Paranormal Activity 2 Teaser Trailer Analysis

This first shot is a very long take of 14 seconds of just a pure black screen. This does not fit he convention of any trailer, especially teasers, as they have a very limited amount of time engage the audience, so 14seconds would be a lot of wasted time if it doesn’t keep the audiences interest. However, I believe in this trailer it is effective as the sound that accompanies it builds a tense atmosphere as all you can hear is a banging noise which raises questions of what the film is about, which is a convention of teaser trailers. The music also related to the horror genre, as it sounds mysterious. It is also another way to build anxiety.

As this film is a sequel, this tilted shot is a reminder of what occurred in the first Paranormal Activity. This breaks the codes and conventions of a teaser trailer as well as theatrical trailers as none of the trailers I have watched have used this technique. The shot fulfils the location and low key lighting of a horror film, as the majority of horror films are set at night as this is a more terrifying time of day. The camera is on a tilt which some horror films are often filmed with a hand held camera to create a sense of reality. This would encourage people to view this film if they believed that it is based on a true story, then this would increase curiosity, and makes the audience question their belief on whether they believe in the ‘Paranormal’ world.

The camera then stays on the same shot, but begins to zoom in. The typography of ‘IN 2009, YOU DEMANDED IT’, then appears in the centre of the shot in white which is in the style of a type writer and stands out against the low key lit background. This scene lasts for a further 12 seconds, which again goes against the conventions of a trailer form being rapid cuts to long takes. The slow, intense music continues as it cuts to a shot showing the reactions of people seeing the film in the cinema. This is why the shot is in green as the camera is in night vision.

From looking at the audience’s reaction, it then cuts to what appears as if the tape has broken then back to a zoon into the room that was shown before. The cuts begin to be faster paced and rapid, which is a convention of teasers as it creates hype and excitement. This technique also means that the audience needs to stay more focused as they have a much shorter time of seeing the content of the shot. Making the audience more interested. It’s then faded to black which makes the viewer unsure of what is going to happen next. The music then stops with black shot to emphasise the next scene which is accompanied with a loud bang to help the audience to jump out of their seats. It then speedily cuts back to the room but this time with a woman who looks evil. Frightening the audience, which causes an increase in adrenaline, which is the effect that people want out of a horror film.

It the cuts back to a medium reaction shot of the audience screaming, which advertises that this film is very terrifying, which again encourages the audience to watch this as people watch horror’s to receive a thrill from our worst fears. Showing the audience’s reaction breaks the conventions as trailers do not usually have the audience shown in their trailers. It then repeats cutting to black and then changes to a different location, which is a child’s bedroom, with the child in the cot who is being guarded by a dog. It also shows that the time of the incidents happen at night, which is a convention of horror films as it feels more bloodcurdling.

It then cuts to different locations around the house, continuing with slow, dramatic music and back to longer shots. It again shows the time on each shot which shows just a second difference. All the shots still have the same low key lighting, with a blue filter to create a dark mood.

The music then repeats the sound of walking, making the audience predict that something is going to happen. It then cuts to a black screen repeating the familiar typography of ‘NOTHING CAN PREPARE YOU’. I think it is a clever idea to have a dog in the scene, as the viewer cannot see any spirit. However, animals are known as having a sixth sense, so the dog begins to bark. It suggests that the storyline is about ghosts, as we also get this information from the title. The child also stands from its cot suggesting that he/she can suggest something too. Then cuts back to the typography of ‘FOR WHAT’S NEXT’, to question the reader of what is going to happen.

The audience would assume that the action would then continue in this room. However, it occurs in the next shot which rapidly cuts to show a person standing in the child’ bedroom. If you search around the room, you notice that the child is not seen in the cot and the dog has disappeared, which raises questions as to what’s happened. It makes viewers want to watch the film to discover what happens. There is also a loud noise over the top to emphasise that the mysterious woman has appeared. It then cuts to the last two shots stating the film’s title, and the website where you can get more information about the film. It doesn’t follow the conventions in that the release is not shown, so the audience is unaware of when they can see this film.

By Flavio Alves 13I