2. Starts with non- diegetic cheerful, Oklahoma music. Making the audience feel like they’re not about to watch a
horror film. Voice over of what to be guessed as the main characters talking about their new home. Whilst this
is happening straight cuts of nature, trees, greenery etc. are being shown again reiterating the peaceful almost
country side style area. Straight cuts again showing the bond of the characters and that they are all happy with
their new environment.
A long distance shot of the girl on her own cycling down a wood like path, this makes her look vulnerable which
is then confirmed when the non-diegetic Oklahoma, country style music fades into an annoying fuzzing sound
and the camera goes into slow motion of the girl looking to the side, a ghostly like woman appears by the
trees, we, as the audience then see this through a point of view shot, from the girls perceptive. This makes us
feel slightly uncomfortable as its more realistic, like we are in the little girls shoes. We after this it cuts
straight into a black inset with words displaying “based on a true story” immediately making the audience
more engaged to watch and being based on a true story makes it slightly more terrifying than if it was just a
non-fictional horror film. Non-diegetic sound of a uneasy theme tune starts changing the atmosphere. Over the
shoulder shot of the mother and child speaking on the bed related to the background theme sound of concern.
Close up of the girl along with her voice over of her experience is a
good tactic and keeps the audience on edge, especially because of the
vulnerability of the child in a woods, on her own. Point of view shot is
seen of the girl looking at a tree swing from behind a tree trunk
(depth of field used) still using this shot the girls then turns her head
to the other side of the tree, the tree acts as a kind of inset, whilst
this is happening a scary non diegetic sound, like a hawk is used to
make the audience jump and prepare for a millisecond of what’s going
to happen next. A black ghostly gentleman is then morbidly swing on
the swing. The background music is still going on as the point of view
shot changes to a close up of the girls face, showing that she is
frightened of what she has just seen. This relates to the majority of
what the audience feels at that precise moment in time.
3. Straight cut, black screen, opening to a black man talking. The males
dialogue then tells the audience that this is where all the creepy stuff
starts to come into play. A close up of writing on a a piece of wood is
shown saying “god bless the stationmaster” this then tells the audience
that the figures they had seen before where in fact ghosts and that there
is an uneasy past to this area and house.
Voice overs are being herd as the family are being told about the history
of their new house. We then see a flash back, we know this because of
the non- diegetic swooping sound relating to us going back in time, like
us as an audience are present. The colour of the image is an orangey
colour relating to the period of time. The editing of the particular part is
very good and shown in an old style film with the fussy picture, the group
shot off all the “slaves” turns to normal colour this could relate to their
presence still being there.
We then flick back to the father and the black guy talking to about the
past history of what happened there an over the shoulder shot is used as
well as a point of view shot to show maturity and the sincerity of the
conversation. Non-diegetic sound is still being played but it’s a different
tune like with the soft instrument of a triangle being hit, or like a baby
harmony above a cot.
Straight cut, reverting to the past as the guy tells what happened to the
station master, again with the orange tint. Close up of a man in a white
hood, relating to the KKK, as it’s an adult film rated 15 the audience can
more than likely not relate to this period of time in the USA and there
resistance in the south to accept blacks. The hoods themselves are quite
scary. Props like guns are shown also meaning that you’re now going to
see some sort of violent encounter.
4. Point of view shot is used as if you were one of the KKK looking at the
establishing shot of other members beating up the station master. The
guns and fire have connotations of death, violence etc.. the sudden
diegetic sound of the gun been struck at the station masters head makes
the audience feel emotional as well as scared.
As we are straight cutted into the next part of the past the sound turns
to non-diegetic creating a jumpy atmosphere for the audience. The
picture on screen then relates to this as it’s like it’s been shaken and
disorientated making the audience feel as if there are feeling how the
character who was beaten up felt. Black inset is again used to cut back
to reality.
Extreme close up of a piano being played without a person makes the
audience feel uneasy, the girls is talking over the diegetic sound of the
piano. The next transition is a fade showing an over the shoulder shot of
the girl and a woman. The girls dialogue has a direct effect on the
audience when she says “I see things” straight cut to a mid-shot of the
girl at night in a door way, suddenly a close up of a white figure walks
across the screen and at the same time non diegetic music is boomed
which makes the audience jump and stunned with terror. Point of view
shot is used as the girl again comes across this white dressed, black
woman in the house, her image is made more terrifying as the editing
makes her flicker, like a light switch, this mess up what the audience is
seeing and doesn’t give them time to take in the stun that they have just
encountered. This then directly links with the short cuts and the extreme
close up of this woman’s hand on the piano. This tells the audience that
the girl has some sort of supernatural gift. As the woman presses the one
key on the piano a straight cut is used on a frames picture of the girl
which suddenly cracks. This tells the audience that something bad is
going to happen to the girl. It’s like a kind of foreshadowing.
5. Mother is then trying to convince the child nothing is the matter, but the
girls is certain it’s still there and extremely scared at the fact we see
flickers of scenes with the girl and her mother alongside a short voice of
the girl saying “it’s still here momma, I can feel it”
A full shot from behind walking back into the woods, at this point may
confirm to the audience that something bad is about to happen to the
child. This part of the trailer is where we see the most fades, showing
that something is lurking in the woods almost. Close up of the back of
the girls head and shoulder which then gets touched by a alooming arm,
which then turns to black and white cleverly tells the audience that she
has been touched by the dead, she then gasps in terror, but because it
was sheer silence it again creates a jumpy atmosphere.
A black inset is inserted saying “The fear” the audience can relate to this
as its half way through the trailer and has more than likely made them
jump at parts.
Close up of the mother in distress and low lighting. This is where the
heart of the trailer comes into view with the typical short cuts and
suspense. Its night time and the father, running frantically with a
variation of shorts showing his distress of not being able to find his child.
A black inset is again shown saying “returns”.
High angled shot of the girl down a dark hole makes the
audience wonder what is going to happen to the girl. The
distance of the girl from the light of her father’s touch is
reversed and seems miles away; this makes us wonder as to
whether the father will be able to get the girl out. A black
inset is used further and then appears a mid-shot of the girl
in her PJ’s with a deformed, decaying face with a spot light
used , surrounded by darkness leads the audience to think
that she could be dead.
6. A collaboration of parts of the film then fluctuates, showing the
confused characters, but at the same time engaging the audience by
not giving away too much of the ending story line. Sincere, serious non
diegetic music is used to help sustain the suspense and tension. After
this the is a black screen, with a voice over from the girl saying “I told
you something bad happened here” we then get shown the title of the
film, almost like a poster for advertisement, with non-diegetic theme
that was herd at the start of the trailer. After this one we are left with
as an audience one last shockingly, scary jumpy bit to emphasise that
you should go and see it. A black inset with the classic “coming soon”
7. A collaboration of parts of the film then fluctuates, showing the
confused characters, but at the same time engaging the audience by
not giving away too much of the ending story line. Sincere, serious non
diegetic music is used to help sustain the suspense and tension. After
this the is a black screen, with a voice over from the girl saying “I told
you something bad happened here” we then get shown the title of the
film, almost like a poster for advertisement, with non-diegetic theme
that was herd at the start of the trailer. After this one we are left with
as an audience one last shockingly, scary jumpy bit to emphasise that
you should go and see it. A black inset with the classic “coming soon”
