How effectively does the trailer of 'The Others' use horror conventions

      Music and sound effects are very useful for horror films. Generally the music they use is off key and eerie. In a very scary part of the film the music usually goes faster and louder, especially when you see a character running away from something or someone, and when the character has hidden, the music goes a lot quieter and sometimes you hear them breathing or whispering. The most used sound effects are the creaking door, a clock striking midnight and a ‘helpless’ woman screaming.

    In ‘The Others’ trailer, lots of different camera angles were used to increase tension. They would use a close up of one person, then flash straight to another character. This was a good technique because you could see the characters expressions, and it also makes the audience pay attention. Another good use of the camera was when you saw a long shot of the woman running away. It was effective because firstly you could see everything happening, and also it looked as if she was running straight into the darkness.

    The horror conventions in ‘The Others’ are very stereotypical. You have the scared, vulnerable woman running away scared, and wise old woman knowing exactly what’s going to happen. The children are trying to tell their mother what’s going on, and she always thinks they’re just imagining things. No one believes children in horror films, which is unfair because they always know what’s going on.

    The effect the filmmakers want on the audience is for the audience to run out and see the film. When I watched the trailer, I definitely wanted to go and see it because it looked like a good plot and I wanted to find out what happened in the end, which is the desired effect of the trailer.

    In conclusion, the trailer of ‘The Others’ uses horror conventions to increase tension for the audience very effectively