Here I'm presenting the Textual Analysis, for this task my team was required to inspect & point out key aspects of three horror movie posters, three horror magazines and three horror trailers. We are to discuss the connotations behind each individual element and relate it back to horror. Elements could consist of mise-en-scene, typography, sound, editing and camera. By analysing and evaluating these media products we are able to understand the key and most important elements need to be included within our own horror magazine, trailer and poster.
Magazine #1 (James)
Film Title: Insidious Release Date: April 29 2012 Director: James Wan Film Info: An American Supernatural Film Synopsis: Parents take drastic measures when it seems that their new home is haunted and their comatose son is possessed by a malevolent entity. Production/Financing Company: Alliance Films, IM Global, Haunted Movies Principle Cast: Leigh Whannel, Rosie Byrne, Patrick Wilson, Lin Shaye, Ty Simpkins Sub-Genre: Supernatural Denotations: The use of the candle being held by the demon like figure that was seen within Josh Lambers, Insidious movie could potentially connote many things related to its use within many religions such as Christianity, which is a common element in horror, the candle could also display the weakness of the human eye, it could symbolise its inability to see further into the spiritual world, Insinuating the element of the unknown, which is a common element used in horror. Mise-en-Scene: Lighting – The candle within this scene could connote a religious aspect within the film, and the fact that the surrounding lights are dark could connote the unknown, or that we have no other option to focus on the demon NVC - The some of the facial features of the demon are very much hidden, for example the mouth and the eye especially, I believe that it connotes the mystery and the supernatural element of the horror genre, and how the unknown is a very big feature of fear represented in horror movies such as Insidious. Setting – Within the magazine not much of a setting is displayed, however I believe this feature was necessary as the use of ‘nothing’ being there almost brings out the element of isolation that is used many times within the horror genre and within Insidious as well. Costume – Majority of the costume of the demon is hidden by the darkness that dominates the light as well as the whole magazine page, which in turn brings out the element of the unknown as well as the supernatural aspect that is used in this movie and in horror. Props – The use of the candle represents the contrast between the light and darkness, good and evil, God vs the Devil, a concept used many times within horror as well as within the movie when Renai Lambert when she consulted the priest. Typography: The typography used within this magazine is very eye catching, and goes very well with the theme, for example the masthead saying “fangoria” has blood ridden fangs which is a clear reference to vampires, the typography also seems to maintain a fairly consistent colour scheme, which consists of red & white, the red could connote blood or a demon, where as the white may represent a complete contrast which could represent the fun we have when watching horror films. Target Audience: The target audience for a magazine would be young adults age 20 to 30 as they may be huge fans of the horror genre sine when they where teens; the current teens around 16 and 19 would also be the target audiences as teens tend to like thrilling experiences so this is likely something they are interested in. |
Magazine #2 (Emily)
Film Title: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
Release Date: October 6th 2006 DIRECTOR: Jonathan Liebesman PRODUCTION/FINANCING COMPANY: Platinum Dunes & Next Entertainment FILM INFORMATION: It’s the prequel to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) and it’s the sixth adaptation to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre series. Its budget was $16 million but it only made $51.8 million at the box office. SUB GENRE: Slasher/Splatter SYPNOSIS: Before they leave to serve in Vietnam two brothers and their girlfriends go on a road trip. While on this road trip the group are harassed by a group of bikers which leads to them getting into a car accident in which a sheriff gets called to the scene. They are then led to a secluded house where they face terror. PRINCIPLE CAST: Jordana Brewster, Taylor Handley, Diora Baird, Matt Bomer, Lee Tergesen & R. Lee Ermey DENOTATION: The messy and unorganised layout of the magazine can represent the subgenre in which this film belongs to: splatter/slasher. The blood featured around the magazine represents the connection between the murderous rampage in which the antagonist is currently doing. A mysterious atmosphere surrounds the antagonist since the headlines only state the film name & the backstory of the antagonist, not who he actually is. The audience also has no information as to what the antagonist is going to cut but the audience can infer that it might be a body. MISE EN SCENE: Lighting: The lighting is very dark since it matches the eerie mood in which the magazine is going for. It is a common feature seen on magazines since it represents the antagonist and what they are doing. It’s very hard to see the antagonist and the props but they stand out against the harsh black background. NVC: The antagonists NVC cannot be seen since he is not looking directly at the camera as well as him wearing a mask, which barely shows his face. This connotes that the antagonist is careless and is too busy to realise that the camera is there, in which gives a sense of realism. Additionally, the long shot shows the chainsaw going down which can be inferred as him attacking his next victim. It can also be inferred as him pointing the chainsaw at the audience as if to show his power and authority over them. Setting: The setting is very hard to make out since the antagonist takes up most of the image. It seems as if the antagonist is in a secluded basement due to the old walls. The background is black which connotes that death and suffering is going to take place. It also connotes the cold blooded murder in which is happening in which the antagonist has no sense of remorse about.
TARGET AUDIENCE: Since this is a slasher/splatter film I think the target audience for this film would be adults. It would be males since this gender is usually into violence and are desensitised to this sort of gore. The BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) rated this film an 18 due to its strong violence which may offend younger viewers. |
Magazine #3 (Vanita)
Paragraph 1: Denotation.
