Analysis of three trailers

1. ANALYSIS OF
THREE HORROR
TRAILERS
Matteo Rimini

2. • Annabelle is a certificate 15, which means its target audience is for 15 year olds plus. In my opinion I would say that this
film is aimed at young adults and teenagers due to its jump scares. As fifteen year olds and teenager usually go to see
films in group this is a perfect target audience for this film. I feel that this Annabelle trailer would also appeal to both
genres males and female due to the two main characters being both male and female. The nationality for this trailer
would appeal to British/ American dues to this film mostly containing this nationality. I think the class of the audience
would mainly be middle-class. This is because the film contains characters represented as this class. They used a variety
of ages in the film which is a smart technique as it can be aimed at everyone. This is one of the reasons Annabelle was so
successful.
For this Annabelle trailer, the location of the house is a very modern location, yet inside the house is very old fashioned.
This is a smart technique because as a viewer you can relate to the modern looking house which may make it scarier.
The decorations and furniture are vintage looking which adds to the gloomy and scary feel. The costumes used in the
film trailer are everyday old-fashioned clothes. There are a several different props used in this trailer, for example the
one of the main prop used is the Annabelle doll. According Other props used in the film trailer include everyday objects
example a knife, a sewing machine and candles.
The trailer is introduced with an establishing shot of the family’s house. This specific shot may indicate isolation and
loneliness. The use of low key lightening creates a dark and scary atmosphere, this is a typical convention used in horror,
however the film was set in a home, which reinforces the typical convention of psychological horror. This film is set in a
normal looking home, a place of “sanctuary” rather than a place of terror. The scene is then cut to the husband running
out of the neighbor’s house will blood all over him.
The girl in this shot is carrying the doll in her hands. From the mis-en-scene of the scene we can say that she is quite
paranormal, from the use of the traditional white dress she is wearing and the way her hair roughly falls on her face. We
cannot see her face This is a typical convention used in horror trailers as they tend to not reveal key details of the films,
they are only used to “tease” the audience into seeing the whole film. We can also infer that the “white” clothes she is
wearing indicates that she is pure and innocent. However, we find out later in the trailer that she is not that. You can see
that the colors in this shot have been toned down a lot to keep it close to black and white as possible. This creates a dark
and gloomy look.
This screenshot from the trailer is very effective as once again we can see the little girl in the white dress. This over the
shoulder shot was an effective shot for this scene. The woman is standing in light where as the little girl is standing in a
room with low key lighting.
At the beginning of the trailer there is no music, just the natural sound effects which are disrupted by a loud crash. This
is the first jump scare of the trailer. This then cuts to a black screen with words saying “I like your doll”. The diegetic
sound of the sewing machine and the shots start to build to the point where the oven blows up. This is then broken. A
non diegetic sound builds up which sound like static energy which has connotations of paranormal activity. After this
the screen goes black leaving the audience confused and intrigued. The final scare is someone running to the mother
screaming in terror which once again leaves the audience interested. This is called a cliff hanger. In my opinion sound is
probably the most important
Director: John R. Leonetti
Writer: Gary Dauberman
Actors:Ward Horton,
AnnabelleWallis, Alfre
Woodard…
Annabelle

3. THESE ARETHE FOUR MAIN CHARACTERS INTHE FILM

4. • The Conjuring is a film based on the real life event of Ed and Lorraine Warren. The story follows the family and the Warren’s in their quest to
overcome this paranormal presence they have been experiencing. The producer got the idea after Ed Warren himself approached the producer
and told him everything about it.
I watched the trailer several times and discovered that it only has 53 cuts over a two minute and thirty four seconds. I think that the trailer has
decreased pace as it is a horror film and the tension is built up slower by creating suspense.
The trailer is divided into three acts. The first ends at 0:33 when the wardrobe is seen to open. The music stops and from this point onwards the
whole feel of the trailer changes and a lot more tension is created. Act two begins when we see a quick glimpse of what is haunting the family
however quickly ends at 1:25 straight after we see a picture frame of the family crashing on the floor. This scene alone is very effective as we can
suggest that the family is in great danger. The screen goes black and text comes onto the screen with unnatural music playing over the top. The
last and most effective act starts here. We see things become more serious for the family as they get attacked. It ends with a cliff hanger of the
women screaming which is a smart technique as it leaves the audience curious.
At around the mid mark of the trailer the women plays a game and enters a room but as she faces the other way the wardrobe opens. It opens
with a loud “creaking” sound and the music cuts off (silence). The sinister silence creates a very uneasy feel to the trailer, and would indicate to
the audience that something is wrong. After hearing the creak the women says “Clap!” which is returned with a unusually slow clap. As she goes
towards the noise (still playing the game) she says playfully “I'm going to get you now, I can hear you breathing”. The women thinks its from the
child however as we learn a few seconds later it isn't. Tension is built as we anticipate the women finding the supernatural creature.
Shortly after this, the background music starts to play again and hear a laugh of a child. The women is folding clothes and the scene is set a night
therefore the mum thinks its her daughters so she says “Girls, it is way past your bed time”. This is followed up by a long period of silence then the
mums shocked face when she sees both her children sleeping in bed. This is a disturbing feeling and we can suggest that whatever is laughing is
enjoying making the mum feel uncomfortable.
The Mise en scene throughout the trailer also gives it a scary edge. At the start the family come through the front door and are wearing what
seems to be a 1970 style of clothes. The color of these clothes (yellows, orange and brown) are connotations of warmth and happiness and we
expect nothing by looking at the opening scene. Even though the house is a little worn out and rusty the wood and the light make it seem like a
really nice place to stay. There is a scene where the women is wearing a blind fold; the room she is standing in is colorful. The wardrobe in the
room has bright pieces of clothing and seems as nothing is wrong however when the women says “clap” a long, pale arm reaches out from behind
the clothes. Even the blindfold from the scene is in a bright red color which can signify death and blood.
An establishing shot is used of the house at 1:02. Tis is the first time as a viewer that you see the whole house. The low-key lighting is effective in
this clip and makes it seem like the dark has taken over the whole building. The camera flicks inside of the house where a women in a white dress
is sitting on her bed. The white dress is a traditional piece of clothing shown in most horror movies. The color white has connotations of
innocence but we can tell by the strange silence that this is not the case.
The editing and cinematography used also creates an apprehensive ambience for the viewers. In my opinion the edit of a trailer I the most
important thing especially in a horror film. As she walks to the wardrobe the shaky cam movements may give an unnerving feeling to the viewer.
Soon after this a close up of her face is shown as she realizes her daughter is not there. Her facial expressions change from very joyful to
confused.
Director: JamesWan
Writers: Chad Hayes, Carey
Hayes
Actors: PatrickWilson,Vera
Farmiga, Ron Livingston…
The Conjuring

