The Ring Trailer

1. The Ring Trailer

2. 5 seconds- the trailer opens a video tape being rolled as if it was being played inside a cinema. While it’s loading we can ear mysterious music being played. There is light vs. dark this conforms the idea of Levi Strauss’s theory codes of dark vs. light 11 seconds – there is a credit which shows the words “there is a videotape” this conforms to Todorov’s theory of equilibrium as it shows that everything is ok, so far. It is also as if it’s trying to tell the audience something. It also conforms the idea of Levi Strauss’s theory of binary opposition s light vs. dark.

3. 14 seconds – it then cuts showing a long shot of a hall way showing a door and it slowly zooms in on it the screen then goes fuzzy and it cuts back to the door again. There is dark vs. light this conforms the idea of Levi Strauss’s theory of binary oppositions. 16 seconds – it shows a close up of someone’s eye watching something. It also has some text written saying “if you watch it” the audience can identify with this as if it’s being aimed at them. Todorov’s theory conforms the idea of equilibrium as we can start to hear a voice over someone speaking. 18 seconds- it then shows a long shot of a little boy sitting with his back turned to the camera the setting is low key lighting and conforms the idea of Strauss’s theory of dark vs. light and humanity vs. technology the little boy is in his nightwear this shows that it’s night time he should be in bed. It then cuts to a women walking towards the camera but we can vaguely see her face. The gender that is being represented is male and female but the age that is being represented is a little boy and a grown up women.

4. 22 seconds – it shows a long shot of a well in a deserted area which is on the TV screen but the screen is zoomed in so we can see it this conforms the idea of Barthes’ theory of enigma codes as the audience are wondering what that is there for and what is going to happen next. It then cuts to the bottom of the TV screen showing how many minutes there is left of the video tape but we can barely see the numbers . The screen continues to go fuzzy this conforms the idea of Levi Strauss’s theory of humanity vs. technology. 20 seconds – it then shows a women in the background and the lighting is low key it then says on the screen “seven days later” looking back at the previous clips with titles like these on it, it’s as if it’s is trying to tell us what the film is about but not in so many words. It conforms the idea of Strauss’s theory of dark vs. light.

5. 25 seconds – it shows another credit with the words “ you die” this conforms to Barthes’ theory codes of enigma and it’s showing iconography as the film is called “the ring” and the text is in a shape of a ring. The next scene then shows a close up of lots of scribbles but the middle of it is in the shape of an eye and music is still playing this shows enigma as the audience are wondering why that is there. 27 seconds – it then shows a two shot of the boy still watching the video but his mum quickly runs up behind him and moves him out of the way shouting “nooo” This shows the audience that he is not supposed to be watching this video . Strauss’s theory of binary oppositions conforms to this as there is dark vs. light, male vs. female and humanity vs. technology.

6. 33 seconds – the music then changes and it cuts to a long shot of a girl on the bed holding a tape in her hand we can hear a voice over of someone saying “if you see it in your head it will talk to you” (35 seconds) it then shows a mid shot of her watching the tape by herself on the TV screen this is a typical convention of a horror genre as the girl is always on her own. It then shows a quick flash of someone’s eye and the theme that is being showing is Strauss’s theory of binary oppositions dark vs. light. 40 seconds – it shows a long shot of the little boy walking up the stairs alone while his parents are waiting, he is dressed in black and is looking directly at the camera. The lighting is low key and again Strauss’s theory of dark vs. light conforms this.

7. 46 seconds – it shows a close up of a TV and on the TV it shows along shot of a woman going to move a chair the scene looks spooky and eerie. The voice over continues and we can barely understand what they are trying to say. The ethnicity that is being represented is a white person and the age that is being represented is a little boy and a young girl. The audience would be male and female who are into the horror genre. 44 seconds – there is a close up of someone holding the tape in their hands this shows iconography as the tape is the cause of something that may be wrong. The setting is light and we can clearly see the tape.

8. 51 seconds – the screen then goes all fuzzy and it cuts to a picture which looks like maggots while thee voice over is whispering and echoing and there is dramatic music playing. 48 seconds – close up of a drawing of horse and the voice over mentions this. It then cuts to a close up of a women watching the film herself. She has a worried and weird expression on her face this makes the audience wonder what she is looking at. 52 seconds there is a close up of a pale looking girl with her hair covering nearly all of her face this shows iconography as the audience wonder weather she is the bad person or the good person.

9. 1:01 – the little boy then starts speaking in a voice over and saying “she shows me” this shows enigma as the audience are wondering who it is that is showing him. It then shows a close up of the word “mirror” repeatedly written on a piece of paper. He also scribbles out a picture of a women while he is talking. It then shows a close up of someone’s eye changing and cuts to a girl one a screen saying “everyone” this is most as if she is talking to the audience. We can also see her shadow very vaguely in the background. 57 seconds – shows a long shot of 4 windows with two of the people watching the same video it’s as if the audience are watching it with them. The setting looks a little creepy and mysterious. The screen continues to go fuzzy it then cuts to the girl on her sofa holding the tape in her hands again the setting is dark and conforms the idea of Strauss’s theory of binary oppositions.

10. 1:05 – A horse is then chasing the woman and there is a lot of montage edits. The setting of the first image is as if it is in a train station it then shows the woman running and she then screams “what do you want” the setting for the seconds image is as if she is near the top of the car park. It then cuts to the women waking up as if she was having a nightmare. This is common in horror genres. 1:09 – there is a voice over with someone saying “before you die you see the ring” this is almost as if they are telling the audience to go and watch this before they die. It then cuts to a little girl sitting on a chair in a puddle of water. Levi Strauss’s theory of binary oppositions conforms as there is dark vs. light and dirt vs. cleanliness. 1:11 – there is a voice over which is repeating the words “ see the ring” along with montages of circled things and there music is very tense and dramatic there is screaming and the screen is going fuzzy.

11. 1:15 seconds – a long shot of a girl standing near a well with her hair in front of her face. It then shows the woman waking up from a nightmare the music is still playing and we then hear someone scream. This conforms to Barthes’ theory code s of enigma as the audience wonder who is screaming. 1:23 – this shows the name of the film, the sound then cuts completely we then see a woman screaming but we cannot see hear her screaming. This conforms to Todorov’s theory of equilibrium as there is disruption.

12. 1:26 seconds – close up of a figure is shown in a fuzzy screen but we can only make out that it’s a girl with longish hair. This shows iconography as she is a character and also shows enigma because the audience are wondering who she is. 1:29 seconds – it then ends with someone saying “you saw it” the music cuts completely showing what company made the film. This is always at the end of trailer but sometime the information is different.