Trailer Questionnaire

I decided to carry out a questionnaire in order to get a clearer idea on what genre of trailers they enjoy and what they like to be included including the name of the film, the location and what they want to find out from the trailer. All of the information found will be taken on board when producing the trailer.

The Forest Trailer Analysis

The trailer begins with a long shot of the family home and the main character narrating the opening talking about her and Jess who is her twin about whenever one of them feels something so does the other. But then another long shot is used to show a yellow tent in the basement which the audience can see there are someones belongings in there and that is when the the main character says "she needs me". This tells the audience that something bad has happened to Jess as her sister feels it. As her sister begins to open the tent she hears something and turns around to see Jess but when she was younger who screams in her face. Afterwards she wakes up from a bad dream which creates a twist for the audience as they may be confused and not sure weather the believe what just happened was real or that she was have a bad dream on what or may happen to Jess.



 Eerie non-diegetic music begins to play while Sara is on the phone to someone who says her sister went into Aokighara forest which is also known as suicide forest which is located in Japan. When Sara is told this a close up is used to show the shock in her face as she never thought her sister would go somewhere like this. The trailer continues showing Sara going to Japan to see if she can find Jess and save her. This tells the audience that she is going to come across some scary and frightening events on her journey. In one of the scenes Sara asks a lady who works near to the forest for a guide in which the lady replies "no guides the forest is a dangerous place". At this point in the trailer the audience knows that Sara is going to go in the forest with or without a guide as she wants to find her sister even if she gets hurt doing so. In this case stereo typically something or someone will manage to scare or frighten Sara as this happens in most horror films. The next scene shows Sara looking at some scary images of bodies of people and their belongings found in the forest after they committed suicide. This puts the audience on edge as they aren't sure what lies ahead for both Sara and Jess. More eerie non-diegetic music starts to play when showing Sara in the shower which the audience knows something or someone is going to enter the bathroom which she won't see. A few scenes forward a guide advises Sara not to leave the path as they are marked of as people have committed  suicide there which could cause something bad to happen to Sara. The next scene is when Sara finds Jess's tent but Jess is no where to be seen and Sara gets told not to stay here after dark. At this point in the trailer the audience want to find out why you can't stay after the dark and want to find out what happens if you do. But the audience knows that some when during the film they will find out what happens after dark. Diegetic sound is used as a voice is whispering"Sara" which sounds eerie but no one is sure who it is as Sara is woken up by the voice then a hand with long fingers. A long shot is then shown of a strange figure which is following Sara. At the end of the trailer Sara is shown picking up an old fashioned camera which she clicks the side and a three girls dressed in long white gowns are gathered around a fire while saying Sara's name on repeat.

Insidious 4: The Last Key Trailer Analysis

The trailer begins with a long shot of a house in the evening which cuts to a young woman down in the basement where she finds a tray with mysterious items on it. A close up is then shown as she removes the sheet which reveals a dark coloured hand which reaches out a pushes the girl away. A long shot is shown of the girl as she collides with the wall and falls to the floor. A strange figure then hovers over her as she is screaming in pain which is shown by a close up. An extreme close up is then shown is one of the figures fingers which is the shape of a key stabs into her neck and is then twisted. This relates to the name of the film "The Last Key".

The next scene begins with intense music playing (diegetic) as a close up is shown of the paranormal expert who has been in the previous three films. She mentions " I have seen many horrors in my life" (non-diegetic) which at the same time shows a long shot of a scene from the first Insidious of a strange figure in the corner of the little boys room which has long fingers. This will remind fans of the series film what happened in the first. She continues to speak "this one is different though because this is my family's house which then shows a long shot of the house which seems to be in the middle of nowhere which is one of the conventions of a horror film. The camera then cuts to a still image which says "from the producers of "Get Out, The Purge and The Visit" which will make anyone who enjoyed these films want to watch this.

