Grid of 9 analysis of the Silent Hill Theatrical Trailer
8 seconds. This is the exposition part of the trailer in
Freytags triangle. It is calm and reflects the normality of
an American, middle class nuclear family. The child
suggests innocence.18 seconds. A denotative caption
gives us the location the American mid-west, a
connotation of U.S respectability.
This shot reinforces the name of the film in the
audiences mind. This links to the Tristar studio brand
image (0:14) - a crucial business component of a trailer
is that the audience remembers the name of the product.
The Studio is the brand: the film is the product.
The symbolism of the staircase is important. This image
is preceded by a rising staircase. Are we descending
into hell? Barthes theory of semiotics helps explain how
audiences understand codes like this we are
descending into the unknown, where the demons are.
25 seconds. This marks the beginning of the rising
action, the first mystery. The car crash moves us out of
equilibrium (Todorov) and the loss of the child creates
the disequilibrium to be resolved. Note the mysterious
figure has been ghosted, to make it transparent.
The introduction of the husband, Sean Bean, reinforces
the representation of the wife as a stereotypical middle
class heterosexual woman in a nuclear family. This kind
of predicament does not normally happen to her.
2:07 just past Freytags turning point: the action
becomes frenetic, synchronised with pulsing, hard
beating music. This is falling action, showing multiple,
rapidly edited images of horror. Horrific shots but in short
takes keeps the trailer within the PG regulations.
The rising action slows, causing us to ask the questions
that the film will hopefully answer. What is this dust?
Where is this place to which she has been miraculously
transported? Is it dangerous?
This caption at 1:24 is a clear example of the rising
action in Freytags pyramid the film poses mysteries
that we want to answer. The most conventional horror
captions are black on white. The use of intercut captions
is more typical of the horror genre than other genres.
The ending should reinforce the product name, here
written in the logo typography. The name written like this
is a trade mark, reminding the audience of the film and
links with any other publicity material, such as the poster.
The ending is quiet after the loud falling action.