Candlesticks usually connote a sense of hope. This is juxtaposition as a demon is holding the candlestick showing a sense of draining life and hope from a human soul. Candlesticks also represent life, this could mean that the demon has come or is coming to life, as candlesticks are a symbolic code for religion. The demons hair is also messy. Demons usually look like what they were before they died so from this it could connote that she had a hard life before she was a demon. Paragraph 2: Mise-en-Scene: Dark lighting has been used for this magazine because of the picture used. The demon from insidious. The demon is wearing an old style dress, which connotes that she is a woman who died of old age. Threatening is a word to describe the NVC of the woman. A candlestick has been used as props this makes her stand out amongst the captions and masthead. A mid shot of the demon has been used so that all of her face and some of her costume can be seen to scare the audience. Paragraph 3: Typography and conventions. I feel like masthead is creative with regards to the font style. The letter F and A look like vampire teeth, it frames the magazine well making it look professional and appealing to look at. Also this convention is usually bold so the colour white has been used with a red stroke to make the masthead stand out. Small cover lines that are red and white have been placed around the main image; the use of little typography makes the main image stand out. The barcode has been placed at the bottom left of the magazine. This convection is only used to identify the magazine. The left and right third of the magazine are balanced with the same amount of cover lines which makes the main image stand out. Paragraph 4: Target Audience: limited graphic content and violent images suggest that this magazine is targeted at a younger audience such as 15. Other horror magazines have more graphic and violent images like weapons with blood and horrific images such Freddy from Nightmare on Elm Street. I don’t think that this magazine will attract an older audience because they are attracted to more graphic images. |
Poster #1 (James)
Film Title: The Human Centipede
Release Date: 28th April, 2010 Director: Tom Six Film Info: A Dutch film, originated through a joke that the director Tom Six had with a friend. ‘Punishing a child molester by stitching his mouth to the anus of a fat truck driver. Synopsis: A Deranged surgeon plans to make his morbid fantasy come true by suturing three people together their gastric system. Production/Financing Company: Six Entertainment Principle Cast: Dieter Laser, Ashley C. Williams, Ashlynn Yennie Sub-Genre: Thriller/Slasher Denotation: The centipede figure connotes the horror of the mind, the sick and sadistic ideas and fantasy that go through ones head, this figure is intended to evoke fear and anxiety into those who see it, thusly giving a grim mood towards the poster. The poster uses dark colours which also give a grim mood towards the movie poster, the green connotes a dirty as well as damp area, whereas the black connotes death and darkness, these connotations symbolise the horror that is being represented by this movie poster. The person, who from his NVC is clearly in agonising pain also gives the movie poster a grim mood as well as the red hand print coming from the right hand which obviously connotes blood, which again adds to the horror being represented through this movie poster. Mise-en-Scene: Lighting - Lighting is certainly being used within this movie poster, especially within the first three quarters of the poster, this could connote a setting such as a scientific lab, as well as indicate that as you go through the story it just gets darker and darker also as you go down the chain of human beings it just gets disgusting and more grim. NVC – There is minimal NVC within the poster, from the NVC of the first subject of the human centipede you get a sense of pain and anguish, this image evokes a dark mood which has been intended in order to generate suspense of what this actually is. The NVC strikes fear and horror to those who see the poster. Setting – Not much is shown of a setting, however from the lighting and the pattern used on the movie poster and from the film information I think it represents a secret scientific laboratory where this ‘experiment’ is being undertaken, I think this adds a more sadistic and evil element towards the movie poster. Costume – A specific costume is not visible, however you could faintly makeup that they subjects in the image are naked, again this adds a sadistic and grim mood which applies to the thriller and slasher horror genre. Props – No props. Typography: The typography at the top of the movie poster ‘Their Flesh is his fantasy’ connotes the sadistic and evil mind set of the antagonist these are certain characteristics of antagonists, it also conveys a grim and disturbing image that evokes fear and anxiety as well as to build excitement. The cast names are above the main title, which mean that they want their target audience to know who is in the movie. The title is in a modern font, that I think fits with the mood that the poster conveys; it represents the sadistic nature that is being presented within the movie poster Target Audience: The target audience for this poster would be the die hard horror fans such as the people ages 18 and above as they are more likely to be into horror, especially because of they type of film this is |
Posters #2 & #3 (Emily)
TITLE: Sinister
RELEASE DATE: October 5th 2012 DIRECTOR: Scott Derrickson PRODUCTION/FINANCIAL COMPANY: Blumhouse Productions & IM Global FILM INFORMATION: The budget for the film was $3 million but it grossed $77.7 at the box office. A sequel was announced in 2013 and Sinister 2 was released on August 21st 2015. SUB GENRE: Supernatural SYPNOSIS: Ellison Oswalt, who is a crime writer, finds a box of Super 8 home movies. These movies suggest that the murder he is currently researching is the work of a serial killer. However, this puts his family in danger. PRINCIPLE CAST: Ethan Hawke, Juliet Rylance, Fred Thompson, James Ransone & Clare Foley DENOTATION: The young child on the poster connotes the contrast between innocent and evil. Additionally, the colour scheme for this poster is quite bleak and contains drained colours, which represents the plot for the film. Grey connotes neutrality which may connote the contrast between the demonic face on the wall and the innocent girl. This gives the poster an eerie atmosphere since the girl seems unaware of the demonic force that is coming for her. Since the child is young and in her pyjamas is connotes purity in which is stereotypically seen among horror films, as well as women usually being the victim. The red paint on the wall connotes blood, which is another common feature of horror posters since the antagonist usually kills the protagonist. MISE EN SCENE:
TARGET AUDIENCE: The BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) rated this film 15 due to its horror and violence. People between the ages of 15-20 would be the target audience for this film since young people have an interest in horror films. Young adults/adults may also be the target audience for this film since the issues addressed in this film: having children, developing their career and being in a stable relationship may be relatable. |
TITLE: The Conjuring
RELEASE DATE: July 15th 2013 DIRECTOR: James Wan PRODUCTION/FINANCIAL COMPANY: New Line Cinema & The Safran Company FILM INFORMATION: The film had a budget of $20 million and made $318 million at the box office. The sequel to The Conjuring was made in June 2016 and is the second film in The Conjuring series. SUB GENRE: Supernatural SYPNOSIS: American paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren, investigate the supernatural forces haunting the Peron Family. Their secluded farmhouse contains a powerful entity in which the Warrens face the most terrifying case of their lives. PRINCIPLE CAST: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Ron Livingston & Lili Taylor DENOTATION: The woman sitting on the rocking chair with a doll connotes that she is isolated and gives the impression that she wants people to stay away from her. The colour scheme consists of dark and bleak colours which follow the atmosphere in which the woman and the doll are giving. The genre of the film is conveyed clearly through the poster since even though the woman is not facing the camera it represents that she is unaware about what is going to happen to her in the foreseeable future. There is contrast between the size of the doll and the actual human which connotes the imbalance of power since the doll seems to have all the power in this situation. MISE EN SCENE:
TYPOGRAPHY: The typography used for this poster consists of it being bold, in capitals and being white. Since the colour white is used it stands out against the dark background which would make it easy to read for the audience. The sell line at the top of the poster mentions the films Saw and Insidious which are in bold. Since they are in bold they stand out and are noticeable by the audience. If the audience liked the previous films made by director James Wan then they are likely to watch this film. The masthead is attention grabbing since it’s the biggest text on the poster. The tagline ‘Based on the true case files of the Warrens’ makes the audience afraid, which is a common convention of supernatural horror posters since they aim to make the audience afraid. This feature of the poster will make people watch the film and it means the audience will feel more engaged with the plot of the film. At the bottom of the poster it reads ‘COMING SOON’ in which shows that this poster is a teaser. The bold font catches the attention of the audience and would make them proactive since they need to do more research about the film. TARGET AUDIENCE: The BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) rated this film 15 due to the strong theme of horror throughout the film. The target audience for this film would be 15-20 year olds since they seek the excitement and shock in which horror movies give. Since the poster presents a childlike character on the poster, young adults/teenagers may be able to relate to the characters more. |
Posters #4 (Vanita)
Paragraph 1: Denotation. The fact that many pictures have been layered with the ‘scary face’ connotes a sense of confusion because it makes the audience feel as if the victims are the antagonists. It could also show a war between the antagonist and the protagonist because it looks as if each image is fighting to be seen by the audience. Paragraph 2: Mise-en-Scene: Lighting Dark, gloomy and demonic is words that can be used to describe the lighting of this poster. I say this because tints of red have been mixed with the background, which connotes blood and death. Using red and dark lighting is a common convention shown by many horror film posters; it is used to create a horrifying atmosphere. Costume & Props: No costume or props has been used because a close up shot of the scary figure has been used. The use of no costume makes it the poster more enticing; the figure looks inhuman, this persuades the audience to watch the film. NVC: The non-verbal-communication (NVC) of the figure is hard to describe simply because it has no facial features however, the figure looks shocked due to its wide mouth. Horror film posters usually have the antagonist as the main image to demonstrate to the audience how scary the film is. Setting: Many different settings are shown as a cluster of images has been used to overlay the ‘scary face’. Settings such as abandon houses, bedrooms and hallways. This is an interesting affect because it’s unusual for a horror poster to incorporated many different locations at once. Paragraph 3: Typography: The typography used in this poster is less bold compared to other horror posters. I think this was done because the background of the poster is dark with a red tint; the typography creates an interesting contrast with the background. As well as this the same typography was used throughout. This makes the poster look professional as a consistent theme is maintained. The colour white could connote lifelessness, which is a good representation of the scary faced used in the poster. The credits are small and located at the bottom right of the poster to make the figure stand out. The title has been duplicated and layered behind the actual title, which makes it look like shadow has been formed. This makes the typography look as if it’s a ghosts. Paragraph 4: Target Audience: I believe that from the appearance of the poster, the age band looks 12; no graphic images have been used in the poster, only images of people screaming. As well as this, the sub genre of this movie is thriller which is usually described as ‘soft horror’. On the other hand, the actually target audience of this movie is 15. |
Trailer #1 (James)
Film Title: Dawn Of The Dead
Release Date: March 10, 2004
Director: Zack Synder
Film Info: An American horror film, Zack Snyder’s first directional film, the original made in 1978
Synopsis: When her young daughter is turned into a zombie and attacks her father, Ana just manages to escape, only to realise her entire Milwaukee neighbourhood has been over run by the walking dead. After being questioned by cautious Police Men, Ana joins him and a small group that gravitates to the local shopping mall as a bastion of safety. Once they convince suspicious security guards that they are not contaminated, the group bands together to fight the undead hordes.
