Silent Hill Film Trailer Analysis

When watching this film trailer, I was able to recognise that the codes and conventions of film trailers have been followed. For example, the overall structure of the trailer has been conventionally pieced together allowing the audience to understand that it is a trailer. The trailer starts off slowly, setting the narrative, and introduced the audience to some of the characters. For example, we are presented with the two main characters at the start, as they are sitting by a tree; a mother and her daughter. They begin talking about a place that the daughter talks about in her sleep, and say that they are going to go there. This straight away lets the audience know that the film is going to be about a mysterious place that no one has ever been to before. As the trailer speeds up in pace, the audience gain a clearer understanding of the whole narrative as they see the daughter going missing and so on. By the end of the trailer, the audience have been presented with a vast range of eerie and scary shots in a fast paced climax found in any horror trailer towards the end, which then leads to a frightening sting (a final burst of action).  By following this structure, not only does the audience gain understanding of the narrative, but also audience intrigue as there is a constant build up throughout leading to the sting.

21 seconds into the film trailer are the audience become aware of the genre of this film. This is because they are shown the mother driving her and her daughter to this mysterious place where the radio begins to lose signal when suddenly a little girl appears in the road. As the mother tries to turn the car to try and refrain from running over this little girl, she loses control and hits the girl. The audience are then shown that the girl’s body goes straight through the car and comes out fine at the other end, where we become aware that she is a ghost. Ghosts and eerie goings on are the conventions of a supernatural/ psychological horror so any horror film fans, and the target audience of this film, will be able to tell early on in the trailer what the genre is. Right the way through, there are other aspects suggesting the film’s genre such as the actual setting; the deserted and misty town, otherwise known as Silent Hill. Also, the straps we see in the trailer, such as “Fear without end” suggest that this is a horror film.

Codes and conventions such as mise en scene elements and sound are present in this trailer. Looking at sound, typical Diegetic and non Diegetic sounds have been featured, such as eerie music, screams and of course, dialogue. Sound effects such as stabs have been used to scare the audience and make them jump, for example, at the end of the film trailer, during the sting; a loud noise is played after silence making the audience feel unnerved and scared. Silence is another sound commonly used in film trailers as it creates an eerie and mysterious atmosphere and also builds tension and suspense. Conventionally, there are a number of straps used through the trailer, helping to aid audience understanding. For example, “secrets without explanation”; this strap reveals the fact that there are secrets and mystery’s that are going to be uncovered in this film.  Conventions of supernatural horror films are also shown throughout this trailer such as the ghosts, eerie goings on, such as towards the end of the trailer, the mother is surrounded by some sort of creatures. By following codes and c0nventions of any media text, but in this case, a film trailer, you are allowing your target audience to be able to understand and recognise the genre of your film, letting those not so horror loving fans turn away, and those avid horror geeks to carry on watching. Also, by following conventions, audiences will be able to see what they are expecting and hoping to see, and also, able to be prepared for the scary parts, for example, they know that when the end is near, there is going to be something to make them jump and scream.

I am now going to be looking at how sound, editing and mise en scene elements help create audience understanding, how they build up tension and suspense, and how they are used to promote this film and at the same time, I will be looking at how these areas create excitement for the audience. Let us begin with sound;  

At the beginning of the film trailer, whilst the narrative is being set, there is a gentle tune being played, like a guitar and a flute. This is used to set a calm and peaceful atmosphere, reflecting the calm and natural environment that they are currently sitting in. The low volume and slow speed of this tune allows the audience to be able to get a fuller understanding of what is going on, and are able to take more notice of the dialogue that they are also being presented with. You can also hear wind, and the rustling of grass which creates realism, but I also felt that this suggested some kind of spiritual presence, which wind is sometimes associated with. We can hear who we believe to be this little girl’s mother saying “Hunny, sometimes when you go to sleep you on a little walk, and sometimes you talk about a place”. Her tone is soft and calm, which is complemented by the music playing, and we are now aware that there is some kind of psychological issue with this young girl, and her sleepwalking. The little girl vulnerably replies by saying “I don’t remember” where the mother then says “that is why we are going to go there, so you can remember”. Now the audience are aware that something strange is happening to this little girl, and that she is talking about a place where she has never been in her sleep. From this dialogue, the audience are able to realise the psychological/ supernatural sub genre of this horror film. We are also aware now that this must be persistently happening to the young girl, enough for her mother to want to drive to this place, to check it out.

