The Strangers Film Trailer Analysis

The trailer for ‘The Strangers’ is conventionally pieced together.
It starts off slowly, setting some basis of the narrative, and allowing the audience to appreciate the fact that these two characters are romantically involved. As the film trailer progresses, so does the speed of the trailer, and this is the part where the narrative becomes clearer, but with no teasers. For example, when we hear loud noises coming from outside, and then the swings, we know something is wrong. Then followed by this, a masked man standing behind the main female character adds to the fact that this couple are in danger. Then the climax kicks in, where the audience are shown a quick montage of scary and eerie shots. At the end of the trailer, the audience are presented with a sting which is a final burst of action made to make the audience jump, just when they think it’s all over. By following the conventional structure of a film trailer, it allows the audience to be prepared, and to expect. This helps build up tension, as for example, with the sting, they are just waiting for something else to happen.

When watching this film trailer for the first time, I felt that the genre and sub genre of this film is signalised well throughout. I feel that the correct target audience watching will be able to tell the genre straight away due to a number of aspects which include; sound, camera, editing, mise en scene elements i.e. facial expressions and so on. From about 20 seconds into the film trailer, a romantic moment has been interrupted by a loud bang, coming from outside of their home. From just this one sound, danger is suggested, straight away making the audience feel on edge. Another example of how the genre is set from an early stage is from the use of straps. When the audience read “We always tell ourselves there’s nothing to fear, but sometimes we’re wrong” automatically allows the audience to guess that this is a horror film due to the fact that it mentions fear. 40 seconds into the trailer and the audience have already picked out different aspects of the trailer that link it to being a horror, then on 45 seconds, they are made sure that this is the genre when they see a masked man standing behind her. There are a range of factors that I am going to be looking at through this film trailer;

Let us begin by looking at uses of sound that have been used to add tension, suspense and terror to this particular film trailer. At the beginning of the film trailer, a sweet, subtle piano tune is being played. This sets the mood for the male character to start lighting characters, while, what we can imagine is his girlfriend, is relaxing in the bath. We are straight away able to recognise a romantic link between these two characters, which this piece of music adds to. It is a peaceful and calming tune, which is used to confuse the audience watching as you wouldn’t normally associate music such as this, to a horror film. Whilst the music is still playing, we hear the male character say “I want to tell you something” with the female replying with “what, what do you want t tell me?” By the way they are gazing into each other’s eyes, we are able to guess that they are indeed a couple, who are in love. Then the male character says “You are my girl” where at this point, the audience have been assured that what they were thinking, is correct.  After he says these words, he hands her a little box, which can only suggest one thing that he is proposing to her, and with her reply “I love you Jimmy”, we the audience, take it that she agreed to marry him. At this point, we are happy for the couple, and wouldn’t expect anything bad to happen, or wouldn’t want anything bad to happen, to spoil this moment which makes the next bit of sound extra surprising and jumpy. Whilst they are speaking, the sound of the piano gradually gets louder and louder, now playing only one note which is leading up to a loud bang, that is coming from outside of the house. Because of the calm atmosphere that was previously the case, this loud noise frightens the audience as they were so indulged in the love and care that they had just witnessed.