6. Women in Black
Director: JamesWatkins
Writers: Susan Hill, Jane
Goldman
Actors: Daniel Radcliffe,
Janet McTeer, Ciaran Hinds…
• The trailer begins with a beautiful establishing shot of a train and a the sunset. If we didn't’t know what genre of movie
this was we wouldn't’ guess horror by looking at the first scene. The non-diegetic music creates a peaceful atmosphere
as a voice over of the protagonist is explaining who he is and his situation. This already gives the viewer an idea of who
the protagonist is. This then cuts to a scene of a pale looking Daniel Radcliffe staring out the train window. A reflection
of him appears on the train window which suggests that there are two sides to him which we will further find out as the
the trailer goes on.
We are then introduced to the house and its surrounding which ae not pleasant at all. There is a man being transported
by horses in the middle of no where. This is one specific shot where there is a cross in the middle of no where with a man
and his horses. The black and white coloring is very effective in this specific shot as it gives us a 1970 vibe which also
relates back to other horror movies such as Annabelle. The house which is portrayed as a dark place sets up the
audience expectations to be spooked and they know that it isn't going to be a pleasant story. By showing that the house
is isolated it creates a sense of loneliness for the audience. Throughout the film we are reminded that the house is very
far away from any social life. Isolation is common in horror films as it means the characters are more vulnerable and
there is no one to help them.
The scene is then followed up by another establishing shot that shows the old, abandoned looking house which
connotes a dark and mysterious atmosphere . A scene that I particularly find effective is the high angle shot which is
used to show the vulnerability of the male character. The relaxing music stops when he steps foot in the house.. This
could mean that all sense of security has gone and bad things are most likely going to happen. As he explorers the house
in the next few scenes close ups are used to show his facial expressions. As he gets deeper into the house the music get
louder. There is a specific scene where the use of his silhouette is shown to create a mysterious feel.
Close ups of children are presented to show the defenselessness of the victims in the film. As children are vulnerable it
also makes the audience feel sorry for them and want to find out what happens to them. The juxtaposition of the
children is a trope o the horror genre. The three girls look haunted and as they walk to the window they step on a dolls
head breaking it. This suggests that they do not care what is in there way. Another shot where all the children are
together is in the forest (another typical location of horror genre). The use of the wide shot and the low key lighting
make this shot seem scary and frightening for the audience.. Children are usually scared of the dark therefore this shows
that these children are not normal. Lastly for this scene sympathetic fallacy is used here as the dark, gloomy weather
matches the mood of the sequence.
Near the ending of the trailer the screen goes black and a very light smoke appears with the text “DANIEL RADCLIFFE”.
This lets the audience know who the main character is. The shot then fades out to a close up of Daniel Radcliffe which
links the two. By using someone as famous as Daniel Radcliffe it helps promote the film.
My favorite parts of the trailer in terms of editing is when in the space of five seconds there are three different straight
cuts to show titles reading “FEAR”, “HER”, “CURSE”. This technique of putting the titles on the screen are very effective
as it encourages the audience to put the words together. The ending of the trailer is when non diegetic music is played
and a lady lunges at the window. She is giving direct address to the viewer and her facial expressions somewhat
challenge the viewer to come and see the movie. She seems horrified and trapped.
Overall the use of editing, sound, and mise en scene is highly effective in this trailer. Within the 1:41 time frame of the
trailer, there was a mix of fast paced and slow paced scenes which really engage the audience.

8. Evaluation
This was my analysis of three horror trailers; Annabelle,The Conjuring andThe
Women in Black. I discussed the lighting, sound, editing, camera work and
mise en scene of each individual trailer. Before completing this task I watched
each trailer several times and did some basic research regarding the actors,
directors etc.This is shown on the left hand side of each analysis.