The next scene begins with a close up of the paranormal expert who says "if we can find out what it is, we can stop this curse". This relates back to the title of the film as this implies that if the curse can be stopped then this is the final film. A close up is then shown of the dark hand scrapping its fingers across the stairs railing.

The following scene begins with a close up of the woman holding an old set of bulky keys. She begins to talk "I need to go deeper". The room she enters is a long corridor full of cells which each contains everything that has frightened people. The next scene shows the lady walking around the house with night vision on the camera  as she thinks the darkness will help catch whatever it is haunting her family home. One of the member of her team can see what is in front of her which seems to be a tall woman but she can't see it. The last part of the trailer shows a close up of someones feet who the audience wonder who it is and it seems to be like they are being lifted from the ground. The screen then goes black which is followed by the title of the film which is written in both red and silver which makes it stand out from the dark background.  

Sinister 2 Trailer Analysis

The trailer begins with an old horror film on the TV which lasts a few seconds then the camera cuts to a medium shot of two brothers sitting on the sofa watching the film. Their mum then comes in saying "it's time for bed now boys" (non-diegetic) in which they reply "can't we wait until the next commercial break?". The camera then cuts to the boys going up to bed when one of them says "it's not real mum". At this point in the trailer the audience knows that what he said isn't true but they will have to wait for the trailer to continue. The camera cuts to a long shot of one of the boys downstairs in the middle of the night and in front of him is a dark figure in a black suit staring at him. This informs the audience that this is the antagonist in the film.

The screen cuts to a still image which says "from the producer of Paranormal Activity, Insidious and The Purge" which will get any fans of these films interest in this one as all of them are very well known and successful horror films. The next scene begins with a close up of a man saying "do you believe in evil (non-diegetic) which cuts straight to a close up of a newspaper with the front article titled "FOUND DEAD writer of Kentucky Blood found dead while researching new book". This relates to the first Sinister which is based around the family on the newspaper as the youngest daughter killed her family as the figure shown at the start of the trailer told her to. The camera cuts to one of the brother talking to his mum "i'm worried about Dylan" which is shown by using a close up and a two shot so that the audience can see both his and the mums facial expressions and so that you get a view of both sides of the conversation. The expression shown on the boys face is worry which shows he cares about his brother. The camera then cuts to a close up of Dylan waking up suddenly in the middle of the night and an expression of panic is on his face. A medium shot is used which shows a group of children are gathered around Dylan which cuts to a close up of them saying "shhh". This makes the audience wonder why this is happening to Dylan and who are these children.

The next scene starts with one of the children taking Dylan down to the basement which is one of the horror conventions of not to go down to the basement. The camera cuts to a man who studies ghosts and ghouls which then shows a close up of a picture taken that looks exactly like the dark figure shown at the start of the trailer. The camera then cuts back to the basement where a close up is used to show a large chest in the middle of the room which is filled with different films. Music begins to play (diegetic) which mentions the Bogeyman. This makes the audience wonder if the dark figure is the Bogeyman. The boy who let Dylan to the basement play one of the films which starts of showing his family having a nice meal then cuts to them tied up and then being electrocuted. All of the films in the chest belong to each of the children and shows how they killed their family. The relates to the convention of children being evil and not to be trusted.

The next scene begins with the man shown previously who studies this telling someone about the different cases " there's three things in common. A murdered family, a house and some form of offering". While he is talking the camera cuts to Dylan's family then their house and finally one of the children handing Dylan one of the films which seems to be the offering. The camera cuts to a close up of some form of translation system of a little girls voice which is hard to understand but the expert says "it's coordinates to a farm where an entire family was murdered". The other man seems to be a police officer who decides to go to the farm which conveniently is where Dylan's family live and a close up is shown of his face which shows worry and fear. When the camera cuts to the mum and police officer talking a close up and two shot is shown so that the audience can see both sides of the conversation. The mum says "nobody ever comes out here. That was terrible what happened". This makes the audience wonder why she moved here if she knew about what happened in the farm. A close up is then shown of a picture the officer is holding which shows the bodies of the family who was killed  and in the background the strange figure is standing there.

