JESSABELLETrailer Deconstruction

AUDIENCES & INSTITUTIONS• Trailer Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYjINMvlYdk

• Length of Trailer: 2 minutes, 30 seconds

• Title of Film: Jessabelle

• Director: Kevin Greutert

• Release Date: 7 November 2014 (USA)

• Certificate: 15 (R)

• Top Billing: Sarah Snook, Mark Webber and Joelle Carter

• Awards: -

• Genre: The film is described as a Horror/Thriller which is transcribed through the trailer which uses several conventions of the horror genre such as paranormal, low lighting, location etc. and builds tension as seen in most thrillers.

• Production Companies: Lionsgate and Blumhouse Productions

• Distribution Companies: Lionsgate

• Worldwide Gross: $7,000,000 (USA)

AUDIENCES & INSTITUTIONS (CONT.)

Marketing: Trailers and posters were the main source of marketing though, one key element was the use of social networking. Tarot card readings played a key plot point in the movie’s storyline, so on the day of the movie’s release Snapchat allowed the users to use a live psychic tarot card reading. Though there were not many, there were also interviews with the cast and also a website which did not provide much entertainment and evoke excitement in the audience. Marketing Success: The film was not particularly successful, with very little media coverage or audience excitement/engagement, it received mostly negative reviews and did not succeed particularly well financially. Perhaps due to its lack of successful marketing (little coverage in the media) and the amateur casting.

Target Audiences: The primary audience is young adults, ranging from as young as 15 to 25, which is conventional for the genre, as horror films are usually aimed at young audiences whom will be more easily scared and will yearn to be frightened for a sense of thrill and enjoyment. The film is aimed at both genders but leans slightly towards women with the lead female protagonist.

MICRO ANALYSIS - CAMERA WORKThroughout the trailer high and low angle camera shots are used to create tension and a shift in power letting the audience distinguish the character roles and potions.

• High angles: These are often used for shots of the protagonist, her father usually looking down at her which connotes weakness and vulnerability, perhaps gender related or maybe simply family dynamics (parents usually hold authority over their children). High angle of Jessabelle in the wheelchair to show her vulnerability, “it’s really good to see you” the father is in power. Very high angle on the wheel chair rolling into the water, to show her complete lack of power.

• Extreme Close-ups/Close-ups: Used to demonstrate the point of focus as well as the protagonists feelings and thoughts, evoking a feeling of sympathy in the audience.

• Point-of-View Shots: Used repeatedly to put the viewer in the position of the protagonist to gain support and to create an individual response to the dangerous and uncomfortable scenarios. Also allow the audience to follow the narrative more easily and to avoid confusion.

• Reaction Shots (Mid Shots): Used to demonstrate the immediate reaction in the scary scenarios and to establish the mood of the scene, notifying the viewer of the characters feelings and emotions.

• Establishing Shots: Used here and there, establishing the location of the scene either to notify the audience of a change in time and place, e.g. the lake, or to create unease in the viewer, e.g. the hospital corridor.

MICRO ANALYSIS – MISE-EN-SCENE• Lighting: The beginning of the trailer uses artificial lighting in a hospital setting to create a

sense of eeriness and unease which is then followed by several shots in daylight which, whilst they do not show particularly pleasant events (car crash) they do not conform to the conventional horror genre lighting which is usually dark. Later on in the trailer however, the light begins to dim which does conform to the conventions. The darker shots are usually more frightening (wheelchair shot) whilst the brighter scenes are more dramatic and build tension. The film uses the theme of death which is connoted through the lack of natural light in the ‘ghost scenes’, the use of low key lighting being conventional of the horror genre as it is hard to make out everything that is happening.

• Colours: The film uses blue tones to connote coldness, a trait usually associated with the paranormal as it connotes discomfort and death. These blues tones are complimented by the dull colours used in the interior of the home which denote neglect and old age, using the conventional theme of a ‘haunted house’ which is typical of the horror genre. The only other prominent colour being dark brown/black which is most noticeable in the shots of the antagonist as she is covered in mud, connoting negativity, death and evil.

MICRO ANALYSIS – MISE-EN-SCENE (CONT.)

• Costumes: The costumes within the trailer are casual, the outfits appear to be typical of the American setting (country style) and are mostly items seen in the summer, short sleeves etc. The protagonist is seen in a hospital robe at the beginning, informing the audience of her situation whilst also uses the codes and conventions of the horror genre, a typical setting being creepy hospitals which symbolise illness and death. The protagonist is mainly shown wearing neutral colours (orange, yellow, browns, whites) whilst the dad is seen in darker browns. The mother is shown in a white night dress in the videos which contradicts the positive and pure connotation normally associated with the colour, and instead uses the horror conventions regarding the ghostly appearance. We see a short glimpse of some of the additional characters as they complete some of voodoo ritual and they are also seen in neutral colours except for a glimpse of red which could foreshadow danger and even death, although it is also a colour sometimes associated with power and luck in certain cultures.

