Three Trailers

Saw 3D

Me and Chris decided to watch the trailer for Saw 3D to investigate the use of basic trailer conventions within the horror genre. One of these conventions is that the production values of any film are indicated, and this film is clearly playing on the '3D' experience throughout the trailer. Around half of the entire trailer is footage of a cinema audience with film-related things happening to them, either from the screen or from their seats. This is signifying to the audience that watching this film in 3D will make you feel like you are actually there, part of Jigsaw's wicked game. Another convention is that the voice over and any dialogue will help build an image of th build up to an event, but never gives away the end, instead building the audience up and leaving them in complete suspense eager to see the ending. The voice-over artist in this is the 'villain' character 'Jigsaw' almost asking the audience to play the game with him, challenging them to beat his sinister tasks along with the characters in the film.

Trailer Conventions Used

• Production Values; The Production values are at the forefront of this trailer mainly focusing on the 3D imagery used. There are also other values such as the size of the 'Saw' franchise and its popularity within the public domain. One of the torture victims featured in the trailer regularly is also a production value; Chester Bennington (right) is the lead singer of multi-platinum rock band Linkin Park. His face appears on the trailer quite alot (glued to the car seat) gaining the interest of the millions of Linkin Park fans worldwide.
• Voice Over; The majority of trailers use a voice over, inter-titles or a combination of the two to inform the audience of the basic plot and to help leave them wanting to know what happens in the film. The basic idea is to talk directly to the audience, asking them questions and in this case, 'Join the game'. Rhetorical questions are also used regularly questioning the audience and trying to get them involved in the film. The voice over artist in this trailer is actually the 'villian' of the film Jigsaw challenging the audience to get involved in the game, and try to beat him. Generally speaking this technique will generate interest in the film because its being displayed as a 'challenge' to the audience.

Horror Conventions

• Violence/Gore; The Saw franchise as a whole pride themselves in inventing some of the most gruesome and gory torture devices in their films. Whether it be something as simple as pulling a man chained to an engine through knives or making someone fill up a bottle with a certain amount of blood so they can free themselves. They do not hold back on blood, amputation and violence. This film seems to be no different with a variety of traps shown in the trailer alone they are clearly suggesting that they will not back down the violence for their 3D release, in order to keep fans happy. An example of one of these traps is below.

• 'The horror never dies'; The idea that the villain/horror in a film never dies is common place in the genre, and Jigsaw does appear in this trailer. After countless scenes in previous films of him lying in his death-bed, or even being picked apart by a mortician, he never seems to die. This idea is to keep the possibilites of a new film open for the franchise and is common place in films such as Friday 13th, Halloween and Saw. Effectively, every Slasher horror will never properly show the death of the 'horror'. Creating suspense and a sense of wanting to see what happens next (in the possible sequel?).


• Isolation; Many horror films are set in small, isolated places that the victim(s) can not escape from or find help. As with all the Saw films, the characters are usually trapped in a small room or building with no way out, instead having to perform bloody tasks to escape. Although not always socially isolated as some films focus on groups of victims rather than a single person, they are never in contact with the outside world.

Quarantine Trailer

Also a trailer from the horror genre; Quarantine positions the audience in the eyes of a cameraman, filming the events of an infected zombie uprising, whilst using very different conventions. Any trailer must indicate what genre the film is, and Quarantine does this by showing the audience multiple scenes of violence, deformed/ill looking civilians and scenes of widespread panic. All relevant to the horror genre. The name of the movie must also be included in the trailer; Quarantine flashes up at the end with an odd green glow giving a very supernatural or science fiction effect.

Sixth Sense Trailer

This trailer for Sixth Sense uses very similar conventions to Saw 3D in that the dialogue tells a story without giving the ending away and leaving the audience in suspense.

There are some basic conventions of the Horror genre that these films all seem to fit in some shape or form.
Violence/Gore is one convention which Saw 3D definately fulfills, opting for a no holds-barred gore-fest filled with decapitations, amputation and other exremely violent moments which really aren't for the squeamish. Quarantine is also a violent film, whilst not focusing on methods of torture it is still filled with violence and gore but at times when the audience aren't expecting it making for a very jumpy and scary film. The Sixth Sense however is not a violent film, but gore is present. Some of the spirits wandering around are visibly injured in extreme ways (e.g. young boy with shotgun wound to the head) fulfilling the convention also.