The next scene begins with the expert talking "it's the kids, he gets the kids". This is then followed by one of the kids handing his film to Dylan which is titled fishing trip. When they play it a close up is shown of Dylan's face which shows he is scared. The camera then cuts to the officer walking up to the mum saying "your family is in danger". This informs the audience that he is trying to help and save the family before its to late. This is then followed by him exploring the farm where the strange figure jumps out in front of him.

The last 15--20 seconds of the trailer is a series of cut scenes from the most intense moments in the film. The first shows the dark figure walk towards the door which cuts to a close up of Dylan looking afraid. The eerie Bogeyman music begins to play again (diegetic) which is followed by birds eye view of Dylan who has tied his mum, dad and brother to crosses and is getting ready to kill them. The trailer then continues showing close ups of some of the other children's families who got killed. The trailer ends with the mum screaming which leaves the audience wondering why this is happening.

47 Metres Down Trailer Analysis

47 metres down is about two sisters who go shark cage diving when suddenly their cages fall to the bottom of the ocean.

The trailer begins with a long shot of the villa the sisters are staying in which then cuts to a two shot of the girls toasting as one says "thank you for bringing me on vacation". By using the two shot the audience gets to see both sides of the conversation. The next scene begins with the girls going down to the beach where they see a sign for shark cage diving. A man starts talking to them "you should tty it, it's totally safe. Both girls decide they will do it and a long shot is shown of the ocean where they spot two sharks. One of the sisters isn't sure if she wants to do it "Kate I'm not sure about this". This is then followed by a low angle medium shot as one of the girls goes underwater in the cage. A close up is then shown of a shark swimming past the cage. The shark continues to swim around the cage which creates a tense atmosphere for the audience as they don't know what the shark is going to do next. Suddenly a close up of the chain that the cage is attached to is shown which is pushing the cage further into the water. Suddenly the cage breaks away from the chain and begins to sink towards the bottom of the ocean.

As the cage begins to sink intense music begins to play (diegetic) which makes the audience feel on edge. The cage is sinking quickly and both girls are screaming "help" (non-diegetic). As the cage gets closer to the bottom the light begins to fade and this is shown by a birds eye view until the screen goes black. The next scene begins with the cage at the bottom of the ocean which can just about be seen as there is only a little bit of light coming from the girls helmets. This is shown by a long shot. One of the girls is panicking and is heavy breathing which is causing her oxygen level to go down faster then it should be. The other sister asks her "how far done are we?". The other replies "47 metres". One of the sisters manages to get out of the cage through a cap in the cage where she begins to call out for help "is anyone there? can anyone hear me?". This is shown by long shot which shows no one or nothing is around to help them. The camera then goes back to a close up of the other sister who is still in the cage where she begins to look around which is shown by a panning shot. She looks around once and when she turns her head back a shark swims towards the cage and tries to attack her. The shark manages to bite her as part of the water turns red.

The final scene begins with one of the sisters still out of the cage while the other is still in it. The shark is swimming around the cage which is followed by the camera focusing on the ocean when suddenly a shark swims the cage again. The last part of the trailer is a range of short scenes from the film where both girls are trying to escape from the shark. At this point both girls are out of the cage and trying to decide what to do next. The name of the trailer is shown at the end as more bloody water is shown which is the colour of the "47".

The Visit Trailer Analysis

The visit is a horror film about a single mother who she leaves her two young children with who she thinks are their grandparents but the family's life seems to go very wrong.

