LO1 - Understand Audio/Visual Promos

Dead Man's Shoes (2004) movie trailer, MEADOWS. S, UK, Warp, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFi6FrAV9SE [10/12/14]

Purpose

The purpose of this film trailer is to entertain and create spectacle; and to inform. Creating spectacle will intentionally persuade an audience to want to see Dead Man's Shoes, as it makes it look exciting. Informing the audience about some, but not all, of the information about the film will make them want to see the film to find out the story, along with the excitement. There isn't too much information as that would discourage a viewer to see the full film, as the whole synopsis would be already be revealed in the trailer.

Form

The form is a film trailer. We can tell this because the narrative and action is non-linear - it's not in sequence.

Content and Meaning

Mise en scene

The trailer denotes the location as a town, in a rough, grungy suburb. This connotes deception and community. The costume is denoted as rough, with items like tracksuit bottoms, jackets, jeans and plain t-shirts. This connotes ordinary, day-to-day life, which makes the concept of the film that much scarier as it is as if it could happen to anyone.
There are many shots where weapons like axes or guns are denoted as props. This connotes violence, and the axe in particular highlights common horror trailer/movie tropes in which the villain is careless with violence. In terms of colours, there is a lot of red and white denoted in flashes in the trailer. The red connotes blood and violence, which is usual of trailers and films in the horror genre, and the white (sometimes from shots in negative colours) could connote pain and distress, as pain is sometimes described with whiteness.
For lighting, there isn't really much different low/high-key lighting effects, apart from in the odd shot there's low-key lighting denoted; in the shots indoors. Most of the shots however are fairly high-key and naturally lit, connoting normality and normal life.
Lots of the gestures in the trailer denote hitting, holding down, killing, and force-feeding pills. There is also crying and near the end, the villain holds an axe and holds his arms out wide. The hitting, holding down etc. connotes lots of violence, whereas the crying and shouting - as they look like they're shouting a friend's name - connote compassion and friendship. Near the end the villain makes the gesture of opening his arms, which connotes friendship and welcoming, which is ironic as he is the villain and will probably kill them if they go near him.

Camerawork

The first shot denoted in the trailer is an aerial shot to determine the location. There are also some close-up shots denoted, which allow the audience to see detail and emotion. This allows the audience to empathise with the characters, as if the close-ups denote fear, the audience will feel that fear too. There are some handheld shots, which can connote to different things like instability and chaos, but can also connote to things like comfort. Both of these connotations are used in the trailer.
There is a very fast low-angle shot denoted with the villain in a gas mask, about to attack. The low-angle shot connotes dominance and being intimidating, which is why it is used in relation to the villain.
There is a tracking shot denoted, which allows the audience to follow the action. It is a handheld shot, so in this part it connotes danger and being out of control.

Sound

The trailer begins by denoting non-diegetic sound, some music. The song connotes happiness and being carefree, but the diegetic voiceover says "people who commit evils in God's eyes are not beyond redemption." This isn't a negative statement but holds a lot more seriousness than the feel of the music, suggesting from the start that the trailer will be serious. Then the music changes, and what it changes to connotes a lot more tension than the previous music, which changes the whole atmosphere of the trailer. The diegetic voiceover "what did you do to him? What did you do?" is literally a question, that will leave the audience wanting to find out the answer. This voiceover and its background music connote tension and fear.
Then there is a shot of a group of people, and the diegetic sound denotes a lot of men talking and one shouting and protesting in fear. The non-diegetic music continues, and together with the diegetic sound this again connotes emotions like fear and tension. The next shot, of a group of characters laughing (which is diegetic sound) still has the same non-diegetic music in the background. This music paired with the laughing connotes quite an eerie feel, as normally an audience wouldn't associate laughing with the emotions connoted by the tension music.
There are some more tense scenes paired with the tense non-diegetic music, and some quiet ones where the non-diegetic music turns lullaby-like, which connotes an eerie feel again because a lullaby is supposed to connote comfort and children, but now is quite a common feature of horror trailers.

