Analysis Of 'Saw' Trailer

The trailer begins with logos of the ‘Lionsgate’ and ‘Twisted Pictures’ Production Companies and these are shown with a quick slide transition. A ‘crash’ sound effect and a chilling whistle are used to make the audience jump; a slight indication of what the trailer they are about to see involves.

This is then followed by a black screen and a husky, creepy familiar voice from previous Saw films firmly declaring that ‘you can’t hide’. This automatically contributes to the scare factor as you can hear him, but you can’t see him which draws the audience in; getting adrenaline pumping as they await what the trailer has in store for them next. A quick flash of a fuzzy television which is less than two seconds is then shown – which is a strong link to the earlier films letting the audience know what they are in for again.

‘Fear… suffering… death’. This sentence is said with a slight gap between the words, dragging the tension out for longer, denoting a sense of panic. This is also a use of the power of three which is an important, effective technique of persuasion. This is successful because it has been proven that an audience is likely to consume information if it is used in a group of three. For example popular phrases in this sequence include: ‘Ready, Get Set, Go!’, "Blood, Sweat and Tears", ‘Englishman, Irishman, Scotsman’, ‘Beginning, Middle, End’, ‘Three Wishes’ and the phrase ‘On the count of three’.

Different camera shots are incorporated; high shots are used in the trailer to make the characters look vulnerable and in danger, making them instantly portrayed as the victims. For example this is used twice when two people are hanging from something. This is also so that the audience can see how much danger they are in from looking from the characters perspective. Dolly shots and point of view shots have been used to get a good angle of the situation, especially where the machine that one of the men is attached to is moving side to side.

Where textual information between shots is used, the writing is almost thrusted towards the audience making it noticeable and through the use of this, it connotes its importance. As the text is shown this way, the sound effect of slashing knives is used aswell as loud bangs and screams. As the trailer resumes, these sound effects are used on top of the theme tune for the Saw Films; this creates more sound and more noise as it progresses creating apprehension and electrifies the audience. The sparks coming from the circular saw towards the end which has been struck at the end of the text, suggests peril and apprehension which the audience also endure. Screams are used throughout and this is a typical factor used in horror films to connote pain and suffering.