Prom Night trailer analysis

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For A2 media studies I have been conducting a semiotic analysis of the horror film, Prom Night. The title in itself suggests towards an obvious setting for the film, an American High school prom. The title in itself is rather ambiguous in depicting the nature of the film, it does not suggest towards a genre of film that the film is considered part of. The title does suggest the age range of the main characters of the film; it suggests the main characters are high school students which would place them between 17-18 years old. It also tells the person watching that the film takes place at night, a common convention and setting of the horror film genre. The title in itself is displayed in a bold black, sanserif font, with a neon backing. Around the title are drops of red fluid, which could quite possibly represent blood, something which is of great quantity during the film, and is a common identifier of the horror film genre. The background of the title is coloured black, with red sections, something of which supports the presence of blood. High pitched music is heard during the course of the trailer, creating a feel of eerie suspense during the course of the trailer, a typical identifier of the hooror film. In addition, loud noises such as the sound made when someone runs out of a wardrobe are highlighted and exaggerated, creating further suspense and threat. The sound of a heart beat is also played in conjunction with this, something which is consistent with the feelings of fear on behalf of the characters, and also furthers the feeling of drama and emotion. The heart beat speeds up until it resembles high tempo music. This high tempo music is played in conjunction with, fast, flashing lights, which create a terrifying feeling of urgency and mystery for the main characters. It also furthers the feeling of suspense for the onlooker. In addition to this, a shot with a person wielding a switch blade is shown. The sound made when the person draws the blade is highlighted and exaggerated, in conjunction with the sound of a screaming female voice, something which creates a sinister feel. The sound of females screaming is something which is displayed repeatedly throughout the trailer, establishing the genre of the film. The lighting is low key, low contrast, which creates an eerie feel, and is typical of the horror genre.