Analysis of 'Surveillance' trailer

The representation of women in 'Surveillance' fails to comply with stereotypes. The audience see a woman occupying a high authority position in the FBI, she is used to interview the criminals. In contrast to this, a second female character is portrayed as a criminal dealing in drugs. This also fails to comply with the stereotypical representation of female characters as women are conventionally portrayed as victims in films of the horror genre.

However, the little girl is portrayed in a more conventional manner. Similar to ‘Room 1408’, the girl seems to be supernaturally possessed; she has knowledge of the evil and dark activities. Interestingly, the male characters are also represented in an unconventional manner. Although males are used as Police Officers- which is stereotypical as this is a highly authoritative position for male characters, it is usually male characters which take up the dominant positions in society- they are portrayed as unprofessional and represented negatively; this can be illustrated when they are interviewed in relation to the crime. In contrast to this, a male character is depicted more conventionally as he takes up a highly authoritative position in the FBI. The continued contrasts intentionally comply to and break conventions in order to ensure that ‘Surveillance’ is a unique representation of the horror genre and thus make the film memorable.

A flashback is used in the narrative to return to events that the character has already lived but the audience have yet to experience. The use of a flashback is conventional as it allows the audience to understand the narrative and the characters motive behind a certain decision. The flashback returns to the interviewing of the criminals. The camera switches between various events in the film to keep the audience guessing the conclusion of the narrative and the events of the plot. This editing is stereotypical of the horror genre.

Concerning mise en scene, the choice of costume is stereotypical as the Police Officers wear uniforms and the FBI agents wear suits. This not only complies with conventions but also provides a social ladder which the audience can understand as the ‘good guys’ are professional and at the top of the ladder but continue to be undone by the villains, making them seem superior. The villains are depicted negatively through the wearing of black clothing which connotes evil, darkness and ultimately death, this is highly stereotypical for the horror genre. The audience are able to understand the narrative better as a result of the clothing of the characters and their respective positions on the social ladder.

Camerawork used in the teaser trailer is conventional to the horror genre. During the slower parts of the film, the camera pans to follow the action and create tension. The action is also shown through the use of mid shots which is a conventional shot for horrors as it shows most, but not all, of the body. To increase the intensity of the action and heighten tension, close up shots of the characters faces are used show their expressions and illustrate their fear; this is translated to the audience. Low angle shots of the villains are used to highlight their dominance. This is a stereotypical shot in horror films and one that the audience will be familiar with as the villains are seen as the ones with power; the switch of power often changes the course of the narrative.

Fast-paced cuts and jumps are used in ‘Surveillance’ to intensify the situation and create a sense of anxiety for the audience which will ensure that they remain fixed to the action. Insert shots are used in a fast-paced montage showing various pieces of tense action; this is conventional as it attracts the viewer to the film and makes them want to find out the conclusion of the narrative. Various focus pulls are used to switch from one shot to the second and create suspense. An example of this would be when the camera is filming from behind the furniture and almost hiding from the action, this establishes a sense of secrecy, heightening tension and suspense.

The sound used in the trailer is largely non diegetic sound that rises to a climax. The music and instruments were intentionally chosen to increases anxiety and heighten tensions while intensifying the feeling from the audience. The sound is conventional to the horror genre as it is used to scare the viewer. Constant dialogue is also used to create verisimilitude.

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Analysis of ‘Red Room’ Poster

As with all posters, the viewer analyses the ‘Red Room’ film poster through the rule of thirds and line of the eye. The reader’s eye begins in the terminal area in the top left-hand of the page with the main actor’s name, ‘Will Piper’. The eye then moves across the line to the name of the supporting actress in the alternative terminal area, ‘Naomi Murphy’, before heading downwards through the tagline of ‘There is no escape...’ This sentence establishes a sense of horror and provides an insight into what the trailer holds in store for the viewer. The use of an ellipsis at the end of the sentence suggests that events have not yet been concluded and the viewer will have to watch the film in order to resolve the plot. This layout is similar to that on the poster of ‘Panic Room’ as the viewer follows a similar line along the name of the main character from one terminal area across to the alternative before heading downwards.

