Research and Planning: Trailer Analysis One

Fright Night (2011)

Genre-
The genre of Fright Night is a Fantasy/Horror with elements of Comedy. The trailer respresents Steve Neale's theory of 'Genre is a repetition with an underlying pattern of variations' as by the trailer as a whole, it is very similar to every vampire driven film for example Dracula, however differs from the market of vampire films in its Target Audience which is Teenagers which we is shown by using the main characters as teenagers and also by them including the aspect of Comedy (a genre which is mostly targeted at teenagers). The Trailer also includes the Binary Opposites theory, as it is the Teenagers/Humans (good force/hero) versus the Vampire (bad force/villain) - this is shown through the use of shot types, when we are introduced to the Vampire character in the trailer he is never framed in the same shot as the human characters. The vampire is also shot in a slight low angle, making him appear superior and more powerful compared to the others. The genre is also represented through the low key lighting on the horror/tense clips in the trailer, and then high key lighting is used in the Teenage life such as when they're at School. The Comedy genre is present through upbeat and happy sounding non-diegetic music. It is the key element of genre aspect up until around 50 seconds where we are hit with a sting and the mood is changed. We are introduced to the Horror genre, meeting eerie non-diegetic music creating a tense atmosphere.

Representation-
The representation of the characters in the trailer convey Laura Mulvey's theory of viewing the film through a Male Gaze (showing the film from a male's perspective). This is shown by the main female characters being physically attractive representing them as (Propps theory) the ''Princess'' to which must be saved in the end (Carol Glover's theory of the final girl being terrorised throughout the film). This could be classed as a stereotypical representation of a main female character in a horror/fantasy film. The main boy character doesn't stereotype a hero as his appearance is quite nerdy, contrasting to the usual physically fit stereotypical male hero. This shows how the film has adapted in the Vampire inspired films and how the character types have changed, making this movie more unique and modernised. The vampire juggles both stereotypical and non-stereotypical aspects in how the villain is represented. The stereotype for a vampire is mostly represented by Dracula which is very dark and hollow, and in its time (1931) he was considered to be very scary. However in Fright Night the enemy is represented as sexually attractive to the female characters, this differs from the original Vampire films and gives the film a more modern twist. The stereotype, however, is still present because the villain is still targeting attractive women and we as an audience still fear him towards the climax of the trailer.

Narrative-
From the Trailer we can specifically see the Equilibrium. This is the shots at the start of the trailer, showing upbeat music and high key lighting signifying everything and everyone is happy. The narrative then jolts when the disruption comes in after one of the male characters reveals his friends neighbour is a vampire. We are then introduced to dark, low key lit locations creating suspense. We then see the lead male character wandering around his neighbours house as he is out, with this comes a silence and only hearing the door creak and footsteps right until a Point of View shot shows a hand smacking against the window, and with it a sting of pounding eerie music that is very jumpy. We are then introduced to a monologue by the villain, and with it we see clips of scenes which describe and compare to what the character is saying. With this, the suspense music gradually becomes more noticeable and is gaining a slight speed, which instigates tension and suspense. After this an explosion scene occurs, creating a starter for the action/peak montage which comes later in the trailer. The trailer then shows how the vampire targets, main character, Charlie's ''girlfriend'' or ''love interest'' and how she needs him by her saying the dialogue 'Charlie is going to find me' showing how she is in need of help which approves of Propps Theory. This shows Charlie as the Protagonist, and we see him setting up and preparing to battle which will be the big climax. Just before the climax of the trailer, when the characters think they're safe, we are again hit with a sting of noise knowing that they're still unsafe and leaving the audience eager to find out what happens.

Audience-
The audience is specifically aimed at teenagers/young adults due to the comedy aspect and also the use of attractive casting to appeal to the opposite sex, this can be shown by multiple evidence in the trailer for example the first piece of clip we see is the girl taking her top off and the boy character replying ''Errr...'' to his Mother after she asked him what he is doing. This is highly sexualizing the comedy of the film, which definitely relates and appeals to teenagers. The use of horror also maintains the target audience of Teenagers as it is classified a 15. Many companies us bi-genre Horror and Comedy films to target the teenage market because together they join up both what most teenagers go to the cinemas specifically to see. The fact that Fright Night is a 15 and not an 18 also shows that it is not aimed at the gruesome adult horror film lovers because it is clearly too mild to be an 18 which in this case works to its advantage.

