analysis of trailers
The Blair witch project |
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"Three film students vanish after travelling into a Maryland forest to film a documentary on the local Blair Witch legend, leaving only their footage behind". After the announcement of the film being released in October 22, 1999; the recent release of The Blair Witch Project is now named Blair Witch and has been in cinemas since September 16 2016. In the trailer not many shots were used, which is what makes this trailer believable to the audience. Simply because the film is about three filmmakers who vanish into a forest because they wanted to produce a project; with that the audience wouldn't expect many shots being used as its a homemade video
At the beginning, the title sequence appears which is the production company; as in this trailer reads 'Artisan'. With the title in a white text, with a black background this creates a great contrast; making the trailer more dramatic to the audience. Having titles in the beginning of the trailer builds anticipation in this case, as the text is providing a little background on the story. Whilst this sequence is displayed, dramatic music is played over the shot, to welcome you to the trailer, without the trailer even starting. Its a sign to set the mind in a frightening state and build anticipation, that makes the trailer more effective.
After the production sequence, another shot of a black screen cuts in. A quiet whisper is used under the black screen, this sets the scene even though a black screen is displayed, with the rustling of trees. This gives the audience the idea of the location being the forest. By only tricking with the audience's sense of sound, their able to concentrate on just that and sense the atmosphere being built.
After the black screen, another text appears reading "In October of 1994, three student filmmakers disappeared in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland while shooting a documentary". This statement is the first segment of what the audience will expect. The word 'filmmakers' immediately sparks the idea that this film uses homemade camera techniques; which makes the audience believe that this is a true story and homemade videos are not edited, professionally shooted etc.. Another interesting statement we found effective "A year later their footage was found" because the audience feel chills down their spine, knowing that the film they're about to see has been discovered and holds blood-curdling scenes. This text has increased tension in the atmosphere. The full stop used creates a dramatic feel, and suggests that this film lead to a 'dead end' which could reflect that the students were never discovered.
The intensity of the background sound increases to create a build up for the next shot of the trailer, which is a glowing icon and title of the film. During the trailer the filter used is black and white; which shows great contrast and seem dramatic. Near the end of the trailer the transitioning is cut abruptly and hopefully causes the audience to react. The text of the title 'THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT' glows so that it has more impact, and this effect connects with hosts and supernatural; which gives the audience another idea of what their about to see. The icon used also connects to the theme of the film, as it represents a voodoo doll, witch craft also making it seem supernatural.
Another cut edit is used that reveals the face which we are lead to believe is one of the students. This close up shot covers 2/3 of the shot, and an intense light is highlighted on the face (flashlight). The use of 2/3 is to inform that the camera is hand held and she is recording herself. This additional dimension makes the audience feel more stable and reveals the vulnerability of the actor. Again, makes the audience believe that the discovered footage is real and they would buy into the horror aspect a lot more easily. Using a close up shot shows the emotion and fright she is experiencing, and the audience would almost create a connection with the character; which is what engages them.
At the end of the web address is shown in a glowy text as the previous text displayed in the trailer. Two quick cut edits reveal this information so that the film seems sharp and abrupt. An echoing, hollow noise follow the showing of the text to make it more intense, as well as the heavy breathing of the actor. All in a way to mock thought from the audience. The Blair Witch Project is based much on using scenes of realistic but disturbing sounds and even though the film turned out successful; its not really what we had in mind.
At the beginning, the title sequence appears which is the production company; as in this trailer reads 'Artisan'. With the title in a white text, with a black background this creates a great contrast; making the trailer more dramatic to the audience. Having titles in the beginning of the trailer builds anticipation in this case, as the text is providing a little background on the story. Whilst this sequence is displayed, dramatic music is played over the shot, to welcome you to the trailer, without the trailer even starting. Its a sign to set the mind in a frightening state and build anticipation, that makes the trailer more effective.
