RESEARCH - The Genre of Horror

As I said it is not easy to define the any genre because its based on individual interpretations. Before creating my own horror trailer, I knew that I would need a wide range of research in horror films and the horror genre itself to create a successful trailer. I knew that if I analysed the trailers of the 5 most popular/best selling horror films of all time I could get an strong idea on how these films became so successful and what I would need to do to try and match the quality. Obviously, I will not have the same budget as the big film institutions, but I will try to create the best quality trailer using all the resources I have. To create a successful horror trailer I would also need to be sure of the main codes and conventions of horror films. These include high levels of violence between the characters (usually a killer and innocent people), dark settings, non-diegetic music when the killer is about to murder, etc.

The 5 best selling horror films of all times are arguable, according to www.filmcrave.com, the top 5 horror films of all time are:

1) The Shining 1980

2) Halloween 1978

3) Exorcist 1973

4) The Silence of the Lambs 1991

5) Psycho 1960

The film poster doesn't give alot away about the film which could intrigue potential viewers and attract them to watch this film. I believe the film poster doesn't suggest the genre of horror directly, but more like the Detective murder genre. This is because the poster uses a black background with a spotlight on a man who seems to be wearing a tophat and holding a briefcase, this costume is associated with detectives in films. On the other hand, I think the title of the film poster suggests some elements of horror within the narrative. My interpetation of the film title before watching the trailer is that the narrative involves some sort of exorcism (in relation to the title) and the detective on the film poster has come to investigate what happened.

Throughout the trailer there is dark, evil music, which is non-diegetic playing which is a common conventions of horror films. The diegetic sounds of screams and objects smashing are also conventions of horror films to illustrate the tension building then make the audience jump in fear from the loud smashing sounds. This trailer has a narrator talking at different points. Having a narrator is another common convention of older horror trailers (1970s-1990s).

On the one hand the narrator in the trailer is useful for giving the audience a brief explanation on the narrative so they can get an idea if they would enjoy watching the full length film. As the narrator speaks the speed of the cuts within the trailer gets faster. On the other hand, not using a narrator in the horror trailer can build some sort of tension and suspense so that the audience will be anxious to know what will happen within the film. The use of non-diegetic music instead of a narrator can be more effective in keeping the audience uneasy whilst they are watching the trailer and give them the pleasure of horrors. Fans of horror movies go watch horror movies to experience the personal thrills they get from the different aspects of horror films.


Horrors can be broken down into different subgenres and these subgenres appeal to people in various ways. I believe the Exorcist is a horror films with the paranormal subgenre. This is because paranormal horrors contain supernatural elements against mortal heroes. The supernatural elements of the trailer would be the suggestion of the young girl being possessed by a ghost or evil spirit. Paranormal horrors usually involve the hero (the exorcist) having a 50/50 chance in defeating the villain (evil spirit or ghost).

The characters in the trailer relate to the theories of Todorov and Propp. After viewing the trailer the audience automatically assume that the hero is the detective/exorciser and that the villain is the possessed young girl, which relates to Propp's standard character types. My indication of the narrative after watching the trailer could relate the Todorov's theories of equilibrium, disequilibrium and a new equilibrium. This narrative structure could suggest that the film begins with the young girl acting normal (equilibrium), and then she gets possessed (disequilibrium). Later on in the film, the exorcism may take place, the young girl returns to her normal self and they may find out the exact cause of the disequilibrium. Many horrors dot follow this narrative style so my predictions may be wrong, but they are an overview of how Todorov's theory can relate to horror films.