As the characters go to the window to investigate, we hear one final piano note followed by the female character asking “What was that?” her voice sounds on edge and frightened which makes the audience feel for her, and to also experience her fear.  Next you hear a swing, swinging back and forth, again and again, as if someone was on it, with a loud, deep noise is being played into the background, gradually getting louder and louder. Among all these sounds, we hear the male character trying to reassure his fiancé by saying “It’s ok, there is nothing hear” which makes him seem like the protector and the carer. His words also reassure the audience that there was nothing there until he goes onto say “I haven’t heard a dog bark, or a car pass, nothing” which makes these sounds seem even more eerie and mysterious, making the audience think that maybe there is someone out there. All sound suddenly stops, where the camera moves to the female character, standing alone in her house, where we can only hear her breathing. We then see an antagonist slowly emerging into the room behind her, where he stands still, without her knowing that he is there. By now we can also hear him breathing and the silence is almost painful as it is building up the suspense of the audience not knowing what he is going to do to her. After this long take, we hear a loud stab sound, for the second time, making the audience jump after waiting for something to happen during the silence, but not knowing what. The action then cuts to outside of the house where we can hear a dog wailing, as if it has been hurt, from in the distance.  As the camera cuts from each antagonist, there is a series of loud stab sounds, which sound like gun shots, suggesting to the audience that these people are trying to kill this newly engaged couple. The female character says “There’s someone out there”, which is the point that both the characters and the audience are certain that there is someone there, trying to hurt them. Then we hear a series of loud, deep, stab sounds as the action cuts to each different antagonist. For a split second there is no sound, and then we hear the record player begin to play a song, on its own which makes the audience feel frightened and unnerved. As the characters look around the house, to see who is there, the song becomes louder and the female character gasps as she opens the door to their bedroom with ‘hello’ written in red again and again on the window. At this point the song is no longer playing and we hear the male character say “We’ve got to get out of here, when I open the door, I just want you to run ok” reflecting the fact that he is the protector and intends on looking after his fiancé. The audience now know that something dangerous is going to happen, and the adrenalin rush begins to kick in as it becomes like a chase, as if the characters are running away from the antagonists. As he goes to open the door, another stab noise is used, this time due to the fact that an axe has just been swung through the front door, nearly getting the male character. As he jumps back to protect the female the music beings again, this time broken and on a loop. The tune gradually becomes faster and faster and we can hear the female character screaming louder and louder, leading onto the  final part of the trailer, otherwise known as the climax.  The music on a loop continues to play throughout the climax, speeding up faster and faster and increasing in volume as the different pieces of footage are being showed on screen. It is also accompanied by screaming and loud sounds, again sounding like gun shots as each bit of action cuts which could again represent murder.  The song finally becomes out of control, and breaks completely, reflecting the out of control atmosphere that is appearing to the audience on screen. After hearing this piece of sound, all combined, the audience are frightened and on edge, and tension has been built for the final burst of action that they are expecting to see. Now at the end of the film trailer, the music stops, the screaming stops, and all we can hear is the female character say “Why are you doing this to us”, allowing the audience to know that the antagonists have caught them, and that they are in a close proximity. As we see a masked face emerge from the darkness, we hear, what we imagine to be the voice of an antagonist says “Because you were home”. This makes the audience aware of the fact that there was no reason behind the torment that they have been putting this couple through, but purely due to the fact that they were home. The audience are now able to picture themselves in this situation, and begin to feel more scared and unnerved, knowing that this could happen to them. The voice sounds childlike, adding extra terror to the scene as it sounds creepy and ghostly. We then hear an eerie hum, resembling the deep breath of someone, as another antagonist appears in the distance. 

Moving onto editing; at the very beginning of the trailer, we are shown a series of cuts setting the location. We are shown a secluded woodland area, which then cuts to a house in the middle of this woodland. We as the audience are now aware that this house is in the middle of now where, with no other houses and so on around. At the start the of any film trailer, the mood is set. We are able to understand that in this film trailer, these two characters are romantically involved because of the simple cuts that are used. There are rose petals on the bed, which then cuts to the candles being lit, which then cuts to the woman in the bath and then back to the man lighting more candles. These are many different gestures that are seen by many to be romantic and intimate.  From this we are able to establish that the man is creating a romantic atmosphere for him and what looks to be, his girlfriend. From this series of cuts, we are also able to see that James, the male character, is caring, protective and loving which adds to the distraught and heartbreaking series of events that come later on in the film. Between the cuts, a dissolve has been used in each one making the atmosphere look more relaxed, gentle, soft and romantic.

Moving on in the film trailer, when the couple are side by side, the speed of editing begins to increase. This could suggest the passion between them as the characters are close and there are straight, quick cuts from both of the characters necks, arms and then a ring in James’ hand which again suggest some kind of lust and also implies to the audience that he is going to ask her to marry him. Also, the sudden increase in speed could suggest that the action that the audience are waiting for is getting closer, and allows tension to build, preparing us for the next part of the trailer.

