Research and Planning - Horror trailer analysis - The conjuring

Genre

As Steve Neale has said looking at the trailer, it does seem like other horror trailers and it has its own twist to it. Like this is a haunted house and supernatural things happen, but this has a twist where the first women who built the farm house does not want anybody to live here and her spirit never left the farm house. The trailer also links to what Andrew Sarris says about it being a recognizable style which draws on an existing audience such as the people who like horror films.


Representation

The male role here is represented as Laura Mulvay says as at the beginning he is coming into the new house with his family, this represents that he is a family man and portrays him as a father and a husband, but later on we have role reversal as the women who is the main protagonist is the one who is under attack and is getting scared through the sounds and then she acts brave, exploring what it is that is bothering them instead of the male role.

Narrative

The protagonist we are clearly able to see is the women, the mother and the wife in the family, as she is the one who is getting bruises and also she is the one who sees the time stopping at a certain time, she is the one who realizes that their new home isn't what they had imagined.The trailer will also link to Todorov's theory as the family looked happy at the beginning moving into their new home, but then the disruption of the spirits in the home.The main active characters would be The mother who is the protagonist and the father who helps and the two of the children who weird things happen to, but the passive characters would be the other two children who don't really have anything really going on with them, An anti hero would be the father as towards the end he is the one helping to make things right but is not like your usual hero, as this is the genre if horror it is different to a hero in a comedy ect.

Audience

I think the audience will be passive as it is easily understandable what is happening in the trailer, although the audience will definitely want to know what is going to happen to the mother, and who is behind all this, so this will make them want to watch the film.The film was certified 15 , I also think the trailer will be 15 and aimed at both males and females as the trailer is jumpy and full of action and suspense and is a new Horror that will attract a lot of the target audience.

Media language

Cinematography
A long shot is used when the family are entering the house, this suggest that they are all excited about the new house, also close ups of the faces to show how happy they are in their new home. Close ups are later used when the protagonist is lighting the match stick and it zooms into her face to see the reaction from the clap. we have a pan shot of the protagonist playing hide and clap and then pans out to show that there is nobody near the wardrobe door, also a track is used here to show the protagonist moving towards the wardrobe.

Editing
straight cuts are used and it continues through the trailer,as the trailer starts of its slow paced, but as all the action comes in, it is fast paced this really interacts with the audience as it really engages with the viewer.

Sound
 Non diegetic sound is used at the beginning as when they come into the house there is a sound in the background which has got a few beats in it which imply's that something is not right here. Also it shows the mother playing with her kids and the song seems cheerful and happy.For diegetic sound there is a lot of dialogue as they start that at the beginning of thee trailer when they come in and through playing the game, all the way till the end.

Mise en scene
High key lighting is used at the beginning, as they come into the house, this portrays that they are happy and then towards the middle the lighting is low key and this shows that it is the horror genre and also gets more intense and much more suspense is shown. The main prop of the trailer is the house, this is structured very old and dark and the pictures on the wall make it very real, so it engages with the audience that this could happen to anyone.Also a wardrobe is used, this engages with the audience to, getting them engaged and also scared because it gives a sense of realism. The house and the land relate to the genre of horror as it is big and dark and low lighting.