Editing

The trailer begins by denoting a fade from black. This connotes the start of the story. Then there are a few dissolve transitions, which is when a shot merges gradually into another. These can connote ellipsis, which is the passage of time.
The titles that are denoted first say "a brother's love" in more gentle colours and font; it's in white and lower case making it not so striking. However, the next title graphic says "a brother's VENGEANCE". The first part again is in lower case and gentle colours, but the word "vengeance" is in capital letters, is a burning colour and has light shining through. This could connote danger and violence, especially with the word being "vengeance". Other title graphics in the trailer have the same burning effect as the word "vengeance" had. Apart from the title at the end, the rest of the title graphics denote text from reviews, ratings and film festivals the film has been featured in. This is done to make the audience see that it's critically acclaimed, making them want to go and see it.
Another editing technique denoted in the trailer is flashes of colour. The main ones denoted are flashes of red and white. These are horror trailer conventions, as they are featured in many horror trailers and are a main characteristic. The flashes of red connote blood and violence, and the flashes of white connote panic, fear and pain.


Genre

The genre of this trailer is horror. We can tell because there are flashes of red or white accompanied by non-diegetic sound like sudden bangs. There is also iconography like an axe and there is red in the title of the film, which connotes blood. There are also other features like low-key lighting and close-up shots.

Audience

The audience for this trailer would probably be adult males who enjoy horror films. They would be in the ABC1 class because these are people who can easily afford to go to the cinema to see the film because of disposable income. However, the trailer can be targeted at those in a lower class as sometimes they do have enough money to visit the cinema.



Donkey Punch (2008) movie trailer, BLACKBURN. O, UK, Warp, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pzoh5XvVVjE [10/12/14]

Purpose

The purpose of this movie trailer is to entertain and create spectacle. This will excite the audience, encouraging them to go to see the film Donkey Punch. The purpose is also to inform, as telling the audience minimal information will interest the right audience but also leaves cliffhangers, which may make the viewer want to go to see the film.

Form

The form is a trailer for a film. We can tell it's a trailer because the action and narrative is non-linear - it's made up of montage editing.

Content and Meaning

Mise en Scene

The location from the very start is denoted as a tropical seaside resort. This connotes relaxation or partying and fun. This makes the film more frightening as it's a normal environment. The costume is denoted as swimwear and clothing for warm weather, highlighting the fact that the film takes place in a warm tropical holiday environment.
Props that are denoted include glasses and bottles of alcohol, drugs, guns, knives and a chainsaw. The alcohol and drugs connote partying, danger and a feeling of not knowing what's going on. The weapons also connote danger, violence and, in some cases, self-defence. The fact that a chainsaw is used by a woman in the film challenges stereotypes that women are inferior, or are squeamish in the face of violence.
Colours that are denoted in the trailer include warm colours, to connote warm weather and the beach. This is mostly used towards the start. As the trailer progresses, more colours like black and white are denoted. The black can connote danger and mystery, whereas the flashes of white can connote pain and fear. The lighting towards the start of the trailer includes more high-key lighting, which connotes happiness, fun and sunshine. As the trailer goes on, more low-key lighting is denoted along with the different colours. This can connote sadness, fear, death or mystery.
Gestures that are denoted in the trailer include dancing, drinking, chatting, pointing weapons like guns and attacking. The dancing, drinking and chatting connotes a feeling of relaxation, fun and being carefree. The gestures of pointing weapons and fighting/attacking connotes threat, fear, violence and in some cases self-defence.

Camerawork

The first shot denoted is an extreme close-up of a girl's face. It's very fast, but it shows that the film is centred around girls. Soon after there is a pan shot, which sets the location for the audience. There are some tracking shots, which allow the audience to follow the actions of the characters. The trailer denotes some close-up shots, which allow the audience to see the emotions of the characters.
There is also a low-angle shot denoted, with a man in the frame. A low-angle shot connotes dominance and superiority. The use of a low-angle shot to show a man is stereotypical of how a man should be portrayed, as stereotypically men are dominant over women - this supports John Berger's theory - "men act, women appear".

