4. NARRATIVE PLOT
• IN 1967 LOS ANGELES, A WIDOWED MOTHER AND HER TWO DAUGHTERS ADD A NEW STUNT TO
BOLSTER THEIR SEANCE SCAM BUSINESS AND UNWITTINGLY INVITE AUTHENTIC EVIL INTO THEIR
HOME. WHEN THE YOUNGEST DAUGHTER IS OVERTAKEN BY A MERCILESS SPIRIT, THE FAMILY
CONFRONTS UNTHINKABLE FEARS TO SAVE HER AND SEND HER POSSESSOR BACK TO THE OTHER
SIDE.
• THE TRAILER SEEMS TO FOLLOW THE MAIN CONVENTIONS OF TODVOV’S THEORY AS IT SEEMS
TO EXPLAIN THE SITUATION FIRST, THEN BUILD UP THE CLIMAX WITHOUT REVEALING TOO MUCH
WHEN THE REVOLUTION IS SHOWN.
5. NUMBER OF CHARACTERS
• THE MAIN CHARACTERS THAT WHERE SHOWN IN THIS TRAILER, WAS THE LITTLE GIRL, HER MUM
AND OLDER SISTER. THERE WAS ALSO THE APPEARANCE OF A YOUNG MAN WHO WAS SEEN TO BE
THE ONE TO HELP THEM WITH HER POSSESSION. THERE WAS T TEACHER WHO NOTICED HER
STRANGE BEHAVIOUR AND THE KIDS THAT WHERE BULLYING HER. LIKEWISE, AT THE BEGINNING,
THE MOMS ‘FRIENDS’ WHO SHE FOOLED, ABOUT THE APPEARANCE O THE GHOST, WHERE ALSO
PRESENT IN THE TRAILER
6. SHOTS
THE MAIN SHOTS THAT WAS USED IN THE TRAILER WAS, A LONG SHOT, MEDIUM, CLOSE UP AND A
SERIES OF POINT OF VIEW SHOTS WHERE DISPLAYED. THE LONG SHOT WAS USED TO ALLOW THE
AUDIENCE UNDERSTAND THE SETTING OF THE FILM AND THE CLOSE UP AND MEDIUM SHOTS, WHERE
USED TO ESTABLISH, WHAT THE MAIN CHARACTERS WHERE FEELING WITHOUT GIVING AWAY TOO
MUCH OF THE NARRATIVE. THERE WHERE ALSO THE EFFECTIVE USE OF THE LOW ANGLE SHOTS TO
MAKE THE PROTAGONIST LOOK VULNERABLE AND HELPLESS IN COMPARISON TO THE ANTAGONIST.
FURTHERMORE, THE POINT OF VIEW SHOT WAS USED TO ALLOW THE AUDIENCE FEEL AS THOUGH
THEY ARE PART OF IT, WHEN THE MAIN CHARACTER LOOKS INTO THE CAMERA, SUPPOSEDLY LOOKING
AT SOMETHING ELSE INSTEAD
7. MUSIC+ SOUND EFFECTS
• THE MAIN SOUND THAT WHERE USED WHERE TO HELP CREATE A TENSE AND FREIGHTING
ATMOSPHERE, AND THE GIVEN SOUNDS HELP TOP ESTABLISH THAT. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE
TRAILER, THE SOUND USED WAS LIGHT AND ALSO A JOYFUL TYPE MUSIC WAS ALSO HEARD. THIS
WAS USED TO SHOW/ SUPPORT TODROV’S THEORY OF A HAPPY BEGINNING TO BEGIN WITH
AND THIS FURTHER HELPS TO SHOW HOW RUINED EVERYTHING GOES, IN COMPARISON FROM THE
BEGINNING OF THE TRAILER/ FILM. A PIANO CAN BE HEARD WHICH PLAYED A SOFT MELODY,
WHICH WAS FILLED WITH LONG GAPS TO CREATE TENSION AND SUSPENSE OF WHAT'S TO HAPPEN.
WHEN THE CLIMAX OF THE TRAILER WAS SHOWN, THE SOUND AMPLIFIED, USED IN A WAY TO
SCARE THE AUDIENCE WITH THE SUDDEN CHANGE IS SOUND, BEING MORE DRAMATIC.
