Trailer Analysis: Saw

Trailer Analysis
SAW 3D

Directed by: Kevin Greutert
Produced by: Mark Burg, Oren Koules, Gregg Hoffman.

Written by: Patrick Melton, Marcus Dunstan.

Starring: Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Betsy Russell,Sean Patrick Flanery, Cary Elwes.

Music by: Charlie Clouser.

Cinematography: Brian Gedge.

Editing by: Andrew Coutts.
Studio: Twisted Pictures.

Release date(s): October 28, 2010 (2010-10-28) (United Kingdom and Australia), October 29, 2010 (2010-10-29) (United States)

The very start of this trailer shows the institution/ studio. This is important as it shows the audience who the production company is. People who already know the production company may have liked other films by them and may then think this film will be a big hit and so will go to see it. When watching this we  also hear a screech which helps us assume the trailer is about a horror film. The pace of this is reasonably slow which sugests that the instution is important and needs to be read. You can also tell that the trailer is for a horror film as we can see the white text, clashing on the black background. The font of the text is bold which is striking and eyecatching towards the audience. The image of the dagger also relates to the text on screen as the thorns are twisted around the dagger. This means that the audience can recognise the institution.

The start of this trailer uses familiarity so that we know what film it is before the name of the film appears. This means that the saw films have their own codes and conventions.This It is traditional for the Saw films to use a fuzzy screen to show when the character Billy the ventriloquist puppet appears on screen. This immediately shows us that something is about to happen. This uses fast editing to show the screen for a second. This then means that the audience has to concentrate to the traiter. It also almost seems like a subliminal meassage as it is so fast and makes us understand the purpose of using the screen, withough seeing Billy. Just before the fuzzy screen appears a voice says "you cant hide" this is important as it tells the audience what type of horror film this is. it shows us that no matter what you do you can not hide from the evil character in the story.

By adding a calm scene to the trailer, we can tell this is equilibrium, which is Todorov's theory. A camera angle used to show this state of calmness is a pan. This was used because it gives the audience a chance to see how everyone in the film is reacting. This also suggests that somewhere in the film there is calmness and then somewhere else there is tension. The voiceover also adds tension to the trailer as it makes the audience think about the words being said and the incidental music behind it.

Using a fast pace, after the equilibrium there is an almost subliminal type wheel appear on screen of a small amount of time. This suggests we are not meant to see the weird looking wheel but instead, stay looking at the calm natural side of the story, the towns people. This  then means as we are not expecting the jump between the two we are scared more as we see the man reaching to escape.

 This time though the pace of the edits are slow. A medium close up is used to show the emotions on the face of the character. The pace and medium close up are used to build tension between the character in need and the audience that want him to escape. Incidental music and a voice over is used to build tension. The incidental music in the background is calm  but the voiceover contridicts this as the voice used it the voice of the evil character in the film.

As we come about one third of the way through this trailer, we get to see this. Where it says "witness the final Saw". This makes us want to see the film as we think it will be the last saw film and so it has to be good. the pace of the edits and incidental music speeds up to build tension as we have to watch and listend fast. As the trailer is for a horror film the pace of the edits shows us what to expect when watching the film, this shows us that a lot of things happen in this film. Again the colour of the text is white which contrasts with the colour of the background, this means that the audience can see the text clearly. The text writen in capslocks helps the words look bigger and more important. Usually when a text is written in capslocks  usually means something important or that someone is shouting. This could suggest the text is important.