Trailer Analysis

2. Text On
Screen The first text on screen appears at 0:00. It is the name of the
production company which is ‘SONY’. The reason as to why perhaps
this text appears first is because, it is a big, infamous company and if
people see in the trailer that this particular company made the film,
they might want to see this film due to previous successes.
It isn’t a text on screen, it is a company ident, however, it can be
described as text on screen. Similar to the reasons as to why
‘SONY’ appeared on screen at the beginning of the trailer, the
same can be said for ‘COLUMBIA’. ‘COLUMBIA’ is a subsidiary
of the conglomerate ‘SONY’
The next text on screen doesn’t appear for a
while. It states the phrase ‘This Summer’

3. This is of significance to the audience as the trailer directs what is
about to be said at THEM, specifically. This also builds tension as
the audience watching the trailer anxiously wait for what is about to
appear after. After this text, the screen reverts back to the action
happening in the trailer.
After which, the next text in screen appears at 1 minute and
53 seconds. It displays the word ‘PLAN’. This directs the
audience, giving them an instruction, it also builds
suspension as well because the audience don’t know what is
going to happen next within the trailer.
When people hear the word ‘GETAWAY’ they think of, needing an
escape because something has gone wrong or is bad. This word is
reflective of the events that happen in the trailer because, just
before this word appears we see the protagonist of the trailer
trapped in the ocean on a small bit of rock that is slowly but surely
disappearing underneath the water. Surrounding the protagonist
is a shark. Therefore, this word highlights and reflects that the
protagonist needs to think of a quick getaway.

4. This is one of the key texts on screen. The fact that the
background is black, means that the white writing
stands out more, its more prominent.
After the release date has been displayed, a phrase that says ‘NOT
JUST ANOTHER DAY AT THE BEACH’ is displayed underneath.
This captivates and engages the audience, firstly because of the way
in which in appears on screen, it fades and spreads underneath the
release date. Furthermore, after the dramatic trailer, whereby we
see a woman battle for her life against a shark, this phrase has
some meaning behind that. She didn’t expect to have to battle a
shark, she thought that she was just going to the beach for the day
to surf.
This is the title of the film that’s being advertised ‘THE
SHALLOWS’. There is a clear theme that has continued
throughout the texts on screen and that is white writing on a
black background, this is because it makes the text stand out
more. Further to that, the black background enhances and
reflects the genre as it creates an eerie, tense feeling. It’s as if
the background is the deep, deep ocean where you cannot see
what’s happening.

5. The final text on screen is a capture taken from the film. This capture
explains to the audience what the film is about, just from one image
It is effective because, from this image where a shark is hiding in the
waves, you automatically think, ‘What is going to happen?’ ‘Is she going
to be OK?’. This enigma, the idea of not knowing, is what entices people
to go and see or do things, and this trailer is great at doing that. The use
of a thrilling image is correct to the genre.

6. Sound
During the first shot, known as the establishing shot, where
the camera shows us a wide shot of the setting, there is the
sound of a deep and sinister piece of music. This reinforces
the horror and thriller genre as, the ocean is the most visible
in the shot and as the protagonist enters the water, the
sound becomes more intense, implying that the ocean is
something to be feared. As the scene progresses, the
soundtrack begins to sound muffled, as if we were in the
water, this could be a reflection as to how the character may
be hearing things, therefore putting us in the characters
position.
When the camera is framed from this angle the music
changes. There is a sound of water rapidly splashing, here
we immediately think of a shark fast approaching, especially
because of the way in which the camera frames this shot.
Straight away this builds up tension and excitement as we
want to know what is going to happen next. However, this
tension and angst feeling is taken away when the trailer cuts
to the protagonist biting into an apple. The sound effect of
being drawn back into reality is also heard. Trailers enjoy
playing with emotions it is these rapid emotional changes
that make us want to watch a film.

