Horror Movie Trailer Analysis – The Woman in Black

http://youtu.be/dPYMUnJGURI

Titles AnalysisThe Woman in Black

The trailer begins with two production company names, with smoke behind the text. It then cuts to a train with smoke coming out of the top. The smoke behind the production company text helps to link these two shots together. The smoke could be intertextually referencing Harry Potter and the Hogwarts train, especially as Daniel Radcliffe stars in both of these films. By showing the production company names, the trailer is making it obvious to the audience straight away which companies are involved.

At 0.51s a black screen with a small amount of smoke is the background to white text which reads “THE MOST CHILLING GHOST STORY OF OUR TIME”. The text doesn’t have any particular effect added to it, it is pretty basic. This keeps the look simple yet looks effective. By using white text on the black background it makes the text easy to read and also fits in with the genre of the film. The black and white together connote death, and puts fear into the audience.

Just over halfway through the trailer a close-up shot of Daniel Radcliffe is followed again by the black screen with some smoke and white text which says “DANIEL RADCLIFFE” this lets the audience know who this actor is. It is also used as star persona to help promote the film as Daniel Radcliffe is extremely famous for his role in the Harry Potter sequels.

In a space of around 5 seconds, there are 3 different title’s given. One saying “FEAR” followed by an image from the film. Another straight after this saying “HER” which is again, followed by a different clip from the film. The final one is straight after this and reads “CURSE”. This direct address encourages the audience to get involved with the trailer by putting these words together themselves it creates a sense of fear. Each of these title pages are following the theme of a black background with white text. However, the font is slightly eroded to fit in with the genre and to make the text look a bit more enigmatic. These colours connote death, pain, and fear.

At the end of the trailer it shows the name of the film to the audience so that they know what it is called if they want to go and see it in the cinema, etc. Also, as it is the last thing the audience will see in the trailer, the name is what sticks in their head. A positive about having the film title at the end is that if they enjoy the trailer, the audience can make a mental note of what it is called after seeing the trailer. If they saw the name first, they could have forgotten the film title by the end of the trailer. As the text comes up, crashing noises are used to help make the appearance of the text seem more effective.

The film title name is following the theme of the other title pages. However, this page does have a lot more smoke in the background. Half of the title is hidden behind the smoke, but the smoke moves about to reveal the words “THE WOMAN IN BLACK”. This screen is followed by another screen with the same layout but it says “February 2012” to let the audience know when the film is out in cinemas for them to watch. This shot also includes the synergy used such as the web address for the official Woman in Black website and the logos of the production companies involved.

Sounds and Camera Shots and Angles AnalysisThe Woman in Black

This wide angle establishing shot reveals the setting. The mise-en-scene tells us that the train is in the countryside at sunrise/sunset. The train symbolises that the main character may be on a journey somewhere. The steam train indicates that this film may be set in a previous era.

The trailer starts with diegetic noises as the train goes across the screen, we hear the train going across the tracks. We are then introduced to slow pace music which is a little bit spooky and enigmatic, it creates a tense atmosphere within the audience, they wonder what is going to happen in the film.

This close up shot reveals who the main character is. Low key lighting is used to enhance the bright lights which flash past his face. This also helps the audience to understand that he is the character who is on the train, yet we still do not know his destination. This shot fades into next shot.

As one of the characters is on the train we hear again more diegetic noises, of the train moving quickly. After this shot there is a “boom” noise which links it to the next scene.As the audience is shown the setting, a harp and a piano, and the melody helps to make the audience feel tense.

This low angle establishing shot reveals the location of which the character is heading towards. The mise-en-scene makes it obvious that the location is derelict and looks empty. The greenery is all overgrown which again helps to indicate that this household is empty and has been for some time.

A straight cut is used to reveal this over the shoulder shot which is back on the train. We notice that the main character is now sat with another character who is yet to be exposed to the camera. The confused, worried expression on his face makes the audience wonder what the characters are speaking of.

The 180° line rule is used to keep continuity within the shots during this conversation. The over the shoulder shot uncovers the unknown character. We can now notice that the male character is older than the main character, this makes the audience wonder what relationship these two characters have.

These two shots use a high angle to help establish the setting. The high angle is effective as we can see the location which the characters are travelling to. We notice that the area is empty which helps to further connote fear. Empty areas are a typical trope of a horror film as they make the audience feel alone.

