Narrative Enigmas In Trailers

By Kelly Morales

Psychological Thriller Trailers

• Shadow People • Black Swan • Devoured • The Ring

What Are The Narrative Conventions?

In a psychological thriller the narrative conventions are usually based on a mystery death or hallucinations which affects the characters emotional states and tends to attacking them mentally.Some of the themes that are center of story in a psychological thriller are:• Death • Reality• Identity • Existence

Shadows trying to steal the characters soul attacking the characters with their thoughts

What Is The Narrative Structure?There is a non-linear structure

• The equilibrium – Usually at the start of the trailer, which introduces the character and the location of the film. This gives information to audience about the characters, what's happening to the character or what's the situation.

• The disequilibrium – Shows the exciting and unexpected parts of the film which are mostly relating to the plot.• Towards the end psychology thriller trailers leave the audience with an enigma of what is happening to the character. Often

at the end it shows the transformation of the character and how it has affect them.

A flashback is used in "Devoured" to make the audience aware of what's her story.

In the black swan trailer it shows the ‘’transformation’’ of the main character from a Sweet Girl to the actual Black Swan.

At the start of “ shal-low people” it lets the audience know that they shallows are after the charac-ters.

What unrestricted narrative is there? (what do they want you to know)

In a Psychological thriller the unrestricted narrative is the introduction to the story letting the audience know what the pilot it is usually shown at the start of the trailer with a voiceover or a dying character letting the audience aware that there's a cause for death in the film .

In “shadow people” a character kills himself and reveals the shadows are after him

A voiceover is used to show that tap is which courses death in 7 days

A flashback is used for the audience to know the reason why she's there.

What restricted narrative is there? (what do they not want you to know and why?)

In a psychological thriller the restricted narrative is the mystery of what is attacking the characters mentally. Which it creates the enigma of what is happening

In “devoured” the credits shown make it mysterious as its not normal what's happening to her

In “the ring” trailer they don’t want the audience to know the story behind the tap. Also they don’t what the audience to know who's calling them.

In “ Black Swan” they don’t want they audience to know why or how she's transform-ing in to a swan.

what are the enigmas the audience is left with?

In the ring the enigma the audience are left with:

Who calls them?

Why 7days ?

Why do you see a hole when you die?

Where did the tap come from?

“ black swan” What's happening to her ?What is she turning to?Why did it happen to her?

“Swallow people”How are they dying ?Why are the swallows after them?