analysis of the horror movie the conjuring

1. Trailer Analysis
The conjuring

2. Trailers
• Trailers are a form of advertising which give the target audience a little feel of the
whole movie. There purpose is to promote a film to the potential audience hoping the
will buy it on DVD and go and see it at the cinema.
• Horror trailer are certain elements through mise-en-scene and cinematography which
make them build up tension and scare the audience through fast pace editing,
something you wouldn’t see in a romance movie trailer.
• The choice of characters shown in the trailer normally represent the target audience,
this makes it clear for viewers if the film is aimed at them.

3. The Conjuring
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPxWnv
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Having these two characters
are the opening shot of the
trailer tells the audience they
are going to be important
through out the film.
The black background and
the white faces instantly
makes the trailer seem
quite spooky, clearly
showing the viewer it’s a
horror trailer.

4. Just after the beginning of the
trailer there’s a close up of the
characters from the opening
scene, now introducing the
audience to these characters.
The trailer uses close ups to
show the fear on the characters
faces.
An extreme close up was used to
show the family all looking very happy,
which is the only part in the trailer
where they do all look happy.

5. A middle shot was used to show
the children from the family. It
shows them looking unhappy and
the youngest one is hugging her
sister because she’s probably
quite scared of what is happening
in their house.
A long shot was used to show the
house at night looking scary, this
introduced the setting to the audience.
From having this shot looking dark
and gloomy the audience instantly
knows things are going to happen
inside.
Before anything happens in the
trailer to scare the audience,
they are shown the family home
on a bright day using a low angle
shot.

6. Editing
• Towards the end of the trailer the editing uses lots of fast cuts with lots happening, this
builds up tension and creates a sense of fear. It also makes it hard for the viewer to see
what’s happening. This may make the audience to go and see the film in cinema or buy the
film on DVD.
• The trailer also includes a lot of black outs with text, this gives a bit more information about
the film and makes the trailer flow more.
• When the ‘scary’ parts happen in the trailer, dramatic sounds have been used to create the
tension before it happens to make the audience werey of whats about to happen. The rest
of the sound in the trailer is dialogue from the characters, which gives away a bit more of
the story to the viewer.

7. How is the narrative
portrayed in the trailer?
• In the opening of the trailer it shows a man and woman looking around in the cellar
trying to communicate with the paranormal activity happening in the home. They have
proper equipment suggesting they could be experts that have done the same sort of
thing before. The it goes on to show them talking to university students about
paranormal activity, meaning they are experts. From this we instantly know that the
film is set in the 21st century as there is a projector. And the clothes the characters
wear are quite modern.
• As it gets further into the trailer it shows more shots of the house and it’s
surroundings, making the audience a bit more aware of what the film will be like.
• They also used flashbacks to the 20th century of old stories. This told a bit more of the
story to the audience.
• Towards the end of the trailer there are lots of fast paced cuts of the frightening parts
of the film, this is done to fit a lot of what happens in the film into the trailer. This gives
the audience more of an idea into what happens in the film, which will allow them to
see if they’ll like it. And make them go and see it in the cinema.

8. Target audience
• As the film is certificate 15, it obviously targeted at people 15+.
However I think it could be a family film. This is because it’s based
on a family in their family home. Because of this it appeals to adults
and teens 15 years and over. This is quite good for the popularity of
the film as a wider range of audience may go and see it at the
cinema.

9. Who does the trailer
represent?
• Firstly the trailer represents quite a middle class husband and wife.
This is suggest as they have quite professional jobs. They were also
shown giving a talk at a university, meaning they’re quite intellectual.
• Then a sterotypical working/middle class family is shown. They
move into a big house with a lot of land, meaning they may live in
the country side. They are shown as quite a typical family in the 21st
century.