2. ABOUT
Split is about an individual with multiple personality
disorder.
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Directed/Written: M. Night Shyamalan
Release date: 20th January 2017
Actors: James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy, Betty Buckley,
Haley Lu Richardson.
Split received 12 nominations and 3 wins for its
production. It won at the:
- 2017 Golden Trailer Awards for Best Thriller Poster
- 2017 San Diego Film Critics Society Awards for Best
Actor (James McAvoy)
- 2017 Seattle Film Critics Awards for Best Villain
(James McAvoy).
3. The first image is an example of a shot in the mirror of
the car, building tension because the whole scene is not
included in the shot. It is during the day so high key
lighting which doesn’t suggest abnormality however the
groceries drop which could imply something is wrong.
Child like music is played and then a low drop to
suggest a change disruption in equilibrium.
A close up is then used to show the child’s emotions.
She appears nervous and confused and ha a young
face to suggest purity and innocence. We later find out
she is the ‘princess’ of the film, the one in danger.
4. Then a dolly shot is used and jumps between different
parts of the trailer and the dolly shot which follows
mysterious and creepy wires on the ceiling. The pairing
of the music with the trailer, which is called parallel
sound, creates even more tension to this scene. This can
be something we want to incorporate in our film trailer as
I believe it is effective.
The music continues and there is scenes of the girls in a
simple, desolate room. An image of a flower appears in a
white, clear bathroom. The flower could be a symbol of
hope in somewhere so bare.
5. The next image presents an image of the young girl lead in
her environment staring in shock at her antagonist. A
medium shot is used and we are able to analyse her
clothing which could be an indication of her mood. The
black clothing connotes death, danger and darkness. We
are able to see her facial expressions and
The next image presents the titles related to the film, a
common convention of movie trailers. This use of famous,
popular and successful movies is a way of anchoring fans
as it’s a sort of indication of what they should expect and
how successful it will be. This is something we will most
likely incorporate as it is a common effective convention.
6. The next image is a close up of one of the characters
(the psychiatrist), and we find out through dialogue,
she diagnoses him with multiple personality disorder.
This heightens the tension of the trailer because it is
something uncommon. This close up creates a more
serious tone to the trailer.
The next image shows one of the personalities this
individual claims to be. There is low lighting used in
the scene which is a connotation of danger as we
have limited vision and what we cannot see is
unknown and sinister. In this screengrab he has a
straight face and his stance and posture is straight
and overpowering, presenting him as intimidating.
7. This is an example of a low angle shot, it is used in the film
industry to convey a sense of overpowering intimidation. We
get this idea because the individual displays a menacing
expression as if he is about to take part in something he is
not supposed to. This is a very effective shot I would like to
adapt into our film trailer as it allows us to see a disruption in
equilibrium as well as presenting the villain to the audience.
The next scene is a close up of the protagonist. From this you
are able to see he does not appear mentally stable and has
an expression of confusion. This is obviously because he has
multiple personality disorder. This use of a close up of the
protagonist is a significant part of the trailer as it further
instigates this person is mentally unstable and there is
purpose of this scene as it depicts a ‘realisation’ of a problem.
8. The next shot used is an over the shoulder shot, this has great
significance as it makes the audience feel as through they are
also partaking in the action in the trailer. It heightens the
tension and brings appeal to the film. The music at this point is
very creepy and narration is used over the scene to try and
explain certain aspects of the trailer.
The following scene is a close up of the character and we can
clearly se her crying. However low key lighting is used which is
a common convention for horror movie because of it relating to
the fear of ‘darkness’ and ‘the unknown’. We assume from her
facial expression, the character is in extreme danger, but as
the audience we have no idea from what and therefore this
evokes and enigma that makes the audience so attracted to
watching the film.
9. The next shot is very conventional with horror movies, the
idea of the shot is that it blocks out part of the shot in order
to make the audience question what they cannot see. It is
a matte shot, assumingly filmed behind a locker or
cupboard. This shot is extremely effective as it limits the
audiences vision to the potentially dangerous
surroundings.
The next significant shot is a shot birds eye or crane shot.
This shot is useful in showing a bigger picture, in this
scene tense music plays which heightens and drops to
match the scene. This use of sound is very important in
showing how it can help build panic and portray horror.
Crane shots are usually used to present loneliness which
is something the character feels throughout the film. The
use of tense and heartbeat like music also displays a
disruption in the equilibrium.