After the production sequence, another shot of a black screen cuts in. A quiet whisper is used under the black screen, this sets the scene even though a black screen is displayed, with the rustling of trees. This gives the audience the idea of the location being the forest. By only tricking with the audience's sense of sound, their able to concentrate on just that and sense the atmosphere being built.
After the black screen, another text appears reading "In October of 1994, three student filmmakers disappeared in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland while shooting a documentary". This statement is the first segment of what the audience will expect. The word 'filmmakers' immediately sparks the idea that this film uses homemade camera techniques; which makes the audience believe that this is a true story and homemade videos are not edited, professionally shooted etc.. Another interesting statement we found effective "A year later their footage was found" because the audience feel chills down their spine, knowing that the film they're about to see has been discovered and holds blood-curdling scenes. This text has increased tension in the atmosphere. The full stop used creates a dramatic feel, and suggests that this film lead to a 'dead end' which could reflect that the students were never discovered.
The intensity of the background sound increases to create a build up for the next shot of the trailer, which is a glowing icon and title of the film. During the trailer the filter used is black and white; which shows great contrast and seem dramatic. Near the end of the trailer the transitioning is cut abruptly and hopefully causes the audience to react. The text of the title 'THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT' glows so that it has more impact, and this effect connects with hosts and supernatural; which gives the audience another idea of what their about to see. The icon used also connects to the theme of the film, as it represents a voodoo doll, witch craft also making it seem supernatural.
Another cut edit is used that reveals the face which we are lead to believe is one of the students. This close up shot covers 2/3 of the shot, and an intense light is highlighted on the face (flashlight). The use of 2/3 is to inform that the camera is hand held and she is recording herself. This additional dimension makes the audience feel more stable and reveals the vulnerability of the actor. Again, makes the audience believe that the discovered footage is real and they would buy into the horror aspect a lot more easily. Using a close up shot shows the emotion and fright she is experiencing, and the audience would almost create a connection with the character; which is what engages them.
At the end of the web address is shown in a glowy text as the previous text displayed in the trailer. Two quick cut edits reveal this information so that the film seems sharp and abrupt. An echoing, hollow noise follow the showing of the text to make it more intense, as well as the heavy breathing of the actor. All in a way to mock thought from the audience. The Blair Witch Project is based much on using scenes of realistic but disturbing sounds and even though the film turned out successful; its not really what we had in mind.
the conjuring
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The film is based on true story of Ed and Lorraine Warren (paranormal investigators who claim to have been involved in over 10,000 cases during their careers) and the Perron family, who experienced demonic activity within new home in Harrisville, Rhode Island USA in 1971. The storyline of the film is that the family and the Warren's in their quest to overcome this paranormal presence. The development of the film started when Ed Warren himself approached the producer- Tony DeRosa- Grund - with a recording of an interview with Carolyn Perron (the mother of the family) more than 20 years.
The overall revenue of the film worldwide is $318,000,141, international $180,600,141. In the year of 2013, this film boosted in sales and became one of the greatest and successful movies of all time. The filming took place in Wilmington, North Carolina. The main characters include Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as Lorraine and Ed Warren, and Lili Taylor as Carolyn Perron. The director of the film is James Wan (who recently produced Lights Out which was filmed in Highland Park/Hollywood area of Los Angeles California(2016). The production companies is New Line Cinema, RutPac-Dune Entertainment, Atomic Monster Productions. Also the distribution company is Warner Bros. Pictures.
This trailer includes 53 cuts in the span of 2:34 minutes. Although this trailer seems to have decreased pace as other horror trailers, this may be due to the fact that this trailer s for horror film, so it's suppose to be suspenseful and terrifying. The tension is created by the suspense of longer cuts. This suggests that it has a lower budget, or simply because it was not necessary for the completion of the trailer.
The trailer is separated into three main scenes. The first scene ends at 0:33 when the wardrobe door opens. This is when the whole feel of the trailer changes - the music stops, and an eerie silence takes place. We see the first glimpse of the creature that is haunting the family. Scene two starts here, however ends at 1:25, just after we see the image frame crashes. Text on a black background appears, and unnatural music is played; the last scene starts from here, and shows the haunting grows and becomes more tense. Near the end of the third scene, the woman becomes engulfed in darkness and she screams. This would leave the audience suspicious as to what happened to her, which would engage them to see the film.