7. Within the next few cuts of the trailer a lot of the sounds are
amplified. We are really put into the character shoes, as we see
and hear from her perspective. Firstly, there is the sound of
seagulls and waves lapping against the beach front. After
which, we are then thrown into hearing the sound of surf wax
being rubbed upon a surfboard, to which 2 seconds later there
is the sound of the surfboard being shoved into the sand. After
close analysis of the trailer and have already seen the film,
these different sounds play a key role to the protagonist. They
are key sounds that we take for advantage, they are normal
sounds, so normal that we don’t pay attention to them. These
sounds also show the preparation, the routine in which the
protagonist goes through, it shows her journey.
A significant piece of dialogue is said at 1 minute and 1
second within the trailer, the protagonist says “Mum was
right, it took forever to find”. From the trailer I can tell that
it took a long time for anyone to discover the protagonist out
in the ocean. This line foreshadows what happens, because it
would have felt like forever out at sea.

8. This is a very key line within the trailer, this character
states that the island “is paradise”. Straight after this line
is said we are drawn into the horrors of the ocean as the
protagonist is dragged underwater, therefore, creating a
contrast between what this character has said and what is
actually happening.
As the protagonist is forcibly dragged under
water there is a GONG sound, which signifies
and highlights the thriller element, as it
happens so unexpectedly.
As the protagonist prepares to stab the shark
with a sharp weapon that she made she lets out
a huge groan. As the knife is raised and bought
closer to the shark, until it eventually goes in,
we hear the amplified sound of the knife
sheathing into the sharks body.

9. Camera Work
The establishing shot is an extreme long shot of an island
framed from a high angle. The trailer introduces the audience
to an island which could be described as 'paradise'. The camera
pans over the island with the use of a crane, during this there is
a build up of non-diegetic music which formulates into a
crescendo, after which, the camera then flash cuts into a black
screen.
This shot frames the protagonist in a close up. The close up reveals to
the audience that quite some time has elapsed since previous shots
shown within the trailer. We can gather this from the fact that her face
looks sunburnt and her lips are chapped, perhaps from the lack of
water. This shot presents the protagonist as being weak as she looks
lifeless. The audience at this point would want to know what happens
to her, does she die in the middle of the ocean? Or does she escape,
who is she talking to? These are the sort of enigma questions that I
would think off when seeing this scene within the trailer.
Within this wide shot, which could also be described as an eye level
shot, we see the antagonist (shark) attack two people within the
ocean. The reason as to why the camera shot is framed this way
could be so that we can see how brutal and horrifying this film is
going to be. It shows that, just because there are characters that we
have met within the trailer, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are
going to survive. This is a convention of the horror genre

10. This character was one seen in the earlier camera
shots speaking to the protagonist. Moments before
this shot, his friend had just been eaten by a shark.
Therefore, framing this character in a low angle
shot connotes that he is vulnerable, foreshadowing
his potential death (which we find out as the
trailer progresses).

11. Editing
Within the trailer, at 1 minute 4 seconds,
through to 1 minutes 7 seconds, there is a fade.
This fade highlights a pinnacle point within the
trailer as, after this point things take a turn for
the worst, and the action begins.
There is no continuity within the trailer as it is the trailer, not the
film, meaning that there doesn’t need to be any continuity.
The trailer contains constant cuts,
however, towards the end, the cuts
happen more frequently, the trailer
changes from scene to scene. This
could be to build up tension within
the trailer, so that the genre is
bought about and reflected.

12. Mise-en-scene
Within this shot, we are shown the protagonist who appears
to be in pain as she has been dragged underwater by
something that we would assume to be a Shark. The water is
no longer a crystal shade of blue, as we are shown in
pervious shots, it is now a murky red colour which
reinforces both the Horror and Thriller genre, as a
convention of these genre is to have blood

13. The thriller genre is further reinforced through the dark
looming shadow of the shark underwater. The fact that
the shark appears so huge in comparison to the
protagonist shows who has the dominance.
Further to that, props that adhere to both the
thriller and horror genre are sharp objects or
guns. Even though the top image is of a flare
gun, it is still shown in the trailer as being used
as a weapon.

14. This shot frames the protagonist in a medium
close up. The aim of this shot is to show the
audience, in a small space of time that the
protagonist has been fighting, fighting so hard
that it has left her scarred. The wounds show
that she is a powerful woman who is determined
to protect herself.