In the next part of the trailer, where the action is now taking place in car, the sound begins to get louder and an additional instrument, sounding like a piano, has been added to the previous piece of music being played. This suggests that they are getting closer to finding out more about the narrative as tension is now building and the audience will become excited in wanting to know where they are going and so on. as the scene moves on, the radio begins to lose signal and creates a crackling and high pitched tune. This adds to the tension and begins to create a sort of unsettling atmosphere for the audience as they become unnerved and on edge. As the mother tries to turn the radio off, the tune that was previously playing stops and all we can hear is this deafening high pitched sound coming from the radio. A dramatic stab sound is then played into the trailer as we see the daughter wake up in the back of the car. Action then cuts to what is happening in front of the car, where the mother and daughter begin to scream as they can see a girl walking in the middle of the road. The atmosphere now is panicked and confusing as the mother was trying to sort out the radio, as well as trying to drive, and looking round to see if her daughter was ok. As the mother tries to swerve the car, we, the audience are able to see this girl become ghostly, as the car moves straight through her. The next bit of sound that we can hear is the sound of tires skidding along a road, which is matched by the action on screen of the mother trying to regain control of her car. Suddenly we hear a crash, and the sound of glass break, where the audience can automatically become aware of the fact that the car has crashed.

Action then cuts to a dead black out, suggesting some sort of unconsciousness from crashing the car, where no sound is being played. Tension and suspense is now being built as we cut again to the mother in the car, with injuries, waking up. As she looks beside her, to see if her daughter is ok, a ghostly, loud sound is played, creating tension as the audience want to know if the little girl is ok. When she turns around to see her daughter is not there, the mother shouts “SHARON” three or four times, now left the car, running along the road asking for help, and trying to find her daughter. As she feels raindrops on her face, she looks up, to see black rain drops falling from the sky. This is accompanied by a one key sound being played on a piano reflecting the rain drops hitting the mother and the ground. This key becomes louder and louder and then becomes distorted as the mother looks up to the sign reading; ‘Silent Hill’. The one key noise stops, and then we hear a stab sound, as the sign changes into sepia colour and then cuts to a dead black out. The mother again screams her daughter’s name, this time echoing through the misty surrounding; suggesting a ghostly persona and that there is no one there to help her.

As the mother looks around this town, named Silent Hill, she is on the phone speaking to a male who we can see on screen. She says “Christopher, Sharon is gone, I need your help, I’m not ok, please, hurry”. The audience now begin to feel for the mother as she is distraught from losing her daughter, and calls for help from a man who we may assume to be the father/ husband. The way she just says this, and doesn’t wait for a reply suggests that she has had to leave a message, again making the audience feel for her, and suggesting that she is alone with no one there to even contact. Action then cuts to a framed picture of the mother, the daughter and the man, which allows the audience to become aware that he is her father.

When the strap appears on screen, a loud siren is being played which seems eerie and scary. we then hear the father say “a fire started, 30 years ago” then cutting to a flash back of a young girl followed by adults walking out of a burning building. This is followed with the sound of screams and loud, sharp noises, telling the audience that this was a catastrophic fire that had caused pain and maybe even, many deaths. As the action cuts to the mother outside, there is a loud screeching sound, similar to the sound we heard at the beginning when the mother crashed the car.

