The document provides an analysis of the trailer for the thriller/mystery film "Cabin in the Woods". It summarizes some of the key questions raised in the trailer's plot. It also analyzes several elements of the trailer that are commonly seen in thriller films, including realistic characters isolated in a secluded setting, the use of weapons to create tension, and fast-paced editing and sounds in the second half to build suspense. The lighting and sounds used in the trailer are also discussed, noting how they start out normal but get darker and more ominous as threats are introduced in the cabin setting.

1. Title
Questions
Raised
Codes and
Conventions
Editing Sound Lighting
Cabin In The
Woods
Thriller/ Mystery
• Why can’t they
escape the cabin
site?
• Whose sending
these monsters to
kill them?
• Will any of them
survive?
• What did the guy
at the gas station
have to do with
the cabin?
The point of a thriller is to keep the
audience on edge as the plot
builds towards the climax which is
what cabin in the woods does.
The trailer storyline allows a
normal beginning, with a
heightened middle and leaves
tension for the end. Cabin in the
woods has been identified as both
mystery and thriller meaning that
the audience have to follow the
storyline in order to understand
the ending and engage with the
movie.
One convention of a thriller is to
have realistic characters and
action. The Cabin in the woods
trailer shows teenagers going on a
mini holiday to a cabin that one of
them must know about. The
experience shown is thus more
realistic to the audience since any
mundane person could do this.
Another usual aspect of a thriller
and mystery is that the location
must be secluded, such as a
forest, to emphasise the isolation
factor. this trailer has highlighted
the fact that the characters are
alone with no means of escape
and that many mysterious beings
may be out in those woods along
with them.
Weapons are used in thrillers to
perhaps assert authority and
create tension. One shot shows
one of the creatures dragging a a
bear trap along a pier then
swinging it in the air about to
attack one of the teenagers lying
down. An extreme close up is
used on the weapon being
dragged then a birds eye view of
the weapon about to be used.
At the beginning long, lasting
shots are used to establish the
group of friends as being happy
and normal. A faded shot is used
to show that they have travelled
into the unknown for a while now
showing that time has passed.
After that faded shot, a cut shot
moves into the caravan and the
dialogue establishes that they
have gone into the middle of
nowhere.
Birds eye views and establishing
shots, one after the other, are
used to then make the audience
aware that these teenagers are
officially entering an isolation
zone out of civilisation.
A fading in shot is used when the
teenagers first come to see the
cabin, letting the audience know
that they have no arrived and that
the horror section is soon going to
start.
Half way through the trailer, the
tempo of the shots start to speed
up and there are a lot more
quicker shots than before to
heighten the tension.
There are a lot of match on action
shots, one of these is when they
are driving in the caravan and
rocks start to fall to block there
way. Shot’s are taken outside the
caravan and inside the caravan,
all at different angles. This allows
confirmation to the audience that
the teenagers are now trapped in
this forest.
The fast paced shots continue,
showing different action scenes
until after the title, the shots slow
back down for the ending to leave
a lasting impression.
At the beginning, like most horror trailers
now, there is an upbeat non-diegetic
sound playing to accompany the happy
tone of the scene.
This soundtrack then ends once they get
to the abandoned gas station and an
eery, low rumbling sound takes its place
to signify that from then on there is going
to be a turn of events.
Creepy sounds, similar to a clock, are
then used for a while whilst the
teenagers settle into the cabin and a bit
more mystery is revealed.
A thudding noise then starts to play
whilst the teenagers start to party around
the cabin and explore into the darkness.
When the tempo starts to speed up and
the action scenes start to relate to the
genre, there are sounds of metal
slashing against a body part or the wind
about to strike. This creates anticipation
and foreboding for who is about to die
and who is about to survive.
Diegetic sounds of one of he girls
screaming is then used and things
slamming against doors and smashing
windows portraying to us that something
outside is trying to get in with them.
The sound fades out for a bit whilst 4 of
the characters have a conversation about
splitting up which shows that this may be
a significant part that the audience need
to pay attention to. A sharp sound of
something poking through the cabin walls
then drops our audience back into the
action.
Heavy metal music is played for the rest
of the trailer emphasising the action and
thrill of it all. The music plays extremely
loud whilst characters are screaming and
bad things are happening.
The trailer then ends with a loud siren
noise and the scream of one of the
characters leaving the audience on the
edge of their seats.
The lighting at the beginning of
the trailer is very light, using
natural light. No mystery has
been suggested yet in terms of
lighting and the genre is not clear.
So far, the high key lighting
suggests that the group of
teenagers are taking a trip with no
thrills or mystery added into it.
When the group first see the
cabin, it has shadows cast around
it with only small patches of sun
light to perhaps suggest rays of
hope. The fact that the cabin itself
is submerged into darkness
portrays the evil that could
happen here.
The woods allows low key lighting
to be used for the added effect of
mystery.
The second half of the trailer is
submerged into darkness
especially since everything that
happens is during the night time
where the only light there is, is
artificial. One of the first scenes
that shows that something is
going wrong, is of the lights
starting to flicker and turn off.
In the rest of the shots, there are
shadows in every corner and
creatures coming out of them or
breaking through entrances into
the cabin.
There are a couple of little lights
in some of the shots however,
they aren't enough to light u the
whole cabin. These lights are
there to show what happens to
the characters.
In the last couple of shots, in the
elevator, there is artificial light
which could either show hope at
the bottom of more destruction.