The Strangers teaser trailer

Written and Directed by: Bryan Bertino

The Strangers has been constructed visually mainly through the editing and sound. It is within the genre of horror, this is portrayed through the screams and sound effects used during the teaser. The scream and then a silence followed by a harsh and unexpected knocking at the door are all conventions of a horror. The editing used in the trailer tells the story through snap shots and short clips from the film, it starts by introducing the different reason for people's house choices and runs through a short slideshow that ends in pictures of rundown houses with massive 'X's drawn across in red implying the idea of murder and danger again referring back to the genre. The change in the design and look of the houses from the strat of the slideshow to the end is the first sign of the genre too. The information revealed is mainly the idea that thre unknown people in unusual masks are stalking a young couple who we assume from the beginning have just moved in. The sound of the clicking of each slide show is emphasised as the trailer goes on showing distinctly each movement and shot as it happens especially at the end when the woman is dragging herself along the carpet. It reinforces the idea of despair and horror. Low lighting is used throughout to emphasise the shadows and the music played at the beginning appears to be out of date which gives the impression that it is being played through a phonograph this gives a sinister feel. As the slideshow at the start stops a view of the house through the trees fades into view giving the impression we are looking through the eyes of someone watching them