Production/Financing Company: Strike Entertainment, New Amsterdam Entertainment, Metropolitan Filmexport, Toho - Towa
Principle Cast: Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Jake Weber, Mekhi Phifer
Sub-Genre: Zombie
Mise-en Scene:
Lighting – Lighting has definitely been used within the footage of this trailer, there are many scenes shot within a dark setting for example at 1:45 which was the scene where Kaylie bite the glass instead of the apple as well as during the first moments of the trailer where Kaylie takes the large cloth of the Lasser Glass, it is important to use key aspects of the film such as the hallucinations from adult to child. Furthermore with the supernatural horror sub-genre most events happen at night, the time of day where spirits are known to be active, so lighting was mostly a key element within the production of the film and thusly the trailer itself. NVC - Early in the trailer when Kaylie strips the large cloth of the Lasser Glass, her NVC connotes her interest and obsession with the Lasser Glass, it represented the twisted and horrid past that she and her brother Tim went through when they were younger, this sought of NVC is surprising to see within a supernatural horror film, let alone any type of horror film, Kaylie seems happy to welcome this mirror back to her life. Many close up are used within this trailer, and from the trailer it’s easy to see that Kaylie has a higher tolerance to the mystery that is the Lasser Glass as she tries to take upon this quest, whereas Tim is reluctant and has clearly been heavily affected by the events of his childhood, within the scene Tim’s NVC connotes fear and anxiety of the thought of the Lasser Glass’s mystery, many scenes see the younger Tim and Kaylie crying and upset, connoting vulnerability, weakness and fear. Setting – This movie is set within the large house of Kaylie and Tim, most supernatural horror movies are set within large dark houses, if this element of large houses are not within the supernatural horror genre then it’s truly not a supernatural horror film, it was vital this element is there within the trailer. The element of the history that evolves around that house also makes the setting and the trailer itself scarier. Costume – Casual clothes are being worn within this film, this adds more realism towards the trailer and at the same time makes the trailer much scarier, it opens up the view that these events could happen to anyone as these people are represented as normal people. Props – The Lasser Glass, the disequilibrium and the one thing that haunted the lives of Kaylie and Tim, Mirrors are elements commonly used within horror movies, they represent the true person who you are or an alternative person that has never been seen before, they also represent another dimension or realm, mirrors could be the entrance to another side of the world. The camcorder, as well as all the electrical equipment, represents Kaylie’s interest and obsession with the Lasser Glass as well as her quest to find out about the Lasser Glass as well as its supposed Victims, the lightbulb that mysteriously replaced the apple could be an example of the capabilities of the supernatural force within the Lasser Glass
Camera: The camera angles consist of mostly close up especially to express emotions for example at 1:13 of Ana’s NVC is displayed, the close up allows for emotions of certain characters to be captured such as fear and pain. Establishing shots were used within this trailer as well for example at 49 seconds as well as 1:07, this displays the area they are in the events that are currently happening there, this is also used in the zombie horror genre as well.
Target Audience: I think a target audience of 15 is being targeted because zombie films are never rated above that rating, for it to be an 18 other elements such as torcher or experiments of the human body would have to be in it, however that would not be a zombie film, it is important to keep the same convention of a specific horror sub-genre within a specific sub-genre. Zombie films just don’t have those conventions.
Typography: The same typography is used within this trailer, I believe this font relates to the dead part of the zombies and the connection with hell and death, in the first 23 seconds where three captions were displayed the fonts were the same however the font size was smaller compared to the ending title, I believe this relates to the tempo of the trailer at that time as well as the anticipation it was building.
Editing: The trailer fluxuates in terms of its pace, this I believe builds anticipation for the movie release as well as more horror to the movie trailer. In the first 23 seconds of the trailer, 3 captions come up, ‘evening, night and dawn, I believe these captions represent the time between the equilibrium and he disequilibrium, the arrival and beginning of the zombie outbreak, at 54 seconds the caption ‘WHEN THERE IS NO MORE ROOM IN HELL, THE DEAD WILL WALK THE EARTH’, I believe this is a piece of information that relates to a deeper meaning of this movie, the captions may also be used to build excitement for the movie. During the ending of the trailer, a sought of freeze frame effect is used which increases the pace of the film, I believe this shows the violent side of the film as well as the action packed footage and adventure that this film will bring to its target audience. The transaction at 2:04 shows the crowd of zombie hands and the title at the end represents the orange colour of the sky at dawn, which was the arrival of the zombies.
Release Date: March 10, 2004
Director: Zack Synder
Film Info: An American horror film, Zack Snyder’s first directional film, the original made in 1978
Synopsis: When her young daughter is turned into a zombie and attacks her father, Ana just manages to escape, only to realise her entire Milwaukee neighbourhood has been over run by the walking dead. After being questioned by cautious Police Men, Ana joins him and a small group that gravitates to the local shopping mall as a bastion of safety. Once they convince suspicious security guards that they are not contaminated, the group bands together to fight the undead hordes.