We are now entering the middle of the film trailer where we become aware that the two characters are investigating the noises that heard coming from outside their home. In this part of the trailer, there are a range of eye line matches used to allow the audience to see what the characters are looking at. This enables the audience to be able to feel their fear, and go through the experience with them, like they were also in the house. For example, we see them looking out of the curtains, then we the audience see what they are looking at and so on. This happens a couple of times, before moving onto a close up of the front door getting locked. This shows us that there is something to be scared of, and that the characters are trying to protect themselves. The straps that are being used throughout this part of the trailer are used to reflect the idea that the characters are getting closer and closer to the antagonists, but miss them by a blink every time. By this I mean that the straps appear on the screen at different times, never fully appearing as a sentence, but instead words fades on and off of the screen. The fact that we haven’t yet hit the climax is UN conventional, but allows the audience to get a full understanding of the narrative and creates suspense. This slow introduction also enables the audience to feel intrigued and keeps them interested. The first strap that reads “Inspired by true events” is commonly used in horror films and makes the audience feel on edge and UN nerved. They begin to think that this could happen to them, and put themselves in the positions of these characters, creating more fear. The next two straps go on to say “We always tell ourselves”, “There’s nothing to fear” which reflects what the male character is saying to his girlfriend “It’s ok, there’s nothing here”. This reassures the female character, and the audience, as the male character has been seen as the protector, and wouldn’t let anything bad happen. But then, the next strap reads “But sometimes, we’re wrong”, which reassures the audience that this is a horror film, and that something bad is going to happen. This creates fear and suspense as the audience are now waiting to see what happens after the strap has gone. This final strap leads perfectly onto the next shot, of the woman in the room, with one of the antagonists standing behind her, but her not knowing as it also creates the idea that there is something going on, and that there is someone around, trying to hurt this couple.

This shot, of her in the kitchen, goes on for approximately thirteen seconds, much longer than any conventional piece of footage shown in a film trailer. It seems to go on for a very long period of time, suggesting that the torment and suffering the characters are experiencing, has been going on for a long time. Also, by using a long take such as this one, we are able to see her vulnerability, and that one of the antagonists is watching her. We are able to see him enter the room behind her, where she has no idea which makes it very unnerving to watch for the audience, creating suspense of not knowing what he is going to do. It is almost painful to watch as he is standing there, not moving, as is she, where we can nothing but silence and her breathing heavily, looking scared, alone and unprotected.

The action then cuts to a fade accompanied by a loud, stab sound, making the audience jump and feel frightened. After this, we move to footage outside of the house, where the characters are looking for the people/ things that are making these noises. We are then presented with a variety of shots, of all three antagonists, taken from a long range. This makes them seem more scary and distant, and the fact that they are all standing so still makes them seem somewhat, unnatural. When we see the shot of each antagonist, there is then a cut back to the characters, where we see a terrified reaction. The action then cuts back once again to reveal that they have gone, almost as if they have disappeared. The audience then begin to question themselves as to what they have actually seen, and maybe they weren’t there in the first place. This creates more suspense and tension as the audience now want to know what is going on, and become curious as to what these people want, and why they are doing what they are doing.

The trailer then cuts to a fast, random, eerie and ugly shot of the three killers standing in a row, so fast that if you blink, you will miss it. This again makes the audience question their own beliefs to whether they have seen this or not. The audience are then able to feel the fear of the characters, not knowing who is in their house, and why.  After this, editing devices allow us to feel there fear and share the experience as eye line matches, and point of view shots are used when looking around the room, and when we see the words “hello” written all over the window. We are therefore seeing what is happening through their eyes and are able to emphasize with them. When the axe comes through the door the speed of editing increases rapidly. This is where the climax begins; a montage of quick, and very creepy pieces of footage . The atmosphere becomes crazy, chairs falling over, the axe breaking its way in the door and so on. The broken record then begins to complement this action taking place on screen as the tune is now on a loop and is gradually getting faster and faster, just like the speed of editing. The fast cuts create an unsettled feeling and reflects the characters panic that we can see on screen. It makes it seem like the characters have no control over what is going to happen to them and everything seems rushed and unsmooth. Due to the speed of the edits, excitement, fear and tension is created as the audience feel that they are being prepared for one final burst of action, otherwise known as the sting.

