Unfortunately, our would be third group member Dan has fallen unexpectedly ill, and will be taking a year out of sixth form, therefore leaving just me and Megan left to produce the work. We wish him well for his return next year.
The Conjuring 2 is a sequel to The Conjuring, and is a supernatural horror film, released in June 2016, directed by James Wan, and produced by New Line Cineman, The Safran Company, Atomic Monster and RatPac-Dune Entertainment. The film had a budget of $40 million, and has so far made $247 million at the box office, portraying its commercial success. The film has also gained critical praise, with reviewers being impressed on how 'scary' the movie really was. This also reflects the success that the first film had, which is the reason this sequel was made. The trailer for this film was released on 26 March 2016, and currently has over 15 million views on Youtube.
The first shot in the trailer is a birds-eye view shot, and shows a record player/radio in the centre of the screen. This is to attract the audience's attention to it, emphasising its significance. Radio's are commonly associated with horror films, as it is usually used as a means of communication between the human and the unknown. This is certainly the case here, as a deep, distorted voice is heard coming through, presumably the antagonists due to the inhuman resemblance. The voice is a diegetic sound, therefore the audience are instantly on the same page as the characters around the table. One of the people sat around the table says 'That is the voice of an 11 year old girl'. From this information (which we trust is true, due to the formal attire worn by the man), we can assume that some sort of paranormal being has taken control over said girl, as young children are largely presented as innocent, yet the dialogue here does not reflect that, which aims to make the audience feel uneasy, knowing that somebody so stereotypically innocent could in fact be evil. The dialogue originating from the radio says 'This my house - No, this is not your house'. This sets a certain convention for a horror film, being conflict between two binary opposites, supposedly good and bad, also letting the audience know that some house owners may be battling a paranormal being in their home, similarly to those in Insidious and Paranormal Activity.
The couple in this scene are recognisable to those who have seen the original Conjuring movie, as James Wan decided to keep some of the cast. This is an effective method of keeping hold of an audience they already have, and in convincing them to watch the sequel. Lots of close ups are used on the couple to show their distressed and concerned faces. This shows the viewer that something is affecting them enough to be forced into getting help. They are dressed in casual, cream coloured clothing, a colour which is light, but not too intense, which may represent their calm personalities. They look very ordinary, which means that some viewers can relate to them, therefore creating a more authentic atmosphere when watching the film.
The house decor sets the tone for the start of the trailer too, with red floral wallpaper covering the room the characters are sat in. Red is commonly associated with blood, fitting in to the horror genre smoothly. This contrasts with the number of plants and glass ornaments in the room, which could connote weakness and fragility in the people there, as plants are docile, and easy breakable. Similarly, glass ornaments are also very fragile, however they create much more damage when destroyed, which may suggest while things are calm at the start of the trailer, they are soon to take a turn for the worse. The tone is quite chilling because of this, and could forebode the later happenings of the film, as horror films typically build up slowly to the climax, and this scene seems calm, yet sinister still.
Following this scene, we are introduced to the city that this couple live in, through an overhead establishing shot, which shows us that it is Christmas time, due to the ironically vibrant decorations, and presents the area as being quite busy. This confirms the audiences suspicions that it is set years ago, due to the old fashioned cars and clothing. The time of year contrasts with the possible situation that will be unravelled as the trailer goes on, as Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy, which it most likely will not be for the characters in the film. Many horror films are set years ago like this one, as people in the early 20th century were fairly unaware of paranormal activity, as there was little evidence besides rumours, and the majority of people were heavily religious too, believing in heaven and hell, rather than living on on earth, therefore the narrative can be made more tense as those suffering struggle to get people who can help them.
The trailer then zooms into a newspaper, which reads 'No Bread' and 'terror for family'. This informs the audience that the area is low on supplies, possibly because it's during war time, suggesting that the economy is failing. Being in a poor area, this may mean that the family in trouble cannot afford to move away, so they're stuck with this demon until they rid of it properly. The word 'terror' leads the audience to think the worst, and properly introduces them to the fact that this is a horror film, and bad things really are happening.
The next scene (a mid-shot to show body language and facial expressions) is also conventional of the horror genre, presenting the audience with 4 children, who all have fairly sad and concerned facial expressions. From this, the viewer can tell that they're in trouble and are looking for help. Children are commonly used in horror films as they represent innocence, and are perceived to be more vulnerable than adults, due to their inferior experience of life, size, and strength. One film which contradicts the 'vulnerable' children stereotype is Orphan, which shows that size and strength doesn't matter when faced with a difficult situation. The house behind the children has dark, cracked walls, which sets an eerie atmosphere. Dark houses are also used frequently throughout horror films, as it creates a more confined feeling, despite the house being a normal size. Darkness is a fear that many people experience, which is partly due to humans being diurnal beings, but the media and old stories may also have an effect, due to the representation of it in horror films, as seen in this trailer. The eldest child of the four has her arm around the two boys, suggesting that she is the motherly figure of the group, and that they may not have parents. The audience will sympathise with the children if assuming this, bringing back that sense of childhood innocence. This emphasises their vulnerability in that there is nobody there to protect them. The eldest child does not have her arm around the younger girl however. From this, we can assume that she is the 'possessed' girl, as it seems the eldest girl is protecting the boys from her. Their family has evidently been affected by the paranormal being a fair amount already.