We then see a little girl, who looks like the daughter, and the ghost girl we previously saw. This noise suggests to the audience that this is the ghost girl, but as the mother see’s her and screams “Sharon”, the audience are then made to believe that this is the daughter. The noise is also very loud and sudden which grabs the audience’s attention straight away. During the next part of the trailer, we hear the mother asking “I don’t know what’s happening, do you know what is going on here?” looking at who seems to be some kind of police woman or detective. The woman replies by saying “this place is completely cut off”, which adds to the fear of the audience as they know are certain that this town is haunted and that the mother is not alone. As the trailer moves on, becoming faster as we are now leading up to the climax, a hooded person is shown on screen saying “only the dark one opens and closes the door to silent hill” in an eerie and scary way. This person seems to be whispering which allows us to think that there are secrets being kept and also that there is someone there that she/ he doesn’t want to hear, again adding to the fear that the audience are already experience and creating some sort of mystery.

As the camera moves to show the mother looking for her daughter, we hear a swift noise, like a breath quickly moving past your ear. This makes the audience feel as if there is someone behind them, also adding a ghostly atmosphere. We then cut to action featuring the husband saying “I’m trying to find my wife” alongside the sound of rain, creating realism. The husband sounds scared and serious, and by this time, panicked. A close up of a child is then shown to the audience, accompanied by three sharp noises as the child moves. The situation now seems more unnerving and makes the audience feel off edge and frightened.

The mother then says “She looks exactly like Sharon, Why?” which makes the audience question whether this little girl is Sharon. As previously heard, the sounds of sirens enter the trailer again, as if they are being warned, like in the world wars where if the siren blew, everyone would evacuate to bomb shelters and train stations etc. We then see a group of people running into a building, backing up the idea that they are being warned and are being told to run and hide. The police officer from earlier on then shouts “Rose, come on, Rose hurry, its coming!” who we assume to be the mother’s name. By the use of the words its coming, and the fact that everyone is running away on screen creates tension and suspense as the audience are still unaware of this thing that everyone is talking about. The audience now are excited, but frightened and the adrenalin rush now begins to kick in.

Now silence and just a light wind like sound is all we can hear. On screen we can see darkness, followed by the mother holding a torch, alone. She goes onto say “what’s happening” suggesting the danger she is in, and then gasps as if there is something there. As we can see a strange creature like figure approaching her from behind, we can hear a sharp eerie noise gradually becoming louder and louder, as the creature reaches closer and closer until a woman says “to find your daughter, you must face the darkness of hell”. The audience at this point are aware that the mother is in some kind of paranormal world, possibly hell.

The mother than says “it’s ok baby,  mummy’s coming” reassuring the audience that everything is going to be alright, and also suggesting this mother’s courage to search for her child in this strange and scary world. Suddenly the mother gasps and we hear another sharp noise echoing through our speakers, followed by a hand falling on to the ground where she was walking. This sudden change in sound and the mother’s reaction then contradicts the previous dialogue that the mother had said as now the audience are unsure If the mother is going to be able to find her daughter, and if she does, alive.

We then hear the sounds of a knife being pulled out of some kind of case, like it is being swung. This reflects the action happening on screen as we can see what appears to be a mummy swing at the mother with a knife. All noise abruptly comes to a standstill, as does the footage on screen shortly followed by the sound of a heartbeat as each bit of action cuts again and again. Tension is building and suspense is rising and then as the audience expect, the final burst of action, otherwise known as the sting comes with a loud, sharp, screaming noise, making the audience jump and become terrified. As the trailer ends on such an evil and eerie noise, the audience suspect a bad ending and will therefore want to go to the cinema to watch this film on release.

Now moving onto editing devices used throughout the Silent Hill film trailer, I will discuss how editing is used to create suspense, tension and fear as well as allowing the audience to feel excited and intrigued.

At the beginning of Silent Hill, we see characters who appear to be a mother and daughter sitting in a field against a tree, where the camera seems to be looking at them through the grass which reflects the idea that someone is looking at them. Like any film trailer we are presented with an equilibrium before we realise the bad things that are about to happen. In this film trailer, a cross dissolve has been used at the start where we see two images merged together, showing that the location has stayed the same even though the action has changed, and it also shows the close relationship between the mother and daughter. Now a dead blackout is used, emphasising that something has changed as another cross dissolve has not been used.