• Props: In the trailer, some of the props are used to demonstrate the threat of danger such as the shots of the fire and gasoline tanks, they are also used to display the narrative and set the scene. The use of the wheelchair, which is seen being moved by itself, is stereotypical of the horror genre and conforms to the codes. Additionally, the use of candles for low lighting and ritual symbols all contribute to these genre codes and notify the audience of the horror genre. A bath is also used which allows the theme of water to be incorporated which is seen elsewhere (lake) and contributes to the narrative. Furthermore, the use of tapes, as well as the old coin and TV, all support the eerie atmosphere and allow the narrative to develop.

• Location: The trailer uses the conventional setting of a hospital, regularly seen in horror films, particularly modern films, as it is associated with death, illness and a lack of safety due to the size and unsettling atmosphere. Additionally, the trailer uses several shots within the creepy house, arguably a ‘haunted house’ due to the number of supernatural themes and scenes shown in the trailer. The house looks both neglected and out dated perhaps demonstrating the time setting of the film (a few years ago rather than modern day). The use of a lake is also somewhat conventional of the horror genre as it is a remote and potentially dangerous location.

MICRO ANALYSIS - SOUND

• The trailer does not use a voiceover and instead the diegetic dialogue serves as a source of information as to what is happening, often dialogue is used over the top of clips it doesn’t belong to give the audience a running commentary. The dialogue incorporates the whole narrative of the trailer and keeps the montage of scenes connected and understandable.

• Non-diegetic: The voiceover used in the trailer is the voice of Jessabelle which reinforces the feeling of someone or something watching her whilst also gaining the viewers sympathy as a connection is formed. The music is slow whilst also quite harmonic, the creepy hymn-like voice is both unsettling and disturbing but is typical of the horror codes as it uses the concept of an unnerving female presence/ghost.

• Diegetic sounds: The enigma code is reinforced through the concentration on sound effects such as the phone ringing and the clock ticking. As the audience doesn’t know who or why someone is ringing, this sparks many unanswered questions and thoughts which creates a sense of anticipation, anxiety and fear. The sound of the clock ticking also creates a feeling of time running out or perhaps a countdown for some climax. The use of heightened sounds such as the car crash play a role in the drama and tension produced, forcing the viewer to move between empathy and fear very quickly, creating discomfort. Enigma is also established through the use of silence which is very effective as it leaves a moment for the audience to catch their breath and process all the things that are happening, before a climax which can catch them off guard. During the silence the audience will be waiting for something to happen creating the fear of the unknown (Enigma Code). Towards the end of the trailer there is silence as one drip falls from the tap, this allows the audience to really focus reinforcing the uneasy atmosphere and leaving them at the edge of the seat feeling both anxious and intrigued.

MICRO ANALYSIS – EDITING

• The trailer does not necessarily follow the usual horror structure of slow editing which builds up to faster editing with a climax. As a thriller, the trailer is quite fast paced and builds suspense throughout whilst using horror conventions within the actual camera work and mise en scene etc. However, the initial couple of shots are slow, but the majority of the later shots and sequences use quick cuts. The initial scenes however, do take up more screen time than the majority of the later scenes which does comply with the conventional editing structure.

• Cross dissolves: Used in the text shots in order to reflect the creepy and slow music whilst also create a sense of lack of clarity and mugginess, echoed through the wet, bog-like location and theme of water/mud. Also used in quite a few of the shots throughout to create a softer and calmer transition between scenes, creating a false sense of security and peacefulness.

• Fast cuts: Quick cuts between scenes to build suspense are used throughout the trailer, especially when building the fear factor later in the trailer. The audience then build up to a slow but effective climax in the last bathroom scene which, after an increase in heartrate from the previous fast paced cuts, is then particularly heightened by the viewers feeling of unease and expectations of being scared in horror films/trailers.

• White Flash: This is used for the shot showing the car crash which killed the protagonist’s boyfriend which could arguably denote the themes of death and heaven, or perhaps avoids too much display of blood and gore in order to prevent the audience feeling discomfort.

