DETAILED
RESEARCH
RHIANNON JENKINS

IDENTIFY THE INSTITUTION FOR
EACH OF THESE TRAILERS AND
THE INSTITUTIONAL CODES
EMPLOYED BY THE TRAILER
The Skeleton Key: main producer who also distributed the film was
Universal Pictures. This company also distributed The Purge which is a
horror/thriller film. However, this company are very large and mostly
produce more audience-friendly films. Codes employed by the trailer:
equilibrium-disturbance narrative is employed, there is no resolution
which draws the audience in.
Shutter Island: Paramount Pictures are the main producers for Shutter
Island and are a large and well known studios much like Universal
Pictures. The codes employed are very thriller oriented and are much
more audience friendly than the other two films I am analysing as there
is not too much emphasis on horror. Enigma codes are a very
prominent part of this trailer as the audience are kept suspended.
A Nightmare On Elm Street: the main producer was New Line Cinema
who also produced the first series of these films in the 1980’s as well as
the current version I am analysing. New Line Cinema was originally an
independent film company who produced only horror films before it was
acquired by Time Warner, however in the case of this film many of the
institutional codes and horror conventions that were shown in the
original series of films are still apparent in this one, such as the focus
on nightmares which scares the audience.

WHAT ARE THE KEY SELLING
POINTS OF EACH TRAILER?
The Skeleton Key: mentions that it is from the writer of “the
Ring”, from Universal which is an acclaimed producer of films,
Kate Hudson who is a well known actress is in the film. The
trailer creates a mysterious atmosphere and ends on a
cliffhanger which draws the audience in.
Shutter Island: on screen text shows that Leonardo DiCaprio
appears in the film as well as Martin Scorsese who are both well
known in the film industry. The trailer also creates an element of
mystery through enigma codes and strange, supernatural type
imageries such as a woman which makes the audience want to
watch the film to answer their questions.
A Nightmare on Elm Street: enigma codes throughout keep the
audience interested to find out what the resolution will be.
Mysterious imageries such as a room full of snow and a knife
covered hand coming out of the bath make the audience
question what these have to do with the plotline. On screen text
notes the producer who has been successful with other films.

HOW DOES EACH TRAILER
ESTABLISH GENRE, MOOD AND
EXPECTATION OF THE FILM?
The Skeleton Key: This trailer establishes genre by the
supernatural-religion based theme that is evident throughout.
Images that depict death, graveyards and sacrifice are
flashed up onto the screen which are conventional to the
horror genre. The mystery and suspense elements such as
change in pace of the trailer and the cliffhangers create a
thriller standpoint as well. The mood of the trailer can be
established by the lighting that is used throughout as it is
dark and dingy which creates a tense atmosphere as well as
the evil religious imageries which intensify the scare factor
from not only a religious, but a somewhat supernatural
standpoint. This prepares the audience for a dark film that is
sure to be packed with jump scares and intriguing storylines
associated with witchcraft.

HOW DOES EACH TRAILER
ESTABLISH GENRE, MOOD AND
EXPECTATION OF THE FILM?
Shutter Island: The trailer for Shutter Island establishes
genre by the theme of mystery running throughout which
conforms to the thriller genre. The general mood of the trailer
is shown through the dark and dimly-lit settings as well as
tension building music. This film is set on an island inside a
mental asylum which is very different to the other two trailers
I am analysing, as the setting is assumed to be very clean
and sterile but the idea that the people contained are not
sane means that the protagonist is in a potential position of
danger which keeps the audience on edge, wondering if
anything is going to happen to him. Dialogue from the film is
used as a narrative voice at the beginning of the trailer to let
the audience have a brief outline of the setting, but still
leaving an enigma to be solved. Binary opposites are used as
well as juxtaposition for example the sound of a scream with
the imagery of a clean, white hospital room.

HOW DOES EACH TRAILER
ESTABLISH GENRE, MOOD AND
EXPECTATION OF THE FILM?
A Nightmare on Elm Street: The trailer begins with an
establishing shot of a derelict industrial state and is very dark
and grimy, which fits in perfectly with the horror genre. The next
shot is of a man being chased into one of the buildings and this
along with the background music helps create an atmosphere of
danger which foreshadows the dangers the other characters will
face in the rest of the film. The trailer also shows the antagonist
who is very in-human, and his hands which are covered in
knives and charred and melted skin make him seem physically
monsterous which further establishes the horror genre. Binary
opposites are used to show the huge differences between good
and bad, as the protagonists are shown as innocent and young
compared to the antagonist who is older and evil. The song
sang in a childs nursery-rhyme fashion is scary and highlights
the horror genre by again using binary opposites, but also by
the content which talks about “freddy” come for them and to
“lock your door” which creates a sense of danger.

