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Trailer 1 analysis
- 1. AngelaPignatiello 1 Trailer analysis 1:Rings The traileropenswiththe (presumably) maincharacterlooking distressed,asshe hyperventilatesand watchessomethinginfear.The lackof introductionthrowsusstraightinto the action andimmediatelygripsour attention.The structure of the trailer istherefore aseriesof flashbacks whichleadsupto thispointand adds contexttothe scene.Her performance (tensebodylanguage and facial expression)indicatesthat she isface to face withthe enemyandthat somethingterrifyingisabouttohappen.The messyhair and smearedmakeupshowsthatshe hasalreadybeenfighting.Hercostume;trendyblackclothes, jewellery,styledhairandSmokeymakeuptellsusthatshe isa typical youngadult.Since she takes pride inherappearance,she isat leastmiddle classandprobablyhasa boyfriendandalarge circle of friends.Teenagersare oftenthe protagonistsof horrorfilms;theygetkilledoff one byone in gruesome ways.Theirdelinquentbehaviouroftenmakesthemdislikeable;sothe audience is entertainedbytheirdeathscenes.Horrormoviesare mostlywatchedbyteensandyoungadults; thischaracter couldrepresentthe femaleviewerswhilstattractingthe males. Thenwe see the familiarTV staticand ghostwalking towardsus. These are referencestothe previous movies,whichlinksthe franchise together.She immediatelyreactstothe actionand ripsthe TV off the wall,screaming;‘you’re notreal!’Thisshows that the protagonistisgutsyand defiant.There is momentaryreliefaswe thinkithas stopped Samara; but herhandshootsout fromunderthe screen.There isa tickingsound,justbefore this happens;asit to countdownSamara’sfirst appearance.The handactionis extremelyquick, witha screamingsoundplayinginthe background. These are typical factorsfor a jumpscare. We are anticipatingthe ghost’sarrival,becausethe paranormal occurrences(TV static),suspensefulatmosphere andsoundsfromthe firstmovie are all indicatorsof Samara.Horror fansare familiarwiththe famous,tvcrawlingscene andthe original soundeffectsinThe ring.Therefore,thisfirstscenecreatesasense of excitement,asit’sbeenso longsince The ring wasfirston our screens.Itseemsthatthere are differencesinthisfilm(likethe TV screenbeingface downonthe floor),whichbringsfreshcontenttoadyinghorror cliché.Fans are alwaysaskingwhythe charactersdon’tjustdestroythe TV, butit’snow confirmedthatthis doesn’twork. The chaotic soundeffects(plugstatic,chairsscraping,heavybreathingetc...)andthe characters reactionworktogethertoemphasise the fearanddesperationinher.There isa blackoutatthe end of thisscene,leavinguswonderinghowthe situationwill turnout.
- 2. AngelaPignatiello 2 Paramount Next,we see the paramountlogo. Itshowsthat the filmisassociated witha mainstream production company;so it’sboundto be goodqualityandhighbudget.Because of this,the actingshouldalso be believable.However,there isatwistasthe logoturnsdark blue,withstaticanda ‘ring’ surroundingthe mountaininthe footage.Thisshape isadirectreference to‘the ring’of light(seen frominside the well),whichiswhatthe movie isnamedafter.These are the three mostrecognisable themesandeditingstylesinthe previousfilm;whichrecreatesthe same unnervingfeelingand atmosphere.There isamelancholy,sweetsoundtrackplayingatthispoint.Itis interruptedwhen the screengoesblue;whichcouldbe a metaphorforthe cursedvideoturningthe character’slives intoa nightmare. The nextscene isshotin a warm, orange lightingas the couple playfightonthe bed.Thisshowsthat their livesare bright,happyandnormal.The scene ishere to add sex appeal tothe film.Itmay implysexual content,whichwouldappeal tothe teenage boysin the target audience.A teenage audiencewouldalso relate tothemesof boyfriends/girlfriendsand relationshipdrama. The props usedhere (lightcurtains,homelypicture frames) create awarmand welcoming environment.Itisa pleasantcontrastto the upcomingscenesof morbidity.The lightinghere ismuch lighterandclearer,thanthe firstmovie whichisalmostshotentirelyinablue filter.Thisagain, bringssomethingrefreshingtothe movie sothatit doesn’tseemlikearepetitive remakeof the original. But the outside shotshowsthattheirwarmlittle livesare beingenclosedindarkness; foreshadowingevilthingstocome.Itis interestinghow the female’sdialogue echoes, as the camera pans out.It makesthe scene seemlike adistant,happymemory.Butnow those feelingsare lost.Ireallylike thisparticular shotof the house.Imay shoota scene like this inmy owntrailer. Starting to go wrong Afterbeingtoldabouta mysteriousvideo(byherboyfriend),the maincharactergoesaheadand watchesit.Thisis the start of theirlivesbeingruined.The boyfriend’svoice narratesthe basisof the filminthisscene;thatyoudie 7 daysafter watchinga cursedvideo.Thissetsupthe contextforthe restof the trailerandtellsus what the plotisabout. Asthe character watchesthe film, we know that she will be underthe curse;whichfillsuswithdread.
