Saw Trailer Analysis

After watching the Saw trailer several times, I have clearly been able to distinguish the fact that the movie is of the horror genre. I have been able to identify this through the trailers use of camera shots, editing, sound and mise en scene. I would guess that the movie will have been rated 18+ as by the looks of it, it includes a lot of content related to crime such as drug use, murder and violence. The trailer has been able to tell me that the film certainly isn’t for the feint of hearted.

The first thing we see in the trailer is a man walking round a house taking photos. This is hard to see as the lighting is very low in order to create tension and suspense which is exactly what it does. At the same time, it is very effective as the camera has a flash which lights up the room every time a photo is taken. This allows the viewer to identify where the man is, however we have no clue as to why he is there. The flash helps us to see that the house is quite messy and perhaps abandoned due to the use of a bike, dishes and clothes left around. Whilst this scene is happening, there are a variety of shot types used. Most notably the over the shoulder and point of view shots. This gives the viewer the feeling that they are actually there with the man taking photos which is a very effective technique as there is a very eerie atmosphere to the scene which will make the viewer on-edge. Sounds effects also help with the atmosphere of this scene with spooky digetic sounds such as floorboards creaking, a strange voice laughing in the background and the camera shot noise. This gives us the feeling that someone or something else is in the house with the man and he asks ‘Who’s there!?’ The scene then closes with something jumping towards the camera with a huge sound effect which sets the trailer up perfectly with a very on-edge and uneasy atmosphere.

An ident is then used to show the production company’s logos whilst being in synch with sound effects. One of the companies is called ‘Twisted Pictures’ which straight away suggests that they are involved with the horror genre. The logo also helps us identify this as it includes a nail, barbed wire and very sharp font.

The trailer then goes into a rhythm of short, fast paced cuts and edits of scenes from the film in order to show a lot of the action that happens. Again, sound is used effectively as it is often synchronised with cuts and scenes from the film itself. We can identify that the anti-protagonist or main villain in the film is known as 'Jigsaw' through the use of newspaper articles about him as well as a dialogue voice over quoting 'The jigsaw killer'. There are various shots of different characters in the trailer who could be Jigsaw. This is done to entice the viewer to see the film so they can find out who it is and what he looks like. This is a very effective technique as they are not giving anything away or spoiling the film for the viewer. It will make them want to view the film even more.

Sound is used effectively again by having a voice over of 'Jigsaw' who seems a very intelligent man as he knows a lot about the victims including their names and their background. The voice sounds very husky-like, as though it has been edited so that Jigsaw's identity is not given away. Even if it hasn't, the voice still sounds very effective and mysterious which is a better option than using just a normal voice.

The cinematography is another aspect to the trailer that has been used effectively with the use of close up and extreme close up camera shots of people's faces. This has been done to show their facial expressions so that the viewer can see things such as whether they are angry or scared. There are also different words used to break up the clips which are synchronised with the sound. They are very emotive words that describe Jigsaw in a bad way to show how evil and how much of a psychopath he is. The words are 'Madman, Voyeur, Psychopath and Prophet' which are very effective as again, they help to build the suspense and tension of the trailer. The trailer then ends with Jigsaw saying 'Live or die. Make your choice'. This is a great way to end the trailer as it acts like a cliff-hanger which will make the viewer want to find out what happens. Do they live? Or do they die?

The saw trailer conforms to the codes and conventions of a typical horror trailer by using production information such as the Twisted Pictures and Lions-gate idents in order to lure viewers into thinking they will like this film as it has been made by the same companies of other successful films that tend to be in the same genre. Text is used to add to the suspense of the trailer and give viewers an insight to the story-line of the film - this is common in all trailers, not just horror. The code and convention of lighting, especially low key lighting is used as this highlights the genre of being horror. Low key lighting is used often in the saw trailer as it sets the mood effectively by making it very eerie. This is most effective at the start of the trailer when the man is taking photos in a pitch black house. The camera he is using lights up the room every time a shot is taken and makes it look very effective.