Textual Analysis of a Film Trailer

Saw 3D also known as Saw : The Final Chapter is a 2010 3D horror film directed by Kevin Greutert, written by Patrick Melton And Marcus Dunstan. It is the seventh and final instalment of the Saw Film Series. And The Only film to be released in 3D of the saw series.

My Textual analysis will be on the trailer of the last sequel of the saw saga. The film was released on the 29^th October 2010. The trailer is 1min and 25 seconds long. There are a series of scenes of torture throughout the trailer.  In relation to sound saw used there own theme song. The volume gradually increased as the trailer became more intense, there was also sound effects and screaming at tense points of the trailer. There were also a series of cuts that faded from the scenes into headings.

The trailer is begins with a quick establishing shot of buildings and sky. It then leads into shots of titles. The lighting in this short scene is high key lighting but also darks as the clouds are not clear they have a more grey shade.

There is also a use of non-digetic sound,  which is the continuous bell ringing which helps to create tension, which also connotes signs of death and judgement mainly because the bell ringing shows that the characters time is up.  There is also another use of non-diegectic sound. Which is repeated continuously on the scene which is as each scene shows the torture there is a flash sound which helps to build tension.

There is also a main focus on a particular prop which is the machine which is used to torture the victim. There are a series of camera angles which focus mainly on the prop and the torture as it begins to happen.

The next scene shows a mid shot of well known character of the saw series, the jigsaw. This shows us that this is a saw series as the jigsaw has featured in all the saw films. There is also a use of voice-over from the actor Tobin Bell, saying he’s famously known phrase ‘I want to play a game’

As the trailer progresses the cuts begin to get faster which connotes that were are getting closer to seeing the peak of the trailer. Also the screaming and sounds of the machine increases which means the fear from the audience is also going to increase.

In Conclusion, my analyses has allowed me to conclude many things such as a teaser trailer is much different from a actually trailer mainly because of the information each one gives as the are both limited the teaser is more limited that the actually trailer. Also the best way to get audience attracted to you film from your trailer is for there to be a lot of tension which could be achieved through fast cuts and non diegetic sound. Also not to give too much away.

Textual Analysis of Film Trailer

The teaser trailer I chose to analyse is for the latest remake installment in the iconic horror film franchise, Friday the 13^th, released in 2009 and directed by Marcus Nispel. Over the last 30 years, the franchise has spawned 12 films in the series and with each film there are major differences in the trailers. I decided to analyse this trailer as it is the latest, and I also feel it does well in building up the character of Jason, especially for viewers that do not know much about the franchise.

The trailer starts off with an establishing shot of a lake site featuring high key lighting. This works to mislead this audience because of the fact that it is a horror movie, and beginning the trailer with such a pleasant view could be a false front. There’s a sudden quick cut, and a quick shot is showing of a light source wavering in the darkness, accompanied by a sudden haunting diegetic sound. They most likely intended this to represent how the darkness, in the case, with always overtake the light, and at this point the audience know that the first shot was a false front. Following this, all other shots have much lower key lighting. Music/sound suddenly turns ominous as we see shots of Camp Lake City and a cabin, all in low key lighting. There is narration over this saying: ‘Did you know the young boy drowned here?’, which is an introduction to how the story began. The word ‘you’ is a direct address to the audience, and they are left wondering who the young boy is, which helps to get them into the trailer.

Shots following this feature a dark figure (as a result of low key lighting) entering the cabin seen from previous shots, waving what seems to be a flashlight, and this is seen in different parts of the trailer throughout. This is very effective, as after questioning who the young boy is, the audience feel involved in searching in the cabin with the character in the trailer. The trailer seems to follow a pattern of having two fading shots of this, followed by a handycam quick shot of a girl running in what seems to be the woods with a flashlight in her hand, and it could work as a warning to the audience, because of the fact that the girl is holding a flashlight, suggesting she has tried searching already and is scared of what she had found.

One of the shots shown whilst the character is searching with a flashlight is a close up shot of an abandoned baby doll cover in dirt. This helps to reinforce the ‘young boy’s innocence, especially when accompanied by the narration: ‘he wasn’t a very good swimmer.’ Following this is, once again, a shot of someone running in the woods with a flashlight, which challenges the audience to think whether or not what the trailer is leading them to believe is true if someone is running away.

