Paranormal Activity 2 Trailer Analysis

1.      Video

2.      Audio

3.      Evaluation

1. Video

This trailer starts with a standard, formal rating from the MPAA (motion picture association of America). ‘The MPAA Advertising Administration reviews every piece of marketing that is used to promote any film’. This includes ‘theatrical, home video, online trailers, print ads, radio and TV spots, press kits, billboards, bus shelters, posters and other promotional materials’.

The MPAA rating states ‘The following PREVIEW has been approved for APPROPRIATE AUDIENCES by the motion picture association of America, inc. This rating aims to ‘give parents the same confidence in movie advertising that they have in the movie rating system, while also allowing filmmakers to responsibly market their films to their intended audiences’.

Source: www.mpaa.org

To start the trailer, there is a hint of ‘interference or visual noise’ with sound. They start building, becoming more frequent, in the same style. There is around 7 seconds of a thudding, deep bass sound. This could be either a heartbeat, or more likely stepping/stomping sounds. This is left to the audience to decide. This is definitely an attempt at building tension for the trailer, it works well, using the stereotypical visual noise associated with home video cameras and used in the previous film, showing a continuity that the audience will recognise. It has almost become a stereotypical part of the Paranormal Activity films. A type of visual noise is shown below in image form.

 

We then cut to a familiar scene, where a body comes flying towards the camera, backwards. It is identical to the last climax of the first Paranormal Activity film. This time though, there is a little more to it. The camera then zooms from a long shot to a point in the darkness, beyond the door, after some more noise flickers. The camera is trying to tell us something here; there is something behind that door, in the darkness.

Next is the first title of the trailer. It states:

IN 2009

YOU DEMANDED IT

Which both fade in, one after the other.

There are then, yet again, more flickers of noise interference as the shot changes to an infra-red style ‘night vision’ shot of an audience, who seem to be watching a film. They are clearly scared by what they see.

We then look back at the door, which is now a closer shot and continuing to zoom. There is a cut to a blank shot, then a cut back to the previous shot, except there is now something knelt over the body of Katie (PA1). On looking at this creature over and over, it does seem that it is not human, or if it is, it does not portray human characteristics. It seems to be ‘possessed’. It then leans towards the camera.  It is on screen for around half a second and still manages to shake the audience. This is a very jumpy part of the trailer, it keeps the audience on their toes. Giving them a taste of the ‘horror’ to come. It is jumpy because of the suspense and sharp cuts and changing audio tracks.

We can now start making some basic assumptions about this creature. The sort of assumptions that the audience make in a split second, subconsciously as the trailer is on. So, we can presume that this creature is the force that caused the body to fly into the camera. We come to this assumption for a few reasons. Firstly, the force that threw the body, certainly wasn’t humane. And since the creature in front of the camera isn’t human, it is more than likely that this creature threw the body.

So from this we can see that the trailer is already giving big clues away to the film. In the first trailer, there was no shot of a creature; it was left to the audience to decide what was causing the disturbances. This time, we are given answers already.

At 0:35, we are now looking at what seems to be either a CCTV shot or home camera shot of a bedroom. It is early morning (12:31am) and there is a lot of objects in the mise-en-scene. They all tell us a little about what is going on now.

Firstly, with it being early morning, the dog is asleep on the floor, there is a baby asleep in the cot. The lights in the room are out, except a nightlight for the baby. There is little sound. All this tells us that the house is quiet and everyone is likely to be asleep. The sleeping dog on the floor is like the ‘protector’ or ‘guard’. Dogs are known for being loyal to a family, they are ‘man’s best friend’. This can be seen as a stereotypical comfortable family scene and ‘nothing bad could possibly happen’.

0:37 is a shot of outside. Again, it is debateable whether the shot is a CCTV shot or a set up home video camera. They are set up like CCTV yet going on our knowledge of the previous film, Katie’s boyfriend set his camera up just like CCTV. The shot is the same style as the previous, showing us it is likely to be the same house.