Sound

The non-diegetic music denoted at the start of the trailer is upbeat and fun. This connotes happiness and partying. Some diegetic sound is then denoted, the characters laughing and chatting, which also connotes happiness and fun.
The non-diegetic music carries on through a clip of the characters in a bar, where we can hear background noise of other people talking. This connotes the bar being busy, and gives a better atmosphere of a bar.
As the trailer goes on, there is still the consistent, very upbeat music in the background, still giving the impression of partying and fun. However, at about 35 seconds in, the trailer denotes a dark turn to the non-diegetic music which changes the atmosphere quickly. The trailer becomes more sinister, and with the characters not acting differently yet, it can tell the audience that something is going to happen, but the characters don't know yet.
The trailer then denotes tension music when the characters figure out what's going on, and the music connotes a build-up of tension, and that something bad is going to happen to the characters.
Then the trailer denotes diegetic sound, of rustling clothes and a woman shouting. Before we even see the shot, we can tell it connotes a fight or a struggle between two or more characters. Further on there is more diegetic sound which denotes breathing. It's put with non-diegetic sound - a heartbeat - and together they connote fear, hiding and tension.

Editing

The first thing denoted in the trailer is a flashing image of a woman's face, with flashes of white. There are many uses of flashing colour in this trailer, with colours like red, white and black. The white can connote fear and pain, the red can connote blood and violence and the black can connote terror and mystery.
There are many transitions denoted in the trailer. One that is used a lot is a fade to white to cut between shots. The shot goes white and then the white fades into another shot. Since this is only generally used when nothing bad is happening, it can connote fun, excitement and happiness. As the trailer progresses and the atmosphere gets darker, there is more use of fading to black denoted rather than fading to white. This can connote mystery and terror.
There are lots of uses of a cut transition. At the beginning of the trailer, fast-paced cuts are used to denote the girls going partying. This connotes fun and excitement. However, as the trailer gradually progresses, the fast-paced cutting that is used connotes action and panic instead.
The reason there are lots of fades to white at the beginning of the trailer could suggest it's a flashback, which it is in a way. We are looking back on what the characters had been doing hours ago, which suggests it's a flashback and is highlighted by the fades to white.
There is also the technique jumpcutting used near the start of the trailer, denoting the girls walking down a hotel corridor. They are shown from the back but also from the front, and the shots change in time with the music. This connotes feeling upbeat, happiness and excitement.

Genre

The trailer begins with flashing images and tension music, immediately suggesting it's a horror trailer. Then it begins with some small exposition, which turns sinister and dark when the tension music starts again, with flashes of different shots and images, which is iconography of horror trailers. The font of the text at 0:55 is flickering and glowing, which is also common in horror film trailers.

Audience

Like most horror movie trailers, this trailer is targeted at mainly adult males in the ABC1 class. These are people who would be interested in the film the trailer is advertising, and who would be able to afford to see it in the cinema. They might also be people who support Warp film studios, as it is an independent film studio which would need a lot of support.



Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2013) movie trailer, LUESSENHOP. J, USA, Twisted Pictures/NU Image/Millenium Films/Mainline Pictures, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKqFfkassgo [10/12/14]

Purpose

The purpose of this film trailer is to entertain and create spectacle about the film Texas Chainsaw Massacre. An audience might want to go and see the film if the trailer creates excitement through spectacle. The trailer also informs the audience of small details about the film, creating cliffhangers that the audience would only find out the solution of if they went to see the film.

Form

The form is a film trailer. We can tell this because the action and narrative are non-linear.

