After much research on the internet, I found it extremely difficult to find a radio trailer for a horror film. However, I decided to research film trailers and just to focus on the audio as the conventions of sound in film trailers are similar to that of radio trailers.
Here are two examples:
The first is the 'House of Wax' trailer
This trailer begins with general dialogue between the characters. There is a back beat which then disappears by the sound of cars which then fades to of fairly frightening music. Various crescendos are used to make the trailer more intense and to create an atmosphere that will make the listener feel in suspense. This is the feeling that we want to create for our trailer so we will need to develop music that creates anxiety. Several 'sharp' noises are used that sound like the slashing of weapons such as knives. After the build up from the beginning, we hear character's screams which is then reduced to silence and a girl rhetorically asking "What are you doing to me?" After this, the beat becomes faster again with several more screams and questions asked yet their questions are never answered so we do not know who is hurting them. There is no voice over in this trailer, just dialogue so we will consider whether to use a voice over or not for our radio trailer.
Another film trailer that I am going to analyse (just the audio) is from the movie 'Hide and Seek'.
Here is a link:
The audio in this film starts as if it is from a different genre; such as a comedy or romance as the music is instrumental with violins and it is music we don't generally associate with the horror genre. However, the violins then become more disorientated and out of tune after the little girl is talking to her father about her imaginary friend. As with the film before, the trailer contains dialogue and not a voice over, yet this may be because it is a film trailer and not a radio trailer. Several 'bangs' and 'crashes' are used between the conversations yet there is not a 'build up' until it is close to the end of the trailer. The girl is then counting as the music becomes more intense and almost 'insane'. Ocassionally in films, children are associated with the 'devil's possession' and perhaps this is why the director decided to use a child's voice in the trailer. The girl's father shouts her name and the music and counting becomes louder and a lot faster. Several sound effects are used such as doors creaking and footsteps. After this build up, as with the other trailer, there is a loud 'bang' towards the end.
Despite being film trailers, analysing the audio of these helped me to think of ideas for my radio trailer. I feel that I will start our radio trailer with the conversation on the phone with the 'unknown' number in the library. From the start it will be obvious that our movie is a horror as we can hear heavy breathing and muffling down the phone. These trailers also helped me to plan for my final trailer as I gathered more of an idea of the conventions of radio trailers and how to build up the sound towards the end where the equilibrium occurs.
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