Production/Financing Company: Strike Entertainment, New Amsterdam Entertainment, Metropolitan Filmexport, Toho - Towa
Principle Cast: Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Jake Weber, Mekhi Phifer
Sub-Genre: Zombie
Mise-en Scene:
Lighting – Lighting has definitely been used within the footage of this trailer, there are many scenes shot within a dark setting for example at 1:45 which was the scene where Kaylie bite the glass instead of the apple as well as during the first moments of the trailer where Kaylie takes the large cloth of the Lasser Glass, it is important to use key aspects of the film such as the hallucinations from adult to child. Furthermore with the supernatural horror sub-genre most events happen at night, the time of day where spirits are known to be active, so lighting was mostly a key element within the production of the film and thusly the trailer itself. NVC - Early in the trailer when Kaylie strips the large cloth of the Lasser Glass, her NVC connotes her interest and obsession with the Lasser Glass, it represented the twisted and horrid past that she and her brother Tim went through when they were younger, this sought of NVC is surprising to see within a supernatural horror film, let alone any type of horror film, Kaylie seems happy to welcome this mirror back to her life. Many close up are used within this trailer, and from the trailer it’s easy to see that Kaylie has a higher tolerance to the mystery that is the Lasser Glass as she tries to take upon this quest, whereas Tim is reluctant and has clearly been heavily affected by the events of his childhood, within the scene Tim’s NVC connotes fear and anxiety of the thought of the Lasser Glass’s mystery, many scenes see the younger Tim and Kaylie crying and upset, connoting vulnerability, weakness and fear. Setting – This movie is set within the large house of Kaylie and Tim, most supernatural horror movies are set within large dark houses, if this element of large houses are not within the supernatural horror genre then it’s truly not a supernatural horror film, it was vital this element is there within the trailer. The element of the history that evolves around that house also makes the setting and the trailer itself scarier. Costume – Casual clothes are being worn within this film, this adds more realism towards the trailer and at the same time makes the trailer much scarier, it opens up the view that these events could happen to anyone as these people are represented as normal people. Props – The Lasser Glass, the disequilibrium and the one thing that haunted the lives of Kaylie and Tim, Mirrors are elements commonly used within horror movies, they represent the true person who you are or an alternative person that has never been seen before, they also represent another dimension or realm, mirrors could be the entrance to another side of the world. The camcorder, as well as all the electrical equipment, represents Kaylie’s interest and obsession with the Lasser Glass as well as her quest to find out about the Lasser Glass as well as its supposed Victims, the lightbulb that mysteriously replaced the apple could be an example of the capabilities of the supernatural force within the Lasser Glass
Camera: The camera angles consist of mostly close up especially to express emotions for example at 1:13 of Ana’s NVC is displayed, the close up allows for emotions of certain characters to be captured such as fear and pain. Establishing shots were used within this trailer as well for example at 49 seconds as well as 1:07, this displays the area they are in the events that are currently happening there, this is also used in the zombie horror genre as well.
Target Audience: I think a target audience of 15 is being targeted because zombie films are never rated above that rating, for it to be an 18 other elements such as torcher or experiments of the human body would have to be in it, however that would not be a zombie film, it is important to keep the same convention of a specific horror sub-genre within a specific sub-genre. Zombie films just don’t have those conventions.
Typography: The same typography is used within this trailer, I believe this font relates to the dead part of the zombies and the connection with hell and death, in the first 23 seconds where three captions were displayed the fonts were the same however the font size was smaller compared to the ending title, I believe this relates to the tempo of the trailer at that time as well as the anticipation it was building.
Editing: The trailer fluxuates in terms of its pace, this I believe builds anticipation for the movie release as well as more horror to the movie trailer. In the first 23 seconds of the trailer, 3 captions come up, ‘evening, night and dawn, I believe these captions represent the time between the equilibrium and he disequilibrium, the arrival and beginning of the zombie outbreak, at 54 seconds the caption ‘WHEN THERE IS NO MORE ROOM IN HELL, THE DEAD WILL WALK THE EARTH’, I believe this is a piece of information that relates to a deeper meaning of this movie, the captions may also be used to build excitement for the movie. During the ending of the trailer, a sought of freeze frame effect is used which increases the pace of the film, I believe this shows the violent side of the film as well as the action packed footage and adventure that this film will bring to its target audience. The transaction at 2:04 shows the crowd of zombie hands and the title at the end represents the orange colour of the sky at dawn, which was the arrival of the zombies.
Trailer #2 (Emily)
FILM TITLE: Unfriended
RELEASE DATE: May 1st 2015
DIRECTOR: Leo Gabriadze
SYNOPSIS: Six friends are on Skype talking one night and receive a mysterious message from their friend. However, this friend died a year ago and the friends think that it’s a prank. The friend begins telling and showing the other friends secrets that they have. This doesn’t only ruin friendships but slowly each friend starts to die by supernatural forces.
PRODUCTION/FINANCING COMPANY: Blumhouse Productions & Bazelevs Production
PRINCIPLE CAST: Shelley Hennig, Renee Olstead, Will Peltz, Jacob Wysocki & Courtney Halverson
SUB-GENRE: Supernatural
NARRATIVE: The trailer starts with an equilibrium as it shows scenes that are memorable and joyous. Scenes such as a graduation; a wedding day; skydiving; finding out that someone is pregnant and a child playing. The trailer then dramatically changes its tone and atmosphere since a woman acting drunk and carelessly is shown. The contrast between the smiles and laughter to the now everyone laughing at a girl. This represents the disruption since people have started to bully the girl and it then shows live footage of her committing suicide. A long take then shows the friends talking while “Billie227” starts to message the group, which represents the recognition since they realise what they have done. They try and attempt to make up for what they have done to save their lives. Each person starts to get attacked before there is only one person left in which the camera cuts dramatically. This builds a sense of mystery and anticipation since the audience wants to find out why the friends are dying and who “Billie227” is.
