Media language investigation

1. Media Language
Investigation
By Danielle Kibble

2. I will be analyzing 3 trailers of the horror genre within the
following slides, these trailers are:
The Ring
House at the End of the Street
The Chernobyl Diaries
I will analyse the cinematography, mise-en-scene, editing and
sound within each of these horror film trailers.

3. The Ring
Sound:
The voice of the person saying the voiceover sounds like a
creepy little girl which parallels the creepy little girl in the film, so it
almost makes you think that she is the one speaking and telling
her own story.
Tape noises which coincides with the footage of a fuzzy tape
which also goes along with the story.
It changes from a voiceover and the actual speech in the film.
The voiceover tells the story/plot in the film without it giving away
too much information like the ending of the film.
Creepy music which portrays the mood of the film.
Screaming which is typically used in horror films and the trailers.

4. The Ring
Editing:
There are a lot of small takes which mean that you get snippets
of key scenes within the film which would then interest a
potential viewer of the film.
Editing is used to create things such as the opening of the well
to then create the logo for the film, and certain scenes in the film
which would make them seem more realistic.
Near the end of the trailer there are a lot of small takes meaning
that a lot of different images and scenes are shown which show
you other action which happens between the previous scenes
and the ending.

5. The Ring
Cinematography:
The logo of the film is frequently
shown and referred back to. It’s of a
worms eye view of someone looking
up in a well to reveal and ring of
light where the light is coming
through from the top of the well.
This is important to the film and is a
key element. (Screenshot 1)
Close up/reaction shots of the
characters reaction to when they
find out that it is real which creates
tension. (Screenshot 2)
Establishing shots of key locations.
(Screenshot 3)
Close up of key objects which are
important to the storyline.
(Screenshots 4&5)
Screenshot 2
Screenshot 3
Screenshot 4
Screenshot 6
Screenshot 5
Screenshot 1
Tape/TV static which go along
with the storyline. (Screenshot
6)
Handheld Camera as it shakes
around.

6. The Ring
Mise-en-scene
Different locations to show where the characters are and key
places in the film.
Dark lighting/blue toned lighting to convey the dark theme
within the film.
Props including telephones, tapes and drawings which are
key and essential.
Their costume shows their surroundings e.g. normal
clothes=normal people, white gown=mental hospital.

7. House at the End of the Street
Sound:
Scary music which appears in short bursts to create and
build tension.
Dialogue and speech from the actual film from the
characters as they almost tell the story.
Screaming which portrays that this is a horror film and is
normally included in trailers.

8. House at the End of the Street
Editing:
Small takes which cut to black to only reveal small snippets of
action at one time.
Realistic effects like making someone look creepier and to alter
things including the lights and the writing which appears in between
certain snippets.
Near the end of the trailer there are a lot of small takes meaning
that a lot of different images and scenes are shown which show you
other action which happens between the previous scenes and the
ending.
Certain shots are repeated and reversed constantly throughout the
trailer.

9. House at the End of the Street
Cinematography:
Reaction shots & close ups so that
the viewer can see that something
bad is going to happen in the film
by the reaction. (Screenshot 1)
Handheld camera as it shakes
around during certain scenes.
Close up of key props so that we
know it is an important object to the
storyline. (Screenshot 2)
Writing which tells you the storyline
of the film in short sentences. It is
on a background which is a torn
wall in a house with blood and
handprints on to make it look eerie
and scary. (Screenshot 3)
Screenshot 1
Screenshot 4
Screenshot 2
Screenshot 3
Screenshot 5
Establishing/location shots
to show the viewer where
the action takes place.
(Screenshot 4&5)

10. House at the End of the Street
Mise-en-scene
Different locations to show where the characters are and
key places in the film.
Dark lighting/warm toned lighting to convey the dark
theme within the film.
Props including knives, cars and specific rooms which are
key and essential.
Their costume depicts their characters e.g.
normal=normal(seemingly)people.

11. The Chernobyl Diaries:
Sound:
Static noises which go along with the reader which tells you the amount
of static.
Music which builds and gets louder to build tension which contrasts the
happy music at the beginning of the film as you can see that these are
normal people wanting to do something different and fun.
Dialogue and speech from the actual film from the characters as they
almost tell the story.
Screaming which portrays that this is a horror film and is normally
included in trailers.
Radar sounds from during the war when the news report plays.
Voiceovers of both actors in the film and from the news report about
the disaster.

12. The Chernobyl Diaries:
Editing:
Small takes which cut to black to only reveal small snippets of
action at one time.
Realistic effects like making someone look creepier and to alter
things including the lights and the writing which appears in between
certain snippets.
Near the end of the trailer there are a lot of small takes meaning
that a lot of different images and scenes are shown which show you
other action which happens between the previous scenes and the
ending.
Flashbacks of news report to make the audience familiar to what
happened in Chernobyl if they didn’t know already, otherwise they
wouldn’t understand the storyline.
Fade to black at the end of most individual cut.

13. The Chernobyl Diaries
Cinematography:
Reaction shots & close ups so that
the viewer can see that something
bad is going to happen in the film
by the reaction. (Screenshot 1)
Handheld camera as it shakes
around during certain scenes.
Close up of key props so that we
know it is an important object to
the storyline. (Screenshot 2)
Establishing/location shots to show
the viewer where the action takes
place. (Screenshot 3)
Screenshot 2
Screenshot 4 Screenshot 3
Screenshot 5
Screenshot 1
Flashbacks of old footage
from the disaster and old
news reports. (Screenshot
4&5)

14. The Chernobyl Diaries:
Mise-en-scene:
Different locations to show where the characters are and key
places in the film.
Dark lighting/warm and cold toned lighting to convey the dark
theme within the film.
Props including cars/trucks, radiation reader and specific
rooms which are key and essential.
Their costume depicts their characters e.g. normal=normal
people.