The trailer begins showing the production company which is Universal. Universal is a successful company but hasn't produced many well known horror films. Afterwards cheerful music begins to play (diegetic)as one of the young children is filming their car journey where they are taking their mum to the station. The scene then changes to the mum sitting down in front of a camera talking "my parents asked if their grandchildren could visit them" At this point in the trailer everything seems to be normal and doesn't seem like a horror. It then cuts back to the boy filming the house their grandparents live in and is followed by a medium shot of the Nan cooking in the kitchen. a few seconds after is when the children are brushing their teeth when their granddad comes in saying "bedtime is at 9 and you two shouldn't come out of your room after that." (non-diegetic). This seems to be an early time to go to sleep considering they aren't little and they are on their holidays. This also makes the audience wonder why they can't leave their room.



The next part of the trailer is when it begins to look like a horror. The children are woken up by a strange sound. They both decide to get their camera which is still recording and go and see what it is. When they open their bedroom door the Nan is seen scratching at the door opposite their bedroom. The camera then cuts to a still image which says "from the writer and director of The Sixth Sense". This makes the audience wonder if this film will have a similar story. Afterwards the granddaughter is talking to her Granddad "I think Nana isn't feeling very well". A long shot is then shown of the Nan in the hallway facing towards the stairs then slowly turns around and walks away. It looks as if someone is controlling her. During this scene the Granddad replies to the girl "your grandmother is fine it's like someone talking in their sleep". The next scene shows the Granddad standing on the roof of one of the buildings. This is then followed by  the Granddad sitting in the barn holding a loaded shot gun. He notices the children standing there which is when he says "I was just cleaning it". It then cuts to the children saying "their even weirder at night" (non-diegetic) which is when it cuts to the Nan running across the hallway in the middle of the night. At this point in the trailer the audience is wondering what is going on with the grandparents and why didn't the children mum know about any of this. The next scene is of the children talking to their mum on the laptop "something is wrong with Nana and Papa" (non-diegetic). She replies "their just old and your only there for a couple days". This shows that she has no idea about anything that is going on.



The next scene begins with a long shot of the living room with the Nan sitting on a rocking chair facing a wall laughing to herself. The granddaughter goes over to her and when she puts her hand on her shoulder she stops and looks confused which is shown by a close up. It then cuts to a still image which features "the producer of Paranormal Activity, The Purge, Insidious and Sinister. Fans of all these films would enjoy this film and both these films are very successful. The next scene begins with the children going into a shed which is bolted shut "they are hiding something".  This is then followed by a close up of a knife being picked up by the Nan and then cuts to the Granddad holding an axe. The next scene starts when the granddaughter seems to be in some kind of vent filming what is going on which is when the Nan comes up behind her saying "I'm gonna get you" (non-ddiegetic). Her voice doesn't sound like she is joking but more scary and threatening.


The last 30 seconds of the trailer involve short scenes from the most intense moments in the film. One of the first one shows one of the grandchildren opening the backdoor when they see a body hanging from a tree which is shown by a long shot. This is then followed by the children talking to their mum again on the laptop "mum you need to get here right now". The two final scenes involes the Nan and the grandchildren. The first is a long/medium shot of the kitchen where the Nan asks the granddaughter "do you mind getting inside the oven to clean it". This isn't something you would ask your granddaughter. The final scene shows the Nan shutting the oven door and the Grandson is standing next to her. This leaves the audience wondering where is the Granddaughter and is she in the oven.

Amityville: The Awakening Trailer Analysis

Amityville: The Awakening is based on true events which started in 1974 when the oldest son of the Defo family murdered his whole family with a rifle while they slept. This film is based around a single mother who is a journalist moves into the Amityville home with her three children not knowing about its past.

The trailer begins with a long shot of the house which looks just like the original. A conversation is going on between the mother and the oldest daughter who doesn't like the idea of moving schools "it looks great apart from the fact that I have to move schools and start all over again". A long shot is then shown of the brother on a hospital bed being moved into the house which cuts to a close up of the mum saying "St. Outlands has the best neurological department in New York this house is going to be good for James". This tells the audience that the reason they moved was because James is severely ill and they can get the best help here.