Media Language

Cinematography-
The trailer begins very open spaced, using long shots of the class room and also an establishing shot of the city. Straight cuts and over-the-shoulder shots are used to create realism and it all seems upbeat and fine at first. There is also another establishing shot of the town where the male character lives. When we are introduced to the Villain, the 3 good characters are never on the same shot as him when they are in conversation. This instantly shows there is rivalry between them as they are in opposite shots resembling opposition. As the trailer becomes more darker, we see the male character going into the vampire's house after watching him exit his house in his car in an over the shoulder shot of the boy looking out of the window. In the vampire's house, tight framing is used showing that the character feels uneasy and claustrophobic in the environment. The framing being tight also creates a panic feel making the audience feel at the edge of their seat. In this house scene we also see a point of view shot of the boy looking through a peep hole in a door and a hand smacking against the glass, and after the tension being built this is the disruption of the tension which is set to make you jump. As the Trailer continues, it very much uses the same cinematography of the hero and the villain never being in the same shot: which is very much a convention in a horror trailer.

Editing-
The editing begins very realistic, at an average speed pace where the audience aren't aware of the transitioning which is a convention used usually in films of the Comedy genre. Whilst the equilibrium of the Trailer remains upbeat and at a calm, the editing stays normal up until a fade-to-black is used after finding out that their neighbour is a vampire. The fade-to-black darkens the tone of the editing and shows how the Horror genre is being represented now that the disruption. Fade-to-black is used a few times after this first one has been placed, for example after the boy watches the villain drive off and he decides to go into his house there is a fade-to-black which shows danger. The editing inside the villains house is very fast and panic stricken and each shot is at a different place in the house/a different angle/a different shot type. When the action starts hitting in after the hand hits the window, the editing becomes more rapid and frantic until there is a straight cut to black. The editing pace could also show the heartbeat of the male character and even, to an extent, the audience as the editing pace gets faster, the faster the heart beats through anxiety and suspense.

Sound-
In the beginning, the non-diegetic music beat in the Trailer is extremely upbeat and happy. In my opinion, it sounds like the start to a pop song which, with all the other media language going on, the audience believe it is a trailer for a comedy film. There is also diegetic dialogue of the characters speaking, and also sounds of school alarm bells and ringing phones (setting the tone for the location and the age of the characters in the film). Non-diegetic dialogue of the main male character's nerdy friend is played as a diegetic voice over as he suggests his friends neighbour is a vampire. The sound then becomes more dark and sinister, representing the genre that is now being introduced which is horror. Throughout the eerie part of the trailer, a tense underlying non-diegetic beat remains as the boy wanders through the vampires house until the creeking of a door being opens makes all the sounds fall silent until being broke by a girls scream and a loud sting of noise. Stereotypical conventions of a Horror are portrayed through the sound: screams, creeking doors, heavy breathing etc., but also there are comedy aspects of sound used showing this is a mixed genre.

Mise-en-Scene-
The Trailer begins with, I would say, high key lighting. Although it is high key lighting there is a blue tinge to this which shows a darker side; however it isn't low key lighting as we can see everything and the mood is upbeat but that blue tinge still conveys that there is darker times ahead. The location begins in an American school/college where the characters are all dressed like average students so the clothing isn't over the top which makes the trailer realistic. The blue tinge gets even deeper and more noticeable as the vampire is introduced, showing the character is the dark character (villain). The location of the town the characters live in seems very lonely and creepy, as (shown by an establishing shot) we see it is quite far away from the town. The houses are all large sized, which is a modernistic stereotype of a horror location as it makes the villains/killer/vampire harder to spot, making the audience feel that it (the villain) is behind the corner or behind the door etc.