The eye continues down along the line of the edge of the newspaper and finishes in the bottom left-hand terminal area. The colours of light vs dark are binary oppositions, as suggested by Levi-Strauss, contrast to gain effect. This contrast connotes good vs evil, life vs death or heaven vs hell. Furthermore, the bright white colours of the newspaper connote heaven. These colours were intentionally chosen to convey to the psychological horror genre and create a desired effect on the audience, making them want to discover what happens in ‘Red Room’ and why ‘there is no escape...’ Psychological horrors conventionally use lots of dull, dark colours to scare the viewer; we opted to use similar dark colours to comply with conventions but we intentionally lit the centre of the page to provide contrast and highlight the title of the film. The lighting and colours chosen for our own poster was similar to those used on the ‘Panic Room’ film poster.

The final movement of the eye is across the title of the film which uses a red vs white contrast to connote blood and death. They eye finishes in the terminal area in the bottom right-hand corner of the page where the age restriction is conventionally placed. The last thing that the reader views on the page is the titles which mentions the cast, director and production company. This is conventionally placed underneath the title of the film.

Analysis of 'Reel' Magazine

We decided that we would place the masthead mostly in the top left-hand terminal area and allow it to cross into the middle. This design is similar to that used on ‘Sight and Sound’ and was done intentionally as the reader begins viewing the magazine from the top left-hand terminal area before travelling across the masthead through the conventionally placed date and issue number, along the top of the main image and into the second terminal area. The top right-hand terminal area shows a selection of articles, interviews and reviews that are featured inside the magazine. This is conventional as magazines often display inside features on the cover, however we broke conventions through our positioning of the text as stereotypically the text is placed on the left, dominant side of the page as the eye focuses mainly on the left-hand side of the page as demonstrated on the covers of both ‘Sight and Sound’ and ‘Empire’.

We broke conventions in order to gain a desired effect and make our own magazine cover unique. The text itself is conventional of magazine covers, yellow colouring of the sub-heading separates the text and attracts the reader’s attention while the white colours were intentionally chosen as ‘Red Room’ is a psychological horror and in this genre white is a stereotypical colour as it connotes heaven and thus death. The masthead stands out off the page to attract the reader’s attention. It is coloured red and white as they are contrasting colours and ones that relate to all genres of film. As this is a film magazine cover, not just a psychological horror film magazine cover, the colours were intentionally chosen as red may connote romance, love and emotion as well as action, danger and blood. Furthermore, white may connote innocence or purity as well as heaven or emergency. The strip of film was an additional feature to the cover as we felt it created more verisimilitude for the buyer and tied in cleverly with the title of the magazine.

From the top right-hand terminal area, the line of vision takes the eye down through the first hot spot, which in this instance is the edge of the forehead of the character and into the Primary Optical Area (POA). The POA is intentionally lit more heavily than the rest of the magazine cover as this is the spot what the viewer spends the majority of their time looking at. This is also the area which most often will attract the attention of a potential buyer before they begin reading the page. In the POA is the face of the main character of the film, ‘Red Room’. He is conventionally looking away from the camera as he refuses to be objectified and demonstrates his masculinity. This relates to Dyer’s theory of objectification. The face is coloured almost white, this is not only used to provide contrast to the dark background but also to give an insight into the film. As previously mentioned, white lighting connoted heaven and ultimately death. The four hotspots border the characters face and draw the reader’s attention to the POA. The expression of the main character suggests he is scared, the dark background and long path leading away illustrate that he is alone, both conventional devices of the psychological horror genre. The eye is the main focal point of the cover. The eye is the “window to the soul”, often in films of this genre the soul of the innocent is captured by another person or being. This shot is conventional of the genre. Shadows are used on the face to add mystery.

The eye of the reader moves along the line through the hotspot and to the beginning of the title of the main article on the cover, ‘Red Room’. On the dominant side of the page is a feature, the second most important feature of the cover as it is an ‘exclusive interview’. Often ‘exclusive interviews’ are big attractions to readers because of the exclusivity of the interview and possibility of secrets being publicised. The white text of the article separates itself from the yellow of the sub-heading. The eye moves across the film title and the tagline, ‘Piper has no escape’. This is conventional as it provides an insight into the film which taglines are stereotypically used for. The attire of the main character carries over into the film to illustrate continuity. Lastly, at the bottom of the page, the last thing the viewer reads is the additional features section. This gives an insight into the stories and articles inside the magazine, it is conventionally placed as demonstrated on all three of our analysed magazine covers, ‘Empire’, ‘Sight and Sound’ and ‘Total Film’. The eye finishes in the dead area in the bottom right-hand corner of the page with the barcode.