Planning-Sountrack ideas for my trailer

There are many elements which hold great relevance in thriller films, i believe music is one of the most important aspects. This is because a movie can reveal so much with its soundtrack alone, it sets a tone or feeling that the director is trying to convey, and can provide us with so infinite of information, for example it has the ability to project  a characters feelings, emotions, mental state and actions with just a few notes. Music can tell us when the climax of an event is going to happen or when a reoccurring thought (playing the same music) Consequently it has the reverse effect of telling the audience what emotions they should be experiencing to, without music dramatic events seem insignificant. From watching many thriller films, we already have a preexisting schemer's when concerning the music playing, for instance when we hear slow suspenseful music we can tell that it is creating tension, building up to an event. When action is occurring and we are meant to feel scared, the music becomes faster, the notes become shorter and more erratic. In the genre thriller we are not only presented with just music, though songs which incorporate lyrics, the tone of the voice can really effect our mood and set a darker more sinister tone. Sound effects are also used to create realism and emphasis events such as; wind, echoing noises, screeches, heavy breathing, crackling sounds and many more. I have done some research into sounds which i think would really benefit my trailer and add emphasis, here are a few examples;

1

Lyrics;

I was five and he was six
We rode on horses made of sticks
He wore black and I wore white
He would always win the fight

Bang bang, he shot me down
Bang bang, I hit the ground
Bang bang, that awful sound
Bang bang, my baby shot me down

Seasons came and changed the time
When I grew up, I called him mine
He would always laugh and say
"Remember when we used to play?"

Bang bang, I shot you down
Bang bang, you hit the ground
Bang bang, that awful sound
Bang bang, I used to shoot you down

Music played and people sang
Just for me the church bells rang

Now he's gone, I don't know why
And 'till this day, sometimes I cry
He didn't even say goodbye
He didn't take the time to lie

Bang bang, he shot me down
Bang bang, I hit the ground
Bang bang, that awful sound
Bang bang, my baby shot me down

I particularly like this song for many reasons, firstly the lyrics are extremely applicable to the narrative of my film, the emphasis of 'bang bang' could refer to a gun shot. The fact that a female is singing could suggest that she is the one using the gun, my plot is about a woman of whom is a serial kill so therefore the lyrics of the song will compliment the visuals. The frequent references to a male would also be suitable for my film and the unclear message it is trying to portray, from the song we cant really tell whom the victim is and this is exactly what i want to emphasis in my trailer. This could be effective using it as diegetic music that the protagonist is playing, then it slowly drifts into non diegetic as the scene changes, this would be alternative yet would still create the same atmosphere i intend to.  The slow beat and weary tone of the females voice create an eerie, unsettling tone and is perfect for creating suspense. If i were to use this song for my trailer, i would use it at the beginning to create a creepy atmosphere, preparing the audience for further action.  

2

I think this song is really effective, it gave me chills down my spine. The high pitch sound of the child's voice emphasizes his innocence, this provokes an emotion the audience to feel scarce and confused. The fact that the music is so painfully slow and the singer sounds calm, almost had the reverse effect of the audience as they would be left to wonder why this particular song has been chosen. This puts into practice Barthes theory of binary opposites as visually the audience would be seeing signs of danger and murder though the music would suggest different. The use of a child is typically a convention for he horror as they are seen as being the ultimate innocence and therefore suggesting that they are related to any brutality is uncomfortable for the audience to accept. Despite this i could still use this in my trailer as i could use a horror hybrid or even go against thriller conventions and adapt others. There has been examples of other thriller films where similar music has been used and the film is still effective and very much still a thriller.

3

This music is extremely disorientated, it is holophonic, which means that when listening wearing headphones is varies in which ear certain sounds come out of. I believe this track involves a lot of depth, the consistent undertone of the piano is extremely chilling, though the various sound effects over the top like the whispering, door slamming, tearing of a material, heartbeat and sharpening of a knife really make it complete. The variety of sounds are misleading for an audience as firstly you wonder why there are there and secondly where they are coming from. Even though they may not link to the visuals in my trailer, they would be beneficial in creating an enigma code and leaving the audience extremely disturbed. However i haven't decided yet if this would be perfect for my trailer as i think i need something that goes into a faster pace in order create more tension.

4

This music is very dramatic, the combination of screeching high pitched sounds and dramatic low

pitched sounds of a drum go really well together. Even though they contrast highly they are effective in creating suspense as it leaves you not entirely knowing whats going on.  The soundtrack would be perfect for when my trailer get more sinister as it has connotations of danger and brutality due to the heaviness and aggression of the beats. The sudden thumps would work well if synchronized with flash cuts of significant shots such as someones face popping up or a murder weapon, this would make the visuals seem even scarier and create an enigma as to why there are there. The music is almost headache inducing, this would work really well with the psychological thriller genre as it would make the audience feel uncomfortable and as if they are inside of the insane persons mind.  I think it would work really well with my trailer as it is clear my protagonist is far from sane and this could foreshadow this effectively. 

5

 I would use this song as a whole piece due to the dramatic diversity within it. However i would take elements from it as they would be good for different shots in my trailer. At 1 minute 58 seconds a repetitive beat starts to play, this would be useful when the brutality starts to be revealed in my trailer as it is fast flowing and would help the action be portrayed in a forceful manner.  I also like the music from 13 seconds until 1.13 as it is incredible eerie and it leaves you waiting for something to happen, their are certain peculiar sound effects inserted in which is there to distract the audience. 

This research has really helped me come to grips with what music i think would suit not only the genre of my trailer, though the narrative to. By listening to a range of songs which usually associated with thriller films i can really get a widespread idea on which ones will enhance my trailer and those that will deduct tension. I have decided to use something unusual as it will be less predictable for the audience and they will not know what to expect, this is a vital element i am going to take into consideration when creating my final product.