The soundtrack in this trailer is effective as it creates the right mood and atmosphere for an advertisement within the horror genre. At the beginning of the trailer, we can hear a door opens and the shouting of the whole family as they come through the door, as the children shout on top of each other such as "I get my own room" and "I call dibs on the room!". This makes out that the family is ordinary and typical and their just moving into a typical new home. After the scene, a song comes in the soundtrack "Time of the Season by The Zombies. This song from the 'Odessey and Oracle' and was released in 1968. Also the film was set in 1971. With that, it sets the scene well for the tuning of the decade. Therefore, it leaves the atmosphere with an era just by listening to the music. Also with the band named 'The Zombies' it fits well with the horror film.
In the scene where the children and mother are playing the game of hide and seek, this suddenly turns into a tension built atmosphere. The main scene for this heart-dropping scene is when the mother enters the room. A wardrobe at the back of the room opens. It opens with a loud creak, and the music immediately stops - then enters a sinister silence. This is where the formation of tensions occurs. The woman hears this creak, and says "Clap!" again, which is returned by unusual slow clap, again, building an uneasy edge. As she walks forwards trying to hear the clap is heard from (the aim of the game) she says jokingly "I'm gonna get you now... I can hear you breathing". Then enters breathing noise, but, its not from her children as she assumes. The audience can acknowledge this, and tension is created as we anticipate the mother discovering a supernatural creature instead of her daughter.
The most iconic scene is when the mother goes downstairs to investigate further as to what is causing problems in the household. We can hear the woman scramble about, banging on the door and crying for help. This makes the audience feel sympathy for this character, as we know how vulnerable she is there. We now here a match stick being struck, and we can see its lit. There is silence again, except from the heavy breathing of the mother, which is clear that she's terrified. A clap occurs once more, and the match goes out. The mother screams, which is a usual sound effect for a horror film. As the screen cuts to a black screen, a music box tune plays , which brings an ominous feeling, mixed with a childlike innocence. There is something very bad about this, which would lead the viewer to feel uneasy.
The Mise-en-scene during the trailer adds to the creepy vibe. Starting at the beginning, the large family charge through the front door, all dressed in olden time clothes. Which are coloured with your basic dark and light browns, whites, blue's and such. Which have connotations of warmth, and happiness. This suggests that the family are happy, which they have proved in the beginning as everyone is smiling and connect together. Although the house looks worn down there are many dust covers around with warm colours on the wood which keeps the place looking lively. When the mother enters the room with the blindfold, we see the room has multiple posters and nicely coloured furniture, which indicates that the bedroom is the children's room. The room is spacious, however behind the mother an object contrasts with other objects - a huge dark, wardrobe. The colour of the wood is almost black, and is large which creates a menacing look. Inside the wardrobe are filled with the obvious bright coloured clothes, however as soon a the mother says "Clap!" a pair of pale sickly arms reach out from behind them. This shows us that there is abnormalities in the scene. With the red blindfold -which represents danger - this tells us that something bad is about to happen.
In the scene 1:03 in establishing shot is used. This is the first time the audience see the view of the outside of the house. The darkness of the night overshadows the whole building, with just a single white porch light beaming outside. Also the trees seem to frame the house with their nicely fitting branches, then the camera movement of dolly is used to get closer into the house, which ensures that the audience is the centre of all enters within the trailer. Then the camera cuts to inside the house, the mother is standing at the side of herbed folding clothes. Her dress is in the colour white (nightdress). White signifies innocence- the character herself is innocent However as soon as the child's laughter happens (innocent) this is suddenly taken advantage of. After she observes on her daughters, the loud crashing is heard, and the camera shows us that the frames with pictures have been ripped down by what looks like an invisible force. This suggest that it's got a hatred towards the family, and the peeling of the wallpaper we can see tells us how old the building is.
