Question 6: How is narrative portrayed in the trailers?

A2 Media Studies

How is narrative portrayed?

Narrative has been portrayed within the 3 trailers through the following elements, which I will discuss within the following slides:

Setting

Climatic Scenes

Characters (Protagonist/s)

SettingThis image has been taken from ‘The Woman In Black’, the large house in the background is where the film is set. Within the trailer many of the shots have been presented in and outside of the house, presenting to the audience that the film will be based within this setting. It also makes the audience question the narrative by guessing that whatever the ‘horror’ element is within the film is inside the house.

The second image has been taken from ‘Jessabelle’, the setting starts within a hospital, in a dark corridor, setting the audience up for a climax scene. Furthermore, the hospital element adds fear to the trailer as the audience question why and how the character is in the hospital.

The third film ‘Mama’ begins with a dark cabin within the woods, it becomes clear that the narrative to the film is based within the cabin, the trailer refers back to the cabin, establishing the connection between the horror element and the cabin.

Climatic Scenes Within ‘The Woman In Black’ climatic scenes present the narrative, the directors have used key elements such as this presenting a toy, the toys begin to move upon their own accord creating a carefully timed noise which sounds as if a clock is ticking and then turns into a nursery rhyme style song; indicating that a climatic scene is going to appear.

The second image also presents a climatic scene, it reveals some of the narrative of the film to the audience without revealing too much of the story line.

This scene from Jessabelle presents the narrative of the story line by providing background information of the plot, indicating why she appeared in the hospital within the first scene. The audience will be able to establish the two scenes are linked reinforcing more of the story line to the audience.

Within the ‘Mama’ trailer climatic scenes are indicated by a grey moth, the narrative of the trailer suggests that the moth has links with the supernatural creature the children are talking about within the trailer.

Protagonist/sThe actions, body language, facial expressions, thoughts and feelings of the protagonists of the trailers also reveal more of the narrative.

Within ‘The Woman In Black’ during the beginning one of the girls who jumped from the window introduces the story line. ‘During afternoon tea there's a shift in the air a bone trembling chill that tells you she's there, there are those that believe that the whole town is cursed, but the house on the marsh is by far the worst’. This introduces the audience to the narrative of the film.

Within the ‘Jessabelle’ trailer the protagonist, Jessabelle finds video tapes of her mother, her mother begins talking ‘Hello Jessabelle, if you’re watching this it means I’m gone, I wanted to give you a reading with my cards, it says here that you’re not alone, there's a presence in the house with you, I see a very horrible death’. This presents the narrative to the audience that the leading character is in danger, it also creates a climax.

The ‘Mama’ trailer also reveals information about the narrative through a character, the doctor begins explaining ‘Victoria and Lily were found in deplorable conditions, their parents gone, alone in the wilderness for at least five years, how they survived is explainable, with a loving family environment Victoria and Lily have a real chance at a normal life’. Presenting the background story of the main characters lives, allows the audience to understand the hardship the children have faced. It also makes the audience question how they survived.