Trailer Analysis

The
Suffering Trailer Analysis

We first see the conglomerates name that produced this film. The trailer starts in an
ambient manner, as there is no distinct music to captivate the direful mood in this
film. The shot shows the male protagonist sitting with uncertainty in a pitch black
room as he looks at something in the distance in order to amplify the suspense for the
audience there is not much action as the scenes transition from one or any jump scares
which implies the trailer breaking the conventions of the horror genre. The trailer
ends with the man looking clueless whilst the ghost appears behind him and the scene
eventually black cuts the trailer to an end. In summary, the trailer uses anti-climax as
it gives us a summary of what it is about.
Confrontation
In horror films, the protagonist finds themselves in a hook with either a paranormal or
human being. From the trailer, we can already see the male character isolated in a
rural farm that is inhabited by sinister beings overseen by a mysterious caretaker
whilst he must fight for his sanity. It allows us to be encouraged to see this film, as we
are curious about whether the man lives or dies in his attempts of escape to which the
structure of the trailer is used to give us a brief glimpse of what he will face.
Mise-en-scene
Costume/makeup/hair The protagonist wears a bandage over his head, which symbolises his vulnerability
to control himself and his sanity as well as a white t-shirt to connote his
innocent character who is forced to confront danger in order to survive. He
wears mostly casual clothing throughout the trailer, which suggests that he is
out of place, just like how he is out of his
The elderly man seems to be wearing a red velvet robe to possibly establish his
upper class and experienced character.
The female caretaker's costume is a
contrast to all the characters- it looks it e almost Victorian and that her black
uniform implies her dark, ominous character which makes very clear that she
is the antagonist in the trailer. her hair is strict with a simple bun to imply her
authority and control that she has in her job .

The other male character wears no shirt at all as he only wears a rugged pair of
trousers. Also, he looks very malnourished his bones are apparent on his body.
His hair looks curly and agitated to make it look savage-like.
Camera shots/Lighting
Close ups- close ups are mostly used to imply the confinement that the characters
feels but also to show their expressions. Other shots such as the tight frame is used to
symbolise the character
Low level- it makes it look like we as the audience are almost controlled by the
trailer's instances of distortion as we never get a clear angle of the characters,
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Wednesday, 19 October 2016 at 12:04:26 British Summer Time
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The Suffering Trailer Analysis

making us feel distorted ourselves.
Eye-level- this shot is used to physically look down on the subject.
Typical Iconography used in this trailer

The rural farm setting is common in most horror films as it signifies the
exclusion away from society as well as to show the trapped feeling the
character is facing as the horror happening within the farm begins to escalate
right to the point where he must face it to escape. It symbolizes the desolation
of the character, as escape is deemed uneasy.
The caretaker is important here- usually the more experienced and
knowledgeable character carries a suspicious or unsettling motive. In this case,
she is perceived, as untrusting because of her dark character, which allows us
to settle a judgement towards her- is she, the centre for all this?
Ghosts or spirits come usually early in films but in this trailer, the ghostly figure
comes in the end to not give away too much of the synopsis but a brief
glimpse of what the character will face.
The cabin in the forest setting creates the desolate feeling. it also adds to the
haunting mood as the character ventures there in the night where
ominous events start to unfold as it is seen as an unknown; we never
know its origin or why it was there in the first place, therefore adding
the mysterious feel.
The house itself represents a catalyst for secrets as the protagonist seems to be
experiencing unsettling things during whilst he currently resides there. This is
used to escalate the fear and reaction for both the character and the audience;
it already gives them the idea that the house is haunted. The bedroom setting
that the character sleeps is used to symbolise how unsafe he is, even in the
dark.
Furthermore, the protagonist's psychological mind usually has a function to whether
it will help him or allow himself to be submerged to his downfall.
There are also symbols of death:

The camera tilts down on the male character's body as it shows a scar that has
appeared unexpectedly and blood running down the sinkhole in the shower
symbolises the sign of death as it could be used to foreshadow the immensity of the
events that will happen in this horror film.
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The use of chiaroscuro (or low-key lighting) is commonly used in the trailer to
provide a deep contrast with the source of lighting that mostly comes from the
character. It creates disfigurement of what lurks in the setting- it creates a predictable
moment for the audience, as they know that something will pop out of the darkness.
The residents who live there seem to harbour a secret that the character does not
know. Their motives make us feel wary of their actions such as the old man, the girl
and the caretaker.
The fire signifies the pain but is also affiliates as a symbol for the descendant to 'Hell'
Dialogue/Text/ Music
The music box creates a chilling background music as well as a lighter which makes
a ticking noise which is likened to that of a clock which shows the race against time;
it confronts with the character as it is used to make it look like the he needs to find a
solution before it is too late. The sound of the lighter ticking indicates a countdown to
when the climax will begin.
the subtitles showing the information such as the release date and the production
company is shown here. It is written in a red text to associate the film to its
psychological horror genre. The title is almost similar to the well-known
psychological horror film, "The Shining.
Diegetic sound is used here to capture the complete silence that is punctuated. This is
used to create an eerie and suspenseful atmosphere and diegetic sound is used to make
the film more realistic. Adding non-diegetic music would just distract the audience of
what is happening. From this, it looks really effective when you want to focus on its
synopsis.
During the end of the trailer, the character asks about Hell and the older character
responds by saying no which shows the irony of the film as the audience is aware that
there is something dark hidden in the story and this encourages them to watch the film
to peel the story carefully and how the film finds its resolve.
the transitions end abruptly with the non diegetic sound of a piano key hit. It sounds
sudden and quick and it is used to mark the interrupting feeling- what happens next?
Editing
The significant use of black cuts is employed to give the audience the illusion of the
lights constantly going on and off whilst the scene transitions into the next. This is
used to maybe confuse the audience with its synopsis. It is accompanied by non
diegetic dialogue of what seems to be coming from a phone message "I love you" to
associate a tragic feel in this film as it makes it sound like a final message to the
character to which it also foreshadows the fate of the character- will he be able to
escape the whims of its residents? The pace of the trailer is fast and this implies a rush
to give a quick summary of what the film is about as well as quick cuts to convey the
information very quickly.
Update: How it links to one of the narrative theories:
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3c:07:54:69:0a:b5
Todorov's Narrative Theory

Equilibrium- the man is in a financial crisis; he decides to go to an estate mansion to
get an appraisal from its owner
De-equilibrium- He explores the vast and beautiful estate further and everything is
not what it seems as a dark secret plagues his mind
Realisation- The character realises the sinister side of the estate
The character knows the problem and has to fix it- he realises the problem but he
has to overcome an obstacle- he has to uses his sanity to fight through it to escape.
Propp's Narrative Theory

Hero- the trailer shows the male protagonist being perceived as the hero
Villain- the old man is shown to be the villain as well as the caretaker as they both
look suspicious
Princess- the girl shown in the clip (with the high key lighting)
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3c:07:54:69:0a:b5

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The

Suffering Trailer Analysis

Wednesday, 19 October 2016 at 12:04:26 British Summer Time

The Suffering Trailer Analysis

Typical Iconography used in this trailer

There are also symbols of death:

Wednesday, 19 October 2016 at 12:04:26 British Summer Time

The Suffering Trailer Analysis

Update: How it links to one of the narrative theories:

Wednesday, 19 October 2016 at 12:04:26 British Summer Time

The Suffering Trailer Analysis

Todorov's Narrative Theory

Propp's Narrative Theory

Wednesday, 19 October 2016 at 12:04:26 British Summer Time

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