All together, I think that this trailer is very effective. The use of cinematography, soundtrack and Mise-en-scene was appropriate and good, and definitely ensured that the viewer acknowledges precisely what vibe had to be set; also very good setting of tense atmosphere. Even though the trailer lasted 2:34 mins and provided a lot of footage, not too much was given away - a sense of curiosity is left at the end, and were left enough to understand that the family are being haunted, but we are left thinking for what purpose, what's haunting them and why they chose this house and family. The use of silence was too effective, and small ambient sounds like the door creaking and children's laughter, boosted the chilling trailer without having to use gore and any graphical content. There are plenty of trailers for this film which fill a lot more detail like the introduction of the Warren's, but, I think this trailer was the most efficient in leaving a lasting impression in an individual's mind. I've seen the film making me one of the many audience's that got enticed by the trailer to watch in the cinema.
Battle clips are used shortly after a smooth, slow-paced scene which contrast both scenes and tells us how the story and atmosphere can calibrate within the film immediately. A minute everything is calm and happy families, however the night vision cameras are shown heart-dropping and mysterious events occurring.
The overall revenue of the film worldwide is $318,000,141, international $180,600,141. In the year of 2013, this film boosted in sales and became one of the greatest and successful movies of all time. The filming took place in Wilmington, North Carolina. The main characters include Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as Lorraine and Ed Warren, and Lili Taylor as Carolyn Perron. The director of the film is James Wan (who recently produced Lights Out which was filmed in Highland Park/Hollywood area of Los Angeles California(2016). The production companies is New Line Cinema, RutPac-Dune Entertainment, Atomic Monster Productions. Also the distribution company is Warner Bros. Pictures.
This trailer includes 53 cuts in the span of 2:34 minutes. Although this trailer seems to have decreased pace as other horror trailers, this may be due to the fact that this trailer s for horror film, so it's suppose to be suspenseful and terrifying. The tension is created by the suspense of longer cuts. This suggests that it has a lower budget, or simply because it was not necessary for the completion of the trailer.
The trailer is separated into three main scenes. The first scene ends at 0:33 when the wardrobe door opens. This is when the whole feel of the trailer changes - the music stops, and an eerie silence takes place. We see the first glimpse of the creature that is haunting the family. Scene two starts here, however ends at 1:25, just after we see the image frame crashes. Text on a black background appears, and unnatural music is played; the last scene starts from here, and shows the haunting grows and becomes more tense. Near the end of the third scene, the woman becomes engulfed in darkness and she screams. This would leave the audience suspicious as to what happened to her, which would engage them to see the film.
The soundtrack in this trailer is effective as it creates the right mood and atmosphere for an advertisement within the horror genre. At the beginning of the trailer, we can hear a door opens and the shouting of the whole family as they come through the door, as the children shout on top of each other such as "I get my own room" and "I call dibs on the room!". This makes out that the family is ordinary and typical and their just moving into a typical new home. After the scene, a song comes in the soundtrack "Time of the Season by The Zombies. This song from the 'Odessey and Oracle' and was released in 1968. Also the film was set in 1971. With that, it sets the scene well for the tuning of the decade. Therefore, it leaves the atmosphere with an era just by listening to the music. Also with the band named 'The Zombies' it fits well with the horror film.
In the scene where the children and mother are playing the game of hide and seek, this suddenly turns into a tension built atmosphere. The main scene for this heart-dropping scene is when the mother enters the room. A wardrobe at the back of the room opens. It opens with a loud creak, and the music immediately stops - then enters a sinister silence. This is where the formation of tensions occurs. The woman hears this creak, and says "Clap!" again, which is returned by unusual slow clap, again, building an uneasy edge. As she walks forwards trying to hear the clap is heard from (the aim of the game) she says jokingly "I'm gonna get you now... I can hear you breathing". Then enters breathing noise, but, its not from her children as she assumes. The audience can acknowledge this, and tension is created as we anticipate the mother discovering a supernatural creature instead of her daughter.
