Horror Trailer Analysis (The Unborn)

The Unborn

• The Unborn trailer follows Todorov’s narrative theory: Period of equilibrium starts at the beginning when we see an establishing shot of the house Moment of disequilibrium is shown when we see the main female (Casey) sees the child/spirit in the street. Period of disequilibrium begins when Casey starts to watch the film. Propp’s character theory is shown in trailer: The female protagonist Child/spirit is (Casey) is the victim/hero the villain The Vicar is the helper The male gaze is also shown through the shower scene. However, the feminist theory is shown as the protagonist is seen wanting to overcome being possessed or haunted by the child. The Unborn trailer creates a scary atmosphere through sound, editing, camera angles and shots. Sound-The diegetic sound of the whispering through the baby monitor. This can suggest that there is something mentally wrong with the child. The moments of high-pitched non-diegetic sound creates an eerie atmosphere and makes it uncomfortable for the audience.There are also moments of silence which creates a sinister atmosphere making the audience feel uneasy. Some of the voices in the trailer are not clear and understandable, this creates a fear of the unknown in the audiences mind. Editing-There are many fades throughout the trailer, which gives the trailer a continuous feel. During the latter stages the pace of the trailer speeds up, this is done through jump cuts.The jump cuts creates an irritating effect for the audience and puts the audience at an edge. Camera angles and shots-There are a number of different camera angles, some are canted angles , these create an alarming atmosphere for the audience. There are also a variation of shot types, the first shot is an establishing shot showing the isolated setting. There are some of over-the-shoulder shots, in which the audience is positioned alongside the protagonist.There is an extreme close-up of the protagonists eye, which is symbolic to the plot of the film.There are also a number of point-of-view shots which place the audience in the protagonist position and make the audience emphasis with her.