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Horror Movie Trailer Analysis – Chernobyl Diaries

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Titles AnalysisChernobyl Diaries

http://youtu.be/ygmVZaYgbn8

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This particular trailer uses different texts and titles throughout the trailer to help explain the storyline to the audience. At the beginning it shows clips to set up the story for the audience.

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After setting up the beginning of the storyline, it has a couple of shots explaining to the audience what happened in Chernobyl. “IN 1986, CHERNOBYL REACTOR 4 EXPLODED” is on the first clip and “THE RADIATION WAS WORSE THAN 400 ATOMIC BOMBS” was on the second. In these shots the text anchors the images; they have a strip in the middle where the text is written in white writing across a red banner. Both above and below this strip of text there are images of what happened in Chernobyl. The text helps to explain the events of Chernobyl and explain what is happening in these images. The main colours used in these shots (red, black, and white) symbolise and connote death, fear and darkness.

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When the first title pages cuts to the next, a fade transition is used to make it seem more effective. Fades are often used in horror films as they are effective in making the audience feel tension and almost as if something bad is about to happen. The background to these title pages are significant because they look rusty. Chernobyl happened a long time ago, so things there will be old and rusty by now – just like the trailer background. I think this signifies and outlines the fact that Chernobyl is run down and dirty, this could also connote that nobody lives there anymore.

These title pages show the synergy which has been used to produce this film. It promotes which companies are involved. However, film noir has been used on the company logos to make the rust effect stand out.

We then hear two foley bangs as the screens show the production companies. This helps the audience to focus their attention to what is shown on the screen. It helps to show the synergy used and promotes the companies involved.

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About halfway through the trailer a title page reads “FROM OREN PELI, CREATOR OF PARANORMAL ACTIVITY”. The words ‘Oren Peli’ and ‘Paranormal Activity’ are written in larger letters to make them stand out to the audience. Also by mentioning that Oren Peli created Paranormal Activity, they are helping to entice fans of this film. This also is intertextually referencing Paranormal Activity, and using Star Persona of Oren Peli to help draw in a larger audience.

The font used makes the letters look easy to read, yet are slightly cracked so that it sticks to the genre of the film. The background to this page is white at the top and bottom but seems to change into red in the middle. There is a slight effect used when the colours are changing, it seems as if each colour cracks away to reveal the other colour – again this links to the genre of the film.

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This same effect and font is used on the next title page which reads “THIS SUMMER”. This page is to let the audience know when the film is out in cinemas to try and attract viewers. By using the white and red colours they are sticking to the horror genre with their title pages as these colours help to connote gore, danger, blood, and possibly death.

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Again this background effect is used on other title pages. The next title page simply says “EXPERIENCE” after this a few clips of the film are shown before another title page reading “FALLOUT” again, there are a few more clips from the film followed by a title page which says “CHERNOBYL DIARIES”. However, in this title the ‘R’ in each word is reversed and appears backwards to create a look which will stand out more to the audience and attract their attention.

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At the end of the trailer there are 3 pages, each gives information about different aspects of the production of the film. For example; the production companies involved, executive producers and who the music was created by. This shows the audience which synergy is used within the production, and marketing of the film.

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The text on this title page is significant to the audience as it informs them that this film will be out soon. It also shows that the film has been marketed via the internet. It helps to involve the audience with the film. They can investigate further into the film if they wish, this allows them to find out any extra information.

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Sounds and Camera Shots and Angles AnalysisChernobyl Diaries

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This is a close up of the characters face. It is filmed with a handheld camera. You can tell this because the character is speaking into the camera, they do not do this unless it is meant to portray that it is their own footage. This helps to involve the audience and raises the verisimilitude of the shot. He says “here we go” which suggests that they are going away somewhere. The high key lighting helps to portray the happiness of the shot.

Immediately the trailer begins using high key lighting and we hear a character saying “here were go”. This dialogue anchors the images used as we see a man recording himself. The audience gets the impression that this group of people are going away somewhere as we see images of people with big bags and suitcases at an airport. The high key lighting makes the scene appear more natural and portrays happiness, making the audience feel joyful. Again, upbeat non-diegetic music is used to help show that they are having a good time.

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This mid two shot is also meant to be filmed with the character’s filming camera as the female is looking directly into the camera lens and waving at the other male character. In the background we can see security in what looks like an airport. The females in this shot are also carrying big bags which help to signify that they are going abroad on holiday. Upbeat music is used so that it can be parallel to the images.

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In this wide angle mid shot the mise-en-scene helps to set the scene of where the characters have gone on holiday. The gates are significant as they are the outline to Buckingham Palace. This tells the audience that they are in London.

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This wide angle long shot establishes that the characters are now in Paris. This connotes to the audience that these characters are on a sight-seeing holiday and are travelling to multiple countries. This poses questions for the audience as to where the characters could be going next.

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A sound bridge is used between the shots to keep the music going.This wide angle shot establishes a new setting for the characters. We can see Big Ben in the background, which shows that the characters are now back in London. The expression on her face and her body language helps to show that she is happy and excited to be there and that she is having a good time.