As we move into the car scene, speed of editing begins to increase in speed whereas leading up to this point, speed was relatively slow. The dead blackout also suggested the change in location as we are now in a car heading where we believe to be the place the girl has been speaking of in her sleep. We then see quick fades in and out as the mother begins to lose control of the car. Cuts are then used inside the car which are choppy, violent and make everything seem panicked, suggesting something is wrong. Again, fast cuts have been used outside of the car, showing the surroundings which look isolated and showing the car in different angles making it look more out of control. After the crash we are again presented with a dead blackout which is longer than previous blackouts suggesting a big problem, possibly death. It could also reflect a state of unconsciousness of the mother, the daughter, the girl outside the car, or all three. As we see the mother wake up after the crash, two cross dissolves have been used as she looks round the car for her daughter. This use of editing makes the situation seem confusing and also reflects the feelings running through the mothers mind as she realises her daughter is now missing. As we cut to the outside of the car, it is quick and sharp leading up to another dead blackout. As the dead blackout fades from black, and we see the mother running alongside the road, screaming her daughter’s name, we see black raindrop falling onto the mother’s face where we are then made aware that it is in fact ash.

We then see a sign post reading ‘SILENT HILL’. As we carry on reading the sign, the colours become inverted and flashes of white have been edited into this shot, possibly to reflect evil as we see a strange inverted view on the town.  As the mother enters the town, four fast dead blackouts have been used, when each time we see the footage, we are looking at the town and the mother from a different angle. This shows to the audience the surroundings and the new setting that the mother is now in and could also reflect eyes/ people or creatures, lurking in the corners of the town, spying on the mother. This would make the audience feel on edge and nervous for the safety of the mother and her lost child, which will add to the tension that has already been created. The action then cuts to a new male character, cutting back forth between the two. When we see a framed picture of this same male character standing closely beside the mother and her child, we can then understand that this is in fact the father/ husband. The cross cutting from each character suggests the distance between them, making it clear that the mother is a long way from home.

We are then presented with another strap reading; ‘What was once an ordinary town’. It is in a grey scaled, black and white style which links in with the dull and black colours that have been used throughout the trailer so far, and also suggests evil. We are now publicized to an eye line match from the father’s point of view as he reveals to the audience a newspaper article on his computer with the headline “Silent Hill: The Tainted Town. Underground fires still burning today”. This aids the audiences understanding of the narrative further, along with the dialogue, as we are now aware that this town suffered from a fire, suggesting that that is why it is dull, dead and eerie.

Now we are shown a flashback, with a sepia/ greyscale tone showing a group of people walking out of what looks to be a burning building, lead by a young girl with a similar appearance to the mother’s daughter. Three fast cuts have been used, but it is enough for us to see that the group of people are all dressed in black, apart from the child leading them out. This could suggest or resemble a ghost like exterior, but also could represent a funeral, as it is a tradition for the congregation to be dressed purely in black.

The next strap has now been introduced which reads “has been transformed by evil” again in the same style and font to the previous one that we saw seconds before; grey scaled, dull etc. the words now allow the audience to know for a fact that this place is evil and dangerous, so the audience now begin to fear for the daughters and the mothers safety.

A straight cut after the strap leads us to a whip pan of the mother has been used to show expression. She looks scared and the edit taking place is fast and confusing. As we hear the mother scream her daughter’s name, a point of view shot is now in sight as we see a shot of a little girl, walking with her head down, again with a similar appearance to her daughter (at this point we do not know if this child is the daughter or not). Again, the shot is fast and blurred, adding to the confusion of the scene and also creating fear and anxiety as there is no time to think about what you have just seen.

We cut to an extreme long shot of the mother running down the isolated roads of the town Silent Hill, before ending with a dead blackout. As we see the next piece of footage, we can suggest that this blackout has been used to help introduce the new character we are now looking at, showing us that this scene is not a carry on from the last one. The new character that has been introduced is a female police officer, so automatically; the audience may feel some sense of relief that the mother has found help. We then, from a low angle shot, are shown a caped character, who then rids this sensation of relief and fills the audience with fear again.