At this point, the screen blacks out, which is implemented to somewhat relax the audience, whilst letting them know something more terrifying is looming. and the words 'from true files' appear, suggesting that the film is based around real events. Many film directors choose to say that their film is based on a true story, even if it isn't, as they feel it's more appealing to audiences, who are intrigued to see what has happened to ordinary people like them in the past. It also gives it a more authentic feeling, and the audience may be more fearful, as they could think "What if this happens to me?" - Further fulfilling its job to scare and intrigue people, having a positive effect on the companies involved, as they will make more money, and the customer will be more satisfied in the long term. The blackout also helps to break up the narrative, and to show that there has been a time-jump.
Further on in the trailer, the presumably possessed girl is seen gently swaying on a swing, which is a conventional horror scenario to use with children, as films such as Harry Potter even utilise shots like this to create suspense, as seen in 'The Prisoner of Azkaban'. This is to show the audience that something unnoticeable is present. We can presume she is possessed due to her being in such a misty, lifeless garden, isolated from any other children. This scene is very foggy, and through the pathetic fallacy, it creates an eerie atmosphere, which is also conventional of horror films. The fog, mixed with the trees, is very effective at setting this scene, and creates a sense of unknowingness, due to the inability to see through it, creating suspense for the audience as they are unaware what could come storming through the fog.
In the following establishing shot, the possessed girl says 'stop calling me Janet' in the antagonists voice, showing us the extent to which the demon can control her. It is effectively removing her identity, yet for some reason doesn't seem to be in control of her all the way throughout the trailer, suggesting perhaps that it is not yet at its full power. The removal of one's identity is very common within supernatural horror films, as it emphasises the difference in power between the good and the evil, therefore suggesting it will be very difficult for the protagonists to come out on top, making the film more unpredictable and intriguing for the audience. The being is presented as being powerful here, as it can take over the girls actions and voice, as well as turn off lights, which is also very common in paranormal horror films. This shot also utilises the lighting well, with them all directing straight towards the girl, portraying her as the centre of the issue. The girl has her hand near her mouth, as if she's biting her nails, which is a common sub-conscious action of a child, telling us that a part of her is still just an innocent young girl, and the audience can relate to this, as they were all a child at one point in their life, and had probably done this when feeling anxious or afraid. Our sympathy for the girl is further exposed when one woman says 'she's such a good girl, what does it want with her?'. From this, we know that the girl beforehand was well behaved, emphasising just how ruthless the antagonist is upon choosing its subject. The protagonist and antagonist are presented as binary opposites here.
In the next scene, the girl is seen looking up through a POV when under the influence of fear, suggesting that the paranormal being is stronger than her, and there is little she can do to defend herself. The POV shot puts the audience in the girls perspective, making them realise just how horrific these events would be for a small child. In the same scene, crosses are shown on the wall, as they start to turn upside down one by one. This is the first time religion has been presented in the trailer, and the crosses going from pointing up, to down, suggests things are going to get worse, as they are now pointing towards hell rather than heaven. Religious representation in horror has featured prominently in the past, therefore the audience may be familiar with this feeling of unknowingness. As this scene is playing out, one woman is heard saying 'the spirit will try to make you commit the ultimate sin, murder, suicide, or both'. This tells us that both the girl and all around her are in grave danger, and suggests that the spirit's sole purpose is to kill. This is a diegetic sound, meaning the characters inside the trailer are hearing it too, and the audience will know bad things are coming for them due to the use of strong negative words such as 'murder', and 'suicide'.
Jump-scares are perhaps the most common feature in horror, and spark a lot of controversy between fans, as many think they are a cheap way of scaring the audience. They are implemented in the majority of horror films as more casual fans will appreciate the scare they get, and it is easy, and usually a cheap way for directors to instil fear into the audience without having to build too much suspense. This trailer includes more than one of these. At one point, mid-way through the trailer, a ghost walks out of a dark corner, making a loud noise. This is used to frighten whoever is watching the trailer, and if they get a thrill out of it, they are more likely to see the full film when it is released. This jump-scare is particularly effective as the audience cannot see into the darkness beforehand, making the whole thing rather unexpected. Another 'overused' scenario in the horror genre which also features in this trailer is portrayed when one woman says 'you believe us don't you?'. Previous paranormal/psychological horror films use these scenarios in order to create a sense of hopelessness and loneliness, which can be seen in The Babadook, and many others.
The next scene introduces another 'bad' character. They are seen to be motionless at the end of a narrow, claustrophobic corridor, which is effective, as there seems to be little room to escape for the other characters we see. The long-shot used here is extremely effective, as it doesn't show the audience the antagonist in detail, and the facial expression cannot be deciphered. We can tell that they are a bad character because of this, as the audience can see nothing but them down this narrow corridor, connoting importance, with the black colours signifying evil, and the pale white face suggesting lifelessness. Any movements it makes will be unpredictable, and there is always a possibility it could run down the corridor, which keeps the audience on edge.
