1. Investigate how far the trailer for Dark
Shadows conforms to genre conventions
Teri Kennedy-Smith

2. Why is horror so popular?
Horror films are designed to scare and disgust
viewers with evil characters, plots and events
that can range from realistic to completely
supernatural. Horror also gets people’s
adrenaline pumping which helps the audience
to feel engaged with the movie as the feeling is
addictive. People also enjoy the fact that when
they are watching a horror DVD they are
completely detached from reality. Horror is also
popular during Halloween as it offers people a
sense of community and allows them to get in
the spirit. Also, fear is the quickest and most
dependable emotion that movie makers can
bring out in us.

3. Architecture contrasts with the weather. The Facial expression shows
weather is made to look calm however the discomfort and
building is implying otherwise unhappiness which ties in
with the genre.
Dark surroundings, puts focus on
her. The darkness symbolises
something sinister.
Dark Gothic
foreboding architecture
building – low associated with
angle making it genre
look bigger
Barnabus is made to
Archaic costume seem dominant and
associated with gothic powerful from the low
angled shot
Low angle shot making her look
vulnerable.
Dressed in black which Chandelier is
implies danger and a typical Low angle shot making
something sinister and convention of Barnabus appear more
dark a gothic dominant and powerful.
genre
Red curtains=gothic architecture.
Links to genre. The red also
Archways and indicates danger.
Old piano is a typical
arched
convention of gothic horror. Dark surroundings, puts
windows:
focus on Barnabus.
typical
The fire
conventions of Warns the
implies
a gothic genre audience
danger and
about her
something
character
sinister
The chains indicate danger and
A coffin is a typical convention of a being contained. This hints to the
gothic horror film. audience about the content of the
movie. It is also associated with the
genre
The black coffin indicates
Dark surroundings, puts focus on
death and something
the coffin. Puts focus on the coffin.
sinister. This is a typical
convention for the genre

4. Investigate the past representations of vampires and how and why
they have changed since 1922
In the 1922 movie: Nosferatu, vampires were pale, had fangs, a
reflection, a shadow and they were hideous. Also, if they made contact
with sunlight, it was fatal. They were immortal and had enhanced speed.
They could shape shift into a wolf and they were followed by rats. These
were typical conventions of vampires in this time period because it was
still based on vampires from the 1800’s.
Dark shadows in 1966 shows a change in the typical conventions of
horrors. Vampires are shown with ordinary skin colours, their fangs
are retractable, the have no reflection however they have a shadow.
This may be because of an advance in technology. Directors were
more willing to experiment therefore making fangs retractable.
In Forever Knight 1992, vampires go back to being pale, however
their fangs are also retractable. Vampires also have a reflection and
a shadow. Also, if they came into contact with the sunlight, it was
fatal. The fact that the fangs are retractable is significant because it
makes the audience more engaged with the movie as they feel that
this is realistic and could happen in real life.

5. Frostbitten (2006), vampires have pale skin and their fangs
grow even bigger when they attack people. They have no
reflection however they do have a shadow. The original
vampires in this movie look human all the time. All the
vampires in this movie have orange eyes that turn red when
their bloodlust is awakened. The vampires also have
exposed veins. The vampires shown in this movie are
immortal, have enhanced strength, enhanced senses,
enhanced speed and unnatural healing. These vampires
can not fly but they can shape shift.
Twilight, 2008, shows a change in the typical conventions of
vampires. Their skin is pale, harder than diamonds and
sparkles in sunlight. They don’t have fangs but their teeth
are sharp and serrated and coated in venom, but not
pointed. They also have a reflection and a shadow. This
could be due to the fact that people may have wanted or
needed a change to the typical vampires that they see. The
directors of the movie may have also wanted to try
something completely different (a ‘game changer’).

