1. Question 6: How is narrative portrayed in the trailers?
A2 Media Studies

2. How is narrative portrayed?
Narrative has been portrayed within the 3 trailers through the
following elements, which I will discuss within the following
slides:
Setting
Climatic Scenes
Characters (Protagonist/s)

3. Setting
This image has been taken from ‘The Woman In Black’,
the large house in the background is where the film is
set. Within the trailer many of the shots have been
presented in and outside of the house, presenting to the
audience that the film will be based within this setting. It
also makes the audience question the narrative by
guessing that whatever the ‘horror’ element is within the
film is inside the house.
The second image has been taken from ‘Jessabelle’, the setting
starts within a hospital, in a dark corridor, setting the audience up
for a climax scene. Furthermore, the hospital element adds fear to
the trailer as the audience question why and how the character is in
the hospital.
The third film ‘Mama’ begins with a dark cabin within the woods, it becomes
clear that the narrative to the film is based within the cabin, the trailer refers
back to the cabin, establishing the connection between the horror element
and the cabin.

4. Climatic Scenes
Within ‘The Woman In Black’ climatic scenes
present the narrative, the directors have used key
elements such as this presenting a toy, the toys
begin to move upon their own accord creating a
carefully timed noise which sounds as if a clock is
ticking and then turns into a nursery rhyme style
song; indicating that a climatic scene is going to
appear.
The second image also presents a climatic scene,
it reveals some of the narrative of the film to the
audience without revealing too much of the story
line.
This scene from Jessabelle presents the
narrative of the story line by providing
background information of the plot, indicating
why she appeared in the hospital within the first
scene. The audience will be able to establish
the two scenes are linked reinforcing more of
the story line to the audience.

5. Within the ‘Mama’ trailer climatic scenes are
indicated by a grey moth, the narrative of
the trailer suggests that the moth has links
with the supernatural creature the children
are talking about within the trailer.

6. Protagonist/s
The actions, body language, facial expressions, thoughts and feelings of the
protagonists of the trailers also reveal more of the narrative.
Within ‘The Woman In Black’ during the beginning
one of the girls who jumped from the window
introduces the story line. ‘During afternoon tea there's
a shift in the air a bone trembling chill that tells you
she's there, there are those that believe that the
whole town is cursed, but the house on the marsh is
by far the worst’. This introduces the audience to the
narrative of the film.
Within the ‘Jessabelle’ trailer the protagonist,
Jessabelle finds video tapes of her mother, her
mother begins talking ‘Hello Jessabelle, if you’re
watching this it means I’m gone, I wanted to give
you a reading with my cards, it says here that you’re
not alone, there's a presence in the house with you,
I see a very horrible death’. This presents the
narrative to the audience that the leading character
is in danger, it also creates a climax.
The ‘Mama’ trailer also reveals information about the
narrative through a character, the doctor begins
explaining ‘Victoria and Lily were found in deplorable
conditions, their parents gone, alone in the wilderness
for at least five years, how they survived is
explainable, with a loving family environment Victoria
and Lily have a real chance at a normal life’.
Presenting the background story of the main
characters lives, allows the audience to understand
the hardship the children have faced. It also makes
the audience question how they survived.