8. ANIMATION/ SPECIAL EFFECTS/ CGI
• THIS FILM FOCUSES ON THE SUPERNATURAL, SO INCLUDING CGI AND OTHER SPECIAL EFFECTS
MADE EVERYTHING THAT WAS SEEN AS PARANORMAL OR ABNORMAL, LOOK A LOT EFFECTIVE IN
THE CASE OF THIS FILM. THIS CAN BE SEEN WHEN THE LITTLE GIRL WAS BECOMING POSSESSED,
AND THEY ADDED IN THE EFFECT OF A BLACK SMOKEY FIGURE, LEANING OVER HER AND
EVENTUALLY HER BACK, PULLS BACK IN A ABNORMAL WAY, AND HER EYES ROLL TO THE BACK OF
HER HEAD. THIS IS SOME OF MAIN SHOTS WHERE CGI AND SPECIAL EFFECTS WHERE USED.
9. PRODUCTION COMPANY/ INSTITUTIONAL IDENTITY
PRODUCTION COMPANIES
• ALLSPARK PICTURES
• BLUMHOUSE PRODUCTIONS
• HASBRO
• PLATINUM DUNES
• DISTRIBUTORS
• ANDES FILMS (2016) (CHILE) (THEATRICAL)
• UNITED INTERNATIONAL PICTURES (UIP)
• UNIVERSAL PICTURES (2016) (USA) (THEATRICAL
10. CREDITS
The credits that where used was to make
the audience firstly aware of what
company had made this film in the first
place, and when it is going to be released.
The used of the text “ it was never just a
game” is done to show the make quote of
the film, and it allows the audience
understand, the horror felt conventions
being used. Seeing the trailer is a clear
representation of what might appear in
the film, since it’s a movie about an Ouija
board, the thrill that the audience may
feel when read this credit, is effective in
terms of making the audience feel like
they are about to watch a true story.
11. TRANSITIONS/ EDITING
• THE MAIN TRANSITIONS AND EDITING TECHNIQUES THAT WHERE USED FOR EFFECTIVELY PLACE IN
ORDER FOR THE TRAILER TO RUN SMOOTHLY AND GRAB THE AUDIENCES ATTENTION AS MUCH AS
POSSIBLE. FOR EXAMPLE, THE ESTABLISHING SHOT, THE TRANSITION USED WAS A WIPE AND THIS
IN TURN LEAD TO A CLEAR WIDE SHOT OF THE INSIDE OF THE HOUSE. JUMP CUTTING WAS
EFFECTIVELY USED TO INCREASE THE TENSION, AND FOR THAT AN INCREASE IN THE CUTTING
RHYTHM HAD ALLOWED THE AUDIENCE FEEL SCARED BECAUSE IT WAS UNEXPECTED WHAT MIGHT
HAVE OCCURRED AFTER THE FAST TRANSITIONS OF THE MOST HORROR LIKE SHOTS. THERE WAS
ALSO THE USE OF MATCH CUT AND A SPLIT SCREEN WAS USED, TO ALLOW THE SUBTLE REVEALING
OF WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE FILM, BUT REVEALING LITTLE OF THE RESOLUTION.
12. DIALOGUE
• “MARY, YOU ARE INVITED TO OUR CIRCLE”
• “WHAT IS THIS GAME?”
• “SPIRT CAN YOU HEAR ME?” …” YES WE CAN…” “ AND WE CAN SEE YOU”
• “SOMETHING IS HAPPENING THAT WE CANT UNDERSTAND”
• “ THE SPIRT WORLD IS DANGEROUS”
• “DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE STRANGLED TO DEATH”
13. MISE EN SCENE
• THE SETTING OF THE FILM WAS LOCATED MAINLY IN THE HOUSE, WHERE THE MAIN CHARACTERS LIVED, AND THE
PLACED THAT THIS HOUSE WAS SET AN AREA THAT LOOKED FAIRLY REMOTED HINTING ON THE IDEA OF THE
CHARACTERS FACING ISOLATION. FURTHERMORE, THROUGHOUT THE TRAILER, THE LIGHTING THAT WAS MAINLY
USED WAS LOW KEY LIGHTING THAT WAS USED TO ESTABLISH THE GLOOMY AND DARK SIDE, OF THE PARANORMAL
ACTIVITY THAT WAS TAKING PLACE IN THEIR HOUSE. FURTHERMORE, ANALYSING THEIR HOUSE ONCE MORE, THE
PROPS THAT WHERE USED WHERE MAINLY ANTIQUE LOOKING OBJECTS LYING ABOUT AND THE FURNITURE GIVING
THE AUDIENCE INFORMATION ABOUT THE POSSIBLE TIME PERIOD THAT IT WAS SET IN, AND THIS COULD ALSO
ASSOCIATE WITH THE WAY THAT ARE DRESSED PRESUMABLE, IN A LESS MODERN WAY TO HOW WE WOULD
NORMALLY DRESS, AND HAD STYLED THEIR HAIR. THIS CAN GIVE CLUES FOR IT MAYBE BEING SET IN THE 90’S.