This is an unconventional sting as it is longer than normal, but this allows us to appreciate the dialogue that is taking place which is explaining to the victims why the antagonists are there. The fact that the antagonists are only there because the victims were home makes the whole film seem crueller, and then we realise that they had no real motive, and were just ‘playing a game’. The long take gives us enough time to allow us to appreciate the full horror of this face appearing in the darkness. The close up of this blurred face is eerie and scary, adding to the fear that the audience have just experienced during the climax. Then, just when we think it’s all over, there is a final lingering image as the female antagonist emerges, getting closer and closer to the camera. This also reflects the fact that the characters, and the audience, are being haunted to the very end.

I am going to now start exploring mise en scene elements within the sequence, such as setting, lighting, and body language, and looking at how they are used to create meaning and understanding for the target audience. Two of horrors most conventional setting’s can be found in this one trailer. As we see at the beginning, the film is set in a house in the middle of a wood. It looks as If there house is the only one around, which suggests they are some distance away from any other people. A large house is a common setting when watching horrors. It allows the characters to look helpless and defenceless against the killers. It also adds fear for the audience when watching these types of horrors as behind any door, or any wall, someone can be lurking.  At the very beginning of the trailer, we see an extreme long shot of a lake, surrounded in tree’s, appearing to the audience as a wood. The trailer then cuts to a closer image of the outside of this house, where we can still see elements of a wood. This therefore allows the audience to realise how far away they are from help and also lets them simply know that there house is positioned in a wood. Again, a horror situated in a wood is very common as it creates the idea that there could be anyone in there and also, when it is dark, a wood is always associated with fear as many horror stories are about woods and the creatures that lurk within. By having this film being set partially outside, near the woods, adds fear for the audience watching as they know that something dangerous is going to happen and that there is no escape, and no help close by. Typical backgrounds we see in the trailer are those you would expect to see in any home. For example, we see a kitchen, a bathroom, a dining room and so on. by using settings such as these, realism is created and the audience therefore find the film more believable and realistic, and therefore more frightening as they can begin to put themselves in the characters shoes. From the beginning of the trailer, the colours that are used are warm and welcoming, accompanying the romantic scene that is being set. Also, the warm colours make the setting seem more homely, allowing the audience to become surprised as the action kicks in, feeling sorry for the characters as they were doing nothing wrong.  As the film trailer moves on, colours become colder, darker and harsher. For example, when the action moves to outside of the house, we see dark and dull colours, suggesting the harshness of the antagonists themselves. A lot of the lighting used is available lighting, which comes from a source not provided by specialised filming equipment and so on. For example, throughout, light is given from lamps and candles, this adds to the warm feeling of their home.  Another example is from the headlamps on the car and the light on the garage outside. Realism is created through the use of this type of lighting and also makes the characters being tormented seem more normal, making the situation they are in seem crueler. At the very end of the film trailer, low key lighting has been used where one of the antagonists is talking to the female victim, where there is a sharp contrast between light and dark areas and deep dark shadows have been formed. Costume plays a huge part in this film. As the antagonists are wearing masks, their identity is hidden, adding mystery and suspicion to the film and also reflecting the fact that they are somewhat UN human due to the cruel, cold actions that they take. The masks they wear are creepy and scary, adding additional fright to the film purely just because of the masks. The victims wear simple plain clothes, adding to the realism that has already been created through lighting etc. from start to end, body language changes. At the beginning, both characters body language is open and welcoming. They are close reflecting that they are romantically involved and also they are just a normal couple, in their home. As the trailer digresses, body language changes and becomes closed. This is due to the fear the characters are feeling and also makes them look vulnerable and powerless. For example, when the axe cuts through the door, we see the female jump back in terror, hiding behind her fiancé, screaming. Also, there is a shot of the female again, hiding in what looks to be a cupboard of some sort, where her arms are clenched together and held up by her body. She looks frightened and her body language expresses to the audience that she is terrified and defenceless. If there was no sound in this film trailer, we would be able to tell the genre through facial expressions. At the beginning, the couple look into each other’s eyes lovingly, letting the audience know that they are indeed a couple. They then quickly look up and seem frightened. When the female character enters the bedroom to find ‘hello’ written all over the window, she gasps, holding her hands up to her mouth, with fear in her eyes. This reflects the danger they are in and allows the audience to know that she is scared. As we enter the climax of the trailer, there are a number of instances where both the females and the male’s facial expressions reflect the genre of the film. For example, when the axe cuts through the front door, the female begins screaming and the male looks shocked as he protects her from any more danger. They both look panicked and confused as to why this is happening to them.