The following two shots are fading shots of the dark figured character still searching with the flashlight, along with narration saying: ‘the counsellors weren’t paying attention.’ This is immediately followed by a caption reading ‘from producer Michael Bay’. As the caption is shown, a diegetic sound is heard of a girl crying ‘oh my god’ whilst evidently still running. The narration may work as an indirect message to the audience that they should pay more attention to details of the trailer, and the fact that the pattern that seemed to have been common in the trailer was stopped by the caption (accompanied by the girl’s whimpering) builds even more uneasiness and paranoia.

As we progress, the incidental music starts to climate, and we are presented with more quick shots – this time being close up shots of characters’ facial expressions, and we get a stronger sense of the extent of horror that they experience. Quick shots are used more frequently as the music climates, including shots of a woman running with a flashlight and a police car, clearly signifying danger. When the music finally comes to a halt, we are presented with a close up shot of a lamp swinging helplessly alone in the darkness, perhaps now giving the audience an opportunity to make use of the light to search for what the characters are searching for. Following this is two quick mid shots of the ‘Jason’ character, at which point dark incidental music jumps in and a blackout immediately follows. This gives the audience a chance to understand what the characters were previously running from, especially following the next shots, including a shot of a woman screaming and crawling away in fear is about to be attacked by Jason’s weapon, at which point the title of the movie is introduced.

Textual Analysis of a Film Trailer

I used this supernatural/thriller teaser trailer is it had some typical conventions of a horror/ supernatural trailer, for example, the incidental music, dark contrast of colours and the overall gloomy feel of the trailer. Also, this trailer may help towards the teaser trailer our group is going to make due to the genre being used is similar. The title of this teaser trailer sounds very suspicious and mysterious which links to the supernatural genre of the film. The anchorage of the trailer was of white and sans serif font, the front style looked cracked and worn as if telling an old tale. The font created a scary effect as it faded in and out of shots.

The mise-en-scene represented in this teaser trailer is:

·         Lighting: There is mixture of high and low-key lighting however the low-key lighting dominates the teaser trailer. The low-key lighting indicates the supernatural happenings, for example, when the main character is looking at a flickering object. The lighting also creates the atmosphere for the film and produces a demonic feel, which is shown when the main character is standing in the darkness and hand creeps upon his shoulder. The low-key lighting is used effectively throughout the trailer without giving too much away as it keeps things “in the dark”.

·         NVC (Non-verbal communication): There isn’t a lot of NVC seen in this trailer however the NVC shown is when the main character is scared/ shocked, this shown by the way he jumps and an appearance of fright appears on his face when he watches the spinning object. Near the beginning of the trailer the main characters eyes wince just slightly which may create a look of disbelief or confusion, I feel that this look is quite common in supernatural teaser trailers as characters are usually unaware of the happenings. Also, the main characters calm NVC (towards the end of the trailer) suggest that something is likely to happen which links to the hand that appears over the main characters shoulder.

·         Setting: The setting of this trailer is quite typical. The setting shows a large house, possibly a mansion. The mansion is dilapidated, grey and old with overgrown trees/ plants, dirty windows and a large door this setting creates a foreboding nature. The setting of this trailer links well with supernatural genre because of the old house and old-fashioned furniture however, the film is possibly set in an older time where places such as this are quite common.

·         Costume: The main character is wearing an old-fashioned tuxedo; this costume shows that he is of a higher class with a recognised job. The main characters hair is quite neat and styled, which represents his high status; also this may be a new house he has recently bought which links to his money and status. The main character is unshaven which may also link to the fact that his job could be stressful and may not have the time to shave or perhaps this is fashionable in the main characters time setting. 

·         Props: There are little props in the trailer as to not give too much away. In the trailer, there is prop which spins and shows drawings inside, this links to the supernatural genre as the main character caught eye contact with someone whilst the prop was still spinning. Other props, including, furniture were only shown in the trailer.