Content and Meaning

Mise en scene

The location is denoted as a remote house in the middle of nowhere. This connotes isolation and solitude, which makes the trailer/film even more frightening because there wouldn't be anyone nearby to help if anything went wrong. The costume is generally normal - t shirts, jeans etc - but the women are wearing more sexualised costumes than the men; they are wearing crop tops, shorts and vests, and one is even seen getting dressed. This supports Laura Mulvey's theory of the "male gaze" in media - that women are often just there to be looked at.
The denoted props include a needle and thread, torches and the prop that gives the film its name, a chainsaw. The needle and thread looks as if it's being used by the villain to create a mask, which connotes deception, mystery and hiding. The use of torches connotes darkness and searching for something, and the chainsaw obviously connotes violence. It also signifies that the villain might not be completely sane.
As in most horror trailers, the trailer begins with denoting lots of high-key, natural lighting and colours. This connotes normality and ordinary life. However, as the atmosphere turns dark, more low-key lighting is being used, which again connotes mystery, death and fear. The colours being used towards the end are darker, however there is the occasional flash of white which connotes fear and panic.
Gestures denoted in the trailer include opening doors and looking around the house, which connotes discovery and mystery. Another gesture that is denoted is a person washing their hands. This might signify getting hands dirty, and leaves the viewer wondering what it was because of the sinister lighting, colours and atmosphere.

Camerawork

The trailer begins by denoting a wide shot of the van the characters are driving, which sets the scene. There is an aerial shot to show where the characters have gone in their van. Then there are some more wide shots to set the scene of the house more. There is a silhouetted shot denoted, meaning we can't see the character's face as they walk closer. This makes it scarier as it connotes fear, mystery and dominance of the figure whose face we can't see.Then there is a "dolly zoom" shot denoted of another character, which is when the camera moves and zooms in at the same time, making the background seem more distant but the character stays the same size in the shot. This connotes huge fear, realisation and vulnerability.
There is a high-angle shot denoted of what looks like a man being attacked by the villain. This connotes vulnerability, subordinateness and being a victim. The use of this shot to denote a man challenges stereotypes as it's generally women who are stereotypically seen as being the subordinate victim.

Sound

The trailer begins by denoting non-diegetic music which connotes peace and not worrying about anything. As the characters explore the deserted house, the music slowly becomes tense and then the calm music stops, leaving an atmospheric noise which connotes fear and mystery. After that, the trailer becomes very quiet with hardly any sound at all, which can still connote fear and anticipation. Then the trailer denotes a diegetic, very loud, sudden noise of a chainsaw, which scares the audience and connotes violence and attack. Then, the trailer denotes a non-diegetic sound effect of water dripping and echoing, which connotes suspicion and tension. The non-diegetic music is a very slow, loud beat, with some atmospheric music. The beat becomes eerie as the trailer continues and shows the audience what's happening. This music connotes fear and suspense. There is a lot of non-diegetic music throughout the rest of the trailer which denotes feelings of tension, suspense, fear and apprehension.
Diegetic sounds that are denoted in this part of the trailer include screaming of characters, which can connote fear or pain.
A sound that is used throughout the trailer is the diegetic noise of a chainsaw, which is iconic to the film. It connotes violence, attack and aggressiveness. The use of it between the titles is used to scare the audience as it is very loud and sudden.

Editing

At the beginning of the trailer, there is lots of fading to black denoted to transition between shots. These transitions connote calmness, peace and happiness. When the characters reach the house, the trailer denotes a cut to black, which connotes mystery and danger. Then there is a title saying "in 1974". The font is in capitals, which connotes intensity and violence. It then fades out to black and fades back in to denote another title, saying "a legend" in the same font. This time the title cuts to black and then quickly cuts to some very fast shots that are in negative colours. This accompanied with the sudden sounds connotes a terrifying atmosphere for the audience, fear, violence and attack.
After this there is the use of a dissolve between two shots. This can connote time passing and a 'lazier' atmosphere better than a cut transition.
As the trailer continues, it still denotes fades to black, but only the end of each shot fades out to black, rather than each beginning. This is timed with each beat of the music, so it connotes tension and a feeling of leading up to something.
Further on the trailer denotes very quick jumpcutting of a shot of the villain, which connotes panic. Then, at the very end of the trailer, there is a flashing shot which flashes negative. This also connotes a feeling of panic, terror and pain. The title has lots of effects like grungy lighting, blurring and a vignette.

