Film Trailer Analysis #3

‘Paranormal Activity’

Basic Plot

I have chosen to analyse the trailer of this film because I’d like to focus on contemporary supernatural horror films. My second trailer analysis was of a supernatural horror set in the 1940’s which was made during the early 2000’s, by analysing a supernatural horror trailer from this decade I can establish the differences and similarities by comparing and contrasting to see how this genre has evolved over time.

Paranormal Activity is an American horror film, written and directed by Oren Peli. The basic plot line centres on a young couple who are being haunted by a supernatural presence inside their home. It has been presented in a ‘found footage’ style as the couple set up cameras around their house, attempting to photograph what is haunting them. The characters, Katy and Micah move into a two-story tract house in suburban San Diego. Katy claims that she has been haunted by a ghostly presence since her youth and that is has followed her into their new home. After hiring a psychic, he comes to the conclusion that it is not a ghost that is haunting her, but a demon. During the early stages of the film, the camera manages to capture minor supernatural occurrences and as the narrative progresses, each night the haunting becomes more and more intense. Eventually, the demon takes over the female character, resulting in a tragic ending.

The purpose of a film trailer is to present audiences with a basic idea of a film’s narrative. However, ofcourse not every part of the plot is revealed because they want to maintain audience suspense and intrigue. In the trailer for Paranormal Activity, we see the male character Micah setting up the camera’s around his home, whilst filming around the house, showing that the windows and doors are locked.  Then we dive into the middle section of the trailer, where we experience our first taste of horror. We see the characters in bed sleeping, when they’re awoken by a noise (a stab of sound) a hand held camera is then used to show footage of the hall way, where the chandelier is swinging from the ceiling, as Katy says “There’s something here, I feel it breathing on me.” The next clip consists of the Micah filming evidence of footsteps found on the floor of their bedroom. This is then followed by a shot of the couple in bed, where we witness movement under the bed sheets, clearly indicating that the demon is underneath the blankets; a wardrobe door then swings open from the other side of the room by its own accord. We then see a clip of Katy lying down as Micah acknowledges and assists to a gruesome bite located on her back. As the fast paced edits begin, the audience experience a clip of Katy sitting on the floor at the foot of her bed, rocking backwards and forwards, this symbolises that she has been possessed. The remaining clips selected for the build up to the climax include one of Katy curled up lifelessly in bed, one of her boyfriend filming a ‘message’ left by the demon, another showing Katy flinching hysterically, followed by her boyfriend Micah being thrown backwards towards the camera.

And so, from watching the trailer the audiences have an idea of the basic plot line. They understand that this couple believe they are being haunted by some kind of supernatural presence and that mysterious events begin to occur in their home, each night becoming increasingly more frightening. The audience gather that the spirit is physically harming and possessing the female character Katy and that in the end the boyfriend becomes affected by it too, having been thrown towards the camera.

This film trailer conventionally follows the three part structure of a typical trailer. This includes a beginning that sets the narrative of the story, a middle section that reveals more and then reaches the climax, which is finally followed by a montage of fast paced edits.

The beginning lays out the key element of the plot: we see the main male character holding a camera to a mirror, talking into it as he explains that his “girlfriend Katy, thinks there’s something in the house”, and so they have set up cameras in their home to try and “capture the paranormal phenomenon” as the male character sarcastically puts it. From this scene, the audience have already acknowledged that the female character believes there is something supernatural occurring in her home, where as the boyfriend appears to be more of a technical character, who scoffs at the concept and actually needs physical proof in order to believe it. We then see the male character using his video camera to film areas of the home, establishing that the windows and doors are locked. The middle section includes shots of the couple in bed during night time, where the audience experience a few clips that present the strange goings-on. This then graduates into the visual montage of quick edits where we see the paranormal in action, here the audience learn that the female character has fallen victim. Audience intrigue is intensified as they discover that there genuinely is something happening to the main character Katy, she cannot escape the demon and it is causing her mental, emotional and physical harm.

Next, we shall discuss exactly how the genre and sub-genre is signalled to audiences through uses of mise-en-scene, camera, editing and sound. Mise-en-scene is a French term that literally defines ‘what’s put in the scene’. In trailers, elements such as setting, background, props, costume/hair/make-up, lighting/colour and character positioning/ body language/ facial expressions have all been composed or choreographed in a certain fashion, to signal to viewers what the genre and sub-genre of the film is.

Mise-en-scene

Let us begin by studying the setting, background and the props that have been used within the trailer. By watching this trailer the audiences automatically learn that the film is set in the characters home, as the first shot shows the male character Micah in what appears to be a hall way. This is apparent due to the long mirror on the wall, and the hook of coats situated to the right. The walls are coloured beige, which sets the tone of a warm, cosy and homely setting. In the second shot we see Katy relaxed, sitting down at what appears to be a desk; we assume so due to the table lamp sitting on top of it. There is also a plant next to Katy, which re-enforces the idea of the setting being in a homey, nurturing place. Both characters are dressed in casual and comfortable attire, further suggesting that they are at home. It is conventional for supernatural horrors to be set in a person’s house. The mood that is created in the beginning is one of curiosity and intrigue, as the audience want to find out if the cameras can actually capture evidence of the paranormal.