Shanice Redwood

Textual Analysis of a Film Magazine

Empire is a British Film magazine, which is published by a German publishing company, Bauer Consumer Media.  It is also one of the biggest selling film magazines in Britain. Empire is edited by Barry McIlheney and published by Emap.

In the magazine the main image is a medium close up of the model.  The model has a straight face which connotes a sense of seriousness; we can tell something serious has happen such as an incident due to the blood cuts on his face and also the right lense of his glasses is cracked.

Also the ‘blue’ eye colour of the model connotes that he is strong, important, peaceful, and intelligence.

The image is centered slightly to the left and the models body Is tilted the masthead is in sans serif font, which connotes the magazine keeping current to the present day. The magazine also include the website under the masthead, which is in small text which means they are trying to promote the website but it is not a main focus. The dateline is also included within the masthead. This particulary magazine was released august 2008

In terms of lighting the light shining from the left is strong than the right we can see this from the right side being darker than the left side of his face. The model is dressed casually  in a sweater and t shirt.   

Textual Analysis of a Film Magazine

I will be analysing a Horror Hound Magazine front cover which focuses on the horror film, “The Walking Dead.”

Masthead: The masthead of this magazine front cover is placed at the top and is very noticeable as the font is big and the colour is black. It also has a red outline which makes the masthead standout, which could connote horror, evil and blood.

Coverlines: There are not many coverlines on this cover and are about three coverlines. The coverlines have been placed along the left hand side of the page, leaving the main image to have a clear view. This could be because the aim was to have the main image to stand out because there are n coverlines overlapping the main image. Also the cover lines have all been written in red. Again this could be connoting horror, evil and blood.

Dateline: The dateline is on the right, just above the masthead. It was published in September/October in 2010. However this doesn’t actually tell us when exactly it was published, therefore it could mean that it may have been published throughout the two months.

Barcode: This magazine has a standard barcode which has been placed on the bottom left hand corner of he cover. It has a website link which is a convention of magazines. Usually this website is the magazines official website link.

Selling line: The selling line of this magazine is, “The Horror Fan’s Magazine.” Usually magazine place this at the very top of the magazine cover, however Horror Hound have placed this under the masthead. The selling line will make a market, as those who are a fan of horror will pick this up as they will feel that the magazine is ideal for them to read.

Main Image:  The main image of this magazine is very eye catching. When using the rule of thirds the person has been placed in the middle which makes the main focus of the magazine cover. The image is of a female who looks dead and alive at the same time. She has hardly got a mouth and looks extremely unattractive. However this may draw audience’s attention because it is quite interesting to look at. The image does stand out since there are n coverlines over lapping the picture so it give the image a clear view.

Main coverline: The main coverline of this cover is, ‘The Walking Dead.’ This is the title of a horror film. This tells the audience that this is going to be the main feature of the magazine and is displaying and promoting the film. The text of the coverline has also been written in red which may connate horror, evil and blood.    

Textual Analysis of a Film Magazine

Above is the front page of the film magazine, Empire, featuring a far shot of Heath Ledger as the popular Batman series icon the Joker, sitting on a bench in what seems to be a cell. He has an evil, yet smug, expression on his face. Aside from the logo, the magazine is mostly dominated by the colour scheme green and pink, which is similar to the colour scheme of Joker’s clothing, and this helps support the fact that he has taken over this edition of the Empire magazine.

There are connotations that lie beneath the colours used for this edition of Empire. The colour green works well to express the character of the Joker, as in this case it could connote sickness – reflecting his sadistic nature, and mold – reflecting everything he touches as disgusting. This strongly contrasts the colour pink as, although the colours work well visually, pink commonly connotes femininity, affection and tends to be non-threatening. This could be the reason why the colour green overtakes pink, as it is more noticeable on the magazine cover. Nevertheless, both these colours clash with the subtle colour scheme of red, black and white that is present as a result of the magazine masthead, cover lines and the background.

