Trailer analysis

TRAILER ANALYSISAfshana Aktar

The Conjuring

1.Conventions used: MPAA certificate, voice overs, logos of institution, new home - big house, trees, flash cards, date, wind chimes, kissing scene.

2.Camera work: Slow zoom in, track, eye level, slow panning to right, establishing shot.

3.Editing: Still cuts, old film effect, black & white effect, fade in/out , 180 rule.

4.Sound: Low boom, film reel effect, deep voice over, light piano music, faded blurred chatter, matchstick fired.

5.Genre: Horror

6.Narrative: Based on a true story family who moved into a new house where there was a murder from 1863.

7.Representation: Big house and woods– haunted. “It’s going to be great” enigma code to show something bad is coming. Matchstick on fire – something dark is around. ‘Story’ – Horror/scary.

8.Institutions: Warner Brothers, New Line Cinema

9.Values and Ideology: Based on a true case study of ‘Warrens’’. Moving into a house with a haunted history will led to trouble.

Oculus

1.Conventions used: MPAA certificate, mirror, logo of institutions, hospital.

2.Camera work: High angle, extreme close up, close up, long shot, wide shot, two shot, over shoulder.

3.Editing: Cut into, images of logos.

4.Sound: Low booms, heavy bass, echoing, horror sound effects, paced music, dialogue.

5.Genre: Horror

6.Narrative: Woman discovered a mirror “again” and her brother is released from a hospital. They can now finally keep their promise.

7.Representation: Standing in front of a mirror – searching for something. White cover – hidden secrets. Red nails – death, horror, blood. White sheets coving life sized models – the unknown. Doctors – treatment, help.

8.Institutions: Blumhouse Productions, WWE Studios, Intrepid Pictures.

9.Values and Ideology: Promises should always be kept.

0:00 – 0:30

The Conjuring

1.Conventions used: Old worn out pictures, dolls, graveyard, skull, cross, newspaper, documentary like interviews, old toys, bulb switching on in basement, grandfather clock, black and white, dim lighting.

2.Camera work: Still shots, track, low angle, zoom, over shoulder shot.

3.Editing: Old film effect, black & white effect, flash, newspaper flip down to right, quick fast shots, slow zoom in, fade out, crane up, panning forward, voice over.

4.Sound: Film reel effect, high pitch screech, ticking speeding up, deep bass, wind chimes, dialogue diegesis, door creek, low scary music.

5.Genre: Horror.

6.Narrative: Family speak out for the first time, was told to keep lights on of first night. Roger thought something was wrong.

7.Representation: Old film effect on house – haunted. Dolls’ head in dirt – distortion. Graveyard and skull - death. Cross – Religion/Christianity. Censored faces – mystery. “Until now” – Exclusivity. Low angle dark cellar – hidden dark entities. Long shot of window – something is watching. Door opening – a presence.


9.Values and Ideology: For this part in the trailer it shows to trust your instincts and protect your family.

Oculus

1.Conventions used: Video cameras, big room, white, mirror covered, pictures of evidence, family.

2.Camera work: Two shot, close up, long shot, eye level, track forward, high angles, over shoulder.

3.Editing: Shot reverse shot, match on action, quick flash shots of images, dim lighting, fade out, zoom in, flash.

4.Sound: Horror sound effects, beeping of technology, dialogue, drone paced, pitch raising effect , light piano music, rodent like rat screeching sounds

5.Genre: Horror

6.Narrative: To kill something. A woman named Kaylie Ann Russell wants to prove the mirror “is responsible for at least 45 deaths”. The family moved into a new house. The father started hearing things and the daughter started seeing things.

7.Representation: Camera – evidence, witnessing, truth. Siblings – bond, history, been through experiences together. Daughter grown up – strength increased. Pictures – victims. Parenthood , care, love, new beginnings.


9.Values and Ideology: Follow through your promises and take action do not wait any longer. Justice, avenging deaths. Sometimes new things aren’t needed.

0:31 – 1:00

The Conjuring

1.Conventions used: Interviews, basement, dressing gown and robe, portraits, grand old staircase, low lighting, bedroom, bedroom door shut and opened alone, toddler, dim lighting.

2.Camera work: Crane, eye level, tilt down, zoom, over shoulder, high angle.

3.Editing: Most interviews here – explanations shown with certain matching scenes from the film, 180 rule.

4.Sound: Ticking noises, dialogue, smashing of objects, inhale sounds, faint screams, door shutting, deep low horror music.

5.Genre: Horror

6.Narrative: Strange things started happening around the house. Spirit formed an attachment to the youngest child of family.

7.Representation: Basement – The underworld of evil. Portraits falling – danger/targets. Child and child's toys – innocence.


9.Values and Ideology: Seeing is believing ; the bedroom scene where the girl was woken up she accused her sister of pulling her leg. Once she saw something then she knew who it was.

Oculus

1.Conventions used: Dark room, children, night clothes, mother being attacked, red clothing, white nightgown, mirror, flash cards.

2.Camera work: Pan, over should shot, two shot, mid shot, long shot, zoom, low angle, close up, point of view, track back.

