The Possession Trailer Analysis
I will be analyzing the trailer for The Possession because I believe that it is a very interesting trailer that follows many of the conventions for the Possession sub-genre.
Narrative
The basic narrative of The Possession is that a young American girl finds a box at a yard sale and then opens it. Inside are various objects and a ring which the girl puts on. She then becomes possessed and the demon inside of her wants to take over her body and move onto its next victim. Her father then asks a Rabbi to perform an ancient religious ritual to get rid of the evil spirit. It works and the evil being is locked away in the box again.
This is a very conventional narrative for Possession genre films. This is because the evil being has attached itself to an object with lost of history (in this case an ancient box) and then possesses numerous humans to try to take over their body.
Using an old object ties into the fear of the unknown because the audience is never told about the object's history, leaving our imaginations to run wild trying to think of what evil things have happened in the past.
Narrative Structure
The narrative structure of the trailer is very conventional and the trailer follows these conventions to add to the effectiveness of the trailer. The typical narrative of a Horror film was first proposed by Tzvetan Todorov in one of the many books he wrote in the 1960's about narratives. He said the every narrative contains 4 stages: Equilibrium (in which we see the normal and everyday lives of the characters), Disruption (where we see something that disrupts the normal lives of the characters), Reaction and Repair, (where the characters react to the Disruption and repair the damage that the Disruption has caused) and finally New Equilibrium (when we see the characters going back to their everyday lives).
Horror trailers contain the first two stages that Todorov proposed: Equilibrium and Disruption. The pace of the trailer starts off slower than the rest of the trailer, establishing the characters and the setting. The pace then speeds up when we see the Disruption and this quickly turns into a fast montage of shots showing the Disruption.
This shot from early on in the trailer shows the stock location. From this establishing shot we can tell that the setting is in a present day suburb due to the look of the house. We can tell that it is set in present day because of the modern look the home has, from the stairs and pillars at the front of the house to the roof. Houses looking like this are typically found in America. To the right of the frame we see another house in the distance. This helps promote the idea that the setting is in an American suburb. There is a vast amount of trees and shrubbery around the area which informs us that the location is somewhere near a woodland area and this contributes to the idea that this is an isolated location.
The bright ambient lighting tells us that this first section of the trailer is set during the day.
This can tell us that we are seeing the Equilibrium stage of the narrative, where we see the character's normal lives. It also represents the light that will soon be darkened, forming a battle between light and dark and also good against evil.
The colours that can be seen are mainly green, blue and white. This colours all present purity in its own way. They are colours that make us feel happy and calm and these colours are shown to give us a false sense of security and will make the Disruption stage of the narrative even more scary.
The house itself is a typical American house so it gives the audience the idea that no one is safe, even in the comfort of their own home.
In this next shot we see the main character's room. In here we see a typical American teenager's room, from posters on the wall to work on a desk. This creates a false sense of security and safety for the audience, making them relate to the characters and the home they live in. This scene is to make the audience feel attached to the characters so they will feel more scared and frightened in the later stages of the trailer. The long shot of the room allows us to see all of the objects placed in the room, helping the audience to become attached to the characters.
These two shots show off the location even more. They both reinforce that they are in an isolated location. Within the first shot we see a birds-eye shot but is angled slightly low. This is to show off more of the scenery whilst keeping the characters inside the car small and insignificant. Using a bird-eye view also tells us that maybe someone is watching the characters and waiting to strike against them.
In the second screen a long shot is used and this is to show the characters but also the scenery around them. There are many trees scattered around the shot and this helps promote the idea that the film is set in somewhere isolated. We can also see a typical American suburb, with modern looking houses, well-kept gardens and modern cars. This reinforces the audience into a false sense of security.
The car and the costumes that the characters are wearing tells the audience that this film is set in the present day. It also makes the characters more relate-able, making it more scary for the audience for when evil takes over them.
Lighting plays an important role in these early shots of the trailer. Bright lighting makes the audience feel happy and secure, which is typical of the Equilibrium stage of a narrative. Using bright lighting can also tell us that the action is happening in the present day, since anything shown in the past would have darker lighting. In the frame we see a lens flare, telling us that the film is using ambient lighting for this shot. We can also see a reflection of the sun on the car to the right of the frame.
The male character's body language connotes the idea that the characters feel safe and secure, just like the audience, making the characters more relate-able. He is leaning against his car while talking to a women, looking very relaxed and calm. The woman to the left of the frame is holding a jacket around her shoulders, telling us that she is cold. This is further reinforced by the male wearing a jacket and having his hands in his pockets. From this shot we can tell that the atmosphere is cold, representing that evil is creeping up on the characters and the audience. Evil is usually associated with the cold so this is one way that the audience can pick up on this idea. Typically in Possession films we do not see the evil being so this can link to the coldness. We cannot see the cold, but we can feel it.
