CABIN IN THE WOODS TRAILER ANALYSIS

The close up of the girl gives the impression that she is relaxed and is not the least bit concerned that they might be lost. This shot illustrates to the audience that they are not prepared for what is ahead and that they still believe that they are going to have a relaxed holiday

This extreme long shot creates tension for the audience as we realize that they are in the middle of nowhere and the trees so close together to the road gives the impression that they might become trapped. This shot tells the audience that things are about to take a turn for the worst.

A montage of shots are shown as they pull up to a deserted gas station. The isolated area creates tension and suspense as we notice that something is not right. The fact that everything is run down and that no one is there causes the audience to feel alone and that we are in some sort of danger

We see a long shot of the cabin and the one reason I like this shot is the position of the camera in this shot. The camera looks like it is buried in the ground and it feels like we’re walking towards the cabin and it makes the journey to the cabin look endless and that once we enter there is no going back. The fact that the cabin is in the middle of so much green suggests that there is no escape.

This over the shoulder shot shows that the boy can see the girl getting ready, but she doesn’t know. As the audience we now become suspicious and feared as we want to know why the house is like this. In effect this adds to the mystery of the film as to what really goes on within the cabin.

As these shots are shown there is heightened sound which builds into a crescendo ands the bird gets closer to the grid wall.. The grid wall could symbolize that the group are stuck and that there is no way out. Also as the bird hits the wall, it explodes and then turns to ashes. This could show that the only way out for the group is death.

This shot is one of the most important shots of the trailer as we finally begin to understand that the group are being watched. As the audience we know what the group doesn’t know, but at the same time we are still questioning why they are being watched. The video surveillance suggests that whoever is watching as an element of control as to what is happening or going to happen to them.

This shot to me is very interesting because we see that each light bulb is quickly going out. This illustrates that things are about to go bad and that we are in danger. I particularly like the light bulbs used as they contribute to the sinister atmosphere and by this point the audience are on edge as to what is going to happen. We see what looks like an exit, but as the lights continue to go out, the exit can no longer be seen which shows that their stuck.

From this shot we see a figure emerging from the water. A typical convention of horror is that we can’t see the antagonist’s face. However we do hear a scream in the background which gives us the impression that this ‘thing’ is out to hurt the group. The low key lighting is another convention of horror makes the audience fearful of what the creature is or even looks like.

The wide shot of the group shows how they feels its better to stay together rather than apart - safety in numbers. However if we look closely we see that the boy in the check shirt seems to be the leader of the group as he is standing slightly further forward from the rest of them and is much more muscular than the others which asserts his authority. The male on the far right seems to be the more fearful of the group as he is detached from the group.

This close up of the antagonist ignites fear into the audience as we finally get to see what the creature looks like and it looks terrifying. The continuation of low key lighting makes us anticipate what is going to happen, but the fact it has broken through the door suggests that something bad is going to happen to one of the characters.