Grave Encounters Trailer

Grave Encounters is a paranormal horror movie which is made to look like the making of a television episode, such as Most Haunted and Ghost Hunters. Grave Encounters is a low

budget film, therefore suites the fact that it is suppose to be a television reality programme as the quality of the film isn’t at the highest standards compared to most films/television

programmes. Grave Encounters can be compared to films such as Paranormal Activity as they also use hand held cameras to make the film seem more real life based and relatable. This film

is based in a mental institution where several ‘ghost hunters’ lock themselves inside the building and search for the abnormal and discover a number of odd events that change their

lives.

SettingParanormal based movies are commonly based in areas that people visit regularly and area’s which have also witnessed many deaths, such as homes and hospitals. Unlike horror films which are traditional based in isolated area’s which have little contact with people, such as Woods and abandoned warehouses. Grave Encounters is based in a mental asylum which was build in 1930’s. This makes the setting more frightening and eerie towards the potential audience as it is so old and restrained, therefore giving them the impression that the building is haunted. At the beginning of the trailer, the audience witness the outside view of the building, reminding them what reality looks like before they enter the building which differs from there once surroundings. Each scene is set in different rooms of the asylum containing horrific historical information about the building and the patients who ‘lives’ in each room, for example, shown by the trailer, one room contains writing on the walls to show the audience that a psychiatric patient was once there and possibly still there, creating fear towards the viewers. A lot of the trailer uses long corridors to base some of the horrific events, this is because they seem endless, therefore building the suspense, making the film seem more fear-provoking. All the rooms used in the building are dull colours and dark, making it harder to see the ‘demons’ as a result, creating a ‘jumpy’ experience towards the audience.

Characters As Grave Encounters is suppose to be acknowledged as a television series, the characters are presented as a film crew, including the television presenter, camera operator, boom microphone operator, editor and the director. Each of these characters are presented as normal, every day people who have a passion for the abnormal, making the film more realistic towards the potential audience and more relatable. Each crew member have their own unique style which shows the audience the type of person they are. The costume used for the characters show that they didn’t expect the unexpected and weren’t prepared for the abnormal activity. On the other hand, the ‘demons’ that torment the ghost hunters wear old gowns and straight jackets to show that were patients in the hospital therefore making them more threatening and terrifying towards the audience. The ‘demons’ clothing is dull and lifeless, telling the audience that they are in fact dead and intent on causing mayhem. The clothing used on both the dead and the alive contrast and show that the time period between both victim and ‘demon’ is immense.

Props and EditingParanormal based films don’t usually consist of many props as it is mainly based around editing. Displayed on the Grave Encounters trailer, the equipment used to record the footage is actually shown within the footage meaning that the film is suppose to be real life based and to make the audience believe that such events did actually occur. Editing is used to the extreme in the Grave Encounters as it is what attracts the potential audience. Glitches are used within the trailer to insinuate that someone is there, for instance a ghostly presence, making the audience tremble with fear. A face morph is also used as a jump scare and is used as the main focus of the trailer, making it the main attraction towards the potential viewers. Stock/archive footage is used to make the trailer seem more realistic, showing the audience how the asylum once looked with it’s patients in the 1930’s.

Camera WorkMost Paranormal based films use hand held cameras to make the scenes seem more realistic towards the audience. Grave Encounters follows this role by also using a hand held camera for most scenes. Horror/Paranormal based films use a number of different shots to create suspense toward the viewers as they don’t know what’s around each corner. This type of genre uses close up to its most highest extent to show the most gruesome, terrifying scenes to it’s full potential and lets the audience observer the victims emotions when horrific events take place. Grave Encounters uses many other shots such as a over the shoulder shot as a trailer/film is presented as a television reality show, therefore having numerous conversations/interviews with various people. Wide shots are used to show the audience the setting of the film, in this case the mental institution. This will grab the potential audiences attention as they’d want to witness the horrific events that occur inside the building. Wide shots are also used to introduce the characters and show them together, as a groups to show the audience which characters play which roles in daunting scenes. This will create a connection between the character the audience as they’d pick a character as their favourite, whom they can relate too in such situations.

Sound

In a trailer, sound is essential and makes a large impact on the audience. The use of sounds makes scenes more effective and thrilling towards the viewers. In paranormal films, the most common sound used is the scream of the ghost hunters as they witness the ‘demons’, this will create distress towards the audience and notify them that something frightening is happening. You can also hear the ghost hunters deep breathing throughout the trailer as they are terrified of the ‘demons’ they have witnessed so far, causing panic towards the audience.

Poster OneTo represent the genre, Grave Encounters use dark, eerie colours such as black and dull yellow to create fear towards the audience. The colour scheme suggest that the location is timeworn and abandoned. These colours contrast each other therefore making the poster more noticeable and eye catching towards the potential audience. The main image fills the full poster with a dark background, suggesting that the areas is evil and contains the decedents of the devil. The main characters are placed In the centre of the poster as a long shot, showing the viewers the surroundings and characters positions. The image of the mental institution is based at the top of the poster giving the viewers a taste of the area where the film is based. The posters is slightly bare, suggesting that the area is isolated and cold, terrifying the viewers. The title is based at the bottom of the poster and is the largest text on the page, this is to make sure the viewers remember the name of the film. The text colour is vibrant, representing a dark presence and ghosts. The words “They found it” is wrote in a eerie, horrific text which also represents the genre. This text is also red, unlike any other text on the page, making it more noticeable and threatening as Red usually represents blood, therefore making the audience think of death.

Poster Two

All films create more than one poster for advertising so the film would be more noticed and recognised by the viewers. Unlike most horror/paranormal posters, Grave Encounters uses different colour schemes for each poster. The colour scheme or this poster consists of Black, White and Green which contrast massively, therefore making the poster eye catching and grabbing the potential viewers attention. The Green colours makes the poster look more eerie and intimidating towards the audience. The main image covers the full poster, blending as a background. The image consists of the main character, unaccompanied and afraid with his camera. This tells the audience that something horrific must have occurred as he is alone. The ghost hunter is sat in a long corridor which suggests that the location is threatening and isolated. A bright, green figure is shown at the end of the corridor, showing the audience that something horrific and deadly may happen to the character. The words “They were searching for proof… They found it” is used to sell the film to the potential audience by making it seem more interesting. The title is the largest text on the page and is based at the top of the page. The title is very bright and alive which contrasts to the background, making it more visible to the audience and identifiable.

Magazine Cover

Empire is a popular film magazine and recommends the best films available. Compared to other Empire magazines, this one is less busy and exciting as it is a special collectors edition. The colour scheme is Red, White and Black which fits with the genre of films it is recommending. Theses colours contrast each other very well, making the magazine easier to identify. The magazine uses a number of images. The most popular or daunting film has been used as the main picture which is based in the centre of the poster, followed by numerous other serial killers from popular horror films underneath. This shows the audience the type of films that the magazine will write about, therefore making them want to purchase the magazine to read the main content. The words “The greatest horror movies ever” is used to sell the magazine further and grab the potential readers attention. This text is white and based at the bottom of the poster, using the second largest text. The colour of the text contrast the background massively and make it more noticeable to the potential readers.