The trailer for the horror film The Conjuring analyzes the true story of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren who in 1971 were contacted by the Perron family about strange occurrences in their Rhode Island farmhouse. As the haunting escalates and targets the Perron family wherever they go, the Warrens must use all their spiritual skills and strengths to defeat the demonic presence threatening to destroy everyone. The trailer uses an unsettling soundtrack, quick cuts between scenes, and dim lighting to build tension and frighten the audience with jump scares.

1. Horror Trailer Analysis
The Conjuring
2013
By Laura Naylor

2. Synopsis: In 1971, Carolyn and Roger Perron move their family into a
dilapidated Rhode Island farm house and soon strange things start
happening around it with escalating nightmarish terror. In desperation,
Carolyn contacts the noted paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine
Warren, to examine the house. What the Warrens discover is a whole
area steeped in a satanic haunting that is now targeting the Perron
family wherever they go. To stop this evil, the Warrens will have to call
upon all their skills and spiritual strength to defeat this spectral menace
at its source that threatens to destroy everyone involved. - IMDB
Budget: $20,000,000 (estimated)
Director: James Wan
Length of Trailer: 2:53 (minutes)

3. Cast: Vera Farmiga as Lorrain Warren
Patrick Wilson as Ed Warren
Lili Taylor as Carolyn Perron
Ron Livingston as Roger Perron
Shanley Caswell as Andrea
Hayley McFarland as Nancy
Joey King as Christine
Mackenzie Foy as Cindy
Kyla Deaver as April
Shannon Kook as Drew
John Brotherton as Brad
Sterling Jerins as Judy Warren
Marion Guvot as Georgiana
Morganna May as Debbie
Amy Tipton as Camilla

4. Voice over and on-screen texts:
Within this trailer the text cards begin by explaining about the movie
and that it is based on a true story about the Warrens. The next use of
text card is to say which other films the directors have worked on in
order for the audience to see if this film will be any good. There is then
a text card that shows you the title of the film which is common
convention. There is a large use of voice overs for this film and they are
used to tell the audience what is happening within the film.

5. Music and Sound:
The trailer begins with the sound of a man recording a documentary which relates to the real life
aspect of this movie and the use of silence makes the viewers feel extremely tense and this is broken by
the man saying ‘nothing’ suggesting that nothing has happened making the viewers feel less
frightened until the piano begins to play building their fright again as they here what sounds like a
laugh in the background. There is a use of relaxing music which contrasts with the images which are
being seen on the screen making the audience wonder what they are about and as the clock stops so
does all the sound within the trailer making the audience wonder what is about to happen. The silence
is then broken by the non-diegetic crash sound as the girls leg gets pulled at the bottom of the bed and
then the sound of all the images falling to the floor is played and it makes the audience wonder why
this has just happened. There is again another silence which is interrupted by a screeching noise when
the image of feet are hanging above the man head which again is used to give the audience a fright.
There is yet another build up to a loud crash and scream as the demon jumps onto the girl which is
used to create tension and frighten the audience. There is then a build up of crashing and screaming
noises as the shots within the trailer begin to build. The music then stops completely and is then
disturbed by the loud crash and scream of the mother as she becomes possessed which makes the
audience jump, this scream is then manipulated to sound like a growl coming from the demon and
there are non-diegetic shot sounds which make the trailer intense as each time a shot is played the
screen changes, increasing the speed of the shots. There is then a jewellery box played which is
associated with horror and this is used for the final scare as there is then a loud crash as the boy pops
up in the mirror.

6. Editing and Cinematography:
This trailer begins with a recording shot of the man stating that the door has just
opened by its self instantly making the viewers wonder what has happened. There is a
hand held camera shot which relates to the fact that couple are documenting the
action taking place within the cellar. There is then multiple shots of real images which
are real and have been added to the trailer so that the audience understand that this
story is real and the camera cuts through them. There is then an establishing shot of
the house from the back garden at night when the mist covers almost all of the house
and this makes the audience think that this is not a safe place. There is then a close up
of the clock which has a certain time on it and it makes the audience wonder what is
about to happen. There is then a low angle shot of the house which suggests that the
house consumes a lot of power. There is a shot where there are a pair of feet hanging
above the mans head and this makes the audience wonder whose feet these are and
how they got there. There is a shot when the camera pans to the top of the wardrobe
and there is a creepy looking girl on top of it and it makes the audience get a fright
and after this the pace of the shots begin to get faster each time until they stop and
there is the use of a final scare when the woman see the boy in the mirror.

7. Mise-en-scene:
The mise-en-scene begin with a bright light cast across the faces of the
man and women as they are being recorded and it then dims as they
go into a pitch black cellar. The mise-en-scene then changes to a bright
equilibrium suggesting that the couple are now in a safe place with a
room full of people. The equilibrium then darkens when we see a shot
of the house from the back garden which has mist all around which
relates to horror. When the couple are in the garden the equilibrium is
bright, however this contrast with the scenery around them as it still
makes the audience wonder if this is a safe place and this thought is
secured when the woman sees feet hanging above the mans head
which are white and creepy looking suggesting that this is a ghost.
Whenever there is a shot within the bedroom the mise-en-scene is
always dark and this suggests that there is something evil within this
room or even the house.