The document provides an analysis of the trailer for the horror film "The Conjuring". It summarizes the film's storyline, about paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren helping a family dealing with demonic activity in their new home. It then analyzes aspects of the trailer, including its 53 cuts, use of music and sound to build tension, and cinematography and editing to create an intense atmosphere. Key elements like darkness, children's laughter and a jump scare involving hands on a woman's shoulders left a lasting impression on audiences.

1. The Conjuring-trailer
analysis
Jodie Birkbeck

2. T h e C o n j u r i n g
Storyline: The conjuring is based on a true story and real life
events experienced by Ed and Lorraine warren (two paranormal
investigators) and the Perron family in which they experienced
demonic and paranormal activity within their new home. The
Warren’s were involved in over 10,000 cases within their
careers and throughout this film the storyline continues to follow
the investigators and the family as they try to overcome the
paranormal presence within the house.
Budget: $20million (relatively small for a horror movie)
Director: James Wan (who also directed ‘Insidious’ in
2011)
T h e t r a i l e r
The trailer itself consists of 53 cuts within the 2:29 minute recording which is
sort in comparison to other horror trailers. However this could be due to the
fact it is a horror trailer and the suspense throughout is built up with longer
cuts.

3. T h e C o n j u r i n g
A common feature of trailers is
the use of promotions and
references to the companies
that have funded the film thus
emphasised throughout this
horror trailer.

4. T h e C o n j u r i n g
Mise-en-scene
Our first glimpse of the mise-en-scene is when the family
arrives in their new home, we can see from the way that the
children are dressed the era in which this trailer was based
upon (the 1970’s). The colours used on the clothing range from
browns, and oranges to yellow tones which create a warm and
welcoming image which the director of the trailer would have
wanted to create within the first sequence of the trailer.

5. T h e C o n j u r i n g
Mise-en-scene
Originally the house itself is made to be a nice environment
and welcoming place with the warm brown colours used.
There is also indication of a child’s bedroom when we see the
woman in the blindfold as the colours within this room are
blues and pinks which indicate a child. When we also see the
woman reaching forward and saying ‘clap’ we are then
presented and are aware of her pale and sickly thin arms
which clearly has connotations of unusual normality. The use
of thee blindfold being red is also significant as the colour red
has connotations of danger and often death/blood therefore
this could suggest that that there is something dangerous
about to occur.
Red= connotations
of danger

6. T h e C o n j u r i n g
Mise-en-scene
There is also an establishing shot presented of the house at
1:03 seconds into the trailer, and as the audience this is the
first time we are shown an entire shot of the house. The use of
the darkness engulfing the house and the trees seem to make
a frame around the house suggests that, and to the audience,
that this is where all of the action takes place.
After this long shot of the house the scene then cuts to a shot
of a woman standing inside of the house dressed in a white
night gown which the colour white has connotations of
innocence. Once the crescendo of the loud crashing is heard
the camera then reveals a shot of the picture frames being torn
down, and there is nobody there, therefore this clearly
indicated that there is a force working against the family.

7. T h e C o n j u r i n g
Mise-en-scene
We then see a shot of the woman going downstairs to try and
locate the intruder. The fact that she peers into the darkness is
a common convention of most horror films/trailers as this
feature suggests danger and gives the audience a sense of
eeriness and an uneasy atmosphere. When the scene
changes it is given a monochrome look and this suggests age
and has connotations of the past and different decade etc. and
this can give the audience a sense that whatever supernatural
things are occurring to this family isn’t and uncommon feature
as it suggests that haunting has happened in the past.

8. T h e C o n j u r i n g
Mise-en-scene
Darkness constantly has connotations of danger and fear thus creating
a tense atmosphere and the idea that the main character within the
shot is in danger. Once the match is lit this then creates a warm feel to
the scene frame and highlights the female protagonists facial
expressions once the match is brought up to her face. We then see a
pair of familiar pale hands and when they clap in her ear this give the
audience a shock and make the audience jump which was
unsuspected.

9. T h e C o n j u r i n g
The Sound: The music and non-diegetic background sound
is essential throughout horror trailers in creating the right
mood and atmosphere the trailer wants to create. The
selected music for ‘The Conjuring’ is a piece in which it builds
to a climax through the music building to a crescendo. The
song used is ‘Time of the seasons’ by The Zombies and whilst
this song is used there is constant use of background noises
such as a child laughing and screeches and high pitched
climaxes which help build the tension wanted to be created for
this horror trailer.
The trailer itself has 53 cuts within the time span and The Conjuring trailer is
split into three specific parts and the first section ends in 33 second, at 1:25
seconds the second act begins and the final act begins from when the
unnatural music is played.

