Mise-en-Scene3 film trailers:- The Resident

- Gone Girl-Prisoners

LightingIn all the screenshots that I have collected they are all within the darkness (low key lighting) at certain points in the trailer to build upon the idea that something is going to happen and that the character is scared and usually alone. It also builds suspense as it inspires the fear of the unknown within the clip making you feel the characters fears and emotions they are going through at that time. Low key lighting is also a known feature that humans are typically frightened of, and that is what makes these screenshots common in many different horror films, and when being in the light you feel safe because you know and learn your surroundings, this is usually the time that sounds start preparing the audience for something to happen and build up the adrenaline before something happens. Low key lighting could also be what prepares the audience for something that is about to happen like a false scare.

CostumeWithin all the screenshots that I have gathered from the 3 movie trailers that we have chosen I can see that it is very similar to casual clothing, there isnt really any clothing that strikes to me as being different to what we would normally wear. This is because the people in the movie are normal civilians living a life that ends up having a twist causing things to go badly for them, which allows the audience to relate to the character because it shows and makes them believe that these sort of changes could happen to them. This also helps to keep the identity of the stalker/murderer a secret, meaning when they do get revealed it could come as a shock to the audience and make them feel differently about the character. But stereotypically the costumes are very similar in stalker films which helps to keep the movie going right until the end.

Facial Expressions

Across the 3 trailers that I have chosen I can see that they can sometimes be very similar. Within these screenshots we can tell that they are sad/shocked and exhausted this helps us to tell how close they are to the person having the problems or how they feel having these things happen to them giving us a sense of reality when these sort of things happen to people. We can gather much more precise information from facial expressions allowing us as people to try and decide who the stalker/murderer could be in these films. They also allow us to see how people react to certain situations when they occur, and allow us to see weather it has happened to them before. I think that these facial expressions that I have chosen from these 3 trailers are needed in horror movies because it can tell us a lot about the type of person they are. We can gather weather they are scared or shocked as I said above. If facial expressions aren't used to their full extent then movies can be really predictable and boring, this could also be used well to set the seen for what they are gonna do next, and prepare the audience for it.

Setting I have gathered 2 different screenshots from the 3 trailers to show different sides of the trailers and how they can play out but also to give a broader understanding of where it is being set. The typical setting that I can see from these screenshots is within or close to the main city. This shows that these people could be seen as possible targets as they are well off and that this is the reason why things could be starting to go wrong in their life. These horror films could be seen as conventionally different to other horror films, this is because they are usually set in secluded locations away from everything to give that sense of the unknown creating the feeling that is much scarier than it would be living in the city like these films with a stalker or a ghost. And as you can see from the screenshots the locations don’t seem very secluded and could be seen as untypical for the films to be based here. The fact that they are within there own house when this is happening could give the audience that sense of feeling scared and unsafe even though you are in your own house which should be safe and secure, again showing that these sort of things can happen to any ordinary person.

PropsWithin trailers for any sort of film props are used a lot, this is because they are necessary to any film to make it better and also so that it is much more interesting to watch because things can be made way more intense and frightening especially in horror films than if props were not to be used. Within these trailers we see a use of weapons ranging from guns and knives to items within a house being broken and displaced from their natural position. Using props such as knives and guns within horror films immediately gives us the idea that they are the antagonist/villain within the film. It also allows us to understand the character more because they could have acquired one for safety purposes which shows us that they are frightened and want to make sure that they are safe. Other films that have items within the house smashed or moved allows us to understand that they are trying to play on the fears and emotions of the character, trying to make him feel anxious about living in their own house, it also allows us to know that the antagonist has access to their belongings possibly being someone who is close to the main character. So props are used a lot. It is what creates the films ability to make the audience prepared that something violent is going to happen, without having the use of jump scares and other conventions that would create the same effect.