6. Conventions of a Movie Trailer
Film trailers are an important part of a films marketing campaign; they are like adverts for a film. Trailers
inform potential audiences about a film with the purpose of encouraging people to see the film at the
cinema.
Key conventions of a trailer are credits and inter-titles. This helps the audience to know who is in the film
that they are watching and also make a decision as to whether or not they may want to watch it based on
their favourite actors. They also tell the audience what company made the film and also the film name.
This offers the audience a sense of community and recognition. They are able to familiarise with the
actors and company and thus make a decision easier. Sometimes there will be conversations between
characters and it helps the audience to base a further judgement on the film as they will decide whether or
not they like what is going on. The trailer could also have a voiceover.
We see trailers on the TV, in the cinema, online, on DVD’s or tube stations etc. Sometimes, especially in
the cinema, they are targeted to their intended audience. So if someone is watching a 15 rated horror
movie in the cinema, the majority of the trailers will be 15 rated movies or lower and also in the horror
genre.
We usually see the trailers at the same time that the film is being edited. This is to hold the audience’s
interest. If the trailer is released too early, it means the audience is more likely to either forget about the
movie or loose interest. If it is released too late, it doesn’t give the audience enough time to get excited
about the film.
Trailers engage the audience by giving a sense of energy; something more colourful and exciting than
reality. They do this by having jump cuts. It is a way of gaining popularity for the film. It also offers the
audience a sense of intensity; something more fast paced and fits more in over a short period of time and
reality.
Trailers are structured to include the best bits of a film to encourage as many people as possible to see
the film.

7. The architecture in the opening contrasts with the weather. The weather is made
to look calm however the building is implying otherwise. The gothic architecture
and the dark foreboding building hints to the audience what type of genre the
movie is. The low angle shot also makes the building look powerful and dominant
and it hints to the audience that this house will play a major role in the film. The
majority of the scenes from this trailer have a dark light or dark surroundings in or
on them. This indicates something sinister. It also allows the audience to
familiarise with the trailer and recognise its genre.

8. The trailer offers the audience a sense of intensity; something more fast-
paced and that fits more in over a short space of time than reality. A trailer
needs to offer this because they are only one or two minutes long and
they need to place in scenes from the film that will most attract the
audience to make them want to watch the movie. This also offers the
audience a sense of energy; something more colourful ad exciting than
reality. This attracts the audience because of the adrenaline rush they
feel.

9. The main movie trailer tells the audience that the film will be a hybrid. A
mix of both horror and gothic. Typical conventions of horror are
graveyards, coffins, full moon, mist, old/abandoned houses, shadows and
darkness. Typical conventions of a gothic horror are mist, storms,
demons, blood and churches.
The trailer is also unconventional in some ways as it shows the woman as
the antagonist. This contrasts with typical conventions because women
are usually the victims in horror movies as they are seen as vulnerable.

10. The trailer tells the audience that the movie will not conform to typical
conventions of its genre. It hints to the audience that the vampire is the
hero. This goes against all conventions as vampires are usually painted to
be seen as harmful, evil and hideous characters. The fact that the
vampire in this movie will be the hero is a typical convention of a Tim
Burton film. The pale faces and the gothic architecture shows the movie
conforming to typical conventions. Shadows in the first screenshot imply
something unknown or something hidden. This is used to intrigue the
audience.

11. Twilight – New Moon
The trailer of this film conforms to typical conventions of its genre
however there are some ways that it doesn’t. The genre of this film is a
hybrid of horror, teen and there is also a slight gothic element. New Moon
is a movie that changes the way the typical vampires are viewed. We see
a piano which is a typical convention of a gothic genre. The vampires
follow the convention of coloured eyes and pale skin. Vampires are seen
as both heroic and villainous in this trailer. This adds something new for
the audience. It is a way to engage them as it is showing them something
that is rarely used in most vampire/horror movies.

12. The vampire in this movie is shown to be
the hero in this movie. This doesn’t conform
to typical conventions. The reason for the
female actress is due to the fact this film is
main audience is females and they would
probably love to be in the middle of Edward
and Jacob and have them fighting over
them.
The dark surroundings in the
poster imply something sinister
and unknown to the audience.
This is a typical convention of
The serif font gothic/ horror movies as it offers
conforms to the
the audience a sense of energy
gothic genre of
the movie. It
and intensity.
makes it seem The vampires in this movie also
more traditional. follow the typical conventions of
vampires such as coloured eyes
and pale skin.