Assignment 3 - Film trailer analysis

Genre:

This particular film belongs to the horror genre. This is evident from the various conventions it uses in the trailer. For example, it takes an ordinary object and turns it into something eerie and creepy. At 0.42 for 4 seconds there is a close up shot of a ticking clock that suddenly stops. At this point the sound stops and the silence creates a frightening and disturbing feeling for the audience. The style and iconography is classic horror. For example at the start we are taken into a basement with only a flashlight. This is a situation that takes place in countless horror films, as it limits what the audience can see and adds suspense. This reminds me of the ‘Blair Witch Project’ where you can only see what the flashlight shows.

Mise En Scene:

One convention of horror films is the use of a secluded location. We see this at 1.05 with the reveal of a decrepit farmhouse. The reason behind this long shot is to show where most of the film will take place, and how the characters have nowhere to run when the danger or action arrives. The lighting throughout the trailer is dull and dark which creates a tense feeling for the audience. The trailer doesn’t rely on high-key lighting but instead uses low-key lighting, which uses a lot of darker tones, shadows, and blacks. The costumes for all of the characters are old fashioned clothes as the film is set in the countryside in 1971. This also creates a rustic and rural vibe throughout the trailer, and suggests that most of the characters are simple-minded and will not be accustomed to the fantastical events about to take place. The props used by the Warrens to film their evidence are seen throughout all of the trailer. These are modern technical things that contrast with other objects such as the old-fashioned clock and an old, broken piano.

Narrative:

As apposed to some of the earlier trailers for the film, this particular trailer and it’s narrative is presented in a much more fragmented order. Like many other horror movie trailers, this trailer does not follow Todorov’s narrative theory and instead starts it’s trailer in the middle of a ‘disruption’ instead of an ‘equilibrium.’ This is done to get right into the action and grab the audiences attention.  Another benefit of revealing the story and narrative in this fragmented order is that it creates mystery and intrigue as the audience is never give any answers or resolutions.

Characters:

The characters featured in this trailer are very stereotypical of the genre. For example, we have paranormal investigators (a character type used in countless films such as ‘Insidious’ and ‘Poltergeist’) as well as a victimised family who are witnessing these supernatural events. However, while they are stereotypes of the genre, the paranormal investigators are represented differently here. They are not just expendable characters who help solve a problem like in many other horror films, but instead take centre stage and share a bond with each other that makes the audience care for their wellbeing.

On-Screen Graphics/Captions:

28 seconds into the trailer a black screen appears and captions tell the audience that the film is “based on the true story of the Warrens.” More text follows and says that this story is the most disturbing of all. The font is modern and not scary, and acts as a way to detail information and context. In contrast towards the end of the trailer the producers use a larger traditional horror font that fades in through darkness and smoke. This style of title and font is more stereotypical of the horror genre, and is foreboding in nature.

Camera/Editing:

The camera and editing techniques used in the trailer make the audience want to watch more. The first shot in the trailer at 0.05 shows us the main two protagonists in a dark, dank basement.  After these 2 people are introduced the action starts, the music speeds up and gets louder, and we have our first jump scare. This jump scare is effective thanks to how each shot is cut to match the musical beats, with the short silence before the scare creating a lot of tension for the audience. These jump scares continue until the end of the trailer, where one of the main characters is told to look into a mirror where a ghost will appear.  After, a short while, the protagonist pulls the mirror away to reveal the paranormal creature looking into the mirror. This jump scare is terrifying because the director has deliberately put in a few quick cuts that makes the audience jump while the protagonist first looks into the mirror.