Trailer analysis: Cursed

Cursed

Here is the hyperlink to the Cursed trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RxebaEloFU

The trailer starts of with the certificate age and details about the film (such as, warnings and website details) [no sound]

The first shot is of a full moon [no sound].The full moon starts the trailer and set a calm mood but on edge atmosphere because it gives away indirectly that the story is about werewolves.

This cuts to a scene of a car driving at night [degetic sound of the car driving which is over taken by the sound of growling]

This is when the audience see first of the characters. The growling sound confirms that the story is about some sort of beast but also tells the audience that the beast is involved with these characters that are driving.

Then follows quick shots of a car crash [more growling sound is added and the sound of the car skidding is also present]. These quick shots change the atmosphere to upbeat fear. The skidding sound and growling sound added together reinforces the beast is responsible for the accident.

Then a caption appears [non- degetic sound that is eerie]. The caption say ‘what seemed like an accident…’ the eerie sound and slow pace of the caption changes the atmosphere back to being on edge. The caption is a reinforcement of the quick shot because indirectly the audience have been told that the crash had something to with a beast and the caption directly addresses the fact that the crash may not an accident.

Shots from after the accident are then shown [degetic sound of talking]

The pace stays slow carrying on this on edge atmosphere whilst the damage of the accident is shown.

Then more quick shots of something happening to them or something trying to get them is shown [degetic sound of screaming and glass smashing is present]. The pace is quicker again, which shifts the atmosphere and mood of the audience to being with some excitement. The beast trying to get them shows that it’s not over. The screaming and glass smashing sound presents the violence of the beast but also adds to momentum to the atmosphere.

Another caption appears [the same eerie sound]. The slow pace and eerie sound changes the atmosphere again back to on edge. This caption carries on the sentence from the first caption.

Quick shots are shown of something happening to them after that night [degetic sound of the boy saying an important line]. This shows the audience the real problem and also shows them that the characters are changing into something.

Another caption follows [an eerie piano sound]

A shot of the girl changing into something follows [the same eerie piano sound is continued]. The pace carries on slow which is creepy with this shot because it shows that the many character is a beast to without knowing.

Another caption appears [low eerie sound]

Shot from a scene in the girl’s bathroom is shown [non-degetic sound of flicking with degetic sound of the girls whispering]. This scene is scary because the bathroom is normal place and I suppose is a safe place however in this scene there seems to be something abnormal happening to a girl in the bathroom, which takes away the safe feeling from the audience.

Followed by another caption [non degetic sound]

Then follows shots of the news reporting a murder [degetic sound from the TV] the director has put these shots in so that the audience begin to suspect the characters of murdering the victim and also begin to question the capabilities of the characters as the audience are already aware of what the characters have become.

Another caption appears [non degetic sound]

Shots from a scene where the dog is monstrous [degetic sound of the boy talking and the dog aggressively growling], this is there to take away the safe zone for the audience as the shot shows something and innocent as the pet dog turned into a beast.

Shots of the girl changing into something monstrous too [non degetic sound and degetic sound]

Then really fast shot of violent, aggressive and weird things happening to the characters is shown [voice over and non- degetic sound]. This is a montage of fast and excitingly scary things happening which make the film seem like it is pack with lots of scary and interesting events/

Another caption appears [non degetic sound]

A shot of the girl scared but then changing into the monster is the last shot [degetic sound of the girl and boy talking and non degetic sound]. This last shot is effective because the pace has calmed down and so has the music tell the audience that it over however it’s not because the girl ends the trailer by becoming monstrous.

The atmosphere and mood of the trailer is like a rollercoaster just like the pace. The mood keeps changing back and forth as the pace of the shots become faster and slower.

Trailer script - narrative

‘Billy, watch out’

‘Help me’

‘Are you okay?’

‘Do you hear that?’

‘What’s going on out there?’

‘Ever since the other night thing are happening, things I can’t explain’

‘Elly what’s wrong?’

‘Just having a really bad day’

‘Can I help?’

‘Last night a young women was attacked and killed’

‘Hey buddy, you okay?’

‘What was that?’

‘My dog’

‘What kind of dog do you have?’

‘Something’s wrong’

‘The only way you can break the curse is to kill the person who started it all’

‘Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to scare you, it’s just that I needed to talk to you’

The dialogue gives away the story but not the ending. From this dialogue the audience know that something weird is happening to the characters; also that there has been a murder. The audience then find out that there is a curse that needs to be broken, which is basically what the story is about.

Institutional elements

The end card is at the beginning.

There is a voiceover near the end that explains a bit more about the curse.

There are a few captions in the trailer:

- what seemed like an accident

- was really something more

- but beyond what’s changing them

- lies a price they must pay

- from the director was craven and writer Kevin Williamson

- the creators of scream

- cursed

Editing

This trailer is full of fast shots and slow shots. The speed varies through out the trailer.

There is also a montage of shots that are fast.

The end shock is her about to bit her boyfriend.