Trailer analysis of 'It'

Trailer analysis of 'It'

           Audience Appeal

·      Love interest established at 0:08. This will not necessarily be attention grabbing for the core horror audience, however for fans of the book or original film, it will be appealing
to see the newer versions of these characters and will also provide them with a
sense of satisfaction- as they know what will happen with regards to the love
interest.

·      First sight of 'It' at 0:49. This will be appealing for fans of the genre as we can see the full extent of his scariness, which also hints at the high level of horror and tension that
will be on screen both later in the trailer and the film itself.

·      Tense background music begins at 0:53. This is appealing as it heightens the tension and creates the foundation for the scary atmosphere, which fans of the horror genre will enjoy.
It gratifies their need to be entertained without taking up any of the screen
at all

             Genre Signifiers

·      The visuals in the trailer all seem to have a slight dullness or sheen to them. This helps the audience establish that the film isn’t going to be a chic flick for example and provides
a subtle undertone for all the horror to take place, the only exception to this
sheen is when we see the clown, in order to make him as prominent and scary as
possible.

·      There is a montage-style sequence which begins at 0:56. It features sudden almost violent cuts in synchronisation with a sound mimicking a heartbeat. This reinforces the horror genre as it not only hints at the tension within the film, but also gives the trailer a scary
and intense feel.

·      Also at 0:56, we see a graphic which says "from Steven King's Terrifying Novel". When we see the name Steven King, we instantly associate it with the horror genre, and high
quality horror at that. Furthermore, the adjective 'terrifying' reinforces the
idea of the horror genre.

             Branding

·      Throughout the trailer, we see the motif of the red balloon. Not only is this a piercing image and a powerful one, but it also is associated with 'Pennyworth the Dancing Clown' and
helps brand the film as not only a horror film, but as the classic gruesome story,
IT.

      Characterisation

      During the trailer, we see many different elements and visuals that give the antagonist, Pennywise, his easily identifiable and unique character. For example, one of the first things we notice about Pennywise is his eyes at 0:49 when he comes out of the darkness in the gutter, along with his eerie smile. This is appealing to the horror-fan audience as from the trailer, they can immediately tell that the monster in the film is terrifying- regardless of whether or not they know anything about the book or previous film.