Similar Products - Trailer Analysis

The Possesion



The trailer begins with the film production titles being very briefly shown less than two seconds yet cut in-time to the curiosity educing music. Immediately establishing the characters a montage quickly dissolves betweens shots give us as the audience insight as to the locations and the relationships between certain characters, we see them in their normal, natural state. Initially autumn colours saturate the shots, yet yellows are flattened giving the impression everything may not be as quaint as they appear. Soon the tone of the film changes strengthened by post transition techniques, rather than smoothly dissolving sharp cuts and fades to and from black emphasise this previous allusion as to something perhaps more sinister. At this same strings and choral voices are introduced one again building tension within the trailer. The music continues to build and the over amplified sound effect of the lock/box opening are followed by a subtle use of silence, perhaps the most eerie effect; when used sparingly. During this time, through the dialogue of the actors we are made aware as to the basic premise of the film; in that the girl opens a mysterious box, we assume summoning some form of evil entity. The lighting within this moment is also particularly interesting, moving shadows of swaying trees are cast upon the subject, fitting to the codes and conversations of the thriller/horror genre. A gothic like drones continues throughout, the title “BASED ON A TRUE STORY” behind a spiralling helicopter shot of suburbia. The over amplified sound effect of a fork scraping on a plate from the forthcoming shot is mixed, cut in time to the music. This cutting increases in speed and intensity, while gradually alternating from mid-shot to extreme close up in quick succession between the two characters, as the piece comes to somewhat of a mid-climax the shots quickly flash, simply with frames of black in-between and two final frames of white; closely emulating lightning. This is also used to mark the transition and almost reset the tension level, also colouring the next section with more eerie and conventional dark colours; a powerful use of shadows and back lighting is prominent. The pace of the trailer is lowered briefly; more plot alluding dialogue is played over the wide tracing shots of previously unseen locations. Suddenly, once again, quick cuts, as well as the tension level, builds until a glass is dramatically knocked off of a table and a ghostly scream is heard; a brief flash of emulated lightning marks the tension level drop once more. During the brief plot dialogue non-dieagetic whispers can be heard, the sound of minor strings build and sharply mark the black moment of pause, similar to the effect of silence. Almost screeching strings drone and continue to build throughout the next plot montage, dramatic effects take place; in that a large truck is briefly seen plunging into a car. As we see the bizarre wide shot of the supernatural girl we hear over-amplified screams and strings build to a seemingly penultimate climax. Whisper-like chants rumble as the title “THIS AUGUST” is shown the texture of the typography being similar to that of the moth creatures we associate within film. The over-amplified chants continue to take the forefront of the subsequent shots; again strings build and mark the title “DARKNESS”.