Genre

As many horror trailers do, this trailer starts out with relaxing music and a calm, happy scene as exposition. However, when there is a lull in the happy music and there is an atmospheric noise the feel of the trailer turns darker, like most horror trailers. It follows with indistinguishable speaking, and then a flash of a shot in negative colours accompanied by a sudden noise of a chainsaw. This is to try to make the viewer jump, which is also a characteristic of many horror trailers. The trailer then ends with a sudden noise of a chainsaw and a flashing negative shot, which is all iconography of horror movie trailers.

Audience

The intended audience for this film trailer would probably be adult males in the ABC1 class. This is because stereotypically, males would be more interested in the gore featured in this trailer and because people in the ABC1 class would be able to afford to see the film in a cinema.
The film is certified UK 18 because of the large amount of grisly content. This further shows that the audience it is intended for is adults.



The Cabin In The Woods (2012) movie trailer, GODDARD. D, USA, Mutant Enemy Productions, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsIilFNNmkY [10/12/14]

Purpose

The purpose of this trailer is to entertain. It creates spectacle around the film The Cabin in the Woods, exciting the audience into going to see it. The trailer also informs the audience of snippets of detail from the movie, making the viewer want to go to see The Cabin in the Woods to see the cliffhangers resolved.

Form

The form is a trailer for the movie the Cabin in the Woods. We know this because the action and narrative is non-linear.

Content and Meaning

Mise en scene

The location is denoted clearly as a cabin in the woods, in the middle of nowhere. Again, this connotes solitude and isolation which is frightening because there would be no one to help if there was any danger. The costumes are mainly for mild/cool weather and are very casual, connoting familiarity and comfort. This makes the film scarier because it is suggesting the events going on in the film could happen to anyone.
There aren't actually that many props denoted in the trailer, suggesting that the characters travelled lightly. This also adds to the scariness as it connotes that they won't have much to defend themselves with. A prop is denoted being used by a character we don't see the face of; the prop is a bear trap. This suggests the character is a villain as a bear trap connotes violence and getting caught. There is also a very brief shot where a group of people dressed in a formal, black uniform with helmets are carrying guns, connoting that the film might be about more than just the supernatural like ghosts.
Again, as in most horror trailers, it begins by using high-key, natural lighting which connotes peace and fun as it introduces the main characters. Then about halfway through, the lighting gradually reduces to low-key lighting, which connotes fear, mystery and death. Colours denoted towards the beginning are vibrant and bright, but as the lighting becomes more low-key the colours are reduced to dark colours like black, and the text is displayed with red. The colour red can connote danger, fear and blood.
Gestures that are denoted include talking on the phone, drinking, dancing and pushing switches. The drinking and dancing, done by the main characters, connotes fun and being happy. The talking on the phone and pushing switches is done by different characters, connoting an idea of them being controlled. This adds to a frightening atmosphere for the trailer as the main characters wouldn't be in control of what happened to themselves.

Camerawork

The trailer begins by denoting a wide panning shot to set the scene. There are a few more wide shots to continue setting the scene. There are medium close-ups denoted when the characters interact. The trailer denotes some close-up shots, which allow the audience to see the emotion of the characters. There is also a few two-shots, where there are two people in the frame. This could connote a relationship between two characters, and judging by how close together the two characters are, it can connote intensity or talking about something serious.


