds there is a variety of relating noises; screaming, a sigh of relief and then a loud boom. This makes the audience think that all may be fine but then out of no where there is a shock almost jumpscare but instead of being at the end of the trailer it is at the end of this series of events.
Lastly, there is a piano playing at 1 minute 31 seconds which sounds very upbeat and cheery, again showing the little emotion and guilt the antagonists feel towards the victims.
From the screenshots that I have taken you can see how i have used particular elements in the process of making the sound design, you can also see what sound effects i have chosen so that it matches the footage taken, and lastly how i have converted the sound from the platform onto a file so that it is accessible to use.
SOUND DESIGN
I learnt that creating a horror sound effect sequence is vital to the success of the horror trailer as it adds dramatic effect and makes the film recognizable as a horror. In order for this to be as effective as possible the sound design had to be in sync with the visual footage, otherwise it would subvert the typical horror structure therefore, confusing the audience and appearing unfamiliar and disorganized.