Sounds in Trailers

Sounds in trailers are useful for emphasising the genre/mood in a trailer. There are two types of sounds that can be used in trailers:

Non-Diegetic - This is the sounds that are part of the world of the film. For example, car crashes, people talking, and the breeze of the wind.

Diegetic - This is when editing outside of the world of the trailer is used to help emphasise an atmosphere. Examples include soundtracks, voiceovers, and foley sounds (explained previously).

The focus of this is to understand how diegetic and non-diegetic sounds are used in trailers, which will then help when applying sounds to my trailer. I will be analysing the trailer below in terms of sounds used, and group them into diegetic and non-diegetic sounds. This is also a horror trailer, which will help me understand the conventions of a horror film.

Diegetic sounds used - Distorted whoosh, gongs, cold wind breeze, spirit sounds, static, voiceover, soundtrack, metal clangs

Non-diegetic sounds used - Screaming, gasps, metal spinning, dialogue

I have also noticed that there was a silence used to give the viewer a false sense of security when watching the trailer.

Analysis
What I have noticed is most of the diegetic sounds used are industrial, mixed with eerie sounds to create an atmosphere of tension, as well as mysteriousness. It is also downbeat, and tries to stay close as close to silence as possible, in hope that the viewer is in a sense of security. Once this happens, the sudden quick cut of loud screams, static, and metal clangs are used, which are intended to make the viewer jump out of their seat and create the false sense of security.

Application - How can I apply this concept to my trailer?

I may be influenced to create my final trailer based on the sounds of these trailers. I hope to use diegetic sound FXs to build the climax, whilst using a series of short-burst, intense sound bites (synced in with short, fast-paced scenes) in between, or nearing towards the peak of the climax of the trailer. I will also consider the uses of screams in this trailer where appropriate, as the viewer can empathise with how the actor is feeling (as they may be scared themselves from the false sense of security that was created).