Trailer Analysis: The Shining

By Tooey Jones

The long shot of the elevator helps to build tension and create an eerie atmosphere coincide with the genre of the film. 

A low angle shot is used on the doors to build tension. The use of a low angled shot also makes the doors look more important/significant than the viewer, the audience is looking up on them and therefore are in a vulnerable position. 

No movement in the shot is another tension building technique, the viewer knows something will happen. 

The use of a minimalistic shots mean there are less places for something to hide, should they see it coming? 

Establishing shots of mountains and forests helps set the scene. Though in these shots the forests are not particularly intimidating, forests can connote danger and peril. 

There are lots of close-ups of the protagonists face (it is distinctly creepy and the more the audience sees it the more likely they are to remember it - the closer something is to you the scarier it is) 

The use of slanted camera angles is slightly unexpected or irregular and therefore suggest something may be going wrong. 

Camera

Ascending titles throughout the trailer in a simple white typeface ensures the audience are not distracted from the visuals. 

The titles at the end of the trailer resemble the titles at the end of a film. The constant scrolling creates tension and attracts the audiences attention to  make them continue watching. 

The lack of cuts and changes in shot emphasises simplicity and helps the audience focus more clearly on the visuals and creates a sense of anticipation. 

The use of fades to black both builds tension and helps the audience to focus on the information they are being given. This is also a technique used to show a jump in time. 

Towards the end of the trailer the tensions start to build, this is because the clips get shorter and therefore the pace of the trailer picks. This creates a more panicked intense atmosphere and requires the audiences full attention , putting them on the edges of their seats. 

Cuts quickly to a zooming close-up shot of the protagonists face to intensify the fear for the audience. 

Editing

Lots of dull colours are used like brown, grey and white which creates an eerie atmosphere as they are dark, grimy colours. 

The bright red blood gushing through the doors contrasts with the dull colours of the room. This shows connotations of death and terror which are representative of the horror genre. 

The setting of a hotel lobby makes the scene seem more present and real to the audience as this will be a familiar place to many viewers as most of then will have been in a hotel at some point. 

The location is also rural and secluded, hard to get help. 

The protagonists character is contradicted making him appear very mysterious and deceiving, he was shown attacking someone in then in the following clip he is depicted as a professional looking, family orientated businessman.  

Mise-en-scene

Non-diegetic crescendo played on group of stringed instruments builds tension and works with visuals to create tension.

Single non-diegetic piano notes played throughout the trailer also build tension through their simplicity as they give the audience a chance to focus on the visuals. 

The voice over at the beginning plays a big part in setting the scene and introducing characters. The voice is very stern and powerful, the voice of someone you would trust and listen to. This makes it sound more believable. 

Striking sounds are used at the end to make the audience feel uncomfortable and scared, this is a generic trait of the horror genre.

Sound