Specific Promotional Package Research (Horror/Thriller) - The Strangers

I choose to look at this film as it is a thriller and horror, that all take place for no reason, there isn't any reason for why these people are being attacked, it's just because they were home, the films tag line. For this reason it becomes very real, as this could happen to anyone, this is what makes it so scary, as most horror films they are being attacked for a reason, such as the Saw films, people are usually taken because they need to redeem themselves in some way. But with this film they are just home, the familiarity of home can comfort an audience as you feel safe in your home, so when they become attack it causes the film to become even scarier, as you no longer know where is safe, something i want our trailer to have.


- The poster has a very conventional set up, Billing Block, Tag Line, Actors names and Title, but something different about this film is you can't actually see anyone faces, the victims have there backs to the camera, this means you don't know whether they are alive or how they are.It also means you can give them a face, meaning it could be anyone, it could be you, the exact feeling the film wants to give you. The attackers are looking at the camera, but they have masks on taking away the opportunity to look at them and identify them, you also can't see there emotions, this takes away their human side. all of this put together creates the right effect that the makers of the film want, that it could be anyone. Also you can't see the actors face this means you can't be attracted on first glance by the actors, until you notice the actors names on the back of there bodies. But what may draw someone to look at the poster, is the oddness of three characters wearing these sort of scary masks.

- The use of colour on this poster is very simple, not any bright colours, but at the same time i don't feel like there is much of a colour scheme going on. But it feels homily, you can see a wall in the background of the image and most eh colours are matching this wall, this once again tells the audience that it could happen to you, it's in someones home, where someone should feel safe and protected. the only people in real colours or look brighter in the light, are the attackers, this gives them an upper hand, as the bright colours make them standout and you can clearly see them, even if you can't see there face, this gives them more dominance.
- The use of text on the poster is simple, even the title doesn't use capitals, this relates to the effect the movie wants to give, these people are complete strangers and aren't important and therefore don't need proper nouns used on them, it isn't there name either, as you never find out the attackers names or what they look like, this helps to add to the tension of it as it could be anyone, it could happen to anyone, this is what Horror films like to do. It also reminds me of the simplicity of the story and how they are just chosen because they are home. But the effect used on the title to make the letters slightly stretched upwards, a bit like flames makes them look very haunting and gives them a slight dark edge, but still contains the simplicity of the film and poster.

What i like in this trailer was

It starts happy much like some of the there trailers used in the research, even the music used seems happy go lucky, so the audience don't expect a thing, but when thinking about it, the use of creepy photo projector making creaky noises and the record player, all have connotations of old and useless. These ideas really help added the effect and power the trailer has.

When the music breaks off and starts to jump, then going in to a eerie nothingness, really helps to build tension as it is sudden and the audience understand what is about to happen. the hostile silence of the music when they are in there home tells the audience something isn't right but you can't tell what yet.

I like the way the trailer goes slow fast slow fast. As it slows down just as something scary is about to happen, putting you off guard and helping to emphasis the impact. Something i like.

The use of short shots that are in no real order means an audience can't gage where they are, making them want to find out what happens, in the film as you can't get it from just the trailer.