Diana's A2 Media Blog

This is a trailer of the horror film The strangers (2008).The trailer displays several conventions of the horror genre.
The beginning of the trailer establishes the setting of the movie which is a house in the woods at night.It connotes that the house is isolated from the others as it locates in the suburban area.The trailer then suddenly increased the editing pace which creates the feeling of jumpiness to make the audience to think there will be something about to happen. The camera uses a lot of closeup and extreme closeup on the victim, but mainly the female protagonist.
The used of handheld camera work creates the unsteady movement and to make the audiences feel included and the horror feeling.The POV shot places audience in monster's eyes to raises issues about audience identification.POV shot of the victims looking out the window in the house.The camerawork ofter makes uses of the depth of field - protagonist in foreground, the victims always unaware of the monster is emerging in the background.
The used of colour black which connotes darkness and evil. Low-key lighting and high contrast to emphasise shadows. The lighting sources are the fire and candles in the room.The mise-en-scene included masks of the monsters,weapons and moving objects outside the house.
The narrative structure which is the return of the past to the location to kill again, and the female character who survives-the final girl.
The character types are a final girl which is the female protagonist and the monster comes back to the house to kill again.
The themes of 'The Strangers' are the return of the repressed and the Binary oppositions-good VS evil, known VS unknown.