the conjuring analysis

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The Conjuring- trailer analysis Jodie Birkbeck

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The Conjuring-

trailer analysis

Jodie Birkbeck

T h e C o n j u r i n gStoryline: The conjuring is based on a true story and real life

events experienced by Ed and Lorraine warren (two paranormal

investigators) and the Perron family in which they experienced

demonic and paranormal activity within their new home. The

Warren’s were involved in over 10,000 cases within their

careers and throughout this film the storyline continues to follow

the investigators and the family as they try to overcome the

paranormal presence within the house.

Budget: $20million (relatively small for a horror movie)

Director: James Wan (who also directed ‘Insidious’ in

2011)

T h e t r a i l e r

The trailer itself consists of 53 cuts within the 2:29 minute recording which is

sort in comparison to other horror trailers. However this could be due to the

fact it is a horror trailer and the suspense throughout is built up with longer

cuts.

T h e C o n j u r i n g

A common feature of trailers is

the use of promotions and

references to the companies

that have funded the film thus

emphasised throughout this

horror trailer.

T h e C o n j u r i n gMise-en-scene

Our first glimpse of the mise-en-scene is when the family

arrives in their new home, we can see from the way that the

children are dressed the era in which this trailer was based

upon (the 1970’s). The colours used on the clothing range from

browns, and oranges to yellow tones which create a warm and

welcoming image which the director of the trailer would have

wanted to create within the first sequence of the trailer.

T h e C o n j u r i n gMise-en-scene

Originally the house itself is made to be a nice environment

and welcoming place with the warm brown colours used.

There is also indication of a child’s bedroom when we see the

woman in the blindfold as the colours within this room are

blues and pinks which indicate a child. When we also see the

woman reaching forward and saying ‘clap’ we are then

presented and are aware of her pale and sickly thin arms

which clearly has connotations of unusual normality. The use

of thee blindfold being red is also significant as the colour red

has connotations of danger and often death/blood therefore

this could suggest that that there is something dangerous

about to occur.

Red= connotations

of danger

T h e C o n j u r i n gMise-en-scene

There is also an establishing shot presented of the house at

1:03 seconds into the trailer, and as the audience this is the

first time we are shown an entire shot of the house. The use of

the darkness engulfing the house and the trees seem to make

a frame around the house suggests that, and to the audience,

that this is where all of the action takes place.

After this long shot of the house the scene then cuts to a shot

of a woman standing inside of the house dressed in a white

night gown which the colour white has connotations of

innocence. Once the crescendo of the loud crashing is heard

the camera then reveals a shot of the picture frames being torn

down, and there is nobody there, therefore this clearly

indicated that there is a force working against the family.

T h e C o n j u r i n gMise-en-scene

We then see a shot of the woman going downstairs to try and

locate the intruder. The fact that she peers into the darkness is

a common convention of most horror films/trailers as this

feature suggests danger and gives the audience a sense of

eeriness and an uneasy atmosphere. When the scene

changes it is given a monochrome look and this suggests age

and has connotations of the past and different decade etc. and

this can give the audience a sense that whatever supernatural

things are occurring to this family isn’t and uncommon feature

as it suggests that haunting has happened in the past.

T h e C o n j u r i n g

Mise-en-sceneDarkness constantly has connotations of danger and fear thus creating

a tense atmosphere and the idea that the main character within the

shot is in danger. Once the match is lit this then creates a warm feel to

the scene frame and highlights the female protagonists facial

expressions once the match is brought up to her face. We then see a

pair of familiar pale hands and when they clap in her ear this give the

audience a shock and make the audience jump which was

unsuspected.

T h e C o n j u r i n gThe Sound: The music and non-diegetic background sound

is essential throughout horror trailers in creating the right

mood and atmosphere the trailer wants to create. The

selected music for ‘The Conjuring’ is a piece in which it builds

to a climax through the music building to a crescendo. The

song used is ‘Time of the seasons’ by The Zombies and whilst

this song is used there is constant use of background noises

such as a child laughing and screeches and high pitched

climaxes which help build the tension wanted to be created for

this horror trailer.

The trailer itself has 53 cuts within the time span and The Conjuring trailer is

split into three specific parts and the first section ends in 33 second, at 1:25

seconds the second act begins and the final act begins from when the

unnatural music is played.