10. T h e C o n j u r i n g
The sound: We can clearly see from this she
is blind folded, she is clearly playing hide and
seek. The game sees the woman going with
her back to a wardrobe and then everything
seems to stop and then the wardrobe opens
with a loud creak, the silence of the music
has connotations of a horror trailer as it
creates an uneasy feeling. The women hears
the noise and says “clap!” again she walks
forward and then goes on to say “I’m gonna
get you now…I can hear your breathing” this
to the audiences creates an atmosphere as
the women expects to find her daughter
breathing but for the stereotypical horror
movie style we know that this is now the
case.

11. T h e C o n j u r i n g
The sound: We then hear the young child giggling from another room and say
“you took your blindfold off! I win! I was in Christine and Nancy’s room” at the
door or the room the mother is in. This then triggers the mother to look
curiously into the wardrobe . The mother then checks within the wardrobe and
we hear the hangers moving and the breathing continues but nothing Is in the
wardrobe which suggests and creates atmosphere and tension again.
A non-diegetic music is then played and we hear a child laughing and footsteps
along the corridor which creates tension and she goes to investigate the noise.
After a long pause and silence there is a massive crash which give the audience
a shock and the crashing continues with a child laughing throughout it. This has
connotations of distress.

12. T h e C o n j u r i n g
The sound: Once the woman goes downstairs she
immediately shouts “who is that?” and we hear the
door them opening and a non diegetic clapping noise
and the mother knows that the children are in bed
therefore this has connotations of danger and creates a
creepy atmosphere. The atmosphere gets more intense
when the women attempts to threaten whatever's in
the basement by shouting “ Whoever’s down there I’m
gonna lock you in now!” when she turns the door then
shuts in
her face the light bulb blows with a fizzing
noise and this once again creates an
intense atmosphere for the audience.

13. T h e C o n j u r i n g
The sound: Once the darkness occurs were then hear the woman scrambling around
and crying out for help. This creates empathy for the character in shot as the
audience now sees that she is helpless. Once the match is being struck we then see
the flame which adds an element of light into the frame. The climax of silence then
begins to build again and we hear the woman starting to heavy breath which has
connotations of fear etc. we hear a clap which is used throughout the trailer and this
is a common convention of a horror trailer and then the woman screams. The frame
then goes back to black and the music box tune plays out loud and this creates an
ominous feeling mixed with a childlike innocence. This creates an uneasy atmosphere
for the audience.

14. T h e C o n j u r i n g
The Editing and cinematography: The editing and cinematography
within the horror trailer an intense atmosphere for the audience. The
use of mid shots and soft lighting within the first act and this primarily
allows us to follow the characters throughout their normal everyday
business. There are also a handful of tracking shots that are used to
follow the woman around as she goes to hunt for her daughter, but
during the beginning of the second act we then begin to see that
everything has slightly changed.
The screen then turns to black when the doors of the wardrobe opens,
and this occurs before a hand held, tracking mid close up shot of the
woman is filmed in front of her. There is a couple of shaking camera
movements when the woman is walking forward and this then leads to
a close up of the woman’s face.

15. T h e C o n j u r i n g
The editing and cinematography: There is a handful of long
cuts of about 10 seconds and these short shots occur when
the woman turns to see the door opening again. Once
again if the editing and cinematography wasn’t present
then this scene wouldn’t have been effective if the cuts
were not present. The camera does a 180 degree spin
which is not a common convention of horror trailers, and
we can clearly see the expression that is present on the
woman’s face.

16. T h e C o n j u r i n g
The editing and cinematography: Once the woman goes into the
cellar there is a low angle shot used showing the woman is
turning the light on at the top of the stairs. Cantered angles are
also used so that the audience know that something isn’t right
within the scene and this is then followed by the woman being
locked in the cellar and plunging into darkness. When the
woman strikes the match there is a mid shot of her and we see
her kneeling on the floor- a low angle, as if as viewers we are
looking up the stairs at her. An over the shoulder shot follows
and we see the match light glow around her on the darkness of
the staircase and this could indicate that she is the only thing
good and innocent within the cellar.

17. T h e C o n j u r i n g
The editing and cinematography: A mid close up of the woman
is shown as she holds the candle, and after around three
seconds we hear a pair of hands (to our view) over her right
hand shoulder. With her breath the match is then blown out
and another four seconds of darkness occurs with an echo in
the back ground of her screaming and her screaming in the
background leads a long lasting impression on the audience
and leads the wanting to go and see the film itself, we are
then shown the title of the screen.