MISE-EN-SCENE:
CAMERA: A series of medium shots are shown throughout the beginning of the trailer. It can be inferred as someone actually recording the event from a camera/phone. The camera focuses on the main characters since it shows the audience who is important and who they should focus on (at 6 seconds). Even though a wide shot is used to show the contents of the computer screen each of the friends are seen through a close up. This is so their NVC can be seen clearly by the audience since it dramatically changes throughout the trailer as they realise that they are in danger at 132 seconds (2:12).
EDITING: The pace at the beginning of the trailer is very slow. This can connote the ease of any problems and show the audience the backstory. In the middle of the trailer at 59 seconds the pace begins to get quicker which represents the death of the friend and the consequences it has for the rest of the group. The editing for this trailer contains a lot of quick cuts which connotes suspense and danger since these quick cuts are usually seen when someone is going to die. The range of captions throughout the trailer give the effect as if they’re being typed which follows the theme and layout of the trailer since it’s from the view of someone’s laptop. The captions that appear when the disruption happen look as if they’re a glitch which can connote the presence and foreseeing the future of death for the friends. The captions build up suspense since the one before the clip of the girl committing suicide reads ‘3 DAYS LATER...’. The captions give information to the audience such as ‘TODAY IS THE ANNIVERSARY OF HER DEATH’ which is the point as to where the friends start to experience supernatural events. The trailer shows a few seconds of a screen buffering at 109 seconds (1:49) which seems realistic but creates suspense since the audience wants to know what happens.
SOUND: The trailer begins with dialogue in which graduation students are laughing as well as people screaming. The score and the dialogue connotes that the people are having a good time and they are enjoying themselves. When the captions appear typing sounds can be heard but then cuts to a lively atmosphere which can be inferred as someone telling the audience how they feel about the videos they are seeing. The score then stops when the party begins since through dialogue people begin to talk to each other and laugh. However, when the typing sounds begin again the score sounds mysterious and the pace begins to quicken. This may make the audience feel anxious as they may think that something bad is going to happen. When Laura commits suicide the gun shot is very loud and may panic the audience since it is unexpected. Throughout the next part of the trailer dialogue is heard since the friends are talking to each other. The mouse clicks and messages are heard clearly which make the audience feel involved since it would seem as if they are receiving the message. The dialogue from the group of friends changes since they sound scared and afraid of who or what is messaging them. A common convention of horror is seen when the group begin to scream when the lights turn off since it creates a tense atmosphere for the audience. The score and the screaming continue and lead up to the last friend being alone. The friend screams loudly and then there is silence since the trailer has ended. The contrast of sound to silence represents what has happened to the friend – she has died.
TYPOGRAPHY: The same typography is used throughout the whole trailer which shows brand consistency and has the effect of it being typed. It makes the audience feel as if they find out the information as soon as everyone else does. The typography is quite basic but this is good because it would be very recognisable and easy to read. This meaning the audience can follow the plot and be able to theorise about what they think is going to happen. The colour of the typography is black against a white background in which the contrast can connote the difference between evil and good.
TARGET AUDIENCE: The BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) rated this film 15 due to its themes such as violence and suicide. Considering that that this film touches on issues such as suicide and bullying/cyber-bullying it would be aimed at young adults since they may be able to relate to the storyline. This film may be targeted at males since the extreme violence used may deter females from watching it. It also gives a message to the audience since it shows you should never trust your friends and do not bully people online since it will come back to haunt you.
RELEASE DATE: May 1st 2015
DIRECTOR: Leo Gabriadze
SYNOPSIS: Six friends are on Skype talking one night and receive a mysterious message from their friend. However, this friend died a year ago and the friends think that it’s a prank. The friend begins telling and showing the other friends secrets that they have. This doesn’t only ruin friendships but slowly each friend starts to die by supernatural forces.
PRODUCTION/FINANCING COMPANY: Blumhouse Productions & Bazelevs Production
PRINCIPLE CAST: Shelley Hennig, Renee Olstead, Will Peltz, Jacob Wysocki & Courtney Halverson
SUB-GENRE: Supernatural
NARRATIVE: The trailer starts with an equilibrium as it shows scenes that are memorable and joyous. Scenes such as a graduation; a wedding day; skydiving; finding out that someone is pregnant and a child playing. The trailer then dramatically changes its tone and atmosphere since a woman acting drunk and carelessly is shown. The contrast between the smiles and laughter to the now everyone laughing at a girl. This represents the disruption since people have started to bully the girl and it then shows live footage of her committing suicide. A long take then shows the friends talking while “Billie227” starts to message the group, which represents the recognition since they realise what they have done. They try and attempt to make up for what they have done to save their lives. Each person starts to get attacked before there is only one person left in which the camera cuts dramatically. This builds a sense of mystery and anticipation since the audience wants to find out why the friends are dying and who “Billie227” is.