This shot further promotes the American suburb setting with the typical looking house and the yard sale that is happening. We see the kind of possessions people have in their homes like speakers, bird cages and stereos. These are quite old-fashioned items, giving us the idea that each item has its own history.
In the frame we see the young girl asleep and then waking up. As she wakes up she notices the old ancient box that she bought from the yard sale. The way that the box is positioned can tell us that the box is watching over her, ready for her to open it and release the evil that it holds inside.
The lighting is dark, representing that something evil and scary is going to happen. Changing the lighting from light to dark tells us that the Disruption stage of the trailer has begun.
This shot from early on in the trailer shows the stock location. From this establishing shot we can tell that the setting is in a present day suburb due to the look of the house. We can tell that it is set in present day because of the modern look the home has, from the stairs and pillars at the front of the house to the roof. Houses looking like this are typically found in America. To the right of the frame we see another house in the distance. This helps promote the idea that the setting is in an American suburb. There is a vast amount of trees and shrubbery around the area which informs us that the location is somewhere near a woodland area and this contributes to the idea that this is an isolated location.
The bright ambient lighting tells us that this first section of the trailer is set during the day.
This can tell us that we are seeing the Equilibrium stage of the narrative, where we see the character's normal lives. It also represents the light that will soon be darkened, forming a battle between light and dark and also good against evil.
The colours that can be seen are mainly green, blue and white. This colours all present purity in its own way. They are colours that make us feel happy and calm and these colours are shown to give us a false sense of security and will make the Disruption stage of the narrative even more scary.
The house itself is a typical American house so it gives the audience the idea that no one is safe, even in the comfort of their own home.
In this next shot we see the main character's room. In here we see a typical American teenager's room, from posters on the wall to work on a desk. This creates a false sense of security and safety for the audience, making them relate to the characters and the home they live in. This scene is to make the audience feel attached to the characters so they will feel more scared and frightened in the later stages of the trailer. The long shot of the room allows us to see all of the objects placed in the room, helping the audience to become attached to the characters.
These two shots show off the location even more. They both reinforce that they are in an isolated location. Within the first shot we see a birds-eye shot but is angled slightly low. This is to show off more of the scenery whilst keeping the characters inside the car small and insignificant. Using a bird-eye view also tells us that maybe someone is watching the characters and waiting to strike against them.
In the second screen a long shot is used and this is to show the characters but also the scenery around them. There are many trees scattered around the shot and this helps promote the idea that the film is set in somewhere isolated. We can also see a typical American suburb, with modern looking houses, well-kept gardens and modern cars. This reinforces the audience into a false sense of security.
The car and the costumes that the characters are wearing tells the audience that this film is set in the present day. It also makes the characters more relate-able, making it more scary for the audience for when evil takes over them.
Lighting plays an important role in these early shots of the trailer. Bright lighting makes the audience feel happy and secure, which is typical of the Equilibrium stage of a narrative. Using bright lighting can also tell us that the action is happening in the present day, since anything shown in the past would have darker lighting. In the frame we see a lens flare, telling us that the film is using ambient lighting for this shot. We can also see a reflection of the sun on the car to the right of the frame.
The male character's body language connotes the idea that the characters feel safe and secure, just like the audience, making the characters more relate-able. He is leaning against his car while talking to a women, looking very relaxed and calm. The woman to the left of the frame is holding a jacket around her shoulders, telling us that she is cold. This is further reinforced by the male wearing a jacket and having his hands in his pockets. From this shot we can tell that the atmosphere is cold, representing that evil is creeping up on the characters and the audience. Evil is usually associated with the cold so this is one way that the audience can pick up on this idea. Typically in Possession films we do not see the evil being so this can link to the coldness. We cannot see the cold, but we can feel it.
This shot further promotes the American suburb setting with the typical looking house and the yard sale that is happening. We see the kind of possessions people have in their homes like speakers, bird cages and stereos. These are quite old-fashioned items, giving us the idea that each item has its own history.
In the frame we see the young girl asleep and then waking up. As she wakes up she notices the old ancient box that she bought from the yard sale. The way that the box is positioned can tell us that the box is watching over her, ready for her to open it and release the evil that it holds inside.
The lighting is dark, representing that something evil and scary is going to happen. Changing the lighting from light to dark tells us that the Disruption stage of the trailer has begun.