Sound

The trailer begins by denoting non-diegetic upbeat music. This connotes being carefree and fun. A lot of horror trailers begin like this. A diegetic sound that is denoted is the sound of the RV, which connotes travelling and adventure. Then as the characters get further into the middle of nowhere, the music changes with an atmospheric beat. The change in the music suggests something isn't quite right. Further on, when the characters are at the cabin, we hear diegetic sounds like a character screaming and a splash of water. In this sense, it connotes the characters having fun.
There is a shot of a bird flying through some mountains. It calls, and the sound echoes. This connotes being alone and not being near civilisation. Then the bird crashes into a sort of electrified wall, and the diegetic sound of electricity suggests the bird has been electrocuted.
The non-diegetic music becomes faster, which connotes tension and terror.
There is a diegetic sound of a character screaming, which connotes that they are frightened. The trailer denotes a diegetic sound of a door being hit, which connotes the characters being trapped and something trying to get in.
There is a diegetic sound of an explosion, which connotes violence and war. The non-diegetic music is still going, and is getting more and more intense as the trailer goes on. This connotes the characters' problems are getting worse and worse.
More diegetic sounds the trailer connotes include smashing glass, levers being pushed, screaming and a saw cutting through wood. These connote violence and attack, fear, and how it must be being controlled in some way. The non-diegetic music denoted when the title is shown can connote to aliens and the supernatural.
The trailer ends by denoting the sound of a character screaming, which connotes fear and being attacked.

Editing

The trailer begins by denoting normal cuts, which suggest ellipsis, which is the passage of time. Then there is a fade out to black and in to the next shot, denoting a longer ellipsis between the two shots.
The title with the company "Lionsgate" is full of effects and colours like red. This connotes the danger that is to come. Later on there are more titles with other effects that connote the supernatural.
Further on, the trailer denotes cross cutting, where the location quickly changes from one location to another. While the group are swimming, there is a bird which flies into an invisible barrier. This connotes a sense of the characters being trapped.
There is jumpcutting denoted in the trailer, which makes lots of cut transitions. This connotes panic and danger.
As the trailer progresses and the tension increases, there is some montage editing denoted in the trailer. Montage editing is lots and lots of shots shown quickly, usually non-linear. It can connote panic, fear, tension and danger. 

Genre

Like the trailer for Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the trailer begins with lighthearted exposition. Then there is an atmospheric beat in the music, and it turns into tension music. There are also many other features of horror trailers such as low-key lighting, high-pitched sounds in the music and sudden loud beats; screams, red - which connotes blood - and tools like saws and bear traps. There is a high-angle shot denoted which shows two characters in a large empty room.

Audience

We can tell the intended audience is young adults because its certification in the UK is a 15. The target audience would also be expected to be males in the ABC1 class, as males are stereotypically more interested in the grim themes featured in the trailer. In stereotypes, women are generally too squeamish to enjoy the films for these trailers.



The Ring (2002) movie trailer, VERBINSKI. G, USA/Japan, Dreamworks Pictures/Benderspink/Parkes/MacDonald Productions, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuH5FaUpFm4 [10/12/14]

Purpose

The purpose of this trailer is to entertain the audience and create spectacle, hopefully making it exciting enough to encourage them to go and see it. It also informs the audience about the film The Ring, however giving only small details to create cliffhangers which the audience would only see resolved if they went to see the film.

Form

The form is a film trailer, and we know this because the editing of the sequence and narrative is non-linear, meaning it is very fast-paced and not in order.

Content and Meaning

Mise en scene

The location is denoted roughly as an urban home, which connotes comfort and familiarity. Again, costumes are denoted as casual and ordinary, connoting normality and everyday life. This makes it scarier because it can happen to anyone.
A main prop that is denoted is the video tape the film is based around. Other denoted props include children's crayons, which connote childhood and innocence, and a phone, which, again is a key prop in the film.
The lighting in the trailer is quite consistent, being natural and generally high-key all the way through. This is different to most movie trailers, which usually start very high-key and gradually reduce to more low-key lighting. The colours are also mostly quite consistent, with pale and less saturated colours being denoted. The paler colours connote fear and the supernatural.
Denoted gestures include watching the video tape, talking on the phone, drawing and reaching for a door handle. Again, the watching of the video tape and the talking on the phone is the main focus of the film. The drawing again connotes innocence and peace, which is ironic in a horror trailer. The reaching for the door handle connotes mystery and apprehensiveness.