3.Editing: Dim lighting, face effects illuminating eyes, fade out, cut shots, zoom, flash, titles.

4.Sound: Pitch flash out and in, low booms, light flickering effects, faint screams, deep bass, raising of high pitches, dialogue, door opening.

5.Genre: Horror

6.Narrative: Father allegedly killed the children's mother. Mother was a victim to the mirror. Sister wants to prove there’s a supernatural force within the mirror. Brother wants to back out, sister wants his support and to “never forget” what happened so they can get justice.

7.Representation: Evil entity – possession. Red top – death, danger, blood. Two shots – bond, relationship, connection, experiences. Mother – vulnerable. Father – protector. Past – reliving history.


9.Values and Ideology: The past shouldn’t be left forgotten. Follow through the promise and achieve it. Trust your loved ones. Work hard to find out the truth and share that knowledge. The past impacts the future.

1:01 – 1:30

The Conjuring

1.Conventions used: Old toys, rocking chair, small child, mother, flashlight, white dressing gown, screams, laying on bed alone, mirror, big bed, hair being played with, person thrown across the room, dim lighting.

2.Camera work: Extreme close up, over shoulder shot, track, close ups, pan, mid shots, long shot, two shot.

3.Editing: Reflection on face, focus an object (mirror) with background blurred, slow zoom into blurred image, loud distort sound effects, voice over of whisper, invisible effect with harness, shot reverse shot.

4.Sound: Dialogue, whisper, scary background music, echoing, volume raised up for shock sound effects, birds tweeting, wind chimes, screams.

5.Genre: Horror

6.Narrative: A boy who previous lived there had something “bad” happen to him. Things started happening to the mother – soon the whole family witnessed it all.

7.Representation: Child and toy – innocence. Motherhood. Two shot – reflection of parent role showing similarity of their love and attachment for their children. Pink – girls.


9.Values and Ideology: Believe what the children say, not all what they witness is false. Don’t be alone. “Most vulnerable” get targeted.

Oculus

1.Conventions used: Crying scared children, trying to get through a person repeating name, illusions, red (top and apple), minimal lighting.

2.Camera work: Close up, low angle, eye level, over shoulder shot, high angle, long shot, extreme close up.

3.Editing: Dark lighting with spot lights illuminating chosen faces, quick flash, shot reverse shot, 180 rule, scene colour change, flash cards, match on action

4.Sound: High pitch drone sound effects, horror music, vibrated deep bass, various boom sound effects, crunching of apple, glass shatter, whispers, dialogue.

5.Genre: Horror

6.Narrative: Brother witnesses the evil, starts to see his past before his eyes. Confusing between past and present. Witnessing illusions and having confusing proving supernatural behaviour within the mirror.

7.Representation: Boy behind door – scared, secrets. Older sister consoling boy – protection. Children – fear. Mirror – reflection of illusions. Red apple and top – blood, danger, horror.


9.Values and Ideology: Remember what you saw, strange behaviour is real, be careful of what you do.

1:31 – 2:00

The Conjuring

1.Conventions used: Flash cards, “from the director of…”, bats, police cars, date, screams, title, institution logos, dim lighting.

2.Camera work: Crane back, point of view, close up, mid shot, long shot, low angle, eye level, extreme close up, over shoulder, wide shot.

3.Editing: Flash cards, bat screeching effect, glass shattering enhanced, interviews inserts, fast paced shots, ending title flashing in fading out.

4.Sound: Bats, glass breaking, dialogue, voice overs, horror sound effects, screams, exploding glass, shouting, flame, clap, echoing.

5.Genre: Horror

6.Narrative: This happened 30 years ago. No one would have believed them then. This story is true.

7.Representation: Big house – haunted. Car – safety. Person being covered – sacrifice, captured, slave. Children – vulnerable, scared. Little source of light – little amount of hope.

8.Institutions: Warner Brothers, New Line Cinema.

9.Values and Ideology: People would believe the family of what situation they were in 30 years ago. People are more understanding of things now. The awareness of evil entities and spirits has widen societies knowledge on such a subject,

Oculus

1.Conventions used: Flash cards, running, chasing, white gown, weapons, door handle, body dragging, strangling, mirror, biting.

2.Camera work: eye level, over shoulder, mid shot, low angle, extreme close up, 180 rule, high angle, wide shot.

3.Editing: Flash cards, match on action, quick shots flashing, dim lighting, shot length clips, blue hue lighting, flash out to flash in. Ending titles.

4.Sound: Dialogue, horror music becomes more quick paced, revolving shutter sounds, raising pitch, echoed pitch, whispers, distort voice, loud deep boom.

5.Genre: Horror

6.Narrative: Scary stuff happens to the children which they have to escape from. Mother tries to attack them, father claims he is the ‘devil’.

7.Representation: Running – captured, trying to escape, finding freedom. Hand on door – something is present, something is entering. Blue lighting – cold, emptiness. Eyes – witness, observation.


9.Values and Ideology: Bad things which are not stopped will continue. Don’t be afraid. Change for the better and tackle the issues.

2:01 – 2:33

Education

Trailer analysis