'Strangers' Film trailer and poster.

This is the trailer for 'Strangers'. I have decided to analyse the editing, camera work and sound of this trailer. This will help me see what elements create a successful film trailer.

Camera
The establishing shot of the lake introduces the viewer to the surroundings and suggests calmness and peace. However, it also cleverly informs the viewer that the events that are about to take place are in the middle of nowhere and that there is no easy escape should there be any danger. The trees give the shot an eerie feeling and it is clear by the lighting that it is late night/ early morning. This also suggests that nobody would be around. The opening shot tricks and misleads the viewer into thinking the trailer could be for a different genre of film as it seems so serene. This contrasts with the action that takes place in the film.
A long shot of the house acts as a second establishing shot showing where the action will take place. The house appears to be a quiet family home.
The series of shots of the dinner table, the couple and the candles portray a couple's happy life and it is almost as if the camera captivates what could be the last calm minutes before their lives change.
The two shot shows the couple in an embrace before the bang is heard, the camera then shows a shot of the window where the curtains are drawn and there appears to be nobody around. This leaves the audience on edge as they wonder what is behind the curtain.
The close up of the woman peering through the curtains makes her appear vulnerable and scared. As the shot reveals her emotions it also prepares the audience to see what may be causing the disturbance this then leads to a POV shot of the swings.
The close up of the woman's hand on the door handle suggests she is safe as she is locked in her home. The long shot of her makes her appear small and alone in the contrast to the big room. When the man appears in the corner the part which stands out is his mask. This is the first time we see one of the 'Strangers' and are made aware of his presence as soon as he appears. This suggests a shift in the mood. Up until now it hand been panic and fear yet now it is a reality.
The second 'Stranger' appears from the garage in a long shot. Yet again we are aware of her presence immediately. The long shot of the third 'Stranger' in the streetlight shows that they are out in force. Yet again the thing that stands out is the mask. This is like the symbol of what makes them different and why they hold power over the other two characters.
After each masked character has been introduced individually a shot of all three of them over the two victims is shown. This shows how when together they are a deadly force and the two victims are out numbered.
The shot of the man shows his emotions and panic it then becomes a two shot and as the man goes out of focus the panic is shown upon the woman's face.
The close up of the fire displays a calm image which contrasts to the panic which is actually going on in the house. This signifies that the house is no longer a peaceful, safe place to be.
The shot of the writing on the window is when it becomes clear to the characters that they are in danger. The mid shot of the actress playing Kristen reveals the realisation and terror on her face.
The over shoulder shot shows how James is trying to reason with Kristen when they are interrupted by the axe, the close up shows the danger.

Editing
The first establishing shot fades into the next shot. The continuity editing allows the audience grasp a narrative. The slides with writing on also allow the audience to gain more knowledge of what the film is about. 'We always tell ourselves...' 'There is nothing to fear...' 'But sometimes we're wrong...' This colloquial way of communicating to the audience makes them become part of the film. These slides also add an eeriness to the trailer. The trailer then fades, this shows a passing of time but it also transports us into a new scene in the trailer.
At the end of the trailer the editing speeds up which builds up tension and the jump cuts leave the audience on edge. The writing at the end of the trailer informs the viewer when the film will be out, this is a convention of a trailer.

Sound
The trailer starts with peaceful non diegetic piano music however, the diegetic noise of wind and birds can be heard which gently brings the viewer into the surroundings of the film. The dialogue of the couple is used as a sound bridge throughout the next few shots. The peaceful music is interrupted by a bang and the noise of swings from outside. This snaps the audience out of the slow paced romance they were seeing as the tension is upped. The grating noise from the swing is almost unbearable and plays throughout half of the trailer just like it plays on the audience's mind who is causing the noise and why. After a period of just heavy breathing a crash noise shocks the audience back into the film and the pace speeds up. The soft music is playing again but this time it seems eerie and has a completely different effect. The screams from Kristen echo over the music which contrasts to how quiet the trailer started out.


'Strangers' Film Poster.
After analysing the trailer for 'Strangers' I decided to look at the film poster to see how they linked together and the things included on the poster.