This antagonist appears again later on, wearing a black cloak and white top with a black veil over her head, seemingly resembling a nun. Using a nun as the antagonist is interesting, as they usually represent goodness and purity, which is not the case here, which could somewhat lead the audience into a false sense of security, therefore increasing the chances of them reacting to the jump-scares in the film. This contrasts completely to one of the films protagonists, who is dressed in a white jacket, with a black top, showing that the two are binary opposites, setting the traditional horror scenario of 'Good vs Evil', a part of Vladimir Propp's theory.
There are not many weapons shown throughout the trailer, as it is mostly psychological, however in one scene a boy is shown walking around a table with knives stabbed into it. Sharp weapons in horror films connote violence, which is typical in the 'Slasher' sub-genre, therefore it is unconventional to see them in a paranormal horror movie. The reduced use of weapons in the trailer suggest that this antagonist isn't here to kill people, but instead to torment, and cause emotional damage, which we have seen throughout the trailer already.
One mid-shot shows a woman in a basement walking knee-deep in water, which creates suspense for the audience, as they cannot see what could be lurking underneath. This aims to put the audience on edge, as they probably expect some sort of jump-scare to be implemented, but ultimately they are not completely sure. Another jump-scare is utilised here however, in order to give the audience yet another scare, to remind them that it is a horror film worth seeing. An arm shoots out of the water and grabs this women, frightening the audience, as they have seen her go through a lot of emotional trauma in this trailer already, therefore the audience might choose to see the film, as they want to know whether or not she makes it through alive.
Rain is apparent elsewhere in the trailer, which creates a sense of havoc due to the speed that it falls, and the chaotic atmosphere is emphasised both by lightning, and the increased speed between different shots through editing. This pathetic fallacy is very effective at the end of a trailer, as it shows a journey throughout, where at the start it was fairly calm and sunny, around the middle it was dark and gloomy, and at the end it's even darker, but with more forces of weather emphasising the action at the presumed climax of the film. The 'journey' in the trailer follows the couple that the audience were introduced to at the start, and their children. This connotes a traumatic film for all characters involved, and also links to Todorov's narrative theory.
Finally, after the trailer finishes, social media platforms and hashtags are shown at the end, encouraging people to follow The Conjuring 2 on social media, and get it trending on sites such as Twitter and Facebook. This creates a knock on effect where other people will find out through this, therefore building a larger, more diverse audience. It is especially effective, as the target audience for this film (around 15-25), are one of the most active groups on social media, therefore the film will get a great deal of exposure, all leading to more money at the box office. The hashtags allow fans of the trailer and previous film to interact, and create lots of hype for The Conjuring 2, which raises even more awareness for the film.
In conclusion, I believe that the Conjuring 2 trailer is highly effective, creating an eerie atmosphere from the start, and is very convincing to horror fans like myself, especially due to its lack of plot spoilers and gritty, realistic approach. Whilst James Wan does use jump-scares in his film trailer, I believe he utilised them well, as they seemed to be genuinely creepy rather than mind blowingly 'in your face'. If he used too many jump-scares, hardcore horror fans may boycott the film, as they largely tend to look down on this 'cheap' way to get a reaction from the audience. The antagonist does look fairly bland, however is effective none the less, due to it harbouring a surprisingly horrifying appearance at a glance. The editing throughout the trailer is very effective, as lots of low pitch sound clips are implemented into it, creating an eerie atmosphere, and as the trailer goes on, the sounds get more intense, ultimately trying to scare the audience, which is common in horror film trailers. As well as this, the structure of the trailer is also very effective, as we are slowly introduced to the main characters, as it builds up to a very intense ending, which intends to excite the audience, and convince them to pay to see the real thing. Towards the beginning of the trailer, the first few shots are between about 7-9 seconds long, which sets the slower pace of the trailer, so that the audience are more relaxed, which can be reversed later on when the duration of the majority of shots are little more than a second long. The transition between shots gets faster towards the end, in order to show several action shots which are used to rouse the audience, and excite them for the film's release. The change in pace throughout a trailer is common within the horror genre, as the editors wish to end the trailer with a 'bang', again contributing to leaving a lasting impression on the viewers.
Mise-en-scene is also very prominent in creating an authentic setting. All characters are dressed realistically, and there is a clever choice of clothing for the possessed girl, who in one scene was dressed in a red coat whilst the demon was in control of her. The colour red is used to often represent blood/evil, and therefore informs the audience that this girl is no longer innocent and powerless. One scene shows lots of furniture which has evidently been thrown around, suggesting that this spirit was responsible for that, showing the audience what it is truly capable of. As I mentioned towards the beginning of my analysis, the mise-en-scene also helped us to see what sort of personalities our characters had, such as the worn down parents, wearing rather dull clothes to accompany their drowsy facial expressions. We could also tell when the girl was possessed and when she wasn't, due to her change in facial expressions and body language.