0:39 there is a cut/noise to the kitchen. Again, the same style shot is used. There are pans hanging from a pan rack, above the kitchen island. The pans are moving slightly, as if they have just been knocked. We cannot see if any windows have been left open and this movement is due to wind, but the curtains aren’t moving and in the previous, outside shot, the trees seemed very calm. This movement of the pans is then telling us that there is a disturbance in the house. The trailer is starting to become a little eerie and creepy.

0:42 we cut back to the bedroom. The dog has moved and Is facing the doorway. In the mirror, we can see that the rocking chair, situated beneath the camera is now moving. This is clearly something in the house that is not meant to be there. The dog then turns to look at the rocking chair, recognising that there is something going on.

There is then a cut to black where we have the second title.

NOTHING CAN PREPARE YOU

This title is another example of the Paranormal Activity trailers addressing the audience directly. The text opacity increases and scales up slightly.

After this title, we then skip forward to 1:41am and in the bedroom, the dog is growling at the doorway, walking backwards and then barking. The dog is clearly afraid and showing threatening signs. The baby has stood up in its cot and is also looking towards the door. Both are acting as if they can see something.

0:51 is the next title, and it continues on from the last.

FOR WHAT’S NEXT

At 0:53 we cut to a shot of the main living area of the house. It is 3:53am and there is nothing abnormal in the shot.

There is a very eerie, creepy mood about the place.

0:54 there is a noise and we cut back to the bedroom again. This is the 3^rd time we have seen the bedroom so it is clearly insinuating that this is one of, if not the most important setting for the movie. This time, the door adjacent to the mirror is ajar, both the dog and baby have gone. This suggests to me, that the dog and baby went out of the ajar door. There is now a dark, feminine figure (looks to be human) standing in the doorway.

The baby’s dangling toy is rotating slowly. This suggests to me that either a) the parent has moved it when picking the baby up or the baby knocked it or b) the girl in the door had something to do with it. There is noise/interference and a cut to black.

0:57 there is a ‘2’ flickering just off centre of the screen. Then the title:

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY

Fades in. The ‘2’ is in the middle of them. The titles then flicker in the classic ‘paranormal activity’ style. This is also used at the end of PA1.

These then fade out and we have another title.

PARANORMALACTIVITY.COM

This is accompanied by the Paramount Pictures logo.

2. Audio

Whenever there is visual noise/interference, there is an accompanying sound in the form of a fuzzy crackling sound.

Looking at the start of the trailer, when there is no visual on screen, there are footsteps getting louder and louder. This is a very effective use of sound. When there is nothing on screen, the audience has no choice but to really take in the use of sound.

When the body comes crashing into the camera, this is also an important use of sound. There is nothing jumpy or scary about the body crashing into the camera unless the audio is good too.

Some of the audio points that I have picked up that I will be looking to include in my trailer are:

-Deep Bass Rumbles

-eerie wind noises

-creature growls

-crashing sounds

-crackling sounds with the interference

-Screams

Screams are sounds that tend to stay with the audience over time. If there is a loud, piercing, bellowing scream, it tends to resonate in the ears and imagination of the audience.

In this trailer, they have used footage of an audience that are watching the film. The screams of the audience stay with the actual audience. Screams are one of the most well known codes of audio in a horror movie.

I particularly like the deep bass rumbles. I feel they portray a sense of mysterious and ‘paranormal’. These are definitely suitable for including in my trailer.

Another important part of the audio is when there are text titles coming into the screen. Audio gives the title the extra edge.

3. Evaluation

After analysing the Paranormal Activity 2 Trailer, I feel that it is an effective marketing tool for the PA2 movie. Essentially, the trailer is the biggest marketing tool for the film. This one, I feel, tends to play on the success of the previous one.

I like the following points about this trailer:

·      It is a jumpy trailer

·      There are ‘eerie’ deep bass rumbles

·      The screaming that sticks in the minds of the audience

·      The titles that address the audience. They are in my opinion, a very effective way of marketing in a trailer.

It is possible to relate this trailer to Todorov’s Theory. Although we have seen limited footage, we begin with equilibrium; this is upset, causing disequilibrium. We are yet to see the new equilibrium but this is what the film will be based on and hopefully answer.