Media textual analysis task

1. Textual analysis task.

2. First
frame
Firstly in this opening shot, we are shown the two
main characters Jennifer, and Needy. Although
Jennifer is smiling and seemingly excited, Needy
looks a bit awkward and anxious. They are shown
to be wearing casual early 2000s clothes such as
jeans, T-shirts and comfy jackets. Its low lighting
and a bit crowded suggesting they are in a bar or
at a gig.
The camerawork is still and focuses mainly on mid
shots at normal angles the effect of this is showing
the audience how normal and ordinary it starts
out.
A montage editing style is used with fast pace to
convey high intensity or to foreshadow a big event
will happen.
Over the top of the background music, there is a
narrator explaining the narrative of the film
although you can hear some dialogue through the
shots. His voice is a bit sarcastic and dramatic.

3. Second
frame
We are shown a mid-close up of Jennifer in her
cheerleading uniform, she’s clearly standing at the
front which could suggest she is a popular head
cheerleader. She’s smiling and waving at Needy
showing that they’re friendship is close. Its very high
key lighting showing a school gymnasium
environment, all this information tells gives the
audience a positive insight and mood on the film so
far.
The camera zooms in on Jennifer in this shot, this
focuses in on her character the effect of this is to
draw attention. The framing of this shot draws
attention to how she is smiling seeming to have the
life of an average teen.
Following the montage editing each shot lasts
around a second or two, keeping the fast pace, the
effect of this is to emphasize how quickly things
went badly.

4. Third
frame
During this shot we are shown things starting to go
badly, we are shown Needy standing in front of an
explosion looking concerned and shaken. However
she doesn’t seem to be looking shocked or scared.
The light from the explosion is behind Needy casting
a shadow over her, this could highlight the darkness
in the film.
The transitions are a very quick cut to the next shot,
building tension and keeping the high speed shot
duration.
The camera work has limited movement till this shot,
a mid shot where the explosion happens and the
camera shakes the effect of this is to make the
audience feel as if they were apart of the film.
The diegetic use of sound effects is used when the
explosion goes off is supposed to make the
audience believe the realism and feel the impact of
the explosion. During this shot the narrator explains
how they were best friends, however when it
transitions into this shot he says ‘until’ matching the
time of the explosion suggests this is where
everything goes down hill.

5. fourth
frame
In this shot, Needy looks devastated and shocked, we see
her wearing a big pink prom dress with her curly blonde hair
coming across so innocent , contrasting with the dirty
gloomy setting behind her. You can see cobwebs in the
background suggesting this place is old and unused. By this
an eerie atmosphere is created.
Keeping the quick transition speed and shot duration it
keeps the tension ,intensity and insanity of everything. The
effect of this to the overall trailer is conveying to the
audience the genre and how the film will be presented.
The camerawork movement is still as if she has frozen in fear,
however it slightly zooms in on her face from a mid-shot to
emphasize her emotion. The camera is slightly angled up at
Needy showing not only showing she’s looking down at
something but also represents the difference between her
and Jennifer’s demon possessed body.
Along side the background music, you can hear Needy
gasp in horror. While the narrator says ironically ‘ until Needy
caught Jennifer’ which leads onto the next shot with
suspense.

6. Fifth
frame
This is first shot we are shown of Jennifer’s
possessed body, she has grey eyes blood
dripping off her face and a gaping jaw with
animal like teeth, although she’s wearing a white
dress and evening gloves covered in blood its
effective as its highlights how pure she was before
her body was possessed by a demon and now
covered in blood. She is hunched over Needy’s
mutilated boyfriend like he’s prey. The lighting is
low and gloomy, which causes the effect of
looking lifeless.
Continuing with the montage editing we zoom
into a angled down shot of Jennifer which is
effective because it portrays her character is a
very evil demonic way.
With the music following on, the narration carries
on from the last shot saying’ when Needy caught
Jennifer … eating her boyfriends face’. This has so
much ironic effect as in between these shots they
show a short shot of Jennifer kissing Needy’s
boyfriend.

7. Sixth
Frame
During this shot, we just see a close up of Jennifer
opening her eyes straight in the camera. She
looks pale, restless and ill, the opposite to the
beginning of the film or after she's fed. The lighting
is dark and cold, she looks almost dead yet slightly
agitated.
Through the entire trailer the editing is constantly
a montage sequence fast paced transitions and
short duration shots. A constant effect of the
intensity and emphasizing how quickly everything
went wrong.
The camera work in this shot is zoomed into
Jennifer’s face, it’s an uncomfortable close up as
its as if she is staring at the audience.
As the narration stops, we hear dialogue of
Needy saying ‘ Jennifer is actually evil, not high
school evil’. Which is effected relating to the shot
we are shown next. There is no non diegetic
sound in this shot, other than the music.

