Molly Owens A2 Media Studies

Plot Summary (from IMDB)

In London, lawyer Arthur Kipps still grieves the death of his beloved wife Stella on the delivery of their son Joseph four years ago. His employer gives him a last chance to keep his job, and he is assigned to travel to the remote village of Cryphin Gifford to examine the documentation of the Eel Marsh House that belonged to the recently deceased Mrs. Drablow. Arthur befriends Daily on the train and the man offers a ride to him to the Gifford Arms inn. Arthur has a cold reception and the owner of the inn tells that he did not receive the request of reservation and there is no available room. The next morning, Arthur meets solicitor Jerome who advises him to return to London. However, Arthur goes to the isolated manor and soon he finds that the vengeful ghost of a woman dressed in black haunts Eel Marsh House. He also learns that the woman lost her son drowned in the marsh and she seeks revenge, taking the children of the scared locals.

Name of Film

The title of the film appears at the end of the trailer. This is because the audience will watch the trailer and will be drawn in by the film and then by showing the title at the end the audience are much more likely to remember it than if it were showed at the beginning.  The screenshot below shows there is use of a black background and white text - which is very generic for horror films. The black background and smoky grey adds to the sense of suspicion and horror. After the title has appeared, it is followed by the release date of the film. This shot also includes the web address for the official " The Woman in Black" website and the logos of the production companies involved.

Genre

The trailer clearly indicates what the genre of the film is from not only quick clips of the film but also from the soundtrack. The picture, showing the haunted house, is of an establishing shot. This allows the audience to see that it is very old and clearly abandoned. Along with the dark lighting, broken gates and overgrown shrubbery, it connotes a dark and mysterious atmosphere - which engages the audience. This setting is very conventional for this horror genre, thus making it clear what the genre is. The picture of Arthur, the protagonist, is shown alone in the fog and mud. This isolation is another common convention of horror films as it suggests that the character is vulnerable and there is no one else there to help him. 

Sound

The music and soundtracks from the film are an important aspect to include in the trailer as it can create the sense of fearfulness and anxiousness. The music starts off at a slow pace. This puts the audience in a position of waiting and wanting to find out if anything dramatic happens. It also enables the audience to be able to hear the diegetic sound. For example, at the beginning of the trailer, when Arthur is on the train speaking to Mr. Daily.  However, the music quickly starts to speed up as you progress through the trailer. It becomes much more loud and dramatic and then suddenly stops.  This therefore keeps the audience excited and apprehensive. In the trailer, for example, the music is very mysterious and eerie as Arthur looks around in the house. But then, as soon as he spins the zoetrope the music comes to a stop and all you can hear is the ambient sound - Arthur's breathing and the sound coming from the zoetrope. Then, you see a quick flash of someones face, combined with a loud non diegetic sound which instantly scares the audiences and makes them jump. This is a very clever technique to use because there is no build up of sound at that point and therefore the audience weren't expecting the face to suddenly show up and scare them.

There are also other diegetic sounds, such as; a crow screeching, people screaming and an arm chair creakily rocking. All of which are, again, very conventional for a horror film. The other pieces of music at this point are tense and sudden. Along with the fast paced cuts, this quickly makes the audience scared.

In the picture below there is face paced music which is building up more and more until Arthur lights a match - which is then the music comes to a stop. Then suddenly a child, covered in mud, appears. This would scare the audience along with the loud non-diegetic sound which is played as soon as the child is seen. Furthermore, the writing, which is made from blood, on the nursery wall and the shot of the child from the follow shot follows the theme of children in this sequence. This can make the audience fell uncomfortable as children are seen as vulnerable and innocent, which can shot the audience and also sympathise them.

Type of Shots

The trailer begins with an establishing shot. This shot allows the audience to see a lot within the frame, such as; the train, the sky and sun and the greenery. The shot uses ambient sound of the train along with diegetic sound from Arthur and Mr. Daily. The non diegetic sound that is also included is of a slow pace, creating a peaceful atmosphere.

The next shot is a close up of Arthur, resting his head on the side of the train. This shot is used to allow the audience to see his facial expression and his emotions. His reflection on the window suggests that there are two sides to this character and can also convey a ghostly image, which complements the themes in the film as it is a horror film, with ghosts and supernatural presences.

In the bottom left hand picture there is use of a high angle shot. This is used to show the characters vulnerability. There is also a sense of insecurity as the house is old, abandoned, remote and haunted. Furthermore, at this point the music changes to a more eerie and scary sound, creating suspense for the audience.

There are then close ups following on from this. They are used so we can see the fear and anxiety in the character. The music also gets louder, building up to the climax. Furthermore, sometimes the camera is behind Arthur, giving the sense that he is being followed. Along with the dark lighting, it makes the atmosphere more sinister and frightening.

In the pictures below you can see a wide shot of three young girls, who appear to be under a spell or haunted. This shot allows the audience to see how defenceless these victims are because they can't control their actions.

In the second picture below there is a high angle shot. This highlights Arthur's vulnerability and how powerless he is. It also shows footsteps - which is evidence of there being a supernatural presence in the house. They also look like child footprints, which are covered in blood. As a result, this adds to the eeriness of the film.

 In the picture below there is a tracking shot of Arthur, who is holding a candle and an axe. The candle reminds the audience that the lighting is very dark, which creates a spooky atmosphere and the axe shows the audience how frightened and petrified he is.

In the second and third picture below there is an over the shoulder shot. Just before this shot there was a voiceover from a woman, saying "She's always there". Suddenly there is a loud non-diegetic sound of a ghost-like scream as soon as Arthur's hand touches the window and a face appears on the window.  This will also scare and shock the audience.

Narrative Text/ Name Captions

0.51s into the trailer the screen cuts to a black screen with white text saying "THE MOST CHILLING GHOST STORY OF OUR TIME". These few words are very simplistic but very powerful as it captures the audiences attention. This is because, at this point, the audience have seen almost a minutes worth of the trailer, and are captivated by it as it is keeping them on their toes. So, by putting this text in at that moment the audience will remember the text and will reinforce how great a film it is, thus encouraging them to watch it. They have also kept with the theme colours - white text on a black background, adding to the continuity. The white colour generally connotes death and ghost which also ties in with the film's storyline and genre. Furthermore, the wording of the text is very clever. The have made it seem as if it is a statement and therefore a fact. This means that the audience will believe this piece of text.

Similarly, they have also added the main actors name, Daniel Radcliffe. Again, they have used the black background and bold white text, with a little grey smoke effect that crosses the screen, making it seem more ghostly. By adding in who the main actor is it can attract many of his fans. Furthermore, by using Daniel Radcliffe, a very famous actor, it can really help in promoting the film.

Towards the end of the trailer these three separate words ( Fear Her Curse) are shown on the screen in the space of about 5 seconds. The first word "FEAR" is shown, followed by a clip of the film and then the second word "HER" is quickly shown, followed by another quick clip of the film. Then the final word "CURSE" is shown, with another quick clip. This all happens in the space of about 5 seconds. This creates a rapid effect, implying that the film is full of action, thus attracting the audience. The text is, again, white on a black background. Therefore, they are following the colour theme throughout the trailer.