- 3. AngelaPignatiello 3 We see quickflashesofthe disturbingvideo.Ithassome of the scenesinthe previousfootage (in the firstfilm),butwe can see thatnewimageshave beenaddedtothe reel.The fasteditingletsus viewthe video,butitonlyglimpsestomake uswant towatch the whole thing.Itiseffective toshow one disturbingscene afteranother,asitcreatesa prolongedhorrifyingreaction.Theyhaven’t remade the entire video,because thismightupsetfansof the original.Completeremakesare often the subjectof criticism,aspeople don’tlike change andtheyfeelthatthe new filmisn’tauthenticor loyal tothe original. The camera zoomsout of her webcam;as if the video was actuallyinside hercomputer.A dropof water leaks out fromthe lens.Thisforeshadowsthe scene where the creature crawls outof the TV and itmakesthe videoseemlikealivingentity;survivingin the technology. Phone Nextisthe famous‘7 days’phone call;informingthe character that she has onlya weeklefttolive.The male character’snarrationcontinueshere,ashe statesthat the phone will ringafterwatchingthe video.Thisconfirmsthatthe curse isreal.There isa close upshot as the phone rings;makingthe scene intense anddrawingall of ourfocusto the phone call. We see hereye,asit twitchesside toside interrorandconfusion.Butsuddenly,there isanew twist as the phone handle burnsandconsequentlyinjuresthe character.Thisisthe firstattack, which placesthe character ingrave danger.Italsoshowsthat Samara doesn’tneedtobe close inorderto
- 4. AngelaPignatiello 4 getto her victims.Again,it’sanewfeaturethatprovesthatthismovie isn’tjustanotheroverdone storywiththe same oldclichés. The evidence of Samara’scurse isbeginningto imprintonthe character’s body.Here,we see a scar of the ring onher back.It is an enigma, because we don’tknow how she got itor why it’sthere.Asshe liftshershirt,we hearthe soundof bonescrunching.Thiscouldbe coming fromthe character’sbody,butit feelsmore like the prescence of Samara,watchingthe character. The 7 day countdownbegins,asshownbythese creepycredits.The designisablack background, whichlookslike the wordshave beenscratched intoit – lettingthe blindinglightshinethrough the holes.ThisisreferringtoSamara,whowas trappedinthe well andtriedto scratch herway out.It linkstothe ‘ring’again;whichisalsoa circle of light,seepingthroughthe gapsinthe well. Thisnextshotis a church; a commonhorror cliché.The charactershave gone to seek religioushelptopurifythisevil curse.The grey skyand blackclothesmake itlookmorbidand dreary.It doesn’tlookaplace of hope and promise,whichshowsthatthissource of help won’twork.There isa flockof blackbirds,who swarmby the church. The speedof them indicatesthattime ismovingquickly;the character isgettingclosertoher deathdate. Thismakesthe entire movie tense,butithasa time limit.The presence of the blackbirdsalsoshowsthatthe curse isfollowingthe characters,even inthisplace of holiness.The words‘7days’are whisperedinahushed,overlappingfemalevoice.It doesn’tlike Samara,soitcouldthe main character.In any case,it isa reminderof the limitedtime she has leftandherdesperationtoendthe curse. They’ve gotten help froma blind man, whothe
- 5. AngelaPignatiello 5 audience hasnotbeenintroducedto.He wasnotinthe original film,buthe seemstoknow about ‘the girl inthe well’.We see yetmore flashbacksfromthe firstfilm;inordertokeeplinkingthe two togetherandnot abandonthe original concept. The trailerprogresses,aswe learnhintsabout whatseemsto be Samaras past.There isno dialogue inthese scenes,whichkeepsthe mysteryalive.Noone isexplainingwhat’s happening(they’re savingthatforthe film),but we can speculate fromthe visualsonscreen. Dramatic dropsoundsand echoingwindplays here,whichcreatesacold,discomforting atmosphere.Theyuse atorch to lookaround, whichkeepsthe elementof darknessand mysterypresentwithinthe environment.Italso createsthe possibilityforthingstojumpoutof the shadows,ina true jumpscare fashion. The character findsoutthat the markon her hand,says ‘rebirth’.We now know thatSamara isplanningtoenterthe worldagainand she is probablyusingthe characteris a vessel tolive in. Thisrevelationshowsthatthe handburning scene wasnot justa random act of violence.The scenesare cleverlylinked,whichmakesthe plot more intelligentandintricate.Whenthings happenfora reason,the audience paysextra attention.The maintargetaudience forfansof these moviesalsolikeprogrammeswith intelligentstorylines.That’swhythe creatorsof thisfilmare tryingto complicate the puzzle and make it more intriguing.Thisfilmwillprobablybe fullof twistsandsurprises. It’sday twoand the ‘sevendays’whispering playsagain.Thisindicatesthattime isquickly runningout.In thisscene,the girl findsstrands of hairunderherskin,as well asa clumpof itin herthroat. Thisis a conceptthat mostpeople wouldfinddisgusting;thusitcreatesashocked and repulsedreaction.Thisisamplifiedbythe gaggingand coughingsoundeffects;which furthereducesasickeningsense. Before,itwasonlya scar onher back; butnow,the character is beingpossessedbySamarafrom within.Thislinkstothe ideaof ‘rebirth,’usingthe character’sbodytoreside in.