The wide shot of the cross is significant as it is an indexical sign of death. It symbolises that someone has died here, making the area seem more enigmatic. The close up on his face shows that he is confused or slightly worries about something. In the extreme long shot we see both the cross and the transport together, we also notice that the character is looking at the cross. The transport shown in the wide angle long shot confirms that the film was taken in a previous era in which maybe only the rich people owned cars.

This wide angle establishing shot reveals that the main character will be spending his time in this run-down building. The mise-on-scene in this shot is significant in setting the scene. The gates that were once there for security seem to have been forced and broken. The greenery is over grown, the house looks old and untidy. This makes the audience wonder why this place had been abandoned.

As the main character comes through the front door in this high angle extreme long shot, we see the interior setting of the house. We notice that the inside of the house is just as neglected as the outside. The colours used are oligochromatic, this makes the scene look more enigmatic. It appears as if there is dust everywhere, symbolising that nobody has been here for a long time.

When he enters the abandoned house the music is deep but quiet and low key lighting it used to help set the scene.

This wide establishing shot pans around room to show the audience what details are in the room. As the camera pans, the angle gets higher to show different aspects of what the room looks like. The audience will notice that things are covered in dust cloths. This makes the audience wonder why.

The use of chiaroscuro lighting in the mid shot makes the room seem even more enigmatic, the silhouette of the main character makes it seem as if he is not meant to be there. Again, the mise-en-scene is very important in this wide angle shot as we notice that still, everything is dark and covered in dust.

In these shots the main character notices a small enigmatic object and bends down to look at it. This creates suspicion and tension within the audience as they feel something might happen to make them feel scared. It is not obvious to the audience what this object is, so they are just as drawn to it as the main character is.

The first extreme close-up shot reveals that the object is used to show/tell a story about this particular image traced on the inside. As the object spins, the audience builds up tension to find that a small child’s face pops up in between the moving images. This not only makes the audience jump, but scares the main character too. As he leaps up to see who this enigmatic figure is, they are suddenly not there. This marks the beginning of the events of the trailer/film. It also poses questions for the audience, who is this figure and why were they there?

As he spins the zoetrope around it makes a flickering noise (foley sound). As the boy’s face appears between the holes in the zoetrope, the sound effects are used to make a high pitched crashing noise which makes the audience more jumpy about what is happening.

The close up of the characters face reveals that he is worried on feel concerned about something. He is in distress about the situation and wonders who the enigmatic figure was. The fear on his face makes the audience feel fearful too.

This mid shot, two shot focuses on the fact that he is being comforted by this female character. We do not know who this woman is, or where the setting is. Again the mise-en-scene helps to keep with the continuity of the era in which they are living.

This close up shot plays a trick on the audience as they believe that the focus is on the main characters concerned face. Whereas if you look carefully you can see the Woman in Black stood behind him. This creates an omniscient narrative as the audience now know more than the main character does.

This mid shot establishes that the main character felt as if he was being watched, but as he turned around to see, the Woman in Black had disappeared. This would make the audience feel as if she is going to appear again, and wonder what she is planning on doing.

The black crow is symbolic of death, which is an element and a trope of the horror genre convention. This makes the audience wonder what is going to happen, and to whom. The black crow may put fear into some of the audience as they are aware of what black crows tend to symbolise.

The first wide angle mid shot emphasises the expression on the character’s faces. We see that the woman is being held back and is screaming. A straight cut is used to reveal the action which is taking place. The smoke is indexical of a fire, so we know that there is danger and that something bad must have happened. The expression on the main character’s face show that he is in shock of what’s happening.

As more of the storyline is revealed there are fast moving images and noises of people screaming in the village after a fire in one of the houses. By taking the images on and off the screen quickly it adds to the tension and fear that the audience may be feeling.

After this scene is shown the music is quieter to make the audience feel more calm and so that they can take in and think about the images and sounds they have seen.

This extreme close up focuses on the child’s foot which appears to have crushed a doll’s head. This insinuates that the child may be feeling anger, or is possessed by the Woman in Black.

The first wide angle mid shot shows three younger female characters. By using children, it helps to show the vulnerability of the victims, they look innocent but the expressions on their faces makes it seem as if they are planning something evil, or that they are possessed. This makes the audience feel sorry for them as they know that they cannot protect themselves at that age.

The use of an over the shoulder shot allows the audience to see that the characters in the background are angry and disappointed with the two main characters. The most significant character in this crowd says “You should have left when we told you to!”. This symbolises to the audience that they have caused trouble, and anger within the village.

