Soundtrack Research and Analysis
Sound and music is one of the key elements in any horror movie trailer or any movie trailer in general. From researching different composers and their pieces of music for movies and trailers for the genre of horror (examples featured below), there are many different ways in achieving a frightening and enigmatic atmosphere.
John Williams- 'JAWS' (1975)
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Ranked as some of the most terrifying cinematic pieces ever written, John Williams wrote the score for 1975's "JAWS". Williams viewed Spielberg's thriller about a giant shark terrorising New England beach-goers as a chance for music to make a major contribution. First to come- and the only music that Williams demonstrated to Spielberg prior to recording- was the shark motif. He found a signature that not only fit the creature but proved to function in as many ways as the shark itself: Sounds from deep within the orchestra (low strings and brass instruments) that were also rhythmic, with Williams explaining that it was "so simple, insistent and driving, that it seems unstoppable, like the attack of the shark".
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Brad Fiedel- 'THE TERMINATOR' (1984)
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Written in 1984, the main piece titled 'The Terminator Theme' is an extremely iconic piece of music written by Brad Fiedel and a handful of other producers. It has been described to have a 'deceptively simple melody' line and synthesizer music which creates and develops upon a haunting atmosphere during the opening credits of the film. Set in a 13/16 time signature, this was initially done by accident through experimentation with the piece, but Fiedel felt that it gave the music extra 'propulsion' for the film. The love scene in the film between Sarah Connor and Kyle Reese is basically the same melody as the main theme except it is played with a piano, giving it a softer, 'bittersweet' feel to it.
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Jerry Goldsmith- 'ALIEN' (1979)
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Composed by Jerry Goldsmith and conducted by Lionel Newman, the musical score for Alien is the most eery and terrifying pieces of music ever written, due to its unwavering way of making you feel truly isolated. Goldsmith's original vision was to create a sense of romanticism and an air of lyrical mystery surrounding the films opening scenes. This would then build throughout the film to throw suspense and fear towards the audience. Unfortunately for Goldsmith, none of the producers and director Ridley Scott liked the original score, so Goldsmith went back and wrote something that he describes as "the obvious thing: weird and strange, and which everybody loved". Scott praised Goldsmiths work, quoting his score as being "full of dark beauty" and "seriously threatening, but beautiful".
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Our Soundtrack- 'IMPERCEIVABLE'
For our teaser trailer (as rold previously on the homepage) we struggled to decide what our soundtrack should be and what we wanted to achieve through the soundtrack in order to create a tense and threatening atmosphere. In the end, using the soundtracks we've researched for inspiration, we came to the conclusion of making two different trailers: one involving a loud orchestral piece with a fast tempo, and the other being a soft yet chilling original piano score written especially for the trailer. We have made a spider diagram to give and explain our reasons as to why we chose to use these soundtracks and how they achieve our desired effects.