Joe chapman purge TA

1. The Purge
Trailer analysis

2. Camera Shots
• The trailer opens with a long shot showing the horizon/sunset connoting the end of harmony and the start of hell as the
Purge begins. Then after the cut goes to what seems to be the main family being happy and enjoying each others
company.
• Moves to an establishing shot of the neighbourhood. The neighbourhood looks very wealthy and you wouldn’t think
anyone would commit crimes there. The trailer progresses until it gets to an over the shoulder shot which shows
somebody preparing a weapon of some sort for the purge. This denotes people fear for their lives in the purge even
from their own neighbours. Then shortly afterwards there is a high angle shot of the family preparing their weapons for
the purge. After more cuts there is a long shot of the houses defences which connotes the families wealth and their
ability to prepare for the purge/the fear that the purge conveys onto normal people.
• After the doorbell rings there is a close up of the criminals face, however he is wearing the mask this may be because
although you do not get prosecuted in the purge he may not want to create an enemy for the next purge.
• There is a panning shot inside the house which shows writing on the wall written in blood which says ‘Do not look for
me’. This warning is very forceful and threatening connoting if they look for him he will fight back. In addition to this it
could be an intertextual reference as in some movies when a killer is demanding something they right it in blood to
scare the person they have sent the demand to.
• There is then a no level eye line match showing the girl under her bed as the antagonists shoe comes into the frame.

3. Editing
• There is a time lapse of the sky colour changing this denotes a different
time period and as well as this a change in attitude as the purge is about
to start.
• The transition to text is slow which gives the audience time to read the
text and take in the messages that it shows. This is a good way to convey
to the audience what happens in the purge and what it means for people.
In addition to this the fade transition between shots varies, this is to help
build suspense.
• The cuts happen on score and as the action picks up so to does the cuts.
Again this is another method to help build suspense and is a typical
convention of horrors in that there are a lot of fast paced cuts.
• After the antagonist rings the doorbell and tells them the message there
are four different fast cuts of the antagonists surrounding the house. This
is to show that the family is in danger and have no way of escaping.
• The trailer also tends to use a black screen whilst the characters are
talking. Again this is a convention of horrors and it helps to build suspense
and increase the unknown so we do not know what to expect. This evokes
a response from the audience which is what the film makers have
intended to do to get us to question what will happen next.
• At the end of the trailer there is a focus pull from the woman carrying a
gun to an antagonist stalking her in the background, this connotes the
danger that the family is currently facing and they don not know the
impending violence they are about to face.

4. Mise-En-Scene
• Setting- A wealthy suburb where the main protagonists own a big house with top of the range
security. This connotes that because they are so successful and have it so easy they could be a target
for people less fortunate of business rivals who want their wealth and success.
• Props- The use of guns is conventional to horrors as it is usually much like a knife, the go to
weapon of choice for murderers. It also denotes that violence is a main theme or ideology of this such
as the case of revenge or petty killing for the sake of it.
• Costume- The antagonists wear masks ,which connotes a mysterious sense of the unknown
maybe because they do not want the responsibility being associated with the killing of certain people.
In addition to this the band of antagonists differ in smart clothing the main antagonist wears a suit
whereas the others are in pyjamas etc. this connotes he is in charge of the antagonists. The family
generally wears smart clothing such as shirts which denotes that they are very wealthy and well
educated.
• Performance- The main antagonist seems very polite and has a smile after he says he will
kill them all which gives him a sadistic edge to be feared which works in his favour to make him even
more intimidating than someone who would shouts at the family. The father seems to stay calm
throughout the trailer which gives the impression that he has done this many times before and now
sees it as a necessary evil. When he says ‘think of all the good the purge does’ seems to indicate this
idea. This is in contrast to his son who seems mortified by the idea as would his expressions indicate.

5. Mise-En-Scene Continued
• Lighting- The lighting at the start of the trailer is high key which connotes a light happy
environment. In addition ambient lighting is used to give the audience a sense of realism. Whilst they are
in the house the lighting is generally low key this is to embed a sense of fear and uncertainty into the
audience to increase the fear factor.

6. Sound
• The piano playing at the start before the purge starts connotes
happiness and peacefulness as no one is being killed etc.
• However once the piano stops the noises get more distressing
progressively indicating more anarchy. There are scrambled signal
noises after the purge starts to broadcast on the TV, police sirens,
beeping etc. These all lead to suggest almost a flashback of the chaos
of the purge in the past. Whilst the beeping may represent a
countdown until the purge begins, such as a bomb ready to explode
which proposes the idea all the anger the citizens of the USA have kept
bottled up are about to explode.
• The door bell connotes a sense of impending danger as the murderers
turn up at the door to seemingly kill them.
• The heavy breathing of the focus pull puts emphasis on the danger the
mother is in as the antagonist appears behind her

7. Theories
• Todorov- Todorov’s theory is only established in the purge trailer. The
equilibrium is when the women are laughing and the family are having a meal
together. Then the disruption would be when the young child lets the African
American man in their home. The recognition of disruption is when the antagonists
turn up on the families doorstep and demand the stranger is handed over. The
attempt to repair is when they attempt to defend themselves form the antagonists
attacks, however the new equilibrium is not established because that would give
the story away and they want to attract you to go to the cinema and see the movie.