As the mother enters the school building, quick and sharp dead black outs have been used which create tension and suspense. For example, a medium shot of a girl is shown, but quickly broken up into three shots, this makes the audience question her identity and also aids the audience to feel on edge and frightened. The dead black outs also suggest to me that we are seeing this girl from the mothers point of view, where the dead black outs act in place for the mothers eye, as if she is blinking to rid the image of this demonic looking child.

The climax begins after the group of people are seen running into some kind of building and we are again presented with a dead black out; which this time is longer and more drawn out, creating suspense. From here on out we are presented with a fast, visual montage of shots that you would find in the film. Editing devices used throughout these are; straps i.e. ‘secrets without explanation’ and ‘fear without end’. By braking up the climax with straps, it aids audience understanding which they may not be able to get from the footage alone as it is fast paced and diverse. As the climax moves on the straps begin to change colour and instead of being on a grey scale template, we can now see a fiery orange colour being used, which reflects the fire that this town had once experienced. When the music stops, and all we can hear is the sound of a heart, beating, the editing goes in time with the beating and each shot is divided with a dead black out. This makes everything seem panicked and rushed, and adds to the fear and anticipation of wanting to find out what happens next. The trailer then ends with a loud burst of sound and a final shot of footage, otherwise known as the sting which leaves the audience scared, yet excited and wanting more.

I feel that this film trailer uses brilliant technical skills in order to frighten the audience, such as sound, camera, editing and mise en scene. I have now become more familiar with the codes and conventions of trailers after having analysed its structure and the way in which this is used for effect. I believe that this is a film trailer that would have successfully lured in its target audience through all elements including Mise en scene. Having analysed this film trailer, it has drawn my attention to the importance of sound and editing as these are the two factors in which I felt were most effective and enticing. Therefore this film trailer has inspired me to want to create the same effect through sound and editing, rather than thinking that I should be purely focusing on the footage itself; although that is extremely important and as much effort will be going into it as the others, I am now are that it will not be an effective trailer that I long for is some technical areas are neglected.

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.  

The Orphan Film Trailer Analysis

In order to further investigate the common codes and conventions that my target audience are going to want to see, I am going to analyse four trailers promoting my favourite Psychological/Supernatural Horrors. They are also texts that I have been creatively inspired by. This will expand my knowledge of the codes and conventions, and make me more confident in understanding the core elements of these two sub-genres.

The Orphan

I feel that this film trailer successfully and conventionally follows the typical structure of film trailers. It starts off slowly, letting us know that this family was going to adopt a child, called Esther. Then towards the middle of the film trailer we begin to find out that this child is troubled, and there is something wrong. Then, the climax appears and we receive a visual montage of the different types of torment that Esther puts this mother and family through. The structure allows the audience to know what the general narrative of the film is about, but doesn’t give too much away which allows the audience to remain intrigued. For example, we see the other children in the film being used to get to the mother, e.g. when the little girl gets pushed in front of the car, etc. But we never get to see the outcome, or what happens to the child. An enigma is set up too; we know something is wrong with Esther, but what?

Throughout watching the trailer, I believe that we, as the audience, become aware of the genre and sub genre as the middle part of the trailer kicks in. When we see Esther become violent in the toilet, and screaming, the action then cuts to a strap reading ‘I think there is something wrong with Esther’. It is written in black and white, colours associated with purity and evil, common themes in horror. Whilst also setting up an enigma, this strap, as a direct follow-on from the violent scene in the toilet, forces us to question the child’s mental state.  Upon coming to this conclusion, I thought back to the beginning of the film trailer, and how we are straight away become aware of the fact that this child has been in an orphanage. This then made me realise that this was a psychological horror film as one of the main conventions you see in these types of horror are that they include a troubled, disturbed individual (also the use of a child). I linked to the fact that Esther must not have had a very good up-bringing, living without a family in an orphanage. Other codes and conventions that we see throughout the whole of the film trailer are that the typical settings that we see in psychological horror films are used. For example, two different types of schools are used, a big house in an isolated setting, hospital and so on. Another typical convention that we see is the types of characters that are being used. The main victims are, once again, a female mother figure, other children and a father figure. We also are introduced to a disturbed individual/child as the antagonist and so on... We also hear the common sounds/ music such as contrapuntal music that is played towards the end of the film trailer, screams, high pitched sounds and so on. Also, some general conventions that we see are that there are no deaths shown on screen and the antagonist appears, at first, and in terms of her physical appearance, to be normal. Through using all of these conventions, the correct audience will be attracted to the film as they will be able to notice some of the things that they look out for when watching their preferred sub-genre of horror.