TEXTList of text within the trailer (chronological):

1. ‘The following preview has been approved for all audiences’ MPAA (The Motion Picture Association of America)

2. Lionsgate (Logo)

3. Blumhouse Productions (Logo)

4. From the producer of Paranormal Activity Insidious Sinister and The Purge

5. A secret from the past

6. A curse from the grave

7. This August

8. Jessabelle

9. Coming Soon

10. (Film Credits)

The use of uppercase conforms to the conventions of both trailers and the genre of horror. It is immediately evident that the genre of the film is horror due to the old fashioned type face, the use of black font and the background used in each text title. The use of a grey, almost dirty background continues the theme of abandonment seen in the ‘haunted house’ location whilst the use of black branches in the back uses the other location (lake) to create a haunting and unsettling feeling in the viewer. The majority of the text titles being dark or black, connoting danger and death which echoes the film and trailers themes. The title of the movie appears at the very end after the last clip just before we see the other details of the film so that the audience will be anxious to see the title of the film after the climatic build-up of the narrative and leave an impression which means they are more likely to remember it. As the cast are not particularly notable, which is typical of most horror films, their names are not mentioned and instead they use taglines to intrigue and captivate the viewer, sparking the viewer’s interest.

REPRESENTATIONWithin the trailer the key stereotypes established are the female protagonist and the villain, the supernatural force which seems to be battling against the protagonist. We also see Propp’s character roles through the father of the ‘princess,’ as well as the helpers (the characters completing the ritual) and the man who appears to be the hero’s sidekick and potential love interest. The stereotypical scary ‘ghost girl’ seen in the horror genre is established through the portrayal of the supernatural presence. Conventional for a horror film, the main character will be the ‘final girl,’ the innocent, usually attractive and young girl left at the end after the other characters have left or been killed off. As the trailer does not reveal the end we do not know if she survives however we would assume due these conventions that she does in fact defeat the villain. With light eyes and hair she is stereotypically pure and innocent looking, her sweet and harmless appearance engages the viewer whom will sympathise for her, in addition to her being a female character, potentially the ‘Damsel in Distress’. The female character is shown in a wheelchair, denoting vulnerability and weakness, the representation of women being one of lack of power with regards to men, e.g. her father. The inclusion of the ghostly and sickly looking ghost girl conforms to the genre conventions of horror which often include a creepy and disturbing young girl as the contrast of an innocent character type such as the protagonist.

GENREWithin the first few seconds of the trailer, genre is established through the menacing and unsettling music, in addition to the unnerving sound of the phone ringing and conventional setting of a hospital. This is then supported by the production company, ‘Blumhouse Productions’ whom are associated with some of the most popular modern horror films.We can tell this movie belongs to the genre of horror due to the lighting used throughout the whole of the trailer. The use of low key lighting builds suspense and makes it difficult for the audience to clearly see everything in the shot/scene. This is further demonstrated through the continuous fast editing and use of blue tones which is associated with the horror genre and the indication of lack of life and coldness, as well as, in this case, water. The use of creepy diegetic and non-diegetic sounds as well as jump scares, are all intended to startle the audience as typical of the genre, are also used in the trailer, mostly nearer the end. The use of codes such as the hospital, wheelchair, neglected old house, remote outdoor locations and religious/satanic rituals all denote the genre of the film and trailer.

NARRATIVE THEORIESTzvetan Todorov’s “Equilibrium Theory”• (Initial Equilibrium) – We see scenes of the protagonist and

her boyfriend before a car crash which evidently kills him and leaves her hospitalised.

• Equilibrium – Short sense of equilibrium as the woman returns to her father and seemingly finds safety in her family home with someone whom should make her feel safe, her father.

• Disequilibrium – The protagonist finds tapes made by her mother for her which read her tarot cards, telling her future. She begins to feel a presence.

• Recognition – The protagonist is aware that there is a paranormal presence attacking her and she seeks answers.

• Attempt to repair – With another male character, the female protagonist actively seeks to talk to the paranormal presence (ritual) but appears to evoke some sort of negative response.

• Equilibrium – Not revealed within the trailer, presumably the female character contacts the ghost and some sort of resolution is established.

Roland Barthes’ “Enigma Code”

Roland Barthes’ enigma code is heavily incorporated within the trailer, conforming to the usual conventions of thriller films by leaving the audience questioning what is happening and what the outcome will be. Some of the questions asked include:• Who is the main character? • What happens to the main character? • Is the main character in danger?• If it is not her mother, who is the woman in the videos?• Who are the other characters? Is the male character

potentially her new boyfriend?• Who does the grave belong to? Who is Jessabelle?• Why is the ghost/presence haunting her?• Will it be a happy or sad ending?

The trailer leaves many questions unanswered therefore engaging the audience and resulting in a spark of interest and curiosity as to what happens in the film.