Analysis of The Strangers trailer

A chronological analysis of the trailer, including aspects of camera work, editing, sound and mise en scene as well as typography.

The Strangers is an interesting trailer as it initially appears to be of the romantic genre due to the soft non diegetic piano chords and the establishing shots of the lake view and the old fashioned cabin. This makes the audience feel that this is a peaceful place not a vulnerable, isolated place. The fades accompnied with the close ups of the rose petals on the bed, the candle lit dinner and the mid shot of the two characters embracing, as well as the close up of the engagement ring box entices the audience into a false sense of security, but these elements combined makes the audience feel slightly uneasy as the seconds continue, as if we are expecting something to happen.
Our false sense of security is ruined when as there is a close up of the female's back and hands, the camera shifts slightly to the right as if something is supposed to be there and there is a loud bang, this suggests that this peaceful ambiance created is about to be ruined and causes fright and intruige for the audience which is what successful trailers should do, make the audience wonder why things have happened etc.
There is an extremely obvious change in genre/ambiance to what was percieved, to what is now evident, the non diegetic sound of the swing creaking sets up a very creepy atmousphere making the audience feel uneasy and the constant long shots of, the garden and the house, which in some cases feel like POV shots, suggests to the audience that somebody should be there, is there, but we cannot see them which creates mystery and fright. The diegetic dialouge is very effective and realistic 'i'ts okay there's nothing here' suggests that the characters are trying to fool themselves and this makes the audience feel even more on edge, which is what a good trailer does, we as the audience feel like we know more sometimes than the characters do, which allows us to have active emotional involvement, again, building up on the fright experienced.
There is a series of mid/long shots of the woman looking around the house, ending with a CU of her locking the door, this suggests that there is an uneasy/uncomfortable atmousphere being created. This is a very effective long shot of the woman standing in the kitchen and the size of her compared to the kitchen makes her feel very vulnerable and as this shot continues for a few seconds with no movement, the audience feel very apprehensive and uncomfortable as the masked figure appears in the back ground of the long shot. This is again, allowing the audience to know more than the characters, increasing our emotional involvement in the narrative.
The lighting is very minimal throughout the trailer, it is night time and alot of dim lighting and candles are used to add to the uncomfortable feeling that something is there. This is an important aspect to the horror genre, minimal lighting is very effective in making the audience feel frightened. Diegetic sound is used from the record player which adds to the creepy atmousphere and as the trailer ocntinues, elements combine and the pace quickens, making us feel even more frightened. For example, a section of the song from the record is effectively repeated along and quickened accompnied with the fast paced straight cuts from LS of the masked people chasing the owners from the CU of certain character's facial expressions.
What is effective in this trailer, as well as others of a similar genre is that the pace of the editing/music is normal and very minimal at the beginning allowing us to grasp the narrative of the storyline but then as the trailer continues the music/pace of editing quickens, heightening our appropriate emotions of fright/intruige/worry which is what a successful trailer should do.
In the strangers also, the typography used is effective in setting the mood for the film and allowing us to have emotional involvement, the words 'inspired by true events' makes the audience feel very uneasy. Also the typography is white font on top of a black background, this could suggest that the characters inside the cabin are the vicims (white is associated with vulnerability) and the 'strangers' are represented by the black background surrounding the white. The situation they are in is inescapable.

Conclusion

Some techniques that I plan to use in my trailer are long shots accompnied with minimal lighting to give the impression that nobody is there but a prescense it, something should be there. This will enhance apprehension. Another camera shot that I am going to develop in my teaser trailer is the CU of the woman locking the door, I am going to use this idea in my film to focus on security and make the audience feel uneasy. I am going to adpot the pace technique used in 'the strangers' trailer, in my teaser trailer I plan for the pace to begin very slowly but then do develop and the pace of the editing combined with the increase in volume and quickening pace of sound will increase tension and adrenaline for the viewer.