2. The trailer I have chosen to analysis is "The Woman In Black".
I have chosen to use this because it is from the same genre as my film "Dead
Leaves" which is Horror and the sub-genre of Unnatural
I am also using this research to look at how a Horror Trailer should look and
what idea I shall be taking form it.
3. Here is the link to the trailer in
Which I will be analysing.
The Woman in Black - http://www.imdb.
com/rg/s/1/title/tt1596365/#lb-vi385981977
4. Basic Information
Name: The Woman in Black Release Date: February 10th 2012
Genre: Classic Ghost Story, Thriller, Unnatural, Horror. Director: James
Watkins
5. Brief Synopsis
“The Woman in Black” is based on a lawyer Kipps , who is played by Daniel
Radcliffe, who moves into a remote village due to him being summoned to the
funeral of Mrs Alice Drablow. While he has moved into his new house he learns
about the local ghost “The Woman in Black”, who is terrorising the local
community. But the community does not want to reveal information on either
Mrs Alice Drablow or the Women in Black. But form different people in the
community he learns that Mrs Drablow had a sister that had a child out of
wedlock and her child had to give her son to Mrs Drablow, her sister. Now Mrs
Drablow’s sister has come back to look for her son. Will the “Woman in Black”
get her revenge after Kipps leaves to return to his wife and children home in
London?
This infomation was sourced from The Woman in Black, (No Date), The
Woman in Black; Story, http://www.womaninblack.com/#/story . Also I got a
further understanding from; IMDB,(No Date) http://www.imdb.
com/title/tt1596365/. (Accessed 12 July 2012).
6. Context of the Trailer
“The Woman in Black” is based on a lawyer Kipps , who is played by Daniel
Radcliffe, who moves into a remote village due to him being summoned to the
funeral of Mrs Alice Drablow. While he has moved into his new house he learns
about the local ghost “The Woman in Black”, who is terrorising the local
community. But the community does not want to reveal information on either
Mrs Alice Drablow or the Women in Black. But form different people in the
community he learns that Mrs Drablow had a sister that had a child out of
wedlock and her child had to give her son to Mrs Drablow, her sister. Now Mrs
Drablow’s sister has come back to look for her son. Will the “Woman in Black”
get her revenge after Kipps leaves to return to his wife and children home in
London?
This infomation was sourced from The Woman in Black, (No Date), The
Woman in Black; Story, http://www.womaninblack.com/#/story . Also I got a
further understanding from; IMDB,(No Date) http://www.imdb.
com/title/tt1596365/. (Accessed 12 July 2012).
7. Shots and Setting
Shots
Length of the trailer: 1:08 minutes long
Number of Shoots: around 35 shoots all together.
Setting
The film is set in Victorian times. It starts off in London and the plot moves to
the countryside where Eel Marsh House. The house is surrounded by ocean
and the only way in which you can get onto it is when the tide is extremely low.
This adds tension and it makes it feel discreet and very alone.
Eel Marsh House is a set out in the traditional Victorian style. But it is derelict
and slowly the damp has been taking over and it is obvious that the house is
decaying. Throughout the trailer the colours are dark and this gives us the
impression that this film is a dark film. The weather is dark, cloudy and raining
during the trailer which is stereotypical of the classic British horror film
8. Stars
All of the stars are wearing traditional Victorian outfits. The two main male
characters are wearing traditional suites which shows that they are both in a
position of power. We as the audience know that Kipp, as played by Daniel
Radcliffe is a lawyer and the male who is sitting in the chair seems to be a
physiologist, this to being a powerful job in this time. The two women on the
other hand seem to contrast each other. The first woman we see, a young
woman who is warning Kipp not to go to Eel Marsh House, is dressed in a white
dress. This dress stands out in the mek and colourless setting which could
suggest that she is pure and that Kipp should listen to her. The colour white
also represents an innocence of the woman that Kipp picks up on. But the other
main female character who we as the audience assumes is “The Woman in
Black”, we never see all of her face at once but in sections such as her eye. Her
dress looks as if she has been to a funeral with what looks like a black dress with
a vail over. Because we don't see her whole face this adds both drama and
tension to the trailer and we want to learn what she looks like, which is the
main aim of a promotional trailer.
9. What was the film trailer about
All of the stars are wearing traditional Victorian outfits. The two main male
characters are wearing traditional suites which shows that they are both in a
position of power. We as the audience know that Kipp, as played by Daniel
Radcliffe is a lawyer and the male who is sitting in the chair seems to be a
physiologist, this to being a powerful job in this time. The two women on the
other hand seem to contrast each other. The first woman we see, a young
woman who is warning Kipp not to go to Eel Marsh House, is dressed in a white
dress. This dress stands out in the mek and colourless setting which could
suggest that she is pure and that Kipp should listen to her. The colour white
also represents an innocence of the woman that Kipp picks up on. But the other
main female character who we as the audience assumes is “The Woman in
Black”, we never see all of her face at once but in sections such as her eye. Her
dress looks as if she has been to a funeral with what looks like a black dress with
a vail over. Because we don’t see her whole face this adds both drama and
tension to the trailer and we want to learn what she looks like, which is the
main aim of a promotional trailer.
