textual analysis - sorority row
TRANSCRIPT
SORORITY ROW ANALYSIS – SHAUN LIDDLE
As the Sorority Row trailer begins the genre of the film is not
clear to the audience. The American house party shown in
the beginning of the trailer refers to the target audience; we
see this as teenagers are drinking alcohol having fun, with an
upbeat track running in the background. Edits are used at
the start of the trailer showing the clips lasting for about one
second; this is used to highlight the fun element to the
trailer. The setting is clearly established at the start of the
trailer as it is shown before anything else. In order to establish the setting the camera pans the house to give the
audience a full view. As the film is set in a university this also reflects on the younger target audience. The mise-en-
scene at the beginning of the trailer denotes young people dancing, drinking and cheering this connotes a sense of
fun to the start of the trailer. The director uses this sense of fun at the start so the audience do not expect the trailer
to end in the way it does, therefore this highlights the dramatic change. Camera angles and movements are used
differently at the start of the trailer low angle shots are used to connote the power the characters have at the time.
As the trailer continues we see edits cut to the girls, which basically establishes the main characters within the film.
Dialogue is used from one of the characters which gives the audience a view of the story line ‘that boy needs to be
taught a lesson’ this sounds as if the film is based on revenge as the Non-Diegetic sound suddenly stops when the
character says this line. We then see a prank take place where a boy is shown making out with a girl, without him
knowing it’s going to be a prank. The girl then pretends to be sick, choking on her own vomit. The director makes it
clear to the audience that this is a prank because of the edits. A text clip appears saying ‘A PRANK’ then after several
seconds we then see ‘NO ONE WOULD EVER FORGET’, the text clips are used to make the storyline clear to the
audience, and to back up the moving image in case the audience do not know what is going on.
As there is cut to the car scenes a handheld camera is used within the car to make the scene look more realistic. A
number of different musical track are used in the trailer as the upbeat party track changes to ‘They did a bad, bad
thing’. We then see the car pull up to a typical horror movie scene, where the friends are about to dump the body
even though this is still a prank. With the boy actually thinking that he has murdered the girl he then actually stabs
her with a tool from the car. When this happens a screeching Non-Diegetic sound effect is used to make the
audience jump and therefore this gets them involved. The edits used also turns the screen colour into black and
white which highlights the sudden change from the fun jokes, to the seriousness of the trailer. The clips then start to
turn to a faster pace as the moving image trailer now gets exciting.
Screams and cries are then used which is a typical horror convention used in all horror films. The audience now see
more text clips including things such as ‘A SECRET’ and ‘KNOWONE WOULD EVER TELL’ the director does this to
summarise the film. A close up shot is shown of the victims hands and then we see her get dragged away, this is also
a typical horror convention used in a variety of horror films. Shortly after a long shot is used showing a silhouette of
the girls and the killer as they prepare to dispose of the victim’s body down a mine shaft. A worm’s eye view shot is
then used as the body gets dropped down the mine shaft, which connotes the power in which the murderers have,
the worm’s eye view shot also remains as the weapon is dropped on top of the girl. The screen then cuts to a white
cut which lasts for about four seconds.
We then see the graduates celebrating which is also another dramatic change within the trailer. However we then
hear some dialogue saying ‘no matter how happy as this day is, one of our sisters is still missing, to Megan!’ this
shows that it is now in the present as the characters dwell on the past. Text tones alert when there is a close up on a
picture message of the murder weapon. This indicates that the body has been found therefore the girls start to
worry. The trailer then refers back to the start and one of the most vital parts of the storyline as dialogue is used ‘it’s
a prank; it got to be a prank’.
As the trailer shows the first murder the girl is lying down on a sofa which connotes the vulnerability. The killer is
also hidden and dressed in black who represents death. The costume is a graduation costume therefore it could be
anyone as it is the graduation day, this keeps the audience thinking, and makes them determine to find out who the
killer is. As the second killing proceeds, the lighting makes the shot look red which connotes blood therefore relates
the genre of the film. As the camera cuts to a wall with a message saying you’re next written in blood it is typical of a
horror film to include death threats as such. The clip then goes quiet for a number of seconds which automatically
makes the audience think something to make them jump is going to happen; we then see a girl jump up and slam
against the window. The crescendo used also makes the audience jump and indicates that something scary is going
to happen.
After this we see a number of fast clips showing an action packed finale of the trailer. The clips show the killer
chasing the characters however we don’t see any of them get killed, this leaves the audience is suspense so they will
go and see the film. The crescendo of music then cuts as the title of the film is shown.
Finally we are then left with some humour as there is a medium shot of an old lady holding a gun when saying ‘don’t
think I’m afraid of you, I run a house with 50 crazy bitches’ this is used to show the element of humour in which the
horror includes, therefore leaves the trailer on a positive.