The most iconic scene is when the mother goes downstairs to investigate further as to what is causing problems in the household. We can hear the woman scramble about, banging on the door and crying for help. This makes the audience feel sympathy for this character, as we know how vulnerable she is there. We now here a match stick being struck, and we can see its lit. There is silence again, except from the heavy breathing of the mother, which is clear that she's terrified. A clap occurs once more, and the match goes out. The mother screams, which is a usual sound effect for a horror film. As the screen cuts to a black screen, a music box tune plays , which brings an ominous feeling, mixed with a childlike innocence. There is something very bad about this, which would lead the viewer to feel uneasy.
The Mise-en-scene during the trailer adds to the creepy vibe. Starting at the beginning, the large family charge through the front door, all dressed in olden time clothes. Which are coloured with your basic dark and light browns, whites, blue's and such. Which have connotations of warmth, and happiness. This suggests that the family are happy, which they have proved in the beginning as everyone is smiling and connect together. Although the house looks worn down there are many dust covers around with warm colours on the wood which keeps the place looking lively. When the mother enters the room with the blindfold, we see the room has multiple posters and nicely coloured furniture, which indicates that the bedroom is the children's room. The room is spacious, however behind the mother an object contrasts with other objects - a huge dark, wardrobe. The colour of the wood is almost black, and is large which creates a menacing look. Inside the wardrobe are filled with the obvious bright coloured clothes, however as soon a the mother says "Clap!" a pair of pale sickly arms reach out from behind them. This shows us that there is abnormalities in the scene. With the red blindfold -which represents danger - this tells us that something bad is about to happen.
In the scene 1:03 in establishing shot is used. This is the first time the audience see the view of the outside of the house. The darkness of the night overshadows the whole building, with just a single white porch light beaming outside. Also the trees seem to frame the house with their nicely fitting branches, then the camera movement of dolly is used to get closer into the house, which ensures that the audience is the centre of all enters within the trailer. Then the camera cuts to inside the house, the mother is standing at the side of herbed folding clothes. Her dress is in the colour white (nightdress). White signifies innocence- the character herself is innocent However as soon as the child's laughter happens (innocent) this is suddenly taken advantage of. After she observes on her daughters, the loud crashing is heard, and the camera shows us that the frames with pictures have been ripped down by what looks like an invisible force. This suggest that it's got a hatred towards the family, and the peeling of the wallpaper we can see tells us how old the building is.
All together, I think that this trailer is very effective. The use of cinematography, soundtrack and Mise-en-scene was appropriate and good, and definitely ensured that the viewer acknowledges precisely what vibe had to be set; also very good setting of tense atmosphere. Even though the trailer lasted 2:34 mins and provided a lot of footage, not too much was given away - a sense of curiosity is left at the end, and were left enough to understand that the family are being haunted, but we are left thinking for what purpose, what's haunting them and why they chose this house and family. The use of silence was too effective, and small ambient sounds like the door creaking and children's laughter, boosted the chilling trailer without having to use gore and any graphical content. There are plenty of trailers for this film which fill a lot more detail like the introduction of the Warren's, but, I think this trailer was the most efficient in leaving a lasting impression in an individual's mind. I've seen the film making me one of the many audience's that got enticed by the trailer to watch in the cinema.
Battle clips are used shortly after a smooth, slow-paced scene which contrast both scenes and tells us how the story and atmosphere can calibrate within the film immediately. A minute everything is calm and happy families, however the night vision cameras are shown heart-dropping and mysterious events occurring.