10. Themes
The major theme in this trailer has to be fear of the unknown and what we as
the audience think of as paranormal. An example of this is the shot where we
seem in the shot where we see Kipp enter the house, we as the audience know
that this house is haunted and know that something will go wrong in this house.
11. Props
As Kipp enters the house there is a close up of a wooden item which is designed
in the style of the three wise monkeys, these monkeys stood for the proverb,
“see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil” When rereading over the synopsis of the
film I think this relates to the community that live around Eel Marsh House and
their fear of the “Woman in Black”. Another key prop is the Zoetrope that Kipp
looks into, the image on the inside of it is of someone pulling off their head.
This is key because this is where in the trailer we see the Woman in Blacks eye.
The photographs are also an important prop because it introduces us to the
people that once lived in the house. This is important because it introduces
them to the reason why Kipp wants to stay in the house and it gives us an
implication that the “Woman in Black” has something to do with them. As in
traditional ghost stories there is usually a moving item that is being moved by
the supernatural that is controlling the house. In “The Woman in Black” case
this item is a rocking chair. This chair is also squeaking which is a traditional
way in which tension and suspension is added to the trailer.
I found the information about the The Three Wise Monkeys via (C) Vin Callcut
2002-2012 Oldcopper.org website, (No Date) http://www.oldcopper.
org/three_wise_monkeys.htm (Accesessed 12th July 2012)
12. Camera Work
Due to this being a trailer it is made up of main Establishing shots that show the
audience the setting and style they can expect when watching the film. Also as
mentioned in “Props” there are close up shots of that show that they are main
props and they each link into the myth of the “Woman in Black” and it makes
the audience think why they might be important we uncovering who the
“Woman in Black” is.
13. Music
The music in the background is loud and dramatic and is therefore parallel to
the shots being shown. When there is a movement into another part of the
trailer, usually where it is establishing major sets or props the dynamics become
louder. This then adds fear into the audience and makes the question why these
props, settings are key in the plot of the film. There is also a continuation,in the
style of an over voice, from the male who looks like a psychologist. He says, “ I
believe the most rational minds can play tricks in the dark”, this is parallel to
the action that is being shown of Kipps looking around the house in the dark
and it also give us a sense that the film could also be psychological. The
emphasis of the clock ticking and the armchair rocking, which are most likely to
have been ambient sounds that have been edited in after the scene was shot, is a
traditional way in which fear is built up in a traditional ghost film.
14. Editing/ Title
Up until the title which states “The Doorway has Opened”, the pace of the
trailer is of a slow pace. This put the audience member in a position of waiting
and wanting to find out if anything dramatic happens. Then this is followed by
quick insert shot of major and distressing shots from the film. The titles are
designed in the same dark colour scheme in which the film’s mise-en-scene is
based around. It also enters from a blank screen and then dissolves which
signifies that the pieces of text are important. But the duration in which they
are shown are different. For the title that say “The Doorway has Opened”
quickly fades in and dissolves out. This piece of text is related to what the
psychologist, we as the audience assume he is, says.
Whereas the text which has the month in which the film is release has a much
longer duration because it has more importance and it is informing the
audience.
15. What worked well
In my opinion I think that the contrasting views from the woman to the
psychologist was interesting because you see the character of Kipp not listen to
either of them, which is a stereotypical construct of a horror film. Also the
Establishing shots of the exterior and interior of the house was good because it
gave the film a sense of chilliness to it. The music in the background did what it
was supposed to do, ie: raise the adrenaline in the audience and make them
want to go and watch this film. The close up shots and the voice over was very
appealing to me because I wanted to know who the people in the photo were
and why the monkeys were important.
16. What did not Work well:
The way in which it ended, this was because
I felt it gave away a bit too much of some of
the major actions and did not leave the
audience wanting to know what happens
next. Also i felt that the event that were
highlighted going to be seen as the main
parts of the plot.
17. Is this a typical trailer
Is it a Typical Trailer?
To see if this is a typical trailer I shall be comparing it with the trailer for “Wind
Chill (2007)”, which I found on IMBD,(No Date), http://www.imdb.
com/title/tt0486051/, Wind Chill (2007)” When looking at the basic
conventions of the two films I found these conventions that ran through both
trailers:
1. The background music was scary and atmospheric
2. The beginning of the trailer was slow but by the end of the trailer there
were more faster paced shots which signified major events.
3. The colouring of the trailers are both dark which creates a scary
atmospheric feeling to the trailer.
4. In both trailers the title sequences slotted in well with the trailer. (Wind
Chill was much better because it used the aspect of the wind/ ice
movement)
5. They had the link between death and a derelict house.
19. After looking at both of these trailers I have noticed a continuity of having an
unknown killer, which is what I will be taking into to my film trailer. Much like
the woman in black I will be having an unknown killer who will be shown only
by the back of his dark cloak.
One thing I will be also taking away from the Woman in Black trailer is not to
give too much of the film plot away because you want to entice the audience
into wanting to go and find out what happens to our protagonist.