Camera, throughout the whole trailer has been used to for effect and to create meaning. It makes the trailer more exciting and anticipation-invoking while also creating audience understanding. At the start of the trailer, an extreme long shot of a wood has been used to emphasize the idea that the couple in a stranded and deserted setting. The action then cuts to a long shot of the house, allowing the audience to know that this is where the action is going to take place, and also to show that this house stand alone. A range of close up’s have been used, for example of the rose petals on the bed, and of the candles being lit, aiding the audiences understanding that these two individuals are romantically involved. As the couples move close together, a range of extreme close ups are used, for example on each of their necks, and arms suggesting the passion between them and the fire in their relationship. We then see an extreme close up of an engagement ring box, which signals the fact that he is going to propose to her. As the noise from outside occurs, we see a medium shot of the female character looking outside of the window showing the audience what she see’s, the swings swinging on their own. Right through the trailer, we see medium shots of both the characters looking around. This tells the audience that they know something or someone is there, and is therefore trying to find them. By using a medium shot, we are able to see enough of the setting/ background, but also, able to clearly see the expression and emotion shown on both of their faces. Towards the middle of the film trailer, we are presented with a high angle shot of the female victim. This makes her look vulnerable and helpless making her seem defenceless against the power that the killers are holding over her life. We are then shown an extreme close up, of the female locking the front door. This shows the audience that she is trying to protect her and her fiancé against the dangers that are occurring outside of their home. This is then contradicted by the fact that even though she has locked the door, the antagonists, are still somehow able to enter the home. This suggests that they are powerful and also adds terror to the situation, as there is nowhere to hide. As we see the long shot of the kitchen, this enables us to understand the normality of their home, and the catastrophe that is taking place, invading their privacy, as we see a killer enter the room, in the background. As the action moves to outside of the home, we see a long shot of the woods, reminding the audience that there is no one to help, and nowhere to run. We are then shown a long shot of only two of the antagonists, where they look as if they are guarding the outside, making sure that they don’t escape. The fact that the other killer is nowhere to be seen suggests that he is already inside the house, as we previously saw, allowing the audience to feel unnerved and on edge. We then are presented with a over the shoulder shot where we can see the male victim walking around the house, looking for the intruders where behind him, only the audience can see, one of the killers holding an axe. Also, another example, of where an over the shoulder shot has been used, is when the axe cut its way through the door, where we see the male victim, protecting his wife. This shot can therefore be used to create terror and suspense, not knowing if the killer was going use that axe anytime soon, and also to create the idea that the male victim is the protector and that he will not stand for anyone harming his girlfriend. A two person shot is used commonly throughout the trailer of the male and female victims standing at a close proximity. This makes it clear that they are in this together, and not one of them, is going to let anything happen to the other. It also shows the strong bond they have in their relationship, making the audience feel for both of their lives, as they do not want their relationship to be under attack. As we enter the final shots of the trailer, we, the audience, are shown an extreme close up of the antagonist, explaining to his victims why they are there and why they are causing so much horror. The image is blurred and distorted, reflecting the killer’s as having a hidden identity. Just when we think it is all over, we see a final long shot of another killer entering the room from a dark and eerie corner. This adds a final burst of fear for the audience and also makes them want to go and find out, if the couple are going to be safe in the end.

The male victim has been represented throughout this trailer as the protector as we constantly are presented with a range of shots where the female is using him as a protective blanket, or is following closely behind.

When analysing this trailer, looking at sound, camera, editing and mise en scene, I have become aware that these are the factors affecting the overall effectiveness of the trailer. I believe that all of these factors help aid audience understanding and suggests the genre of the film. I feel that the target audience will be lured in by the terrifying sounds and the actual footage itself. I think that the target audience will be encourage, purely from this trailer to go and watch the film due to the way the trailer has been put together to reveal the basic narrative, but not giving too much information away (no spoilers!) since watching this film trailer, I have been inspired by the way sound has been used to both terrify and excite the audiences which is why I want to  incorporating some similar sounds into my own trailer as this is the impact I would like it to have on my target audience.