In preperation of my thriller film opening I decided to do some short research on other short thriller videos.
Brief Semiotics Analysis of “The Thing” Promotional Video
From the beginning tension is present and only builds as the video goes on; this is an important convention of film trailers that keeps the viewer interested in watching.
During the first few seconds of the clip, a sharp, non-diegetic noise is made that echoes out; this is our first symbol of tension. Despite this the video continues, with several high key establishing shots used in conjunction with a joke made by a character, creating a somewhat cheerful atmosphere; but only for a short moment. Quickly the amount of time between shots is shortened and shots begin to adopt a low-key, ambient, cold lighting style. Actors’ facial expressions visibly change from excited to scared in seconds; to emphasise this several close ups of their faces are put in.
From only 15 seconds in, moving images begin to fade to black every few shots. This technique is done to emphasise the shots either side of the fade; as well as creating suspense it allows time for the viewer to think, thus supplying even more tension. Close ups and extreme close ups are used to show detailed hand gestures and facial expressions. These movements all indicate the fragility of the scene created, putting the viewer on edge. Lighting becomes more selective and contrasted, helping particular details in the scene attract the eye. One example of this is a large ice cube which is first shown using a medium-long bird’s eye shot. This block of ice is soon re-introduced with a sharp, piercing noise, intentionally put in to frighten viewers, sound bridged from black into a high-action shot of something exploding out of the ice. From this point (half way through trailer) onwards the video consists of fast-paced, high-action shots to keep the viewer engaged to the end. Dramatic mise en scene is introduced alongside a variety of dangerous props and alien encounters; this all helps build further suspense for the viewer.
Text is intentionally used at convenient places during this clip to make it more memorable. Excluding the ‘Universal’ logo being presented at the beginning, the first encounter we have with any form of text is instantly after the first climaxing event (exploding ice). The text is placed there as the viewer is likely to be ‘on edge’ after seeing shocking action, and will be alert and paying attention. The dark, sharp, blue font of this text saying “FROM THE PRODUCES OF DAWN OF THE DEAD” suits the semiotic field of fear and coldness presented by the rest of the video. Also note how it is written in capitals; this supports the seriousness of the artificial situation made in the story as well as helping the text stand out. The editor chose this to be the first line of text as he decided he would like the audience to relate a very successful and famous film, ‘Dawn of the Dead’ to this film. This technique of presenting text after tense events is later reused in conjunction with several shots to say: “On October 14…The THING… WILL… BECOME… YOU”, this powerful message is used to provide information on the release date of the film as well as adding to the verisimilitude of the video.
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi72260633/
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