When watching this trailer, I realised that the mood and the target audiences understanding of the film trailer is created through mise en scene elements such as lighting, body language, setting and so on.

Settings/ backgrounds are used throughout this trailer to create realism. The typical conventions that we see in any psychological horror film are also shown in this film trailer which will appeal and attract to the correct target audience. For example, schools are a common convention of a psychological horror film and in this film trailer; we see two different schools in different locations. This could be because of the fact that the killer has had a bad childhood and wants to seek revenge on other children/ teenagers, for example.  Also, the main setting is in the family’s home which is the most common setting for any horror film of any sub genre.  This could be because the audience are therefore able to picture themselves in this situation and would therefore be more thrilling and un-nerving. We see a hospital, a park and so on, and these types of setting simply create realism. In one scene in the park, where Esther spots the girl that bullied her about the way she dressed, we see her follow the girl up to the top of one of the play instruments where she appears to push her off. A shot is then shown of Esther at the top, looking powerful and like it was her kingdom, her domain, due to the low angle of the shot. Other mise-en-scene elements add to the effect. Esther’s dark, old-fashioned costume and the shape of her hat give her a witch-like appearance that immediately leads us to see her as evil, sinister and a danger to innocent children.

When looking at lighting and colours that are used throughout this trailer we see that there is a gradual change from the beginning to the end. At the start of the film trailer, there is a range of bright colours on show to the audience e.g. when Esther is painting, there are a lot of colours on the page. This makes it unclear at the beginning of what type of genre that this film belongs to as the child and family look happy and normal. Ambient lighting is being used which makes the atmosphere appear bright and normal. Then, as the trailer moves onto the scene where Esther is in the toilet, kicking and screaming, the lighting and colours begin to change. They become darker and a blue tinge is present. This suggests to the audience that there has been a change in emotion, and everything is no longer ‘normal’. From then on, lighting and colours only become darker and sometimes the effect is almost black and white. This could suggest the contrast of characters, the black representing the evil inside Esther, and the white representing the innocence of the other children and the mother in the film. Skies become grey and stay that way until the trailer ends which creates a gloomy and evil atmosphere. The use of fire in the film trailer also suggests evil as fire is a symbol from ‘hell’. Lightning is used in the scene where Esther is standing over her ‘step sister’s’ bed whilst she sleeps. This again creates a sense of evil and a villain like feeling, and we can then tell that something is going to happen.

At the beginning of the trailer we see that facial expressions and body language is calm and happy. All the characters are smiling, the mother and father have welcoming eyes, and all the children, even Esther, have soft faces, representing the innocence of children in general. Then, as the trailer moves rapidly on, body language becomes more closed, facial expressions become stronger and our view on the character of Esther begins to change. We see Esther giving evil stares and at some points, evil smiles, like she has a cunning plan on how to destroy this mother’s family. The scene where Esther is in the toilet, her facial expressions and body language is angry and violent which reflects her character. Other characters in the trailer such as the other young children, the mother and the father, towards the end of the trailer, there facial expressions too, begin to change, for the worse. They all have fear in their eyes and they look confused as to why this is happening to them.  The other young child looks innocent and defenceless against the evil of her adopted sister who is steering her into several ‘death traps’. We, as an audience, begin to feel sorry for the family and worry about their survival.

All of these mise en scene elements follow typical codes and conventions of this sub-genre which therefore exceeds the target audience’s expectations of what they are hoping/ wanting to see when watching this film trailer. By keeping in touch with the audience and knowing what they want, and why, it is therefore easier to create an effective film trailer which will include all of these things. By following codes and conventions, it is like a ‘tick list’, checking off everything that your target audience hope to see, and by showing these in the trailer, the audience will want to go and see the film. 