paranormal activity 3
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Paranormal Activity 3 broke accounting records, in the release, setting a new records for a midnight opening for a horror film raking $8 million (£643,7932.32) and the best opening day for a horror film in the United States which was $26.2 million (£211,003,231.79). The film budgeted $5 million (£402,3707.70) and gained $207 million (£166,581,498.78)from the Box Office. The plot summary of this film is in the year of "2005, Katie receives a box of old videotapes to her pregnant sister Kristi, and her husband Daniel Rey, which holds footage of young Katie and Kristi with their mother Julie, and her boyfriend Dennis. After a year, Kristi and Daniel's house is raided and the tapes are missing"
The film is made to look like a home video (video vlog), which narrates the story as it goes. Therefore the general atmosphere as if it was any other home video, which a member of the family has set up to record memories for the future. Meanwhile in the video, terrifying things occur; this is acknowledged when the camera's might be used for another purpose rather than home videos, there is a clip in the trailer where the female character says "Whatever it was, it thrives on fear". After this statement, it then sets the atmosphere of mystery as to what "Whatever" is, and what it's seeking for. The enigmas that is introduced through the narrative is about something unknown entering their home without consent, a following of unusual occurrences seem to be happening which puzzles and terrifies the family suddenly, being conscious of their every move.
The characters are entrenched by being introduced by the individual who is holding the camera in the 'video vlog'. This is seen because Katie & Christie are introduced by the cameraman as the beginning as it being a home video, we presume that the male holding the camera is the father figure of the family, one of the two young females is seen as an older woman, stating "Whatever happened when we was younger, I don't remember" after this, the date at the bottom of the screen is seen, it's much older than the the time were in today. So taking account of this information tells us that they've taken an insight into the girl's past, the unknown character is announced at the end of the trailer , then we see a dark silhouette of a character.
The dialogue that is shown is "this October discover the secret behind the activity" which is spaced out during the trailer e.g. After a cutscene or special effects are added, a display of a tiny bit more of the whole sentence occurs; which help boost the suspenseful atmosphere, as the words are so powerful on their own like "Discover" increases the suspense. Leaving the audience to wonder what is there to discover, it's a genius way to increase tension and engage the audience.
The warfare clips indicate that the irregular situation is happening, within this normal fundamental family and whatever it is, it's not distinct with just a mask like a generic convention would show, however its dissimilar where during the film the villainous/negative character is never noticed; which amplifies the suspense.
The pace of editing is really rapid, and quick cutting from scene within seconds which can lead to 2 things, which one is let the audience get a taste of the action without showing alot of detail and insight, also permitting the trailer to include lots of content within the short amount of time it's displayed. The style of the trailer has a average camera quality , which is quite okay since the trailer is a 'home video'. On a normal camera that the family have, it's not been produced at a professional level and it shows. Most of the scenes use handheld camera with point of view shots, by the camera frequently distorting could build the sense that the videotape is old; proving that the film had been firstly used for a home video. The main graphics in the trailer is near the end, where it shows the total of the film, graphics aren't shown during the trailer as the directer of the trailer wanted to form the amateur home video appearance; so that audience can relate to what the characters in the trailer are going through as best as possible; this way it looks more realistic. It's clear what sub-genre is being used which is paranormal. By it's dark shadows and jump scare scenes during the trailer, which has specifically been directed to freak out the audience and jolt them. Another way the sub-genre is clearly shown is by the dialogue between the camera and the character communicating into the camera, giving the audience a chance to create a deeper connection between the character and the audience. As if the character is inscribing them.
The pace differentiates when one of the young female characters when the camera uses the shot of extreme close up on her. Coming towards the camera at a rapid speed, after this the pace varied as the events became more serious, it began slow which made the household seem calm, normal and brought positive vibes. The trailer would attract the viewer as the storyline is realistic in a sense that there is plenty of discussions about ghosts existence and paranormal activities happening. Furthermore, the quick pace of the trailer, and amount of cuts captivate the viewer as it holds the viewer's engagement.
The generic conventions is tested as the villainous/negative figure isn't credible during the entirety of the trailer, the quick use of camera cuts suggests like other horror trailers it has to be fast paced to include plenty of content, enough to advertise the film to the audience and to terrify them, other films like these conventions which use handheld camera techniques is the Blair Witch Project; which is based on a true event.