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This mid shot shows the audience that the characters have arrived in a new destination. The ‘welcome’ sign in the background helps to symbolise this.

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The proxemics in this wide angle shot helps to symbolise the friendship which these two characters have. This indicates to the audience that these two are close friends. The expressions on their faces also help to portray that they are having a good time.

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This low angle establishes the new setting which has taken place. The Colosseum is a famous landmark of Rome, which symbolises that this is where these characters are. The fact that we have seen so many different landmarks, indicates that this group of characters like to travel and explore different areas.

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The proxemics of these characters in this long shot shows that the two on the left are comfortable around each other, and possibly in a relationship.

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A whip pan is used to help link the previous scene together with this scene. This stands out as because whip pans aren’t a part of the genre conventions for a horror film – it therefore challenges the convention. A wide angle mid shot is used to finally introduce all of the main characters in the film.

The character’s dialogue then reveals that the characters are going away and where they are going. “You guys ever heard of Chernobyl?” another replies “Yeah, that’s where the nuclear disaster happened” to which the first character replies “have you heard of extreme tourism?”. From this part of the script the audience learns that they are going to Chernobyl. Also, it informs those who were unaware, that there was once a nuclear disaster which took place in that area. It also makes the audience aware, that something could happen whilst they are there as the area is deserted.

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A straight cut is used to go from one shot to the text within this scene. It shows the characters having a discussion about where they are going on holiday. When one of the males brings up going to Chernobyl the others seem reluctant to go. They speak about Chernobyl and ‘Extreme Tourism’ which connotes that they are going to Chernobyl next on their sightseeing travels.

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These shots show a news report that was recorded at the time which Chernobyl happened. A close-up of the man’s face shows that the occasion was a serious matter.

As the screen shows some text and images of Chernobyl. A foley siren noise sounds, as if it was the sound you would hear if you were there when the incident took place.

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These show part of a news report which again, took place when the actual event happened. There is speech over these images. The text anchors the images shown. The strip across the middle is also relevant to the title pages, they use the same kind of pattern and colours for the background. The images appear two at a time so that the audience has time to look at each image.

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As the page fades out, it has the effect that the signal is being interfered with, and is losing the signal. Within these shots we hear the foley sound of sirens playing in the background. This parallel sound helps to make the audience feel as if they were there when the disaster struck. A sound bridge is used to carry out the noise of the sirens onto the next shots.

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These shots are similar to the last ones, however at the end of this shot, the images change to reveal new ones. Making it more interesting for the audience.

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These images are shown to involve the audience with the action and to help portray a sense of verisimilitude of what actually happened when the reactor exploded. “This place was abandoned overnight” narrated over these shots to help explain how serious the situation was.

We then see news clips and hear the reporters describing the incident. This helps the audience get a better understanding of how bad the events which took place were. “No time to take anything.”, “Abandoned overnight”.

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This extreme-long shot zooms in slowly to reveal the deserted area. It sets the scene and the mise-en-scene helps to show that the area is now derelict.

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A pan is used past the car to reveal the sign by the road. When this shot changes to the next, a black screen is shown in-between. This helps to make the trailer more tension building as the colour black connotes fear, death and being alone.

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This high angle shot reveals the area in which the characters are visiting. The mise-en-scene helps to show how the area is dirty, empty and derelict.

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The wide shot used here helps to connote even further that Chernobyl is empty. The run down areas show that nobody lives here, and that nobody has lived here for a long time. The mise-en-scene is effective, everything from where they are stood, to the town in the background is derelict.

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The wide angle mid shots here are shown to establish that the characters are in Reactor number 4. The torches help to show the use of low-key chiaroscuro lighting which is used to make the scene seem more dark an enigmatic. The actual setting helps to add to the verisimilitude of the shot. It makes the audience think and try to picture what must have happened when the event took place.

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These two shots are revealed though non-diegetic echo noises. We can see the derelict area in the background, and the expression on their faces make it look as if they are interested in what their tour guide has to say.

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The over the shoulder shot reveals the radiation receiver. The camera slowly moves forwards over shoulder to show it to the audience properly. We also hear the noise of it receiving data.

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This high angle close up shows that when the area was evacuated, the people left in a rush and took no belongings. This helps to portray the significance of the situation. It indicates that there used to be life in this area, children used to live here. This poses questions for the audience as maybe there is still a child here, who has been left behind.

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The first long shot shown reveals the new setting for the scene. The mise-en-scene shows that they are in a forest – which is a typical convention of the horror genre.

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In the first low angle show we see the male character leaning into the pond, the non-diegetic music becomes disturbing, making the audience think that something bad is going to happen. The camera pans around to reveal the characters behind him who look confused as to what he is doing. The camera straight cuts back to the male character who pretends to get dragged in the water by something. In the next mid shot we see the characters reaction to this. The music then slows down as the action has stopped.

