Jude White
A2 Media
9315
Titles in Horror
Seeing as horror is my chosen genre for my film trailer, it is important to look more in-depth at conventions specific to horror films and trailers.
Titles
The titles for horror films generally follow a set of conventions specific to the genre. Horror titles are usuallt short and snappy, using only one or two words. These words could be either the name of the film's antagonist, words related to the antagonist, or simply a words related to malice or evil. Horror titles often choose harsh-sounding words, and often reveal very little about the film itself other than that it is a horror film, adding a sense of eerie mystery. Some prime examples would be:
Sinister - A harsh-sounding word, linked to evil, and tells us very little about the film. It is also short and snappy, which makes it catchy and memorable.
The Conjuring - Another short, snappy title which gives only a vague idea of the film's content, and sounds ominous as a result. 'Conjuring' is connotative of ghosts, black magic and the occult, themes which run throughout the film.
The Babadook - Again, short, snappy, and ominous. It tells us only the name of the antagonist in the film.
Insidious - Another title that ticks many boxes; a harsh-sounding word, linked with evil, tells us very little about the film and is memorable. The word 'insidious' means 'proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with very harmful effects,' which summarises the strategy of attack used by the demon in the film.
The Woman In Black - This title simply describes the film's main antagonist, leaving a sense of intrigue, mystery and fear of the unknown. Black clothing connotes funerals and death, inherently relating the film to the horror genre in which it resides.
Oculus - This title means 'a round or eye-like opening or design', which is deeply thematically tied to the film's narrative, which is about a mirror which can make people's eyes deceive them. Once again, the word is short and snappy, using only three syllables.
Alien - This iconic title is effective as it gives only the most basic idea of what the film's antagonist will be, creating a sense of fear of the unknown. Once again, the word is short and snappy at only three syllables in length.
28 Days Later - This title cleverly deliberately raises questions; it tells us that some huge event took place 28 days before the events of the film, but requires us to watch the film to find out what. It is not as succinct as somer of the others, instead using more syllables to generate intrigue in prospective audiences.
The Cabin in the Woods - Similarly to the title for '28 days later,' this one raises questions by only telling us the basic setting of the film. We wonder, as prospective audiences, what happens there, especially considering that such cabins are iconic horror destinations given their isolation and ease of attack.
Design
Titles and title screens for horror trailers generally tend to follow a shared set of conventions. Serif fonts are used in the vast majority of cases, and there are several reasons that this might be the case. To begin with, horror has its roots largely in gothic horror and german expressionist film. Due to the fact these came about long ago, serif fonts would have been commonplace back then. This seems to have been largely passed down to modern trailers. Serif fonts tend to have pointed parts on, which could be seen as sharp and threatening, at a stretch. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, films going for a decayed art style use fonts that connote older times, to give the impression of having been around a long time. Speaking of decayed art styles, these are incredibly common. Flaking wallpaper is a common backdrop for title screens, but more specialised backdrops may be used dependent on the film. For example, 'The Babadook' uses pieces of paper, seeing as the film revolves around a haunted book. Overall, title screens should be disturbing or unsettling in some way, to match the genre of the film and help sell it. In the example I mentioned from 'The Babadook,' footage of pieces of paper blowing round has been reversed to make the motion seem unnatural, which makes it unsettling. Another nice example is the flickering text in the 'insidious' trailer; flickering suggests something is amiss or broken in some way.
The Sinister logo is a nice example of the qualities described above. A serif font is used, as is cracked wallpaper/paint to give the logo an unsettling, decayed feel. One nice touch I particularly like are the stains beneath letters, which make the letters looks as though they themselves are a part of the wall, decaying and leaving their mark over time. The theme of deterioration is central to the theme of most horror films, so titles like this help to reinforce the genre.
In the logo for The Babadook, a serif font is used again, but instead of wallpaper, stained paper is used due to the film's plot being focused on a book. However, the stains still give a feeling of decay, which once again reinforces the genre. This logo is much more flat than the Sinister logo, as it is suppsed to resemble a page of a book.
In the 'Insidious 3' logo, a sans-serif font is used. This is unusual, but it makes sense in the context of this film; the setting is a modern family home, ans this font helps the film feel grounded in the real world; which makes things scarier when unnatural occurences begin. However, continuing the theme of decay, the background appears dirty, as does the text. One nice touch is that the three I's in the title are highlighted in red, symbolising that this is the third instalment in the Insidious franchise.
Once again, a serif font is used, and once again a cracked background is present; this seems the norm for most horror films. I like the darkness of this background as it is a literal representation of the dark mood of the film, and the shining light behind the words could perhaps represent the nature of the investigators 'shining a light' on the situation in the film, tying the title screen into the story.