It cuts to a dark screen which says 'based on true events'. Usually by including this in the trailer gets the audiences attention and makes them want to go and watch the film as you wouldn't think that this could happen in real life. When the scene begins it starts with a long shot of the house at night and the only sound is the beeping of James's machines ( diegetic sound). It cuts to an over the shoulder shot which is effective as whatever James sees the audience will also see. A black figure is seen standing outside his window and is slowly making its way closer. This cuts to the older sister waking up suddenly which is shown by a close up which shows panic in her face. The camera cuts to a long shot of the living room where one of the windows is wide open. As she closes the window a loud thunder like sound is heard as the camera moves to a close up of the light flickering for 1 second then to a medium shot of the little sister standing in the hallway. She starts to talk saying "sorry I just wanted to talk to James" (diegetic). As the older sister takes her to James who is asleep she leans down to give him a kiss when he suddenly wakes up which is shown by a medium/close up. The camera cuts back to the older sister waking up to what seems to be a nightmare but seemed so real.

The next scene begins with a doctor talking about James's injuries "there are no documented cases of anyone with James's injuries ever recovering" (diegetic). Tense music begins to play (non-digetic) as a long shot is shown of the house again at night. The older sister begins to speak (non-digetic) "something's not right here, I keep seeing things and hearing things".This makes the audience wonder what she means by this and they want to find out more. A medium shot is shown of a strange figure hiding behind the wall. The scene cuts to the older sister at school where one of her classmates says to her "its not you its the house. In 1974 the owner of this house murdered his entire family. He said voices told him to do it". This lets the audience know that all the strange events happening in the house is the spirits of the first owners of the house. A close up is shown of a wall covered in blood as a gun shot is heard (non-diegetic) which is a flashback of what the old owner did to his family. The camera cuts back to the doctor who walks over to James and lifts his back up which is covered in maggots. 

The next scene begins with the older sister talking to James (non-diegetic) "can you hear them to?".  After she says this a voice begins to whisper "kill them kill them all" (diegetic) This is what James can hear. As the voices are talking the camera goes to a close up of his face as he is staring at the sister as this is one of the people the voices want him to kill. The camera cuts back to the older sisters room as she jumps backwards as a hand which looks to be James's over her mouth which is shown by a close up but when she falls on the floor nothing is there which is shown by a long shot of her bedroom. This makes the audience think that the voices are playing tricks on her and James to either leave the house or for the whole family to be killed. The screen then features "from the producers of Paranormal Activity, Insidious and Sinister". All three of these films are successful which makes the audience who have seen these want to go and watch this one. 

The next scene begins with the older sister saying "this house is really bad" (non-diegetic) which is followed by a close up of James's face looking straight into the camera. This is then followed by the sister talking to James "what can I do to stop it? How can I help you?". The camera goes straight to a close up of the screen James uses to communicate and types 'kill me'. This tells the audience by James being killed will prevent the whole of his family being brutally murdered by him as the voices are targeting him as he is the weakest which is one of the conventions of a horror film. The next scene focuses on the little sister who is in her bedroom when her door opens by itself which is a stereotypical thing to happen in all horror films. She thinks its James as she gets out of bed and says his name "James" (non-diegetic) which is followed by the camera focusing on the little sister to turning towards a scary figure which appears to look like James but an evil version of him. This gets the audiences attention as this is one of the many jump scares featured in the film. 

The last 20 seconds of the trailer are of a range of 1-2 second cut scenes that are still effective. There is music being played in the background (diegetic) which is a mixture of tense sounds and the beeping of James's monitors. Most of these scenes are focused on James and how he begins to attack the family as one of the scenes is a long shot of which seems to be James being thrown out of one of the windows from the upstairs of the house. Another is of a close up of James attacking the older sister but she manages to get him off her. The last thing shown in the trailer is the release date which is January 2nd 2015.