- 6. AngelaPignatiello 6 The trailerstarts toclimax aswe actuallycatch glimpsesof the enemy.Itisgettingcloserandcloser to the maincharacter. Julia(the maincharacter) has a nosebleedinthisscene;whichisoftenused to symbolise atelepathicbondinmoviesandTV shows.Itis alsoan indicationof mental stress,high bloodpressure (fromanxiety) andtrauma.Thereforeitvisuallyheightensthe emotionsfeltbythe character. The use of reflectionsinthisscene are away to distortrealityandcreate confusion. The ‘7 days’whisperingisnow beingrepeated continuously,asthe trailerreallybuildsup. The character is putin extreme danger,asan electricpole almostcollapsesonher.Thisthe elementof actiontothe film;whichthe other filmsinthe franchise neverreallyhad.It providesextraexcitementandmakesitmore modern,witchall the special effects. Thislow angle shotmakesit seemlike the pole isaboutto fall straightontothe audience.Itiseffectivelyterrifying,asitbrings the sense of dangerto us as well asthe characters. The soundsget more intense,asathudding heartbeatisaddedbehindthe franticwhispering.In thisshockingscene,Julia wakesupwithSamara’s handattached to herown.It isindeedanightmare enducingscene,whichwouldterrifyanyof us.The oldfilmhada similarscene,butnotquite as intimate.Thisshowsthatthe new filmcouldbe evenmore scarythan the original; whichisvery promising.
- 7. AngelaPignatiello 7 In anothernew twist,thecharacterseemstohave developedparanormal powers;asshe manipulates objectsaroundher,makingthemrise up.She almostlooksGodly,asthe stands inthe centre of the church, raisingherarms in complete powerof the worldsurroundingher.The blue/silverlightand blackshadows,show thatthe darknessreallyis takingover– notjust her,butthe worlditself.If Samara isreborn,she will bringchaosand destructiontolife aswe know it. More evidence of this,isthatSamara has now targeted Julia’smother.Thischaractersitsat the table,withher back turnedto herdaughter.Herheadcracks at it twitchestothe side.The previousfilmhadsome famous scenes,withextremelyscaryfaces involvingSamara’s victims.We can speculate thatthischaractermay also have a disfigured,shockingfacial appearance.The trailer cuts awaybefore we see how the motherturnsaround and facesthe camera. Thismakesusevenmore excited to watch the movie. The whisperinggetslouderandbecomes a franticvoice instead.Itstarts to say ‘she’scoming’repetetively,before finishingwith‘she’shere’asSamarais reincarnated(left).Atthispoint,we hear Julia’sboyfriendsayhername,ina long echoingscream.We are now at the climax of the trailer(andfilmitself) –the face off betweenthe demonandthe main character. Samara isbeingcomposed fromgiant flies;whichconnotesrotting deathand corpses.Flieswere atheme inthe previousfilm;they alsoemergedfromthe screenafter watchingthe cursedvideotape.Ina way,theyare herallies. Now that Samara isback, she is targetingmassgroupsof people.Inthis brand new gimmick,she hasattackeda plane full of people.There isutterchaos as the cursedvideoplaysonall screens, fliesandwaterare goingeverywhere and the plance accerateswithnopilots incontrol.We can hear screamsand distortedsoundeffectstocreate the chaoticatmosphere andheightenthe viewer’ssenses.Thisbrandnew action packedsequence will surelyleavealastingimpression,asitis completelyunexpectedandfresh withinthisbrandof films.A scene like thisrequireslotsof special effects.Thisboaststhatthe movie
- 8. AngelaPignatiello 8 ishighbudgetand more mainstream;whichwouldappealtoalargeraudience.The creatorsseemto be tryingto make thismovie more successful thanthe last,bymakingitmore ‘Hollywood’.Evidence of thisincludes;the youngattractive cast,the new CGIand the sex appeal. The trailerendswith the informationthattells people whenandwhere the filmwillbe out. They’ve usedacontinuousfontstyle and theme,tocreate a recognisable brandforthis movie.Whenpeoplesee thiswriting,theywill automaticallyassociate itwiththisfilm. The productioncompanylogoat the bottomis there forcoyrightreasonsas well asto show that thisisa highquality,wellproducedpiece of film.The website atthe bottomisthere so that viewerscanfindoutmore informationonthe film, whichgainsmore interestandgeneratesmore hype forit. There isn’ta lotof texton these creditsbecause thatwouldcoverupthe cool effectthat they’ve createdwiththe scratchedletters.‘The Ring’brandissorecognisable thateventhiscredit alone isenoughtoknowwhat movie itbelongsto.