Sound, in any case, is one of the most important and key element of any piece of moving media. In this film trailer, the combination of Diegetic and Non Diegetic Sound is used to create fear, excitement and anticipation for the audience. Diegetic sound has been used in this film trailer to help aid the target audience’s understanding of the narrative. For example, towards the middle of the trailer, when our understanding of the narrative should become more detailed and clear, we hear the mother’s voice say “I think there is something wrong with Esther”. Immediately, the target audience are aware that something bad is going to happen and that Esther isn’t the child we first thought to be kind and ‘normal’. Also, at the beginning of the trailer, Esther says “I guess I am different” to the mother, so even from the beginning, even if we didn’t think it straight away, on a sub conscious level, the audience become aware that this is no ordinary child. During the climax of the trailer, dialogue becomes mainly screams and shouting e.g. the mother on numerous occasions shouts out “What did you do!” “What are you doing?!” and so on. This then makes it apparent to the target audience that the family are in trouble and that Esther is the one causing the trouble. Esther’s scream, on the other hand, which we hear about half way through the trailer, is spine chilling and signals her disturbed mental state, again confirming that there is ‘something wrong’ with this child. Realism is created by the sounds that are used that we would hear normally in our day to day lives e.g. the school bell, the sound of a car engine and so on.

Non Diegetic Sound has been used in this trailer to create a sense of fear and suspense. The sounds/music excites the target audience and makes them want to know what happens next, thus making them want to go and watch the film. At the start of the trailer, a light melody is being played on a piano which contradicts the genre of the film. As the trailer digresses, the music becomes more eerie and the tempo builds up which suggests to the target audience that the action/ horror is about to take place. During the climax of the trailer, there is a sharp beat that gradually gets louder and louder, which builds suspense and excitement for the audience. Contrapuntal music, in the form of a child singing ‘The Glory of Love’, is played at the end of the trailer as part of the sting which makes the scene seem creepy and disturbed. Also, a heartbeat sound is being played, gradually speeding up, whilst the action gets faster and faster on screen. This could suggest the fact that the family are trying to run away from the orphan because she is causing them all this distress. It is also likely to mimic the increase in the audience’s heartbeat as their excitement levels grow. This effect could create tension and suspense for the audience, building them up and up, before they know that they must go and see the film when it hits the cinema. There are a few occasions where straps are used to help aid the audiences understanding of the narrative and to anchor the meaning of the images shown. One of the straps reads; ‘There’s something wrong with Esther’ which tells the target audience that this child is no ordinary little girl, and she has something hidden from her past. This strap signals to the audience that there has been a change in the narrative and that we are about to see evidence of what is wrong with the child – cue scary scenes. This strap could also be the indicator to some of the audience of what the genre is. Another strap line that is used reads ‘You’ll never guess her secret’ which reassures the target audience that what they were thinking is true, that Esther has a hidden secret/ side to her. This adds to the suspense and the target audience are therefore even more intrigued to go to the cinema to watch the full version of the film in order to find out what the hidden secret is. 