The main coverline of the magazine reads: ‘Meet The Joker’, which works as an introduction to the character. It has quite a punk-like grungy font, and is a combination of both serif and sans serif, possibly expressing both the jokey and the serious side of the Joker – the overall colour of the text being green summarises him as being sick. Underneath this reads: ‘One-on-one with Batman’s new nemesis!’, which suggests maybe an interview featured in the magazine. This being in the regular white italic font that Empire uses may be representing the fact that the magazine is entering Joker’s world, as it is surrounded by paint and irregular text.

There’s also text running across him in a scratched, trash-like font, reading: ‘He’s a cold blooded, mass murdering clown!’. The paint in the background, which has a pink colour, opposes the negative description of Joker.

The title for the magazine, Empire, could suggest that they are the leading magazine for all film news and updates. It could also be an anagram for premiere, suggesting they are the first to go to for the latest in the film industry. 

Textual Analysis of a Film Magazine - Tron Legacy

Textual Analysis of a Film Magazine

I chose this particular film magazine as it is the most well known Film Magazine to date and I also enjoyed the film: “Tron Legacy”. This magazine cover consists of the female lead character from the film “Tron Legacy”. The background image on the magazine looks quite futuristic which relates to the science fiction genre. At the bottom right-hand corner, it states “3 Collectors’ Editions!” which shows that there was a lot of promotion for the film. Also, the fact that a woman has appeared on the front page indicates that this female character plays an important part in the film.

The mise-en-scene portrayed in this film magazine contains:

·         Lighting: The lighting used in this magazine is of high-key lighting which produces a futuristic effect. The lighting also gives the main image an almost glowing effect which the makes the main image seem quite surreal.

·         NVC (Non-verbal communication): The lady’s face is quite blank but with a hidden dominance or fierceness. Her eyes stare straight into the camera as if her gaze is trying to pierce through the magazine. Her shoulders are levelled and her lips pursed; this may imply that she is ready for action (due to the action/adventure genre of the film) or that she is ready to defend a title of some sort. Her NVC also gives a mysterious aura.

·         Costume: The lady’s costume consists of a leather-type outfit. Her hair is black, short and styled. Her hair contrasts with the paleness of her skin quite vastly. Her appearance almost seems translucent. Her make-up consists of thick eye liner, dark eye shadow and black mascara however; her lips are coated in a thin layer of pink lip gloss to perhaps seem more natural/ human. There is very little colour in her costume which could relate to her serious attitude and possibly dark attitude.

·         Setting: The setting is unknown but looks to be of a futuristic, gleaming grid. The setting fits well with the main image.

Masthead: The masthead is in bold, large and red font. This iconic masthead is well known around many countries and is situated above the main image. The large red font is clear and easy to read as it is against a dark background. The tag line “MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR” represents the popularity of this magazine.

Head line: The headline appears as if it is shouting at the reader; “The 3D event of the year!” This shows that this film is ready to break barriers with its 3D effects and interesting characters. The head line also connects with a name tag “Quorra: Program”. This is most likely to be the female’s name that appears on the front page. The word “program” relates to computer graphic-type background image.

Main cover line: The main cover line relates to the film “Tron Legacy” as this magazine is all about the “behind-the-scenes” etc. about the film. The font is large, clear and of a turquoise/ white colour with more of the gleaming effect to relate to the future/ computer graphics. Underneath the main cover line, it says “The ultimate guide”, this again relates to the great popularity of the magazine and perhaps the attention of the film.

Cover lines: The cover lines are about popular actors and the latest films that are out and need to be watched. The yellow font is also very clear despite the odd colour coordination; however, it works well as there is small yellow section at the bottom right hand corner of the magazine.

Anchorage: The font used varies in size and colour but the font is all in sans serif font. For the darker font, it is placed in a white text box to be able to be read clearly however, this could look quite tacky on some magazines but it works very well on this magazine. There is also brief yellow text which doesn’t particularly suit what the magazine is trying to portray but works well nonetheless.

Barcode & price tag/ date: The barcode is on the right hand side of the magazine isn’t too small to notice but also doesn’t interrupt the main image. This is a good place to put the barcode as it can be easily views. The price tag/ date however is in much smaller font and may be a bit difficult to view if one is of poor eye sight but the white font does stand out against the dark background which allows the price tag/ date to viewed well.