The document analyzes the trailer for the film Paranormal Activity and discusses elements that make it effective. It focuses on the main characters, a young American couple, and how the trailer uses "shocked" audience reactions to build scare and intrigue. It also examines the target audience as late teens to mid-20s and how relatable characters are important. Finally, it distinguishes between teasers and full trailers, noting that teasers aim to create hype and leave viewers wanting more without revealing the full story.
2. Trailer link and stills
• Trailer link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_UxLEqd074
3.
4. How can elements of these trailers be used in
creating your own? Look at
themes, characters, shots, sound, mise-en-
scene
• The Paranormal Activity trailer uses 2 main characters of a
young American couple, there is a quick flash of an older
man but we don’t learn much about him from the trailer so
we can assume he is of lesser importance. The trailer
focuses on the idea of a screening of the film to an
unsuspecting audience to get their ‘real reactions’ to the
film, it uses many shots of their ‘shocked’ faces – this could
help attract an audience by making it seem scary and see if
other people can sit through the whole film. This part
of/style of trailer would be difficult to re-create as we don’t
have a cinema to screen the film and also we wouldn’t have
a whole film to screen, however that doesn’t mean it isn’t
an effective trailer as Paranormal Activity was a very
successful film.
5. Who is the target audience and how does the trailer
appeal to them? Give examples and then look at how
will this affect your trailer and its target audience?
• The target audience is displayed quite simply in
the trailer as it is essentially a recording of a
screening of a film. The target audience are late
teenagers (the film is rated a 15 in the UK) to mid
20s (the majority of the screening audience
appear to be mid 20s). The trailer is very jumpy
and the main protagonists are in the age gap of
the target audience so it becomes more
believable and relatable to them. We can apply
this to our trailer by using characters who are the
similar age to our target audience so it becomes
more relatable to them.
6. Who does trailer represent? Social
groups, age, gender, ethnicity? Who will you
represent in yours? (consider stereotypes)
• The film’s two main characters are white, mid
twenties Americans, we then see an
older, white American man who seems to be
more knowledgeable about the goings on.
The main characters are the typical American
couple who are outgoing and happy but then
this deteriorates as the trailer progresses and
things becoming scarier causing them to
become more on edge and jumpy – adding to
the frightening nature of the trailer.
7. What is the difference between a teaser and a
full trailer? What is the idea behind a
teaser, what should it do for the audience?
• A teaser is shorter than a full length movie
trailer which can be anywhere from 2-3
minutes long where as a teaser is usually only
1-1.30 minutes. A teaser is used more to
create a ‘hype’ and intrigue around the film
rather than tell the story, it plants the seed in
the viewers mind and makes them want to see
and know more if it is synergised well with an
effective marketing campaign.