MISE-EN-SCENE:
- Lighting: At the start of the trailer the lighting is quite bright since it connotes the happy and joyous occasions which are going on. This is so the audience can clearly see the backstory of the characters and part of the plot. The lighting then goes darker which represents the ominous presence of death and suffering which is going to take place. In the friends bedrooms the lighting is very dark since it connotes that they are not safe, even when they think they are.
- NVC: At 56 seconds the NVC of the friends are happy and they are seen looking straight at the camera. Since it appears that they are being filmed on a webcam it seems more realistic and natural since it looks like footage has been taken from their webcam conversations. However, at 72 seconds (1:12) the NVC changes dramatically as the friends look in shock and afraid. This connotes the anxiety and fear of the unknown of which they have since they don’t know who “Billie227” is and why they are being targeted. Towards the end of the trailer at 115 seconds (1:55) the NVC of the characters seems very worried since slowly each friend is dying. This connotes the worry and fear that each friend will be the next one to die a horrific and painful death.
- Setting: The setting for this trailer is varied but mainly focuses on the bedroom of each of the friends. At the beginning of the trailer the settings include a graduation ceremony; a wedding reception and a living room. These settings connote joy and seem realistic since most people can relate to these. The setting then focuses on the bedroom of each friend since they can be seen through a webcam. The confined space connotes isolation and that the friends have nowhere to hide. Even though people should feel like their bedroom is a safe place and somewhere that they are free from danger.
- Costume: Throughout the trailer the friends and family in smart/casual clothes depending on the event they are going to. At 55 seconds the friends are seen casually wearing t-shirts and jeans which represent their relaxed mood. This makes the trailer seem realistic and the audience can relate to this since many young people are often talking over webcam to each other in ordinary clothes.
- Props: The use of the bottles of alcohol at the party can be inferred as the disruption to the trailer since this is where everything starts to go wrong. The alcohol can connote being in a state where you have no control over your body but can also represent responsibility. The use of the laptop throughout most of the trailer (0:07 seconds onwards) represents the careless attitudes of young people and shows how they are constantly seen with technology (which is a common stereotype of young people). The use of a blender at 131 seconds (2:11) plays on the idea of a harmless and ordinary object being used to decapitate someone. It shows the contrast of using ordinary foods such as fruits to then using a human part.
CAMERA: A series of medium shots are shown throughout the beginning of the trailer. It can be inferred as someone actually recording the event from a camera/phone. The camera focuses on the main characters since it shows the audience who is important and who they should focus on (at 6 seconds). Even though a wide shot is used to show the contents of the computer screen each of the friends are seen through a close up. This is so their NVC can be seen clearly by the audience since it dramatically changes throughout the trailer as they realise that they are in danger at 132 seconds (2:12).
EDITING: The pace at the beginning of the trailer is very slow. This can connote the ease of any problems and show the audience the backstory. In the middle of the trailer at 59 seconds the pace begins to get quicker which represents the death of the friend and the consequences it has for the rest of the group. The editing for this trailer contains a lot of quick cuts which connotes suspense and danger since these quick cuts are usually seen when someone is going to die. The range of captions throughout the trailer give the effect as if they’re being typed which follows the theme and layout of the trailer since it’s from the view of someone’s laptop. The captions that appear when the disruption happen look as if they’re a glitch which can connote the presence and foreseeing the future of death for the friends. The captions build up suspense since the one before the clip of the girl committing suicide reads ‘3 DAYS LATER...’. The captions give information to the audience such as ‘TODAY IS THE ANNIVERSARY OF HER DEATH’ which is the point as to where the friends start to experience supernatural events. The trailer shows a few seconds of a screen buffering at 109 seconds (1:49) which seems realistic but creates suspense since the audience wants to know what happens.
SOUND: The trailer begins with dialogue in which graduation students are laughing as well as people screaming. The score and the dialogue connotes that the people are having a good time and they are enjoying themselves. When the captions appear typing sounds can be heard but then cuts to a lively atmosphere which can be inferred as someone telling the audience how they feel about the videos they are seeing. The score then stops when the party begins since through dialogue people begin to talk to each other and laugh. However, when the typing sounds begin again the score sounds mysterious and the pace begins to quicken. This may make the audience feel anxious as they may think that something bad is going to happen. When Laura commits suicide the gun shot is very loud and may panic the audience since it is unexpected. Throughout the next part of the trailer dialogue is heard since the friends are talking to each other. The mouse clicks and messages are heard clearly which make the audience feel involved since it would seem as if they are receiving the message. The dialogue from the group of friends changes since they sound scared and afraid of who or what is messaging them. A common convention of horror is seen when the group begin to scream when the lights turn off since it creates a tense atmosphere for the audience. The score and the screaming continue and lead up to the last friend being alone. The friend screams loudly and then there is silence since the trailer has ended. The contrast of sound to silence represents what has happened to the friend – she has died.
TYPOGRAPHY: The same typography is used throughout the whole trailer which shows brand consistency and has the effect of it being typed. It makes the audience feel as if they find out the information as soon as everyone else does. The typography is quite basic but this is good because it would be very recognisable and easy to read. This meaning the audience can follow the plot and be able to theorise about what they think is going to happen. The colour of the typography is black against a white background in which the contrast can connote the difference between evil and good.
TARGET AUDIENCE: The BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) rated this film 15 due to its themes such as violence and suicide. Considering that that this film touches on issues such as suicide and bullying/cyber-bullying it would be aimed at young adults since they may be able to relate to the storyline. This film may be targeted at males since the extreme violence used may deter females from watching it. It also gives a message to the audience since it shows you should never trust your friends and do not bully people online since it will come back to haunt you.
