The Woman in Black Trailer Analysis

The woman in black is a film from the horror genre which features Daniel Radcliff. The horror genre is designed to frighten and panic, and to invoke our worst fears but at the same time, entertain us. Horror films focus on the ‘dark side’, strange and alarming events. They deal with out primal nature and fears such as out nightmares, our vulnerability, terror of the unknown and out fear of death. The genre of this trailer can be identified through the opening credits. ‘Cross Creek Pictures’ produce the film and if the audience are aware of this company they would be familiar with their productions of horrors such as Black Swan, Clown and Bone Shaker. The genre of this film can be identified through the director of The Woman in Black as it’s directed by James Watkins and he is known for writing and directing horror films.

The woman in black is a spirit in a haunted town who targets young children. The main character, Arthur Kipps is a widowed lawyer and father who are invited to visit the haunted town and retrieve documents of Eel Marsh House to organise a sale. When arriving, Arthur Kipps finds many local villagers unwelcoming and unsettling. During Arthurs visit to Eel Marsh House he is distracted by strange noises and sounds of a screaming child but see’s nobody. He then begins to approach villagers and research into the spirit when he discovers that she had lost her son and her spirit claims the lives of young village children by having them take their own in remorse of her son being taken away from her.

Narrative

A unique selling point of the woman in black is that it’s a film of a famous novel. It also features actor Daniel Radcliff who is famous for his roles in adventure films. However, this film is part of the horror genre which allows the actor to prove that he can feature in more than one genre and to create a new image for himself. Another unique feature in the trailer is the character and narrative itself. The film features a family man who arrives at a house in a village where he knows no one. This could be unique as horror films usually target young adults or teenage actors as at this age are the people that can be most affected by horrors. Another unique feature of this trailer is the female spirit who plays the villain which breaks the stereotype or the horror genre.

Unique Selling Point

The target audience for The Woman in Black is for those who enjoy and have a thrill for horror films. Although the film was made a 12A the target age would be between 18-30 at both genders, the age of parenthood because this is the age at which they could relate to the main character and the situation and fear of losing a child may apply to them. However, the trailer may target people who are fans of Daniel Radcliffe as he has been watched by many from a young age and the film was a way for him to grow into a different genre of acting.

Target Audience

The weather throughout the trailer is used as part of non-diegetic sound. The wind, lightening rain and the non-diegetic soundtrack of chiming throughout are used to create a dark atmosphere in and around the abandoned house, making it feel cold and isolated. This is conventional for this genre of the film as this type of weather is negative and build up fear within the audience by linking the wind into the whispering of a spirit that we don’t see which could relate to the idea that we don’t see the Woman in Black throughout the trailer. The non-diegetic soundtrack of what sounds like a nursery rhyme is played throughout the trailer which could be used to create a sense of innocence towards the children of the village. There is a voice over of a poem spoken by a young female child who could also represent innocence and it sets the scene for the audience by introducing the storyline and the woman in black. The child who narrated the poem is constantly repeating the work ‘she’, this makes the audience intrigued and want to know more about the spirit and the town as the voice of the child quotes during the nursery rhyme ‘The whole town is cursed’.

Sound

The trailer has around 55 shot in over 1 minute and 38 seconds. This could represent how fast the horror events in the film take action in a short amount of time. At the opening of the trailer several close-ups of toys are used. This could give the impression that the film as based around events of a young child. The trailer also uses long shots which are almost at a grey scale colour which makes the atmosphere and mood more dull and darkening. This could also show that the film is quite deathly

Shot Types/Camera Angles

A long shot of a house which seems to be abandoned also reveals the setting and makes the audience feel unsettled. A wide shot of a cross is also shown in a long shot which also focuses on the theme of death but of who the audience isn’t made aware of. The trailer also uses high angle shots on the main character which shows that he is powerless and vulnerable against the dark spirit which is the Woman in Black. They also highlight how small he is and made out to be in his surroundings, such as the house and how little he knows about it and the village where he is staying. Throughout the trailer the lighting always appears to be dark and gloomy, almost isolated. This creates a sense of unease and fear from the characters and audience. The trailer shows bars around the houses as if they’re scared and feel as if they’re trapped in a prison or by ‘The Woman in Black’.

The trailer shows the title of the trailer,’ The Woman in Black’. The title is very specific to the character as the word ‘The’ is used, this shows that the narrative is based around the spirit. The word ‘Black’ is also used which could relate to wearing black clothing or the meanings behind the colour. Black can be used to represent death which could suggest that she isn’t alive or that she is mourning. However, the trailer doesn’t show a release date. By saying ‘Coming Soon’ suggests that the film is something for the audience to look forward to. Under the ‘coming soon; is a web address to their website and also the name of the production company. This film trailer I used as a promotional vehicle. The trailer is also using twitter to promote the film; we know this as a ‘hashtag’ is used to address the audience which is popular with twitter. This advertising is relevant to the target age of the film as it can help raise awareness on social media.

Credits and Intertitles