Conventionally, the speed of editing starts off slowly before gradually becoming faster and faster. This type of editing builds up tension and creates suspense and also adds excitement for the audience. It does this because when it starts slowly, you are able to get a clear understanding of the basic narrative, then as the speed builds up more and more on the action scenes, it prepares the audience for a final burst of action at the end, which is known as the sting. Not only does this speed and style of the trailer create excitement and suspense, but it also creates fear and a sense of eeriness that makes the audience jump out of their skins! Dead black outs are a popular type of fade used throughout this film trailer which creates effect for a number of reasons. One of the main reasons as to why film makers use dead black outs in their film trailers is to build tension and excitement. They create an impact when watching the film trailer and simply help to create a clear transition from one piece of action to the next. Other reasons why dead black outs are used, especially in this particular film trailer, is to create an erratic sense of terror that complements the action on screen. For example, during the film trailer for the ‘Orphan’, towards the end, there is a fast climax of pieces of footage that are being used, from different parts of the scene, and different forms of torment are presented. Dead black outs are used here because it makes the action that is happening on screen look more panic-filled, anxiety-ridden and terrifying. Also, this could reflect Esther’s erratic sense of mind, as we appear to be looking at the action through Esther’s eyes, the dead black outs could be seen to symbolise her eyes, blinking as she watches the terror and torment she has caused. On two occasions, during the film trailer, a white screen appears with the strap written in black. This could reflect Esther’s exterior e.g. her pale, innocent face, contrasting with her thick, dark, black hair. Also, this could symbolise her image; where at the start of the trailer, we assume she is an innocent child (the white background) but then we find out that she isn’t as innocent as we thought, and that she has an evil side (the black writing). The white could also reflect her ghostly, eerie image, even more so as the white fades in and out. Due to the fact that the dead black outs are used a lot throughout this trailer, the white background therefore stands out more and grabs the audience’s attention which is why the strap on the white background is so effective. A shallow focus is used in the trailer where the park swings are swinging back and forth; this creates an eerie illusion as it looks blurry and paranormal. An eye line match is used in the scene in the classroom, where another student is commenting on the way that Esther is dressed. We then see the a reaction shot from Esther where instead of looking upset, like any normal young girl would, she has the look of evil in her eyes which is the first time we see the first glimpse of evil shining through her innocent exterior.  

Moving on to representation within this trailer; the main representation is of children. There is a huge contrast in the representations given. On the one hand, the demonic child Esther is represented in an evil and frightening way, whereas the other two children in the trailer are shown in an innocent and defencelessness way. 

There is contrast of white and dark that runs through the trailer and the film acting as a symbol of good and evil. For example, the general contrast throughout the film of Esther’s hair and skin colour, also the strap’s in the film trailer and so on.

I thoroughly enjoyed analysing the film trailer of ‘Orphan’. Overall, I feel that this film trailer would successfully appeal to the correct target audience as it follows the main codes and conventions of a psychological horror. I believe that this film trailer would encourage its target audience to go and watch the film as it does what every horror film does, and scares the audience. I have been inspired completely by this film trailer as it has made it a very easy decision to choose the psychological sub genre and also, the fact that this film is based on a demonic child, has encouraged me to also use a child as what is believed to be the main antagonist.

Codes and Conventions of Film Magazine Front Covers

Film magazines celebrate and provide information on films both past and present. Those best selling film magazines such as ‘EMPIRE’ focus on populist titles which attracts a wider target audience. Those who read film magazines are largely made up of passionate film fans. The male gender is also said to make up a large percent of readers which could be brought down to the fact that these magazines are mainly image heavy, with little text, which has been proven to appeal to males more than it does to females.

The front cover of any magazine is the main focal point for every reader. They are used to draw in their audiences with the combination of image and sell lines. Some of the main codes and conventions that you expect to see on a film magazine front cover are as follows:

The type of shot that is used on the front cover of a film magazine are mainly close up’s.

Like any magazine, they feature a big, bold, eye catching mast head at the top of the page.

Image dominates the page, which is again the case with any magazine front cover that you will see on the shelves.

Film magazines tend to use dark, primary colours because they are simple and bold.

The names of actors, actresses and famous directors are featured on the front to draw in all kinds of different target audiences.

The name of the featured film is always the second largest piece of text, after the mast head, which is on the front cover of the magazine.

Graphics and colours are interchangeable, depending on the featured film. For example, if a horror film was being featured on the front covers, the colours would be dark and dull whereas if it was a romantic comedy, colours would change and be brighter and more welcoming.

The few sell lines that are actually featured on the front cover of a film magazine indicate the information that they will be able to find inside.

Only three/ four colours maximum are used on the front cover to maintain the simplicity of the magazine. An example of this convention is exemplified in the below editions of 'EMPIRE'.

Like film posters, props are used to suggest the main genre of the film.

Along the top of the front cover, additional information that could determine that the audience will buy this magazine is featured. E.g. free posters, entry into competitions and so on.

Empire is Britain’s best selling film magazine just above Total Film, Britain’s second best seller.