Using a long shot connotes the idea that the young girl is small, insignificant and therefore weak. This camera angle can also be interpreted as a point of view shot, leading us to believe that someone is hiding inside her bedroom, watching her open the box and see what is inside.
She is wearing a white gown, showing her innocence and purity and this can signify the fact that when she is possessed, she loses this innocence. Her skin is also very pale, further promoting the idea of innocence and purity.
The dark lighting represents the evil that is surrounding her, giving us the idea that opening the box has released these demons out into the world and possessing anyone they please.
A birds-eye view angle is used for this shot for two reasons. The first is to show off the setting of the film, giving us a different view of the American suburb where the characters live. Here we can see that every house is nearly identical, telling us that anyone can have this evil within their homes and that no one is safe.
The second reason is to give us the idea that someone or something is watching over the characters, waiting for them to release the evil inside of the home. It can also show that the characters are small, insignificant and weak, which is the perfect type of person for evil beings to torment.
The trailer's first strap is seen here saying "Based on a true story". This phrase is used in many Horror films to make the audience believe that the things they are seeing on the screen can happen in real life, making them think that whatever happens in the film can happen to them. The phrase is not simply used to scare the audience, since there have been many real life cases of demonic possessions in real life.
This part of the trailer shows what characters usually do in possession films, they seek help from an outside source to get rid of the demons inside of the possessed human. Most of the time the characters turn to either the Christian or the Jewish religion and in The Possession's case, it was the Jewish religion since the inscriptions on the box where in Hebrew, meaning "Demon".
In this shot we see the young girl outside a petrol station. It is an extreme long shot and normally this shot would allow the audience to see the scenery that the character is in, however due to the lighting, we see only the petrol pumps to the left of the image, and the rest of the frame is left in darkness. This could mean that evil is lurking in the shadows, watching the girl being possessed. It can also connote the idea that no one is coming to save her and that she is doomed to spend her time with the evil being and the possessed box that she found. The extreme long shot makes the young girl look small and weak, telling the audience that she has no way of fighting back against the evil that is inside her.
Lighting plays a large role in this shot since we can only see the girl and the box laying on the floor. This directs all attention to the girl, even when it is an extreme long shot.
Her body language tells us she is fighting back, looking up into the sky to find a way to break free from the evil spirit possessing her. However it does tie into the idea that the evil spirit makes the possessed person move into contortion-like positions, with the young girl on her toes, bending backward unnaturally.
The Possession follows conventions of the Possession sub-genre by having the eye colour of the possessed person change to white. This shows that she has lost her purity and that she is now just a shell for the evil spirit to exist in. It tells us that the evil being can take away every part of us to become someone we are not. Also it appears that something is trying to get out of the person it is possession like it wants to be released and spread its evil around. The close up camera angle allows us to see the action happen very clearly and that we cannot get away from it.
This part of the trailer shows an exorcism taking place, which is conventional of the Possession sub-genre of Horror. It is a result of one of the characters seeking help from a religious figure and then trying to put a stop to the evil spirit once and for all. This normally happens during the Reaction & Repair stage of the narrative for the whole film, not just the trailer.
Here marks the start of the fast montage of shots. This is when the trailer's pace is at its fastest and it shows all of the horrific acts that the evil spirit performs while it is possessing someone. It is to highlight some of the scariest parts of the film, while leaving some scary sections out for the final film. Here are some screenshots of the fast montage.
Once the fast montage is over, the title of the film fades in and the trailer is over.
Her body language tells us she is fighting back, looking up into the sky to find a way to break free from the evil spirit possessing her. However it does tie into the idea that the evil spirit makes the possessed person move into contortion-like positions, with the young girl on her toes, bending backward unnaturally.
The Possession follows conventions of the Possession sub-genre by having the eye colour of the possessed person change to white. This shows that she has lost her purity and that she is now just a shell for the evil spirit to exist in. It tells us that the evil being can take away every part of us to become someone we are not. Also it appears that something is trying to get out of the person it is possession like it wants to be released and spread its evil around. The close up camera angle allows us to see the action happen very clearly and that we cannot get away from it.
This part of the trailer shows an exorcism taking place, which is conventional of the Possession sub-genre of Horror. It is a result of one of the characters seeking help from a religious figure and then trying to put a stop to the evil spirit once and for all. This normally happens during the Reaction & Repair stage of the narrative for the whole film, not just the trailer.
Here marks the start of the fast montage of shots. This is when the trailer's pace is at its fastest and it shows all of the horrific acts that the evil spirit performs while it is possessing someone. It is to highlight some of the scariest parts of the film, while leaving some scary sections out for the final film. Here are some screenshots of the fast montage.
Once the fast montage is over, the title of the film fades in and the trailer is over.
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