Deconstruction of horror film trailer 1

Paranormal Activity 2
The first film trailer deconstruction I am doing is of paranormal activity 2, this is because it is the same sub genre as the trailer I am to make.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07XbSk7Rjt4

The first thing I like about this is right at the start when there is a black screen, and then there is a fuzzy flash like as if the screen has been taken over and possessed itself. These is also a loud continuous thumping sound to replicate footsteps. These two techniques are very good and effective as it creates tension and anxiety for what is about to come next .

After this there is a person who comes flying towards the camera very quickly to signify a jump scare, with very loud non- diegetic sounds to make the audience jump and the scare seem a lot worse. Another thing that I found unique and interesting is the use of the audience reacting to the first film is used within this one, this is good as I have never seen this done before and I feel it includes the audience a lot more and makes them feel more of a connection with the film.

I also like the use of a range of camera angles. One of them being the tilted angle which is used after the person has been thrown towards the camera, making it seem more realistic and doesn't follow the normal forms and conventions of someone coming towards them which is usually what this angle is used for, especially in horrors. Another good camera angle that is used is the high angle from the CCTV, I like this because its more realistic as it is an actual real camera that is apart of the film so makes it seem true. There is also an extreme close up of a possessed woman right in front of the camera which intensifies the tension and eeriness of the scene.

The editing is very fast paced with a lot of jump cuts to keep this pace up, I like how they have jumped from scene to scene by swapping from each CCTV camera in the house very quickly and something scary happening in each scene. I feel that this is a very smart way to do it as it seems more realistic and it is as if you are there and is more like raw footage of what actually is happening. Another good editing technique that I spotted was the use of non-diegetic sounds which were very loud and 'thumping' that I feel created tension very well. An example of this is when the fuzzy screen came on there was a loud crackling sound which made it seem realistic but also quite worrying.

The lighting used is also very good, they have used dark blue lighting for inside the house which I believe is used to create a thermal kind of look, I think this is effective because it is still dark but the paranormal things that happen can still be seen, this follows the forms and conventions and this is a very typical lighting colour for not just horror films but a number of genres including action.

In summary, I feel this is a very good horror film trailer as it creates tension and leaves the audience wanting more without giving away too much information. I hope that I can use some of these techniques in my production to make it more professional and realistic.