This document summarizes and analyzes the cinematography, sounds, mise-en-scene, and editing techniques used in the trailers for three films: Piranha, The Woman in Black, and The Purge. For each trailer, the document examines the cinematography including shots used, sounds like music and effects, elements of the visual scene, and editing patterns with cuts and fades. The analysis finds that all three trailers employ conventions of their genres, like fast cuts for action in Piranha, darkness and isolation for horror in The Woman in Black, and a shift from peace to tension with changes in music and visuals for The Purge.

1. Media Language
Investigation

2. I will be reviewing media language within the
trailers for the following films:

3. Trailer 1 - Piranha
Cinematography
• close-ups on people’s
faces when they are
revealing important
information
Sounds
• many sound effects
to enhance the
dramatic effect of
what is going on
Mise-en-scene
• there is a clear contrast
between the colourful
costumes at the state of
equilibrium and the dull
colours underwater
Editing
• the cuts are very
fast paced with a
black screen fading in
and out between
each cut

4. Trailer 2 – The Woman In Black
Cinematography:
Establishing shot opens the
sequence to show the
setting to the audience.
Tracking shots are then
used to give the audience
an insight to the haunted
house. Along with this there
are many close-ups used to
show characters facial
expressions.
Sounds : There is
overlapping sound at the
beginning to create
tension within the
audience followed by
non-diagetic sound of a
nursery song to create an
unusual distraction
increasing the intensity of
the film.
Mise-en-scene: all
elements within the
mise-en-scene of this
trailer are evidently of
the horror genre. There
is a lot of darkness and
the setting is in an
isolated haunted style
house. The bad weather
adds to the tension.
Editing : There are
many fade outs
within the sequence
to black screens
creating darkness
making the trailer
more tense and
scary. This is a typical
convention for the
horror genre.

5. Trailer 3 – The Purge
Cinematography:
There are a lot of
wide establishing
shots to help the
audience establish
the setting of each
situation. Many
close-ups are used
again to show the
worried expressions
on characters faces.
Sounds: Non-diagetic
music played throughout
which is peaceful and calm
and then when the horror
element is introduced
sound effects are
overlapped to create a
contrast. The background
music stops and the mood
then changes to create an
intense atmosphere.
Mise-en-scene: At first the
mise-en-scene is very pretty
and cute with happily
families in a luxurious home
but then darkness appears
as the horrors occur.
Stereotypically the trailer
has the supernatural
monster with some
characters wearing freaky
masks.
Editing: When the
horror action is in play
the speed of the cuts
increase and following
the codes and
conventions there are
many fade ins of black
screens to add tension
similarly to the
woman in black trailer.