Soundtracks used in horror films

Although we needed to find sound effects for our trailer, we also needed a soundtrack that will be played throughout our trailer. As our trailer features the use of a clown, we want our soundtrack to have a child-like twist on the music. We obviously intend for our soundtrack to sound creepy and sinister, however we want our soundtrack to have a chimmey feel to it. Through researching particular horror trailers, i was able to find the soundtracks the director used. This will help us during our trailer, as it will direct all of our understanding into how the music should sound. 

IT:

It is a film based around a clown, directed by Stephen King. Te film is your classic clown film, and as played a huge influence on our production. Therefore, it seemed logical to research the soundtrack to it. The soundtrack reiterates what i stated before, we want our trailer to have a chimmey and child play kind of vibe to be playing, to connote the clown. . The soundtrack is obviously a circus like theme tune which is constantly played at circuses and fun fairs which is ideal for the antagonist of the film, a clown. Having such a jolly happy song for a murderous clown, automatically contradicts with each other which creates a fear factor, as it suggests that things aren't as they seem....We definitely want to create something similar to this when editing our trailer. 

A Nightmare On Elm Street:The next horror trailer i looked at was "A nightmare on elm street." This is again a classic horror film, and had a slight unique feel to the soundtrack which i found intriguing. The soundtrack starts off with an eerie violin sound being played, which is conventional as it is a stereotypical instrumental sound that is played in horror films to generate suspense. We then hear thud sounds, that could be linked to the idea of a gun shooting repeatedly. This connotes danger which is an attribute that the audience would feel when watching a horror film. The key thing to be noted in this particular soundtrack, is that they use a woman's voice in a high pitch tone. Using a woman's high toned voice singing, could imply the innocence of the protagonists which would appear in the film. However, in my opinion it create a more supernatural atmosphere, implying that it involves aliens, which would confuse the audience when hearing but also ruin the affect of the shot and continuity of the film.

Insidious 
The last soundtrack that i decided to research was Insidious. Compared to the other two horror trailers that i had looked at, Insidious brings a much more modern day approach. At the beginning of the soundtrack, there is a low tempo whirling typed noise. This connotes the idea of wind whirling around, which is a stereotypical convention used in horror films to create suspense.  Complimenting this is a quiet low tone violin tune, Due to these, it automatically creates an unwelcoming atmosphere, in which is ideal for a horror film. A s the soundtrack progresses, the music gradually becomes louder and more intense. The heightening of the violin sounds helps to emphasises that there is a dramatic climax happening in the film. Due to the frantic noise created it makes the audience feel tense and full of adrenaline. Combining this with a horror scene, it would create an effective and terrifying shot which would most indefinitely would scare the target audience. The violin is a stereotypical instrument used in horror films.  This is because the violin pierces the audience ears, ensuring constant concentration but overwhelming them too due to the sharpness of the sound.