Analysis of the Jessabelle trailer

1. Analysis Of Horror Trailers

2. Target Audience
Demographics
- The film is for both the male and female gender.
- Age Rating: 15+
- Social Economic Class E
Psychographics
- Fans of horror movies
- Fans of the producer and have seen Paranormal Activity, Insidious,
Sinister and The Purge, which are other horror movies that are also
produced by Blumhouse Production.

3. Cinematography
There are a use of many different shots used throughout the Jessabelle trailer
that which help build up tensions and show the shift in power between each
character. There is the use of both low and high angles used greatly throughout
the trailer. The low and high camera angles have been used to connotes the
character as powerful or weak and vulnerable . For example the trailer starts off
by showing the lead character as weak as the camera is looking down to her in a
wheel chair in a dark, abandoned hospital (as seen on the right). This creates
sympathy for the character showing her as weak and needing help from the
beginning. There is also the use of many close ups which not only helps the
audience to understand how the character is feeling through there face
expressions, but also has been used to create a sense of lack of space and being
crowded by another presence in the room.

4. Editing
The Jessabelle trailer uses a variety of editing techniques. The trailer starts of
with slow editing of longer takes, the builds ups the tension to fast editing to
create a sense of panic and excitement for the audience. There is the use of
titling edits which informs the audience of the producer and the previous
successful horror movies they have produced. This not only strengthens the fear
of the audience, but also craws in inherited audiences. The background of the
title edits also create a sense of fear as it is distorted and blurred like a unclear
vision. Blink eye editing has been used throughout the trailer which is a very
effective form of editing, creating a sense that someone is watching them but
cant be seen, insinuating to the audience that there is another presence in the
house. There are also other editing types used such as shot reverse shot,
reaction shot and motivated cuts which helps to not only create fear for the
audience but also create tension throughout the trailer.

5. Sound
The sounds used in trailers are crucial as they are used to create a mood and
ambiance. This trailer uses non- diegetic, diegetic and voiceovers throughout.
The voiceovers used throughout the trailer is the conversations between the
characters, but the main voiceover comes from Jessabelle's mother. This
indicates even though her mother isn’t with her she is watching over her. The
trailer creates fear in the audience with sounds from objects, such as a ringing
phone or a clock ticking. At the beginning of the trailer the first thing that the
audience hears is a phone ringing. This represents that from the beginning of
the trailer she is helpless and relies on a man to helps her. There is the sound of
a clock ticking as the editing of the trailer gets faster. This indicates a
countdown to the ending getting the audiences hearts racing. Towards the
ending of the trailer silence takes over with only the diegetic sound of the tap
dripping and a sudden slam shut of the door as if they are shutting the audience
out creating a fear for the unknown. Silence in horror trailers is a common
convention which allows to create tension and enigma.

6. Mise-En-Scene
This trailer adheres to stereotypical horror genre mise-en-scene conventions. At
the beginning of the trailer we are in a dark, isolated hospital with a single light
that’s on Jessabelle. This straight away tell the audience that the film is based
on this character. However there is also a dark figure behind her in this shot
which is foreshadowing on the events that will take place in the house and even
though she seems alone someone is watching her. The films is overall is very
dark. The main location shown in the trailer is the old, wooden house that is
isolated by a lake, which is a common convention in horror movies. There is a
contrast between the darkness of the house and the brightness and good
weather at the lake. This is goes against the horror movie conventions of rain,
thunder and lightning in horror movies. The use of the wheelchair in the trailer
is very important as it shows the females disability and that she defenceless and
helpless with no power

7. Theories
With a female character that is vulnerable, weak and seeks the help from
male characters such as her dad and her male friend which shows that this
trailer clearly follows Vladimir Propp’s Character theory, with the male
seen as a hero helping the damsel in distress. This also links in with and
supports John Berger’s theory of men acting and the women just
appearing. This has been shown trough her dad running to her help whilst
Jessabelle waits to be saved by the men around her. However I believe the
trailer doesn’t follow Todorov’s narrative theory like the character theory
as the trailer starts at a disequilibrium were Jessabelle is at a hospital after
an accident, rather then a equilibrium were there is a normal and happy
beginning to a trailer