Paranormal Activity Trailer

We decided to analyse a teaser trailer which had similar conventions of the horror genre which we wanted to use for ours. Paranormal Activity bases the whole movie around a supernatural presence. Where this film uses a demon, our teaser trailer will use unsettled spirits and ghosts. However despite the difference between this teaser trailer and ours, the makers of Paranormal Activity have successfully used the 'psychological' aspects of horror to scare the viewers through various things. Most psychological horrors use simple shots to create suspense and unease throughout their film. This is useful because its based around ghosts or a supernatural presence and therefore you cant necessarily show what the 'presence' is. Throughout the teaser trailer for Paranormal Activity there are medium shots which leave a great amount of space within the frame which creates suspense because as the viewers we expect something of a nasty ilk to fill the space. These shots are usually held for a longer amount of time then we would expect in a typical teaser trailer, but this gives the trailer more of an edge because the suspense is held for longer as there is a build up.

Initially the beginning of the trailer opens with a black screen, it is held for a few seconds before the loud, almost screeching noise of television interference intersperses with it. As viewers are left in confusion and suspense of the black screen they are waiting for some form of titles or image to start the trailer. However the loud, crackled noise of the interference signifies that there is a supernatural presence. This is because on ghost hunting shows and other horror films the television turns on when there is a paranormal being close by. The beginning of the trailer specifically makes a statement because of the immediate loud noise and action, as the frame opens of the empty bedroom tension is building as the viewer waits for something to appear. The audiences are shocked by the body flying and smashing into the camera, this is a good technique because of the contrasted plain shot with silence to the crashing body. Also the idea that the body is coming towards the camera makes it nerve wracking for the viewers because it becomes too close for comfort, that its coming towards them and the idea that as we cant see the face of the body we are confused as to whether they are dead or being pushed because of the positioning of the way it hits the camera. However the quick edit of this shot makes it almost disorientating between the change of the empty room to the sudden crash of the camera.

The trailer then leads on to various shots of different rooms in the house, they are broken up with the television interference noise and screeching zig zags which makes the editing quick and the viewers in suspense because each room is empty. For established viewers they will recognise the familiar setting of the same house from the first film. The trailer then pauses on a high angle shot with the camera placed into the corner of the room but from the ceilings height. The stance of the camera and the grey and green colours of the shots from the room almost make it seem like its CCTV. That someone is watching what's happening in that house, or that we as the viewers are watching helpless from behind a camera and we are witnessing something we're not supposed to. By using the dog and its awareness of something going on or something being there, it is a classic horror convention by using an animal and their senses to detect something is there, along with the loud bark from the dog it makes the viewers on the edge of their seats because they know the animal is barking at something but because of the half-shut door we are unable to see what is there. But as the shot flickers and changes we are transported back to the same room except the dog has gone and the dark figure of the woman is in the hallway. This is combined with a loud banging noise signifying her presence which makes the audience react and jump because of the noise and the appearance of her.

The quick edits and titles throughout the film make the audience raise questions as to how they are going to carry this film as a sequel and how scary it will be. The fast pace of shots almost disorientate the viewer to want to know more about the film and therefore it successfully teases them to want to know more about the film.