The lighting and colour used within a trailer can be extremely informative in a number of ways. As the trailer progresses we see that the shots tend to include more objects of a darker colour, such as dark mahogany furniture e.g. the bedroom desk and the bed. The trailer began exhibiting colours of warmth which have now graduated into colours that represent an air of doom and desolation. Horror movies conventionally contain lighting that is low-key, as it sets a gloomy and cold atmosphere, as well as profile lighting, as it has a harsh effect on objects and faces, establishing them as sinister and evil. Throughout the trailer the colour changes. In the beginning it is friendly, soothing and homely, the scene then brings in objects that are dark, almost black, indicating that something bad is about to happen. From here on, the colour fades completely as the rest of the trailer is presented in black and white and the audience experience scenes of pure horror. From acknowledging the uses of lighting and colour in the trailer, the audience expect a narrative that starts off light-hearted and gentle and eventually turns into a dark, terrifying, gruesome story.


The costume, hair and make-up of the characters in the beginning appear very natural, portraying them as ordinary people with ‘normal’ lives. As the trailer progresses and we start to witness the destruction of the victim Katy, these elements of mise-en-scene begin to change leading the audience to develop a different assumption of the lives of this couple, and therefore realising the genre of the film. The healthy young woman Katy, morphs into a possessed monster who reflects the manifestation of a corpse. Her complexion is pale; her face has grown sallow as there is more emphasis on her cheekbones and tired eyes. Her facial expression is at times exhausted and at others, crazed. Her features, such as her hair and clothing become dishevelled and unkempt. This element of mise-en-scene establishes to audiences that this demon has had a major effect on this girl, turning her into an uncontrollable wreck. The costume, hair and make-up of this character resemble death, as she has been drained of colour, she is limp and lifeless. Audiences can expect to see this transformation in the film and find themselves hungry for the chilling experience.

The character positioning, body language and facial expressions of the characters are an interesting study. Some scenes show Katy either lying in bed looking weak, numb and vulnerable, whereas other scenes show Katy frantically jerking around in scrutinising pain, both types of character-positioning highlight that she is suffering torment from the demon. Her facial expressions at first are ones of confusion and fear; her body language indicates instability and insanity as she rocks back and forth in a possessed manner. The audience learn that this character becomes demented and dysfunctional having to live with the torture of an inescapable demon. It is conventional for horror trailers, especially supernatural horror trailers to exhibit the evidence of the paranormal and the effect it has on the victim.

Camera

Trailers use a range of camera shots, angles and movement to create meaning and effect. In this trailer, there is an example of a close-up and then an extreme close-up of the victim’s bruises. These shots are used to establish and emphasise the importance of the mark left by the demon, it physically demonstrates that this evil spirit is causing harm to the girl. This triggers sympathy from the audience and intensifies fear, as they are concerned for the characters safety. A medium shot is used to show the body language, positioning and facial expressions of the character. This type of shot is used to show Katy looking stressed and exhausted, which indicates to audiences that she is experiencing emotional, mental and physical damage by the demon. This emphasises the seriousness of the predicament to audiences.

High angle shots show Katy at the foot of bed, sitting down on the floor rocking back and forth. High angle shots create the impression that the audience are looking down at her, forcing them to view her as a helpless victim completely tormented by this curse. This shocks audiences as they see her in a state of total breakdown. This effect also creates the illusion that the demon is watching her too. The composition of this shot makes Katy looked very small within the frame, delicate, fragile and utterly helpless to prevent this wicked fiend.

Often we see uses of ‘hand-held’ camera movement which matches the ‘found footage’ style of the film. It is a very personal attribute as the audience view things from the characters perspective and therefore receive a stronger and more intense account. It creates the impression that the audience are actually present within the scene, making the experience feel more realistic and therefore, more frightening.

There is variation of camera use which is used to emphasise the feeling of excitement and total anomie within the narrative. For example we see a low angle shot of Katy which immediately establishes her as a victim and these are used throughout the trailer on this one character. Long shots are used inside their bedroom so that the audience can view the entire scene and grasp the essence of what’s occurring. Another common use of camera is the close-up shots of Katy’s bruises and her face when she is being possessed.

Sound

Uses of sound consists of eerie hums, a combination of whispery ghostly voices, stab sounds to emphasise action on the screen, creaky doors indicating an unwelcome presence and uses of static sounds to keep in tone with the video-camera footage theme.
The dialogue begins with the characters introducing themselves and the narrative:

“High-def camera on, my girlfriend Katy thinks there’s something in the house [I don’t know]”

“I think we’re going to have a very interesting time capturing whatever paranormal phenomena that is occurring and is not occurring”

 “Windows are locked, doors are locked, alarm is on”.

Up until this point the basic narrative is set and then the disruption begins... “I’m hearing a weird sound... something’s here... I feel it breathing on me”

 “there are footsteps into the bedroom, but none going out”

 We then hear the psychiatrist say “If you’re trying to play games with it, you’re inviting it in”.

Other important pieces of dialogue shown to create tension and fear and establish the narrative include “it looks like something bit you”

 “it’s not the house, it’s me”

 “you cannot run from this, it will follow you”

 “You’re not in control”
“What’s happening to me?”

And ending on the line “If it’s not a ghost, what is it?”                

The dialogue is pieced together to build audience understanding of the basic plot. From listening to the dialogue, audiences can gather a basic knowledge of the film narrative. The dialogue heard up until the point of disruption establishes that the male character doesn’t really believe that there could be any supernatural presence in their home. From the disruption onwards, we are informed that there actually is something unwelcoming entering their home, that clearly is causing great distress and disturbance in the lives of the young couple.

Editing

The film contains a ‘found footage’ style, and so the filming is stylised to look as if an ordinary person has recorded it on their video-camera. Therefore, the use editing is a little less conventional within the film trailer.

The shots have been grouped together in a fashion that is conventional for horror trailers, where we begin with an eerie calm in which the narrative is set, followed by the middle section in which the disruption and reaction is shown. Then we reach the fast-paced montage of clips that build up to the climax, where at the end we experience ‘the sting’. The audience have their final taste of terror from watching a jumpy clip taken from the movie.

There is evidence of a cut-in from a close-up to an extreme close-up, where Micah is filming the bruise on Katy’s back. This enforces the pivotal moment in which the audience realise that the demon is physically tormenting the protagonist. The speed in which the trailer has been edited emphasises rapid effect the demon is having on the health and mental stability of the main character. The faster edits create an atmosphere of blood pumping drama that we associate with this type of genre.

Iconography

Key uses of iconography within the trailer include asynchronous spine-tingling, ghostly whispers and objects or items within the home that have been tampered with in the dead of the night, for instance, swinging chandeliers, doors slamming open by their own accord, creaking doors, unexplainable footsteps found of the floor. The colour palette consists of blacks, blues, greys and whites; harsh, cold tones that resemble the dead. All of these elements conventionally signal that this film is a supernatural horror.

Straps

Trailers use straps to correspond with the audience, informing them of the basic plot-line, building up excitement and suspense as well as working to persuade them to watch the movie. In this trailer, there appears to be an unconventional presentation of straps because it’s a special film trailer which integrates clips of actual viewers watching the film in the cinema. At the very start we see people queuing up and we are informed by the straps that:

 “In September 2009 a screening was held in Hollywood, California.”
“This audience was among the first to experience the movie ‘Paranormal Activity’”
“This is what they saw...”

These first set of straps build up audience intrigue, as they learn that the film had to endure a special screening before it was released indicating that the nature of the film is way beyond your typical horror movie. After this we experience a selection of clips and audience understanding is aided through dialogue of the characters until another set of straps are integrated into the trailer. The first is a quote from an expert witness explaining that “’Paranormal Activity’ is one of the scariest movies of all time” the second strap includes another critic claiming that the film is “genuinely horrifying...” The third strap states that “The entire auditorium was freaked out of their minds... people were physically shaken”.

The next set of straps read:
“Experience it”
“For”
“Yourself”
“Paranormal Activity”

I believe that this is an extremely effective way of persuading audiences to watch the film, having used examples within the trailer of other audiences experiencing the film. It makes it appear more genuine and honest, instead of the audience having to rely entirely on critics opinions they can visually acknowledge the effect the film has on the viewers.

Representation

Let us dwell upon the representation of men and women in this trailer, as well as the representation of society. The characters adopt roles that are traditional gender stereotypes, for instance, we have the male character who scoffs at the idea of there being any paranormal occurrences going on as he sarcastically mocks the concept. In order for him to believe in any aspect of the supernatural he would need evidence, and so he sets up the cameras around his home as an attempt to prove the point that his girlfriend is wrong. The female character is represented as a vulnerable, troubled creature, which is an old fashioned conception of a woman, being feeble and weak yet also being the source of evil. This film provides perspective on modern societies fears through its portrayal of horrific events; the concept of something breaking into our personal space and controlling our every move.

To conclude, the trailer has been pieced together perfectly to give audiences a thrilling and frightful picture of what’s to come. By combining elements of camera, editing, sound, mise-en-scene and lighting the trailer successfully and effectively represents the genre of the film and provides audiences with a clear understanding of the basic narrative. ‘Paranormal Activity’ tickles and torments the audiences with a taste of terror and I have been greatly inspired to re-create the same effect with my own film trailer.