Cabin in the Woods

As the title ‘Lionsgate’ appears there is a non-diegetic ‘BOOM’ this grabs the audiences attention so they look at the screen and see the production company. The text ‘Lionsgate’ appears in a mist of red/black which looks very mysterious and builds suspense due to its smokey texture. The colour red creates conflict, portraying passion, danger, love and blood but with the use of the black we assume on a whole the mood is darker as it represents death and evil .

The sound also helps merge the change in music, going from a upbeat, well-known song to a slower paced music. The sound matches the visuals and the change in scenery becomes apparent. Going from a sunny, light, happy atmosphere (left image) to a spookier, run-down area(right image); the dimmer lighting used with this scenery also helps make the change become more obvious.

The trailer shows a beginning, middle and end to the narrative without giving it away, this aims to engage the audience and hook them into the story line, making them want to watch the movie when it comes out.

Introduction

As the text appears, it comes again with a ‘BOOM’ grabbing and captivating the audiences attention. The repetition of the word ‘think’ is used to put the viewer is a state is disequilibrium (Todorovs theory) as it makes them uneasy and unsure, because whatever they’re thinking about the story line appears to be wrong. The use of the personal pronoun ‘you’ directs the message to the audience personally, making them feel involved with the trailer. The text is used in order to play with audience expectations which is a common convention of a thriller as they want to make the viewer feel unsettled.

‘Think again’ appearing, 30 seconds after the other titles, makes the viewer double question themselves again, to be sure to put the viewer in a state of disequilibrium.

Graphic Commentary

Referencing certain names should help attract fan audiences, increasing the popularity of the film as its associated with these people. They use convergence and intertextuality, as they introduce another movie ‘Cloverfeild’ which will help promote both films as well as the specific producers. The text helps ensure that the reader will see it as it appears on the big screen and is effective because it can make the audience feel like its talking specifically to them which should engage and excite them. The text looks a bit distorted up close, which suits the genre of the film as it gives a creepy feel as its not solid. These texts re-appear again at the end, the repetition of this makes it more memorable for the viewer and makes it more likely for it to stay in their mind.This graphic commentary informs the audience when the film

will be released, it also attempts to hook them in because it hints at a ‘secret’ which creates a sense of mystery, but they have to wait to find out what it is, leaving the audience with a sense of enigma about the upcoming movie. (Roland Barthes theory).At the end of the trailer, synergy is used as we see relations to social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. This will be really helpful to promote and advertise the film as people should get talking about it. Graphic

Commentary

This establishing shot as the group sets off on their journey creates the first sense of isolation, you can hardly see the camper van in the middle of the green forest. Isolation is a key theme of a horror narrative therefore it unsettles the viewer as they have certain expectations of isolation.

This wide shot shows a run down, derelict area, which changes the atmosphere dramatically too a eerie tone. Through the positioning and angle of the camera the audience could think the characters are being spied on, as they’re watched, it puts the viewer in this position too as if they’re invading the characters privacy. Furthermore, it helps the audience themselves feel alone and slightly suspicious.

The shot of the bird flying has a loud diegetic swoop and a chirp which grabs the audiences attention and draws a focus point to the bird. The noise that’s playing as bird flies builds up audience suspense so they expect something to happen. As the bird bounces and disappears into the electronic barrier there is a crash noise to empathise the fact the bird has vanished in mid-air. The wide shot angle implies the characters are trapped and the electric barrier is all around them, trapping them in. This should leave enigma for the audience because the aspect seems crucial yet they’re shown it in such a short time slot.

Shots & Angles/Genre conventions

We assume straight away these characters are the antagonists, as they’re wearing masks therefore hiding there identity- because they don’t want to be known or recognised. Until this point we hadn’t yet seen the masks in the trailer and they only come on screen very briefly, leaving the audience creeped out. Masks are a typical convention of the horror genre, for the antagonist particularly, which is what makes us, as the audience jump to these strong stereotypes. The use of low key lighting and the darkness of the black in this image will provoke fear in the audience as it looks evil and spooky. Shots & Angles/Genre

conventions

Jeremy Tunstall has 4 character roles in which he feels women are represented through via in the media. These roles are:• Domestic (housewife)• Sexual (Objects)• Consumer• Marital (contented mothers)

In Cabin in the Woods not all of these roles could be applied. The main noticeable role used to portray the woman is the ‘sexual’ one. Jules (in pictures above) in seen as the sex object, this is put down mainly to her body language in the trailer and her flirtatious behaviour, which isn’t as obvious. Her appearance also adds to this objectification as she is the stereotypical ‘dumb blonde’ character who knows no better, and she dresses to impress; her clothing is revealing which would help attract the male gaze, Laura Mulveys theory that film audiences view from the perspective of a hetrosexual male and looks at females for visual pleasure. Camera shots and angles are used to objectify the female too, using close ups of the hips and low angle shots. On the other hand we have Dana(pictures below), who is presented as the more fierce , independent girl, she seems aware and in control of her surroundings and uninterested in male attention. This is shown by her body language and her more conservative dress code. Out of the two, Dana is portrayed more likely to survive.

Representation of females

This trailer is effective because it includes a lot of scenes with typical codes and conventions of the horror and thriller genre, making it clear to the audience what to expect. It also uses characters who are associated with a lot of teen drama programmes and movies, therefore it helps set the mood quicker as people are aware of the actors previous role associations and it gives them an idea of the role they’ll play in this film and if it'll be something worth watching. This would suggest the target audience for the movie is 16 to about 26, using actors who are used for this type of age group could help attract smaller fan bases, overall attracting a wider target audience.

Conclusion