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In the first long shot we notice that the group are having their picture taken in front of an old, rusty Ferris wheel – which symbolises that there was once a lot of human activity in this area. In the mid shot, monochrome is used to signify that this a taken image of the group.

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A low angle shot is used to show that the female character is taking a photo. A canted angle is used to signify what she is taking a photograph of. A high angle close up is used when she zooms into the photo and sees that there is a human figure in the photo, but wasn’t there when she was the building herself. The confused look on her face as she enters the bus makes the audience wonder who the figure was and why they were there.

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In this low angle extreme long shot we return to the balcony which the characters were stood previously. The focus is on the character’s van, this could be a point of view shot of the mysterious figure which we had just seen. The mise-en-scene shows that the mist is coming in and that those characters are the only people that are here.

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These shots begin to get into the action of the storyline. The

frustrated faces we see reveal that the van cannot start.

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Again, this mid shot reveals the confused look on the characters faces and the fact that they are all looking in the same direction reveal that they may have spotted something suspicious and unlikely.

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We notice in this mid shot that some of the characters have left the van to go an investigate what they saw from the van. Low-key lighting is used to keep the image surreal.

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The use of chiaroscuro lighting in this long shot is effective as it adds enigma to the shot. The room looks mysterious and it makes the audience wonder why this room is here and what is is/was used for.

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The first mid show shows that the character thinks she has notices something, the worried look on her face makes the audience think that what she saw, wasn’t a good thing – maybe there is something chasing her?

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This canted angle mid shot follows the characters as they run, trying to escape something. This makes the audience wonder what they are running from.

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These two shots both use low-key lighting to enhance the seriousness and increase the enigma of the shot. Torches are used to show that there is no other lighting in the area because it has been deserted.

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These long shots also use chiaroscuro lighting to show that characters running down this hallway, again trying to escape something.

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These shots reveal a small child which is stood behind the characters as they try to figure out where they can escape to. In the second shot the torch flickers from the map to the girl, thus using chiaroscuro lighting to do so. The characters turn around out of curiosity to see who this character is. As part of the horror genre conventions, small girls are often used as the antagonist as they are suspected to be the innocent ones.

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These shots reveal further the small girl’s face, clothing etc. the use of mise-en-scene of her outfit make her look like a child from 80’s. As one of the female character’s hides, we can see an enigmatic silhouette behind her, which she doesn’t know is there. We hear a scream as the characters turn around to see that this character has been taken by the figure.

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These shots use chiaroscuro lighting to help connote fear thus creating a feeling of suspicion. The framing helps to show the location of the characters and helps to show that they are alone. As the characters turn around, we see the expression and body language which the characters are conveying, they appear to be in shock.

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This high angle long shot continues to use torches to create chiaroscuro lighting thus making the appearance of the shot more enigmatic. In this shot it appears as if the characters have entered through this doorway to find safety from whatever antagonist is out there.

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A shallow focus is used on this wide close up to enhance the focus on the female character. The expression on her face draws the audience’s attention to the fact that she is confused and worried. The only light in this shot is coming from inside of the van, which makes it seem more enigmatic because if the van ran out of battery, there would be no light at all. This creates questions for the audience, as they wonder what she is looking at and why she is so confused.

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This close up reveals why the female in the previous shot looked so confused. As the audience now knows that the female was confused as to what these enigmatic figures were. As they leap up at the van she jumps back in shock.

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This wide angle mid shot shows that the male character is holding a gun and aiming it at something in distress. However, we cannot see what he is pointing the gun at. This poses questions for the audience and helps to involve them – what/who is he pointing the gun at, and why?

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This close up is significant as it shows the enigmatic expressions of these characters faces. They are watching as something terrible happens – again we don’t see what the action is, posing more questions for the audience.

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The first long shot shows that the characters have made it through the night, but are still running from the antagonist. The second long shot reveals where the characters are running to. The shot is taken from behind the characters whilst slowly moving forwards, so that we can see how far they will have to run. High-key lighting is used to show that it is day time, it helps to keep the shot looking as natural as possible.

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This wide angle long shot shows that some form of authority has turned up in Chernobyl. We do not know if they are there to help the protagonists, or whether they are on the antagonist’s side. The blue lighting helps to connote fear, cold and danger. Blue lighting is often used for vehicles in authority when there is some form of danger, i.e. police, ambulance.

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These shots revert back to using chiaroscuro lighting as this form of lighting is part of the horror genre conventions. This is because chiaroscuro lighting makes the scene seem more enigmatic. We see from the expressions of their faces that they are panicked and possibly being harmed in some shape or form.

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This high angle image is extremely dark, it helps to show the seriousness and enhance the enigma of the situation. We can see that the female character has fallen, but is holding on to someone’s hand. This makes the audience feel tense as they don’t know if she will be pulled back up, or whether she will fall.

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These shots have been taken with a handheld camera, we can see that the hand is pushed up against the van window, is this character banging on the window for help, are they in pain? The last shot uses a low angle to show the expression of the character’s face, he seems to be in a lot of pain – this makes the audience wonder why he could be in pain?