Research Task: Analysis of "Orphan" Trailer

Orphan is a Horror/thriller film which was released in 2009. the plot of this film is that a family decide to adopt a child. At first they love this child but later discover that she is not what she appears to be.

The trailer starts off by showing a series of images of things that you would associate with a normal family life for example a family car. This indicates its about the lives of a family as it is the first thing that is seen. The girl "Esther" introduces herself" , the mise en scene implies at this point that she is an innocent girl this is because she is positioned in a classroom which is also something that is associated with childhood. It is clearly set in winter time as snow can be seen in the first shot , this has connotations of the film being cold and that the girl is isolated, this weather is carried on throughout the trailer and suggests that these themes are played throughout the entire film. Also at the end of the trailer fire is shown this has connotations of evil and the devil which is linked to the girls evil nature. The girl is also wearing old fashioned outfits whereas the film is clearly set in modern day by the look of the car and the other children's clothes. This makes her seem out of place and different as if she doesn't belong with the family that she is with.
There is a seen where she has become aggressive inside the cubicle she is kicking and screaming. it looks as if there is someone else within her trying to break free. This is representative of the point in the film where evil is trying to break out and overcome the innocent looking exterior .
This trailer is not a continuing sequence of shots but has titles in between the shots to narrate some of the plot and there is also a voice over in places to create the narrative of the film so that it is clearer for the audience to understand. The pace of the trailer at the beginning is slow and well paced as well as having the titles between the shots this creates a lot tension and suspense. Towards the end of the trailer the pace picks up and screams and voices get louder this thrills the audience more and displays some action. The trailer come to an abrupt end leaving the audience wanting more. The title is also left to the end of the genre so that the audience have to wait this also creates a lot of tension which is common theme of this film. The family now appears to be frantic and doesn't look like the typical family anymore all because of this girl. The mise en scene appears darker creating an eerie atmosphere. At the end there is the sound of a girl singing which sounds very creepy and unnerving, it will freak people out.