Analyzing Signs trailer

Signs was released in 2002 starring Mel Gibson and is based around the idea of aliens coming to earth. It was a big hit and is classed as on the best horror/sci fi films there is. I'm going to look at the trailer to see if there are any horror conventions or useful shots we could use for our trailer.

Starting off the trailer is the non diegetic sound which immediately makes the person watching feel nervous at what is going to happen. For our trailer if we could use similar music then it would have the same effect. Several shots of fields with crop signs are shown and its easy to realise this trailer could be something to do with aliens. It then cuts to a title which says ' a message'. With the non diegetic music in the background it creates a tense atmosphere. A medium low angle shot is used to show the main character , Mel Gibson. Another low angle shot is used showing a dog barking and looking in distress. This shows to the audience that something has made these two things unhappy and they'd want to know what that is. Another title comes up now stating : ' a warning'. This is straight away followed by A young boy twisting Mel Gibson's head towards something. By using this shot it makes the audience want to know what the warning is and what he is being made to look at. More shots are used with titles squeezed in between for maximum effect.

The way the trailer is made is very clever as it puts thoughts into the audiences minds and they will then want to find out the answers. It doesn't show any actual aliens, just the crop signs. Also with the scary location mixed in with the chilling music it can make the audience feel uncomfortable viewing it.

The trailer continues to have titles flashing up with other shots of this scary looking field. This will appeal to a wide range of audience as many people can put themselves in these peoples position. As there is Mel Gibson starring as the main character this will make ladies want to see this more. Taking every into acount we can use a few key aspects of this trailer. If we can find some music similar to the one used in this trailer then it will create a frightening atmosphere and make our trailer a much better one. Also the creating this trailer found a balance between showing titles and footage from the film. Using titles just the right amount will be perfect for our trailer.