WHEN THE GIRL WAS POSSESSED, THE WAY IN WHICH THEY HAD APPLIED MAKE UP ON HER, MAKING HER LOOK
PALE AND LIFELESS AND ALMOST GHOSTLY, HELPED TO CREATE AN IMPACT ON THE AUDIENCE MAKING THEM
SCARED. LIKEWISE, WHEN THE HOUSE WAS DARK, AND WAS USED TO FORESHADOWS SOMETHING HAUNTED ABOUT
TO HAPPENED, THE USE OF THE CANDLE, HELP TO SET THE GHOSTLY ATMOSPHERE AS WELL SHOWING HOW DIMLY
LIGHT THE ROOM IS.
14. CONVENTIONS
• THE MAIN CONVENTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN USED ARE THE USES OF A KID, IN HORROR MOVIES, THEY
NORMALLY TEND TO HAVE A KID BEING POSSESSED OR A HAVING TRAGIC PAST, THIS IS USUALLY DONE,
TO SHOW HOW THE INNOCENCE OF A CHILD ARE USUALLY RUINED AND GETS MORE ATTENTION FROM
THE AUDIENCE, GETTING MORE SYMPATHY. FURTHERMORE, IN HORROR MOVIES WE TEND TO SEE A
PERSON WHO USUALLY GETS POSSESSED, THEIR BODY OR FACE SEEMS TO DEFORM INTO ANOTHER
SCARIER LOOKING THING, USED MAINLY TO INCREASE THE FEAR IN AUDIENCES. ANOTHER MAIN
CONVENTION USED IN HORROR MOVIES ARE THE USE OF RELIGION, WE TEND TO SEE THE PRIEST
INVOLVED TRYING TO OVERCOME THE EVIL SPIRIT. THERE ARE USUAL SIGHTINGS TO THE FEMALES,
USUALLY SCREAMING, DUE TO THE STEREOTYPES OF THEM BEING PORTRAYED AS WEAK AND HELPLESS.
THERE IS ALSO SIGHTING'S OF BLOOD, AND DEAD BODIES DEPICTING THE OVERALL THEME OF
EVERYTHING BAD IN THE WORLD( EVIL, DEATH ETC.…)
15. VERBAL/ NON-VERBAL SIGNIFIER
• THE DEAD BODIES CAN A SIGNAL OF A THE DEATH OF SOMEONE, OR THE FACT THAT THE EVIL SPIRT
REASONING FOR BEING THERE (UNFINISHED BUSINESS)
• “SOMETHING IS HAPPENING THAT WE CANT UNDERSTAND”
• “ THE SPIRT WORLD IS DANGEROUS”
• POSSESSION- THE EVIL SPIRIT BEING SHOWN
• CANDLES- DIM LIGHTING CONNOTES DANGER/ EVIL( DARKNESS)
• STRANGE SIGHTINGS, OBJECTS MOVIES BY THEMSELVES- PARANORMAL.
• THE CROSS (RELIGION) BINARY OPPOSITES- GOOD AND EVIL
16. CONCLUSION
• FROM THIS TRAILER I WAS ABLE TO SEE HOW THE MAIN CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF HORROR
ARE APPLIED, MAKING THE GENRE OF THE FILM FAIRLY OBVIOUS AS FIRST SIGHT. THE USE OF LOW
LIGHTING HELPS TO ESTABLISH MANY FEAR OF THE DARK, AND WHAT SEEMS TO BE ‘LURKING’ IN
THE DARK. THE USE OF SOUND AND PROPS ARE ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY IMPORTANT IN ORDER FOR
THE AUDIENCE TO HEIGHTEN IN FEAR AND EXPERIENCE SOMETHING NEW AND DIFFERENT, THAT IS
ABLE TO DRAW IN THE ATTENTION OF THE TARGET AUDIENCE AND FURTHER LEAD TO AN INCREASE
IN POPULARITY AND PROFIT.