8. Seventh
frame
During this shot, we see Jennifer’s eyes change
colour, as she lures a boy to his death. The lighting
is low yet lit by what looks to candles that could
stereotypically are used in satanic rituals. The
boarded walls suggest they are in an abandoned
house or attic. The effect of this creates tension
and a creepy atmosphere foreshadowing she is
about to kill him.
Editing could have been used to change the eye
colour. This would have an effect on the
audience as it’s a sudden change which
increases intensity and tension. This shot in shown
for barely a second as it’s a quick dramatic
change.
As this shot barely lasts a second it doesn’t involve
much camera movement. It’s slightly angled to
the side close up making her look demonic and
mischievous. The effect of this is to make her
appear more intimidating.
While the music carries on throughout the trailer,
they add in sound effects when the eyes change
colour which adds a creepy and supernatural
atmosphere.

9. Eighth
frame
I feel this is a very important shot as it really represents
the demonic character using her sexuality to draw in
and kill teenage boys. The shadow we see on the
boarded walls behind lit candles shows us the silhouette
of her kneeling over this boy in a way that resembles a
wolf with blood squirting out of his body as she’s rips her
teeth out of his chest. The lighting is low creating a dark
atmosphere, although the light coming off the candles is
warm. This has a very shocking effect on the audience.
Again throughout the transitions are short cuts to the
next shot. However this shot is one of the few that stay on
the screen for a few seconds as the camera focuses in
on her face just before. The effect this has on the
audience is very direct.
This mid to long shot establishes the location well while
not being too over the top with the gore and blood,
using the shadows. Its slightly angled up as if the
audience were on the same level as the body. This has
an intimidating effect on the audience.
While the narration has stopped, the music picks up and
more sound effects are added for example during this
shot we hear an demonic sound and the sound of flesh
ripping and blood being splattered. This could be quite
gruesome to the audience.

10. Ninth
frame
In this shot we are shown Needy in a completely
different way, she looks restless, untidy, and insane.
The orange top and concrete walls suggests that she’s
in a prison. The light is low, yet casting a slight shadow
over her causing shadows under her eyes causing her
to look sinister. The effect of this is up to this point
Needy has been represented in a innocent way,
therefore telling us the situation has had effects on her.
We are only shown this shot for a second keeping the
fast pace and transitions through out the trailer.
Comparing the next shot, it shows complete
contradiction where we see Jennifer looking healthy
and beautiful again, which contrasts with the way
Needy has turned out. Its effective putting these shots
together as it tells the audience the different effects it
has had on the two characters.
This mid shot shows her staring right at the audience
having an intimidating effect. As we have been shown
before the shot zooms closer to Needy, which
emphasizes her facial expression.
While the music carries on being played in the
background, we hear Jennifer say ‘extra salty’ as we
see the shot change from Needy to Jennifer. The
effect of this is showing the contrast between the two.

11. Summary
In total the sequence is 34 seconds, which on average is a bit shorter than a
normal teaser, however we receive lots of information about the movie within
this time. The narrative and genre is clearly represented mainly due to the
narration over the trailer. Although the montage sequence was edited well in a
way to represent the genre and narrative. From the ending of the trailer, it leaves
you to question what happens to Needy and Jennifer? Does Needy kill Jennifer?
How does it end?
The unique selling point of this film is the different aspects and themes it portrays,
it’s a thriller, yet has funny, aspects, with themes of an dysfunctional friendship.
Yet from this there is a wide target audience range, as it could be targeted at girls
ages 15-24 yet the thriller genre could be interesting to boys. The fantasy genre
for demons, vampires, werewolves has been a massive craze in the past few years
therefore this genre could attract a large audience.
I can learn from this, the way we portray a film can attract a much larger audience
and how effective the editing in a trailer can be and the different ways it portrays
a film genre and narrative. I can use this to help me in my trailer by picking up on
some camerawork, editing and sound techniques.

12. Poster
analysis
Bold, block letter title-
Red- danger, blood, evilTagline- ‘she's evil…and not just
high school evil’
Links closely to trailer and genre
Actors names bold at the top-
well known actors
From the academy award winning writers
of ‘juno’ -
Advertising previous successful films
Coming soon in red at the bottom-
Important information in bold
‘Hell yes’-
Contradicting good and
bad
Hell links with demonic
themes in trailer
Main image- long shot
sexual colour, red represents
danger, blood, death.
The character representation
is sexualized, short skirt, high
heels
All these factors link to genre
and narrative
Dark eerie back ground-
links to the settings
seen in trailer
Hand in the desk-
She’s got secrets,
she's hiding
something, murderer

13. summary
To summarize, I believe the marketing team linked the poster and trailer, very
closely, you can definitely tell its for the same film and the genre and narrative
are presented clearly. I think they presented the poster in a way to attract an
audience by sexualizing the character, she is attractive but by the colour
scheme and mise en scene showing the hand in the desk we know there's
danger there as well.
From this I can learn to use aspects when creating my poster for our teaser
trailer to attract certain audiences depending on our target and what are
major factors of a poster that need to be included.