Deconstruction of Hostel teaser trailer

 

As our chosen genre is horror, here is a brief deconstruction of Hostel teaser trailer; looking at mise en scene, editing, sound and camera work.

Sound:
The sound for the trailer starts immediately and this is diegetic music that is in a minor key. The instruments playing are string which fits with the conventions of the genre as it is typical horror music. The diegetic music builds tension as soon as the trailer starts and sounds 'scary' which tells the audience what kind of film it is. The non-diegetic sound of the dripping water creates an anxious feeling for the audience and informs them about the setting e.g. run down, not taken care of, isolated. 25 secongs into the trailer, the diegetic music has added pace to it and the audience start feeling more tense knowing that something is about to be revealed on the teaser. There is dialogue from a man in who is tied to a chair, crying, pleading with unseen people to 'let him go'. The audience then know that it is a film about hostages. Further into the trailer we hear a man screaming when his toe gets cut off which makes the viewer jump and become nervous-they are aware that the film will be gruesome and jumpy. After the screaming the sound goes quiet and then gets loud all at once which builds up tension quickly for the audience. The non-diegetic sound of the electric screw driver makes us know how they torture people and how gory the film will be. The music throughout the teaser trailer has a fast pace rhythm and people screaming.

Mise En Scene:
The mise en scene was very informative in this trailer. The setting is very dark and isolated, giving clues that the film is dark and will be about a specific character/few characters. The camera angle where a man is holding a hose washing down something is very bare, empty and this means that nothing will distract the audience. One shot in the trailer is where a man is tied to a chair in an isolated room where there is no light and one small window at the top which is barred-meaning he cannot escape! As we get to know the 'enemies' in the trailer, we see that they are all wearing red overalls, suggesting that they are doing 'dirty work', red signifying that they are dangerous. In a lot of shots in the trailer, the background consists of shelves with tools on. The setting is a very isolated and derelict place. There are men wearing all black in the trailer and they signify being dark and mysterious. The victim is wearing jeans and a long sleeved top which shows he is a normal, anyday man.

Editing:
The editing in the trailer is also typical of the horror genre. It starts with the advertising the distribution logo and this means that the audience knows who produced it. There are two short length shots to start with and this establishes the setting. The credits then read 'there is a place...where all your darkest...sickest fantasies...are possible...where you can experience...anything you desire...where you can...torture...punish...or kill...for a price.' These credits are spread out between shots and images on the trailer so the words are prolongued and arent read all at once. The text lets the audience know what type of film it is. The trailer also states that it is 'Inspired by true events' and as this makes the film seem more realistic, it encourages people to see it. It also shows the audience that it is made by the same people that brought you other blockbuster films that were successful which gives a clue that this film will be sucsessful,  'from the brilliant minds that brought you "cabin fever" "texas chain massacre" and "kill bill"'.
The editing is also very fast pace, the shots are quite short.

Camera:
The camera work is very effective in the trailer and fits with the codes and conventions of a horror genre. The first shot is a long shot of the location, it looks very isolated and two people are seen walking on screen, they look very mysterious and unknown. The close up angle of the water dripping makes the audience nervous. There is a slow pace shot of a topless man with cuts and bruises on him is believed to have been kidnapped, a bag is coming off his head and he doesn't appear to know where he is. There is a shots of tools which indicate they are dangerous and used for torture. A long shot of a man sitting tied to a chair shows that he is being held hostage and wants to escape. The extreme close of the mans toe getting chopped off with plyers shocks the audience and is typical of the slasher horror that is expected to see.