This document analyzes still images from the trailer for a horror film called The Cabin in the Woods. It summarizes three key shots: 1) An establishing shot of an abandoned, run-down cabin in spooky woods lit with low-key lighting to look dark and scary. 2) A shot through a mirror that reveals something spooky about the cabin and draws the viewer in with mystery. 3) A dark corridor with dimming lights that seems scary and intimidating, giving it a gothic feel stereotypical of the horror genre.

1. Analysis of still images
Thisestablishingshotshowsthe mainsettingof The Cabininthe Woods.Thisisa veryconventional
settingfora horror filmasit appearsto be a run
downand seeminglyabandonedcabininthe
middle of whatlookslike aspookywoods. This
lightinginthisimage showsthatduringthe day
the cabin still appearstobe verydark despite
the fact that the sun isshiningandthe image
doeshave some highkeylighting,thismakesthe
cabinlookmore scary and intimidating.
Thisshot appearsnormal to start,but inactual fact itis revealedthatthisisactuallyhimlooking
througha mirror lookingatthe girl,but
fromher side itappearsto be a regular
mirror.The mirrorsuggestsearlyonthat
there issomethingspookyandabnormal
aboutthisparticularcabin.This would
draw the viewerinastheywouldwantto
know whatis happening.The use of an
overthe shouldershotshowsthathe is lookingatherand tryingto figure outwhyhe can see her.
The use of lowkeylightingalsoemphasisesthe mysteryandspookyaspecttothispart of the trailer.
Thistextshowninthistrailermakesthe viewerthinkandbecome intrigued;italsocreatesmystery
and suggeststothe audience thattheydon’tknow
whatis actuallygoingtohappeninthe movie.The
serif fontusedisveryconventionalforthe horror
genre as itappearsmore old fashioned,alsothe
fadedeffectof the textsuggeststhatthe filmis
supernatural,and the use of the darkbackground
witha smoke effectappearsveryspookyandmysterious.
Thisimage showsa verydark corridorand the lightinginthe trailergetsdarkeras the shotgoeson,
thissuggeststhatsomethingis
causingthe lightsto dimandmakes
the corridor seemveryscaryand
intimidating.The use of candlesinthe
corridorgivesita veryoldfashioned
and gothicfeel thatisvery
conventional forthe genre.Thispart
of the trailerisverystereotypical,asit
appearsscary and wouldmake the viewerwonderif somethingwill jumpoutandwoulddraw them
into the mysteryof the trailer.

2. Thisimage showsa close upof the blonde characterscreaming.Thisisconventional forthe horror
genre as itshowsthat she isscared and
createsthe sense thatshe is a vulnerable
damsel indistress.The use of low key
lightingisveryconventional asitshowsthat
she isin danger.The use the rule of thirdis
usedto show that the focusison her.
Thisclose up shotshowsa monstertryingto breakthroughthe door,this showsthatthe monsteris
veryaggressive andistryingtokill the
characters inthe trailerwhichisvery
conventional.Italsoshowsthatthe monsteris
strongerthan youraverage personandthe fact
that itwants to kill the peopleinthe filmwould
make it seemscary.Make uphas beenusedto
make the monsterappearto be a zombie or
some formof the livingdeadwhichisveryconventional forthe horrorgenre.The use of low key
lightingforthisisalsoveryconventional.
Thisshot isa close up of a beartrap beingdraggedalongthe floorbyone of the monsters.Alsowhat
can be seenisone of the characters lyingonthe floor
justahead of the monsterthat isapproachingvery
slowlywhichwouldcreate tension.Thisshotshows
that the good guyis indangerand woulddraw the
userin.The beartrap is veryconventionalasit
connotesviolence andthe soundof the metal
draggingalongthe flooras well asthe noise of the chain isveryconventional.