Trailer Analysis; Tormented by Ramita

Tormented Trailer

Tormented is a low British budget film. The budget of this film was £700,000 and was released in May 2009. The trailer shows unknown British actors and their accents connote that the film is a British film. Tormented is a typical teenage slasher. The story is about a school gang who bully a boy called Darren Mullet. As he can’t take it anymore he commits suicide and comes back to take revenge on the bullies by killing them all in horrific ways.

At the beginning of the trailer we see who the film was produced by and we see an image of the BBC this connotes again that the film is a British low budget film. Throughout the trailer, the sound that is heard is diegtic sound. We are first introduced to our main protagonist Justine and her boyfriend. The camera slowly zooms into the two characters, this engages the audience and makes the audience identify with the characters. The sound that we hear throughout the trailer is parallel sound as the sound that we hear connotes the horror genre to the target audience. The sound bridge used throughout the trailer helps create a smooth transition from one scene to the next which connotes the film is ongoing. The diegtic sound gives the audience an insight to the story of the film and prepares us for what is to come. However the sound in the background is happy sound, however after the message “I am going to kill you” the sound changes which connote the change in the narrative and connotes the unhappiness. Also by using a long shot gradually becoming a close up shot lets the audience see where the scene is set in the trailer. The close up shot of the protagonist talking to her boyfriend connotes their relationship, also the diegtic sound that we hear is the dialogue by the two characters, this lets the audience know what is happening and also connotes to the audience their relationship, by doing this it forces the audience to engage with the actors as they are first actors to be seen which connotes they are important in the making of the film. The fade to white connotes that their life is peaceful, happy and enjoyable, also it connotes purity of Justine. However as the genre of the film is horror we as the audience know that this peacefulness and happiness will not last for long. Soon we see a fade to black which is a convention of horror, also this connotes that their relationship is moving on. The extreme close up shots of the characters body connote that the film will have sexual scenes which attract a male audience.

However the screams of the protagonist satisfy the audience as it is one of the conventions of horror. The long shot of the character dressed as a clown with a chainsaw foreshadow the chaos and danger yet to come. The chainsaw and the screams of the protagonist set a enigma code for the target audience that the film will contain deaths, also the chainsaw used by the character connote danger. Also as the camera moves around the room unevenly this connotes to us how the protagonist is feeling. We then go on to see the name of the film. The title of the film “Tormented” is in the colour red with a black background which connotes death and the genre of the film. Also the name of the film is an enigma code for the audience of how Darren Mullet was “tormented” by the bully’s and how in the end they will be left “tormented” this is connoted by the  trailer letting us know “the best days of your live don’t last forever”.

The film is set in low budget locations, such ordinary houses and a school. The teenagers throughout the trailer are portrayed in a stereotypical manner to be always drinking and partying, this is connoted by their clothing and their actions. When the gang are at the house party at the beginning of the trailer, we see different flash shots of how popular they are. “in this world you’ve either somebody or nobody”. This connotes the different social classes between the teenagers. Also after the trailer informs us “or nobody” we are shown a shot of Darren Mullet which connote to the audience that is a “nobody” and the gang are “somebody”. This connotes that you need to climb the social ladder to be someone on this film as the bullies are seen as the “class legends” which drive Darren Mullet to kill himself.
The trailer uses continuous editing as each of the shots are placed logically which connotes that one event follows another. This also connotes the narrative of the film, which engages the audience. Also throughout the trailer a range of jump shots are used which again connote the narrative of the film. The costume and the setting of the characters connotes that the film is a low budget British film. The trailer uses a range of shot – reverse- shots to show us how Darren Mullet is feeling after being bullied this engages the audience into the trailer. The screams of the characters, shots of their deaths in pain and the dialogue again satisfies the audience as that is what they expect from a horror genre. This also gives us an insight of what is going to happen to the characters in the film.

By analysing this trailer, it gives us some tips as the film is a low budget film. Also the film trailer gives us some tips which we could use in our own trailer and what enigma codes and connotations engage the target audience. Also as the film certificate is 15 we can see what is allowed to be shown in a trailer of an 15 certificate film.