Music

For our teaser trailer we had to create our own original non-diegetic music to make the action on screen more effective, and more interesting to watch.

As our trailer is a Psychological Thriller, we watched many other real media from this same genre, in order to gain inspiration.
One of our most predominant influences, for not only narrative, but music too, was Requiem for a Dream. This trailer uses fast paced, club-like music, which mirror the party shots. This music highlights the way in which the drugs are initially used - in order to have fun. The music connotes this enjoyment through its upbeat rhythm.

However,  on several occasions, the on screen action does not fit this upbeat music, as it displays mental breakdowns, and entrapment, such as the character screaming for help while in prison, and the protagonists falling into lives of addiction, pain and prostitution. Therefore, it can be suggested that, although on the surface it appears to be a positive depiction of partying, drugs, sex, and fun, as suggested by the music -  this music is actually perhaps contrapuntal as a darker message of helplessness and pain is presented. This could be suggestive of the negative effects of drugs and addiction.

This clip presents the upbeat music used in the trailer:






















In our trailer, we utilised the music in a similar way; we created a soundtrack from a remixed club version, of a pop, upbeat song. This mirrored the club-scene effect we were striving for, it suggested that the protagonist has started to experiment with drugs primarily due to the surroundings she now, as a young adult year old, finds herself in, such as parties, clubs, experimentation with drugs, sex, and alcohol. The music mirrors that of the music she would listen to, while in these situations.
Similarly to Requiem for a Dream, although the music mirrors the enjoyment she may initially experience while at these parties (as presented through the dancing shots), it also contrast the shots nearer to the end of the trailer, as she begins to lose control, and lacks mental stability. Shots such as her spitting out blood, and starting to experiment with hard, dangerous drugs, by injecting them, contrast the non-diegetic music, as they are portrayed negatively and suggest danger and unhappiness.
We aimed to portray helplessness, and the negative effects of addiction throughout the trailer. This is similar seen in Requiem for a Dream.

This clip presents the club-like music used in our trailer:




Another aspect of the sound that we looked at, and researched, was the way in which the Psychological Thriller teaser trailers often ended. It appeared to be a common convention that there would be a increase in tension throughout the trailers, which was followed by a moment of quiet and immediately contrasted by a climatic loud moment, mirroring the on screen shot. This is done to lure the audience into a false sense of security, by allowing them to believe the tension, and most dramatic shots was over, and had already been conveyed, then the climax is shocking, and induces surprise and perhaps fear. This is done to hook the audience, and having the climax at the end, with no restoration of equilibrium, it leaves a sense of complete ambiguity, resolving nothing, and leaving the audience with a mystery.
This technique is found in Requiem for a Dream, as the trailer goes in a full circle, starting with dialogue and no non-diegetic, ending with the same dialogue and no music, then this is immediately followed by the character screaming underwater - which creates this sense of fear and mystery.

This clip conveys the ending music used in Requiem for a Dream:



For our trailer, we followed this convention, by having a short moment of silence immediately followed by a shocking climatic moment. We did this to hook the audience, by leaving the trailer as ambiguous and mysterious, and to create the element of shock.

This clip depicts the ending music used in our trailer: