George Brinan A2 Media
Candidate No. 8149
As is common with nearly all trailers the first thing we see when watching is the certificate of age rating. As we can see from this image on the left 'The Cabin in the Woods' has been rated as R, meaning anyone under the age of 17 must be accopanied by someone over the age of 18 or they will not be able to see the film. This hints to the nature of the film being a horror as it is unlikely that an Animated or Comedy film would have a rating that restricts those of a certain age. The restriction is set by the Motion Picture Association of America or MPAA, this is the company that certify every film in America so that it is suitable for a specific audience.
The first scene of the trailer is set in a suburban street in America. The weather is perfect and it seems to be the average day for those on the street. While this is progressing an indie rock track is playing in the background that connotes the idea of the 'calm before the storm' as we see a group of friends beginning to pack an campervan ready for a trip. From the title of the film we assume they are preparing for a trip to the 'cabin in the woods'.
We see a close up shot of one character’s hand as he turns a key to start the campervan. This is significant as it signifies the start of their adventure to 'The cabin in the woods' and their movement away from the settled environment of a suburban town. A Low angle long shot is then used to show the characters journey and the fact that they are journeying to an isolated location.
It then cuts to a high angle shot of the campervan, the shot also shows a different location to the previous shots adding variety of settings in the trailer.
The use of the aerial shot (left) adds variety to the shots used in the trailer and it highlights how isolated they’re environment is. Isolated environments are common characteristics of horror movies as it means that its harder for the characters to escape from the villian. In the trailer it is apparent that there are no other vehicles on the road as they journey to their location, hinting at the idea that no one wants to go to their destination. In the shot on the left we can see they are driving through what appears to be a forest a common setting for several horror films.
We see the campervan arrive at what appears to be an abandoned petrol station, the camera pans and follows them as they arrive and then cuts to the shot of the yard. This, therefore establishes their new location. The way the camera is positioned in the shot that shows the run down station adds elements of horror as it seems abandoned, thus creating fear of the unknown for the audience. As the characters enter this run-down area, rumbling non diegetic noises are used in the background, which creates the feeling that something bad is going to happen. The use of high pitch and low booming non diegetic noises creates suspense and tension in the scene. As the ‘LIONSGATE’ title appears a deep booming noise is used, parallel to the change of mood, which has become a lot darker.
A sound bridge is used and the camera then pans to reveal a run down cabin and, as a shot is filmed within the cabin it makes it seem as though something or someone is watching the characters, adding a sense of horror and the unknown to the trailer. An older man steps out from the cabin and a close up is used to establish him as a character. He says "the sign says closed" indicating that there is no reason to be there. This is the moment the audience realises where they are going is not safe and should not be visited under any circumstances. We then, through a fade, see the use of a long shot to establish the characters location, as they reach the 'Cabin', which is a typical convention of horror films, as they are in an isolated area. A low angle is then used to show the cabin itself, by using this very low angle it makes the shot seem eerie, again making it seem as though someone is watching them.
We see 2 titles that read: ‘You think you know the story’ and ‘you think you know the place’ while they are on the screen music is played which sounds like a clock or a countdown, hinting that they are naering the cabin. The white, sans-serif font used stands out against the dark background, making it easy to read. Before the first titles appear a bright light flashes and the words appear on the screen before a wipe transition is used to take us to the next title. The words used are intriguing the audience and as its directly addressing them it makes them feel involved in the storyline without them seeing the film.
The over the shoulder shot (left) is significant because, as an audience we begin to realise that all is not what it seems. A close up is then used of the male character which shows his facial expression and reaction to this strange mirror. When the characters enter their cabin, the lighting changes to low key lighting making the scene feel more gloomy and daunting. We then see four characters enjoying themselves in the lake near the cabin. This is shown so that the audience feels like the charcters are safe even after we see the problem with the mirror. A cut then takes us to a scene where a bird is flying through a canyon before hitting an invisible barrier. This is when the title "You think you know the place" is challenged as the audience begins to realise the characters are trapped in the cabin.
Through a fade we are taken back to the abandoned petrol station, where we see the old man from a low angle, on the phone before he says "the lambs have passed through the gate". This implies that the characters in the campervan have entered an area that is not safe and the idea of "lambs" suggests they have gone to be slaughtered. Before we are taken to what appears to be an underground base where there are cctv cameras looking at the people in the cabin. A sound bridge is used as we here the words "they have come to the killing floor". This is where the audience begins to realise the people at the cabin have been led to their death and are in a very vulnerable situation.
A montage of shots begins to play and the camera pans round to reveal the characters enjoying themselves to the words "let's get this party started". As the characters are happy and enjoying themselves it is creating a happy atmosphere and building tension as we know something bad is about to happen. This is an example of an omniscient narrative, as the audience know more than the characters. The music playing however, does not match the images we are seeing on screen.
The mood then turns as one character says "I seriously believe something weird is going on" before a long shot darks down a lit corridor. As you can see in the images on the right the corridor is lit before a wind passes down the corridor blowing out some of the lamps. This suggests that they are not alone in the cabin and someone or something is trying to make them scared. We see a close up of one girl's reaction to seeing the lamps get blown out, her face is shrouded in fear and shock.
A high angle shot is used in the trailer to reveal the antagonist/creature to both the audience and the characters. The fast paced music stops in this shot to scare the audience and make them realise that this is the antagonist. Silences in horror trailers are common because they keep the audience and the scene in suspense.
"We gotta get outta here" is the next thing we hear in the trailer as the characters begin to realise they are in severe danger. We presume all of the characters are in the next shot as the camperva drives away from the cabin, however we have no idea if everyone is inside or not, we are able to see two shadowy figures but they are not recognisable. We are also unable to make out the landscape they are in, we can make out cliffs on the right hand side but nothing is visible on the left. The only lights we see are the headlights of the campervan, giving a sense of the unknown and what could possibly be following them.
A jump cut is used and we see one of the characters being taken in the forest. We also see the protagonist cutting something with an axe. Low key lighting is used and we are unable to see what the person is cutting, however we can see the person being grabbed in the background by a masked villain.
Later in the trailer we are able to get a closer look at the axe weilding creature. Before this shot an emphasised silence is used so the audience expects something scary is about to happen. One of the female character says "What is that thing" suggesting that none of the characters understand who or what is trying to kill them.
The shot on the right shows an extreme close up of one of the male protagonists with fear stretched across his face. It appears to be a hand held camera held up to his face a common sight in many horror films, such as cloverfield, (a film that one of the directors worked on). The jerky movement of the camera makes it hard to follow what is happening, but it does keep the audience in suspense, as this shot is in the middle of several dramatic shots where a lot of action is taking place.
This low angle shot gives the audience a chance to see the antagonist who is tormenting the characters. As the spotlight is the only lighting in this shot it makes it difficult for the audience to see the antagonist’s identity, thus prolonging the sense of suspicion in the trailer.
The low key lighting and the use of a black background in this wide angle two shot is used to provoke fear from the audience. As masks have been used, which we have not seen before in the trailer we instantly know that these characters are the antagonists and are an unknown prescence. The masks create a sense of the unknown, as they hide the person’s identity, therefore making it even scarier for the audience and the characters because they cannot see their faces.
We see an aerial shot as the female character tries to crawl away whilt being pursued by the antagonist carrying a weapon of some description. We see a close up of the weapon just before the aerial shot is used in which we see a bear trap contraption held on a chain. The lighting used means we only see certain features of each character such as the despairing hands on the female character, and the weapon wealding arms of the antagonist.
The trailer also includes the name of the producer ‘Joss Whedon’ and when the film is going to be released to the public. Drew Goddard’s name also appears, he is also the writer of Cloverfield, by stating that Drew is the writer of Cloverfield they are inter- textually referencing another horror film and are attracting a fan base that already exists and who may consider watching this film. The title appears which lets the audience know what the film is called if they were to see it in a cinema.
The final shot in the trailer is this close up of one of the female characters screaming. The audience is unsure why she is desperately screaming and this is enticing them into wanting to see the film as they might want to learn what happens to her.