The film is made to look like a home video (video vlog), which narrates the story as it goes. Therefore the general atmosphere as if it was any other home video, which a member of the family has set up to record memories for the future. Meanwhile in the video, terrifying things occur; this is acknowledged when the camera's might be used for another purpose rather than home videos, there is a clip in the trailer where the female character says "Whatever it was, it thrives on fear". After this statement, it then sets the atmosphere of mystery as to what "Whatever" is, and what it's seeking for. The enigmas that is introduced through the narrative is about something unknown entering their home without consent, a following of unusual occurrences seem to be happening which puzzles and terrifies the family suddenly, being conscious of their every move.
The characters are entrenched by being introduced by the individual who is holding the camera in the 'video vlog'. This is seen because Katie & Christie are introduced by the cameraman as the beginning as it being a home video, we presume that the male holding the camera is the father figure of the family, one of the two young females is seen as an older woman, stating "Whatever happened when we was younger, I don't remember" after this, the date at the bottom of the screen is seen, it's much older than the the time were in today. So taking account of this information tells us that they've taken an insight into the girl's past, the unknown character is announced at the end of the trailer , then we see a dark silhouette of a character.
The dialogue that is shown is "this October discover the secret behind the activity" which is spaced out during the trailer e.g. After a cutscene or special effects are added, a display of a tiny bit more of the whole sentence occurs; which help boost the suspenseful atmosphere, as the words are so powerful on their own like "Discover" increases the suspense. Leaving the audience to wonder what is there to discover, it's a genius way to increase tension and engage the audience.
The warfare clips indicate that the irregular situation is happening, within this normal fundamental family and whatever it is, it's not distinct with just a mask like a generic convention would show, however its dissimilar where during the film the villainous/negative character is never noticed; which amplifies the suspense.
The pace of editing is really rapid, and quick cutting from scene within seconds which can lead to 2 things, which one is let the audience get a taste of the action without showing alot of detail and insight, also permitting the trailer to include lots of content within the short amount of time it's displayed. The style of the trailer has a average camera quality , which is quite okay since the trailer is a 'home video'. On a normal camera that the family have, it's not been produced at a professional level and it shows. Most of the scenes use handheld camera with point of view shots, by the camera frequently distorting could build the sense that the videotape is old; proving that the film had been firstly used for a home video. The main graphics in the trailer is near the end, where it shows the total of the film, graphics aren't shown during the trailer as the directer of the trailer wanted to form the amateur home video appearance; so that audience can relate to what the characters in the trailer are going through as best as possible; this way it looks more realistic. It's clear what sub-genre is being used which is paranormal. By it's dark shadows and jump scare scenes during the trailer, which has specifically been directed to freak out the audience and jolt them. Another way the sub-genre is clearly shown is by the dialogue between the camera and the character communicating into the camera, giving the audience a chance to create a deeper connection between the character and the audience. As if the character is inscribing them.
The pace differentiates when one of the young female characters when the camera uses the shot of extreme close up on her. Coming towards the camera at a rapid speed, after this the pace varied as the events became more serious, it began slow which made the household seem calm, normal and brought positive vibes. The trailer would attract the viewer as the storyline is realistic in a sense that there is plenty of discussions about ghosts existence and paranormal activities happening. Furthermore, the quick pace of the trailer, and amount of cuts captivate the viewer as it holds the viewer's engagement.
The generic conventions is tested as the villainous/negative figure isn't credible during the entirety of the trailer, the quick use of camera cuts suggests like other horror trailers it has to be fast paced to include plenty of content, enough to advertise the film to the audience and to terrify them, other films like these conventions which use handheld camera techniques is the Blair Witch Project; which is based on a true event.