The background of this poster is a brick wall. This allows the three masked characters to stand out against it. The poster challenges stereotypes as usually men are stereotypically viewed as having more power and being intimidating, here the masked man and two women evidently have the power and the shot shows them looking down upon the two victims, this shows they are helpless. The masked man wearing a shirt and tie makes him appear normal reminding the audience that beneath the mask is a human being. One of the masked girls is wearing a pink dress. I think that this communicates to the audience that looks can be deceiving and how people can be underestimated or judged by their appearance. The blonde masked woman's hair presents her as feminine. The way they are arranged means the man who is tall and broad seems to have the most power. The victims heads are either side of him which suggests he is what stands in the way of them carrying on a normal life, it also re enforces the fact that he has the power. The women stand on either side of him which suggests they follow his lead however they also hold power over the two hostages. The way that the two victims have their back to the camera makes the viewer feel as though they are in their position looking up at the masked characters. This allows the viewer to empathise and wonder what they would do if faced with this situation. The actress who plays Kristen, although her face is not visible, her emotions are conveyed through her shoulders which appear tense showing she is on edge and scared. The actor playing James has his head bowed suggesting he is regretful that he is helpless. The writing 'Because you were home' the use of the word 'you' makes the poster appear personal and has direct appeal. The poster is mostly dark (black) which means the writing stands out and communicates a message to the viewer offering a small simple explanation.
I think if I was at the cinema and saw this poster I would want to see the film as the writing and three masked characters is intriguing. It leaves you wondering how the situation came about, what the outcome will be and also what is behind the masks.

Editing.

Today we have been looking at editing. This has been useful as i will need to edit my trailer and will need to justify why i have used certain editing techniques.

Straight cut
This is commonly used and takes the audience from subject to subject. Often occurs during a conversation between two people. It is more than likely that i shall use a straight cut in my trailer.

Fade
This can fade up or down. It is a way of getting from one scene to another or it can be used to round off a scene. I could use fade to end my trailer.

Dissolve
The editing technique is a way of transporting the audience to a different place but also to a different time. The two shots dissolve into each other. As a teaser trailer is made up of all different parts of a film i think dissolve would be a good way to link them all together.

Jump cut
A jump cut is quite rare and it reflects what happens on screen and the jump is seen rather than a smooth cut. I don't think that I will use this, however, it is interesting to know what editing techniques are available.

Continuity editing
This shows a logical progression of characters. It gives the audience a continuous narrative to follow.

Cross cutting
A way of expressing the narrative interestingly from many different perspectives. Adds tension and shows how they impact on the narrative.

Film Posters.

Most of the horror film posters i have looked at use dark colours as backgrounds with red or white writing. I think the dark background has connotations of fear but it also is simple which makes the writing stand out and grab the target audience's attention. Some posters use characters where as many also use animated images or props. All of the film posters i have looked at have been intriguing and eerie, this straight away lets the viewer of the poster know the genre of the film.

Camera shots in horror films.

This image from the hills have eyes is a mid to long shot. Although the fear is evident on the character's face, the terror is also shown through her body language and the gripping of the pillow.
Thisimage from the Blair witch project is an extreme close up which highlights the fear of the character. It also shows how he is isolated. Extreme close up could be used in my trailer to conceal or reveal vital emotions. The extreme close up sometimes allows the viewer to see the character's true emotions.

This image from the exorcist is a two shot, mid shot. It allows the audience to see both characters and the action going on. The contrast between the two characters highlights the illness of the girl. A two shot would be useful to me to show action during my trailer.

Sound and Mise en scene in film clips.

Today we have been analysing sound in various film clips. In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein we looked at how sound bridges where used via music and the dogs whimpering. This allowed us to see through shot reverse shot how the men were reacting to the death of the dogs. This enabled me to see that in my own film trailer the camera does not have to be where the action is constantly, and that sometimes it is more effective to show reactions. Looking at trainspotting we noticed that mise en scene was very effective. The colour of the room and props were a yellow/green colour. It seemed very drained and dull. Renton's face and clothes were also a similar colour, this showed how when relinquishing junk Renton would become part of the room and how it was all he had left. The only colour bright colours in the scene are that of the food and supplies, this implies that they will be his only relief. The sound used is a voice over where he explains the 'simple' steps to giving up drugs, the contrapuntal music then contrasts with this as it builds up to 'one last hit' which shows it will not be as simple as originally planned. I learned from the clip of train spotting that to pay attention to detail is important as it communicates alot to the audience.

Hunger analysis

We were asked to analyse a clip from ‘Hunger’. I found this useful because it allowed me to pay close attention to the camera shots used, and the effect they had. Opening with an over the shoulder shot it is also a POV shot which places us into the position of the mother. This created empathy but also introduced the viewer to the surroundings well. I realised that an over the shoulder shot could be useful in my trailer, as it could also introduce my clip well as well as having an eerie feeling. Other shots included a focus pull which has a sense of foreboding, extreme close ups which show lack of life and long shots which show happier times. I think most of these camera shots could be useful to me in some ways.

A2

Out of the different packages we had to choose i decided the one I was most interested in was the film teaser trailer. The genre i am most interested in at the moment is horror or thriller. I will be researching different film trailers and camera angles to build up an idea of the elements i will include in my teaser trailer, film magazine front cover and film poster.