Camerawork

The trailer begins by denoting an over-the-shoulder shot, and there are a few more throughout the trailer. These show a conversation. There is a close-up shot denoted when a character is watching the video tape, which is used to allow the audience to see her emotions and creates empathy. There is a zoom-in shot of the telephone, which can connote that it is an important and vital part of what happens in the film. There are a couple of shots where there is a female character denoted in a high-angle shot. A high-angle shot connotes vulnerability and being a victim, so using a high-angle shot to portray a female character supports stereotypes that women are not as strong or brave as men. However, there is another high-angle shot a few shots later portraying a male character, which challenges this stereotype.

Sound

The trailer starts by denoting a voiceover by a character. Her tone of voice connotes suspense and anticipation. The trailer also denotes a diegetic sound, which is associated with the Ring. This sound connotes terror and the supernatural. There are some more unusual sounds denoted, and you can't tell whether they are diegetic or non-diegetic. This makes it more unsettling and again connotes the supernatural.
The trailer then denotes some non-diegetic music which is sinister and connotes mystery and fear. There's a lot of diegetic dialogue about what's going on while this music is playing. After that there is the iconic sound of the video again, as a character is watching it. The tension music stops when there is the diegetic sound of a phone ringing, and a voice on the phone whispers: "seven days." The whisper connotes mystery and taunting, and an ironic aggression that whispering can achieve.
The next piece of music denoted isn't scary or tension. It's more of an upbeat tune, which  sounds like it could connote mystery but not in a frightening way. This means it connotes the characters' suspicion about whether the video is real.
Further on the trailer denotes a character shouting, "somebody help". This connotes terror, panic and a feeling of helplessness for the characters.
The trailer ends by denoting non-diegetic sounds of people saying "before you die you see the ring". This is layered and put under effects, which makes it connote mystery, fear and confusion. The noise of this keeps intensifying until the trailer ends with a scream, which connotes fear and pain.

Editing

The trailer begins by denoting a fade from black to the mechanics inside a camera. Then there is some slow, non-linear montage editing with occasional TV static. This connotes confusion and a lack of control.
There is then another fade into and out from black into a more linear sequence, illustrating some of the story. The trailer denotes shot-reverse-shot editing which connotes a conversation between the two characters.
Further on the trailer denotes a sort of flashback. It's slightly different to how flashbacks are usually denoted, as it isn't signalled in any way by effects like flashes of white. Instead we can tell it's a flashback because a character is talking about it as a voiceover.
As the trailer goes on, there is an eyeline match as a character watches the tape. This allows the audience to empathise with how the character is feeling as she watches the tape.
The trailer later denotes an insert shot of a child's drawings. They are shown in a medium shot of a character and then there is a close-up of them being held in the same character's hands. This insert shot connotes the importance of the drawings to the film's story.
Then there is a very fast montage of different non-linear shots, which again connotes panic, tension and confusion as the shots are apparently completely unrelated, which makes it confusing.
The only titles in this trailer don't come up until right at the end. The title of the film "The Ring" is in a ring of light and appears as if drawn, and the font looks childish. This connotes that there's something significant about children in the film. The title saying "coming soon" has light effects on it that make it shine brightly. This is effective as it makes it stand out against the black background.


Genre

The trailer starts very dark with a statement saying something about dying. This tells us it's horror trailer straight away. There is iconography like white noise and interference, high pitched noises, black and white, close-up/extreme close-up shots, flashing images, low-key lighting and flashes of brightness.

Audience

The certification for this film trailer is a 15. The target audience are young adult males, who are also in the ABC1 class. This is because stereotypical males would enjoy the scary themes more than stereotypical women. Also, people in the ABC1 class are more likely to be able to afford to go to the cinema to see the film the trailer is advertising.

LO1 - Lesson Objective

In today's lesson I will be working towards my LO1 work.