IDENTIFY WHICH ELEMENTS
WORK AND WHICH DO NOT WORK
FOR YOU?
The Skeleton Key: This trailer depicted imageries much like
the cult we would like to portray in our trailer. I thought the
music that was used in the background was very effective for
creating the right atmosphere so I may consider music like
this for my own trailer. On the other hand the setting was
primarily in a house which I would not use. The trailer was
also a theatrical trailer which I do not plan on creating as I do
not think it will reach a wide enough audience, so the
narrative of my trailer compared to this one would have to be
fairly different. There was a narrative voice at the beginning
which I do not plan on using as I don’t think I’d be able to do
it effectively enough to sound professional.

IDENTIFY WHICH ELEMENTS
WORK AND WHICH DO NOT
WORK FOR YOU?
Shutter Island: dialogue from the film used as a narrative voice
is effective but is again something I am not too keen on using
for my own trailer as I don’t think it would be a high enough
standard. Fades to black are used which are conventional to the
horror genre, but used in this thriller film is effective as it gives
the impression there is something more which is something I
would like to imply in my own trailer. The music and sound
effects combined in the trailer are effective as they build a sense
of anticipation. However, if I decide to focus more on the horror
aspects in my trailer I will probably use some more dangerous
sounding effects, such as metallic or gunshots. I liked the mise
en scene of the trailer but don’t think it would be suitable for my
own as it is too sterile and clean and focusing as well on the
horror genre I would like somewhere more dark and dingy.

IDENTIFY WHICH ELEMENTS
WORK AND WHICH DO NOT
WORK FOR YOU?
A Nightmare on Elm Street: the trailer for this film focused
equally on horror conventions as well as thriller, which is very
much like the finished product I would like to create as my own
trailer. The constant elements of suspense and enigma which is
conventional to the thriller genre is used throughout, keeping
the audience on the edge of their seat. However, the scare factor
comes from the theme of nightmares, the imageries of knives
which connotes violence and the fear that is shown on the
characters faces which transmits that they are in danger and the
audience themselves should be afraid. I thought the pace of the
trailer was effective: action at the start, slower in the middle and
then faster paced as nearing the end; as well as the metallic
sound effects throughout which again connoted danger.

WHAT APPEARS TO BE THE
TARGET AUDIENCE FOR THE
FILMS?
The Skeleton Key: The Skeleton Key is rated at an age 15 because the
threat in the film is strong but is not sadistic or sexualised, which is
only deemed acceptable for an 18+ audience. Because this film was
released through Universal it will have been targeted to reach a large
audience, so having it rated at 18 would have wiped out a large amount
of viewers. However, some of the witchcraft related themes may have
scared children under the age of 15.
Shutter Island: Shutter island is rated at an age 15, probably because of
its use of strong language and behaviour as well as the issues
addressed related to mental health, which may not be deemed suitable
for a younger audience as they may not understand or may find it
distressing. However, the target audience is probably thought to be
older than this anyway because of the plotline which is quite mature.
A Nightmare on Elm Street: This film has a rating of 18 because of the
theme of horror which not only addresses physical abuse, but abuse of
minors which is unsuitable to be seen by people under the age of 18.
Some of the more explicit scenes where characters are seen harming
themselves or other people are not allowed to be shown to a younger
audience as they are more easily influenced.

HOW IS THE AUDIENCE
EXPLICITLY TARGETED IN EACH
TRAILER?
The Skeleton Key: The tag lines explicitly target the audience by
using the word “you” to speak directly to them. Themes of
witchcraft, supernatural and mystery are made prominent, so
viewers that are interested in these are going to pay more
attention and watch until the end of the trailer to see what the
film is.
Shutter Island: The trailer starts with a narrative voice asking
“give you a briefing about the institution?” which directly
speaks to the audience through first person. Every now and
again a shot is used which shows a character looking directly at
the camera, as though they are looking through it to the viewer
themselves.
A Nightmare on Elm Street: Again, the tag line “don’t fall asleep”
targets every one because it is inevitable that anyone is going to
have to do it and the audience will wonder why.

IS THERE AN IDENTIFIABLE
FORMAT ACROSS THESE
TRAILERS? DOES THIS APPLY
FOR OTHER TRAILERS? IS IT
SUCCESSFUL?
The films for these trailers all follow Todorov’s narrative
structure of: equilibrium, disruption, recognition, attempt to
repair, new equilibrium. However, because a trailer only
shows part of the film, it also only shows part of the
structure. All three of the trailers start at equilibrium and end
in disruption in order to create an enigma that must be
solved and can only be solved when the viewer watches the
whole film. There are parts of the trailer that show
recognition and attempt to repair but these are shown before
the trailer ends on a cliffhanger, in a non linear order, which
still leaves an air of mystery for the audience to resolve.

WHY ARE TRAILERS
CONSTRUCTED IN THIS WAY?
Trailers are constructed to not show a new equilibrium because
it means the audience must invest in the product in order to be
rewarded with the resolution. To further this point, they are
convinced to invest by becoming connected to the characters
or plot through the exposition of the trailer, which usually
shows the characters in their best light or shows how important
the events in the film are going to be.