Trailer #3 (Vanita)
Film title: drag me to hell
Sub Gerne: supernatural
Release date: may 27 2009
Director: Sam Raimi
Production company: Ghost House Pictures, Mandate Films LLC,Buckaroo Entertainment
Synopsis: Christine brown has the perfect life, a loving boyfriend and a great job at a los Angeles bank. But her life becomes not so heavenly when she denies an old woman's request for an extension on her home loan. The woman then cruses Christine, threatening her soul with eternal damnation. Christine sees a psychic's help to break the curse.
Principle cast: Alison Lohman as Christine Brown
Justin Long as Professor Clayton "Clay" Dalton
- Lorna Raver as Mrs. Sylvia Ganush:
- Dileep Rao as Rham
- David Paymer as Mr. Jim Jacks
- Adriana Barraza as Shaun San Dena:
- Bojana Novakovic as Ilenka Ganush:
Narrative:
The trailer begins with Christine at work asking her boss about the assistant manager position but the manager is thinking of promoting someone else. The trailer is opened with a soft non- diegetic score. I feel that this prepares and builds tension for the audience. The character Christine is faced with the old lady trying to get her house back. As soon as she begins to beg the score gradually get dramatically loud which build more fear for the audience. As the old woman drops to the ground the score speeds up. This shows the transition of the equilibrium and the disequilibrium. After this jump scares are played throughout the trailer.
Mise-en-Scene:
Lighting: At the beginning of the trailer bright lighting is used to introduce the characters and subject matter. As soon as the disequilibrium is introduced dark lighting is used (1.03) throughout the trailer to create an intense atmosphere.
Costume: The costume worn by Christine represents working class and high middle class. In the first scene of the trailer all of the characters are wearing professional clothing or suits. The costume of the antagonist is described as old and lifeless due to the dark and baggy clothing. During the disequilibrium different costumes are shown which represent culture and religion. For example, the demon specialist is wearing gold jewellery and dark clothes that do not coordinate (1.25), jewellery is a tradition accessory worn by fortune-tellers.
NVC: Within the first 25 seconds of the trailer Christine’s NVC looks as if she is concentrating and she is comfortable. This NVC is mainly shown by close up and mid shots. Worried, hopeless and hurt describes the NVC of the antagonist (0.46). This is interesting because you can see how her NVC changes from the equilibrium of the trailer where she’s asking for help and the disequilibrium where she becomes aggressive and violent towards Christine as she tries to get revenge. The NVC of the other characters shows that they are frighten, especially the fortune-teller when he tries to keep calm in the situation.
Props: A car, paper and important documents were mainly used as props due to the office setting. They all connote professionalism. The most significant prop during the disequilibrium of the trailer was Christine button that was cursed. Other props include fortune telling instrument (1.24) knifes that connote violence and mobile phones that represent socialism.
Setting: There are two main settings shown in the trailer the car park and the office. Other settings in the trailer include the fortune telling shop and Christine’s house.
Camera:
Camera shots to show setting have been used; an establishing shot was used at the very start of the trailer (0.07) showing Christine driving in a busy city. This shows and make the situation appear as ‘normal’. Tracking was used to follow the character; it made the audience feel as if they were apart of the trailer. Many close ups were used within the trailer, especially when a jump scare happened. At 1.14 Christine NVC connotes that she is puzzled. An extreme close up of Christine’s eyes was shown at 1.20. It’s as if a connection was made with audience because at this point they start to sympathise the character when she is being cursed.
Sound:
The sound/effects of the trailer are made during post-production. A soft score was used at the start of the trailer, which made the audience feel comfortable. However, the score gradually changed at 0.55, which built anticipation for the audience. Foley was used for the leaves blowing on the ground (1.25); this made the trailer more believable for the audience because they could hear the surroundings. It made me feel as if I was at the scene. Silence is key when it comes to horror trailers. It is used at 1.41 to make the audience even more scared and it acts as a warning that a jump scare is coming.
Editing:
From (0.00) to (0.10) fade transition is used to separate the scene. This is different compared to other trailers because straight cuts are usually used to create excitement and a fast paced atmosphere. The use of fade reflects how smooth Christine’s life is going. A series of straight and quick cuts are used after (0.28) which presents the story line in short space of time and reflects the mood of the characters. At (1.56) fast panning is used. The camera circles all the characters as they hold hands in a circle. This action matches the intense score that is played at the time. The quick cuts are so quick that it makes it hard to see what is happening. This adds excitement to the film and persuades the audience to watch it. Majority of the time the pace of a score or soundtrack is slow then remains fast pace halfway through and throughout the trailer, but in this case the score fluctuates to match with editing techniques used.
Typography:
Little typography has been used in this trailer; typography is only present at the end showing the makers of the film. The font looks as if it has been scratched and looks grungy. This reflects the tempo of the fast pace score. The typography has as been edited to look like blood dripping, this could represent the blood of Christine.
Target Audience:
From this trailer alone I think personally think that the age band is 15 due to the supernatural element and symbols. I don’t think it’s any higher than 15 because it doesn’t contain any gory, graphic or violent images, it only shows the characters scared or being scared.