The use of the wide shot and the low key lighting makes the shot seem enigmatic to the audience. The chiaroscuro lighting makes the return of the Woman in Black and the three children seem more mysterious, as they have supposedly returned from the dead. The fact that the Woman in Black is stood behind them, makes it seem as if she is controlling them with her power.

The use of a wide angle mid shot enhances the setting of this character. The sounds of thunder and the rain and lightening make the whole setting seem more enigmatic and helps to keep the audience on edge. Horrible weather is often a trope of the horror films. As the lightening strikes he steps back as if something is after him. His expression is another indicator that something is after him.

This high angle extreme long shot reveals the next part of the storyline. We see a child figure appearing from out of the mud by the cross, which we originally saw at the beginning of the trailer. This shot connotes death, and fear. It also symbolises that this child has come back from the dead for a reason, this makes the audience feel like the child has come back for the main character. When the images begin to move faster again, the music speeds up and lightening like noises are made to help set the scene.

This low angle mid shot shows that the character has run back into the house for safety. Houses commonly denote the feeling of safety.

This high angle long shot shows that the character has entered the house and is thinking of what he can do next. The camera pans around to reveal that there are bloody footprints on the floor. This makes the audience feel tense as they know that someone is in the house.

This mid shot reveals that there is some form of writing underneath where the wallpaper is peeling off from the walls. This is often used as a trope in horror films as the audience doesn’t know what the text will say or who wrote it.

As the main character begins to rip the wallpaper off, we see that the writing is written in blood which has run down the walls. The text says “you could have saved him” which makes the audience wonder what the storyline is behind the Woman in Black, and who it is that could have saved him. This text links to the small child that we previously saw coming up from the mud as we know that the text is about him.

A close up shot is used to show that the main character is lighting a match to get some light in the room. However, as he lights the match, the small child appears in front of him, screaming. The small boy is covered in mud as that is where he was buried.

When the main character lights a match in the dark (low key lighting) a face appears. To make this more effective they have added in a screaming noise to scare the audience.

Both of these wide angle shots focus on the fact that the main character is trying to escape the circumstances in which he is in. he is trying to unravel the story of why these events keep happening, but as the same time, he doesn’t want to be there anymore. This makes the audience hopeful that he will get away from there.

These close up shots help to portray the emotions of the main character. The audience notices that he is in shock of the recent events. In both of these shots, the mise-en-scene makes him appear defenceless and vunerable.

The close up shot on the photos show that the images are old. The second photo shows a girl in the window, she has been excluded from the family photo. This gives away information about different aspects of her past and explains why she might be so full of anger.

The long shot of the door reveals that the child’s hand is pressed against the glass pane of the door. Thus enhancing the fact that the main character is not alone, and something is after him. As the main character hears the hand bang against the door, he looks up in shock and sees the hand. This also shows that the antagonists are no longer being subtle with their actions.

The aerial shot shows that the main character has found a dead body. However, he must have been looking for something when he came across this. This makes the audience wonder what he was looking for, and who is the person in the coffin.

The child in this close up shot is walking too close to the train tracks as the train approaches the station. This indicates to the audience that he is possessed by the Woman in Black.

The close up shots on the fire symbolises that something is wrong, and then we notice a body within the fire. As the room starts to collapse the audience feels tense as they know this figure cannot escape the fire. This makes the audience wonder if this figure is another victim or the Woman in Black herself.

The mise-en-scene in these shots are simple yet effective. We see that the character is alone, but the mist connotes that something or someone else might be there, waiting for him. Towards the end of the trailer, bits of dialogue used in the film are played over different images to help describe parts of the storyline to the audience.

The wide angle shot shows that the rocking chair is moving back and forth on its own. This makes the audience feel as if someone is there watching them. It is also enigmatic in the fact that it makes the audience feel scared, as the main character is not alone.

This mid shot reveals that the main character is trying to fight back against the antagonist, he is holding an axe which means he is planning on causing harm and inflicting pain onto someone.

The over the shoulder shot reveals that there is an enigmatic hand print on the window. The character tries to work out why it is there, and puts his hand out to touch it. As he does this, the Woman in Black’s screaming face replaces his reflection. This makes the audience feel scared of her as she appears in the places where you don’t expect her to appear. The screaming helps to add to the sense of horror and makes the audience fearful of the storyline.