in conclusion
After analysing all three trailers and studying their techniques at what elements are used that make the trailers successful; I've found, that the most successful films use home video techniques (Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity 3). However the film we are thinking of producing similar too is The Conjuring. At the beginning of the trailer, happy music is being played in the soundtrack, however the segment where the music stops and turns suspenseful is at the timing 0:28; which we thought was effective. This made the transition from a normal and happy family, to an unusual and distorted family having to go through hell in the household. I've spotted that the contrast of uplifting music, then a sudden event (wardrobe opens and a clap is made), then enters eerie, suspenseful music make the trailer engaging for the audience and almost relatable e.g. Your walking to your house with your earphones in being happy, suddenly a car pulls up (stop music), and the window rolls down (enters suspenseful, dramatic soundtrack). Therefore we applied this technique to our trailer. All in a short time frame; however during the trailer not a lot is given away (as previously mentioned we don't know who is haunting the family and why)
The techniques that has inspired us from Paranormal Activity 3 by the way the shots are quickly cutted to the next scene keeping the audience engaged. The Blood Mary ritual in the trailer, is a classic scare for an audience which we found captivating. The urban legend of Blood Mary exhilarates the amount of tension in the atmosphere; the urban legend is believed that if you summon her through a mirror she will either hurt or kill you. Numerous people have done this ritual with no evidence that Mary hurts or kill them. After the ritual of summoning Bloody Mary, the girls patiently wait and one of them screams successfully scaring her little sister. This would make the audience relate, as most have pretended (especially in YouTube videos) to see or hear things, however a dark figured character behind one of the girls. This dark figured character I assume would be Bloody Mary. For years people have tried to summon this widowed woman, and none of them have seen her successfully, so to see her in this clip would shock the audience. Also the fact that this film is a home video makes the situation more horrific, which is what we want to apply to our trailer. Another useful technique Paranormal Activity 3 has added, is the slow-pace of the children being happy. In that scene it showed us how perfect everything was, until it slowly (fade transition) turned upside down.
During all these trailers we've learnt that in the beginning everything is slow-paced, happy moments and music, then a sudden event occurs. This sudden event reveals how everything started in the film, in this tragic scene the happy music either stops completely or becomes deeper and sinister.After the short clip of the main sudden event then fast-paced cut scenes take place with suspenseful and heart-dropping sound effects and soundtrack. Near the end of the trailers should be another key moment in the film, or an ultimatum of the trailer e.g. Near the end of The Conjuring the mother is in dark room, with only a lit match being a source of light. Suddenly hands behind clap blowing off the lit match and making the mother scream in horror and look behind her.
The techniques that has inspired us from Paranormal Activity 3 by the way the shots are quickly cutted to the next scene keeping the audience engaged. The Blood Mary ritual in the trailer, is a classic scare for an audience which we found captivating. The urban legend of Blood Mary exhilarates the amount of tension in the atmosphere; the urban legend is believed that if you summon her through a mirror she will either hurt or kill you. Numerous people have done this ritual with no evidence that Mary hurts or kill them. After the ritual of summoning Bloody Mary, the girls patiently wait and one of them screams successfully scaring her little sister. This would make the audience relate, as most have pretended (especially in YouTube videos) to see or hear things, however a dark figured character behind one of the girls. This dark figured character I assume would be Bloody Mary. For years people have tried to summon this widowed woman, and none of them have seen her successfully, so to see her in this clip would shock the audience. Also the fact that this film is a home video makes the situation more horrific, which is what we want to apply to our trailer. Another useful technique Paranormal Activity 3 has added, is the slow-pace of the children being happy. In that scene it showed us how perfect everything was, until it slowly (fade transition) turned upside down.
During all these trailers we've learnt that in the beginning everything is slow-paced, happy moments and music, then a sudden event occurs. This sudden event reveals how everything started in the film, in this tragic scene the happy music either stops completely or becomes deeper and sinister.After the short clip of the main sudden event then fast-paced cut scenes take place with suspenseful and heart-dropping sound effects and soundtrack. Near the end of the trailers should be another key moment in the film, or an ultimatum of the trailer e.g. Near the end of The Conjuring the mother is in dark room, with only a lit match being a source of light. Suddenly hands behind clap blowing off the lit match and making the mother scream in horror and look behind her.
MR