T h e C o n j u r i n g

The sound: We can clearly see from this she is blind folded, she is clearly playing hide and seek. The game sees the woman going with her back to a wardrobe and then everything seems to stop and then the wardrobe opens with a loud creak, the silence of the music has connotations of a horror trailer as it creates an uneasy feeling. The women hears the noise and says “clap!” again she walks forward and then goes on to say “I’m gonna get you now…I can hear your breathing” this to the audiences creates an atmosphere as the women expects to find her daughter breathing but for the stereotypical horror movie style we know that this is now the case.

T h e C o n j u r i n g

The sound: We then hear the young child giggling from another room and say “you took your blindfold off! I win! I was in Christine and Nancy’s room” at the door or the room the mother is in. This then triggers the mother to look curiously into the wardrobe . The mother then checks within the wardrobe and we hear the hangers moving and the breathing continues but nothing Is in the wardrobe which suggests and creates atmosphere and tension again. A non-diegetic music is then played and we hear a child laughing and footsteps along the corridor which creates tension and she goes to investigate the noise. After a long pause and silence there is a massive crash which give the audience a shock and the crashing continues with a child laughing throughout it. This has connotations of distress.

T h e C o n j u r i n g

The sound: Once the woman goes downstairs she immediately shouts “who is that?” and we hear the door them opening and a non diegetic clapping noiseand the mother knows that the children are in bed therefore this has connotations of danger and creates a creepy atmosphere. The atmosphere gets more intense when the women attempts to threaten whatever's in the basement by shouting “ Whoever’s down there I’m gonna lock you in now!” when she turns the door then shuts in her face the light bulb blows with a fizzingnoise and this once again creates an intense atmosphere for the audience.

T h e C o n j u r i n g

The sound: Once the darkness occurs were then hear the woman scrambling around and crying out for help. This creates empathy for the character in shot as the audience now sees that she is helpless. Once the match is being struck we then see the flame which adds an element of light into the frame. The climax of silence then begins to build again and we hear the woman starting to heavy breath which has connotations of fear etc. we hear a clap which is used throughout the trailer and this is a common convention of a horror trailer and then the woman screams. The frame then goes back to black and the music box tune plays out loud and this creates an ominous feeling mixed with a childlike innocence. This creates an uneasy atmosphere for the audience.

T h e C o n j u r i n gThe Editing and cinematography: The editing and cinematography within the horror trailer an intense atmosphere for the audience. The use of mid shots and soft lighting within the first act and this primarily allows us to follow the characters throughout their normal everyday business. There are also a handful of tracking shots that are used to follow the woman around as she goes to hunt for her daughter, but during the beginning of the second act we then begin to see that everything has slightly changed.

The screen then turns to black when the doors of the wardrobe opens, and this occurs before a hand held, tracking mid close up shot of the woman is filmed in front of her. There is a couple of shaking camera movements when the woman is walking forward and this then leads to a close up of the woman’s face.

T h e C o n j u r i n gThe editing and cinematography: There is a handful of long cuts of about 10 seconds and these short shots occur when the woman turns to see the door opening again. Once again if the editing and cinematography wasn’t present then this scene wouldn’t have been effective if the cuts were not present. The camera does a 180 degree spin which is not a common convention of horror trailers, and we can clearly see the expression that is present on the woman’s face.

T h e C o n j u r i n gThe editing and cinematography: Once the woman goes into the cellar there is a low angle shot used showing the woman is turning the light on at the top of the stairs. Cantered angles are also used so that the audience know that something isn’t right within the scene and this is then followed by the woman being locked in the cellar and plunging into darkness. When the woman strikes the match there is a mid shot of her and we see her kneeling on the floor- a low angle, as if as viewers we are looking up the stairs at her. An over the shoulder shot follows and we see the match light glow around her on the darkness of the staircase and this could indicate that she is the only thing good and innocent within the cellar.

T h e C o n j u r i n gThe editing and cinematography: A mid close up of the woman is shown as she holds the candle, and after around three seconds we hear a pair of hands (to our view) over her right hand shoulder. With her breath the match is then blown out and another four seconds of darkness occurs with an echo in the back ground of her screaming and her screaming in the background leads a long lasting impression on the audience and leads the wanting to go and see the film itself, we are then shown the title of the screen.