3. The Unborn trailer follows Todorov’s narrative theory:
Period of equilibrium starts at the
beginning when we see an establishing
shot of the house
Moment of disequilibrium is shown
when we see the main female (Casey)
sees the child/spirit in the street.
Period of disequilibrium begins when
Casey starts to watch the film.
4. Propp’s character theory is shown in trailer:
The female protagonist Child/spirit is
(Casey) is the victim/hero the villain The Vicar is the helper
The male gaze is also shown through the shower scene.
However, the feminist theory is shown as the protagonist is seen
wanting to overcome being possessed or haunted by the child.
5. The Unborn trailer creates a scary atmosphere through sound, editing, camera angles and
shots.
•Sound-The diegetic sound of the whispering through the baby monitor. This can suggest
that there is something mentally wrong with the child. The moments of high-pitched non-
diegetic sound creates an eerie atmosphere and makes it uncomfortable for the audience.
There are also moments of silence which creates a sinister atmosphere making the audience
feel uneasy. Some of the voices in the trailer are not clear and understandable, this creates a
fear of the unknown in the audiences mind.
•Editing-There are many fades throughout the trailer, which gives the trailer a continuous
feel. During the latter stages the pace of the trailer speeds up, this is done through jump cuts.
The jump cuts creates an irritating effect for the audience and puts the audience at an edge.
•Camera angles and shots-There are a number of different camera angles, some are canted
angles , these create an alarming atmosphere for the audience. There are also a variation of
shot types, the first shot is an establishing shot showing the isolated setting. There are some
of over-the-shoulder shots, in which the audience is positioned alongside the protagonist.
There is an extreme close-up of the protagonists eye, which is symbolic to the plot of the film.
There are also a number of point-of-view shots which place the audience in the protagonist
position and make the audience emphasise with her.
7. Todorov’s theory of narrative is not very clear in this trailer. The trailer does not have a
period of equilibrium or a moment of disequilibrium, it goes straight into the
disequilibrium. This adds more fear to the audiences mind. However, we are quickly
shown some newspaper articles which can indicate the equilibrium and tell a narrative at
the same time. As with many trailers this trailer does not have a new equilibrium, so the
audience does not know what happens in the end. This also complies with Barthes
Enigma code by leaving the trailer as mystery, this makes audience want to watch to
whole film and gives them the pleasure of watching it without knowing how it ends.
8. Propp’s character theory is also shown in the trailer:
The blonde female is the
The police officer/detective
victim, she is portrayed as
is the helper.
being helpless
The masked man (Jigsaw) is the villain.
By wearing a mask it keeps his identity
unknown, this follows the structuralist
theory of the killer being unknown.
9. The Saw trailer creates a scary atmosphere through sound, editing, camera angles and
shots.
•Sound-A variety of diegetic and non-diegetic sounds have been used. The non-diegetic
sound of the high pitched rumbling noise has occasionally been used to build tension and fear
amongst the audience. The diegetic sounds of the chains, the clock ticking, screams and a
the laughter of a clowns create an eerie atmosphere which makes the audience feel uneasy.
Some of the voices in the trailer are not clear and understandable, this creates a fear of the
unknown in the audiences mind.
•Editing-The trailer uses many jump cuts, which creates suspense and make the audience feel
disorientated. There are a lot of black screens which are on screen for a long time. This makes
the audience feel uneasy as they do not know what is going on. It also makes the audience
feel vulnerable and involved in the trailer.
•Camera angles and shots- In the trailer there are a lot of canted angles used. These shots
create an alarming and uneasy atmosphere for the audience. There are also a number of close
up shots which show the emotions and instability of the characters; which makes the
audience empathise with them
