Media Language Investigation

Chernobyl Diaries

Editing: Different clips of news stories concerning the Chernobyl incidents are cut

together to represent the mass destruction that it caused. Also, typography is usedto explain to the viewer what happened, incase they were previously unaware. It

emphasizes the story, so that the mood of the trailer is tense.

Mise En Scene:The rubble and decaying doll shows loss of innocence, and tells the

reader that many children were effected by the incident. This makes the reader more emotional as they may have children of their own. The playground is desolate, which shows no one has been here in

many years, it’s isolated from the outside world.

Cinematography:Lots of unusual shots are shown to give the audience a different

view point, straying from usual photo’s they may have seen of the Chernobyl site. For example, the ‘endless’ corridor is a classic, and

the lights turning off accordingly strikes fear in the viewer.

Sound:Sound is used effectively throughout this trailer, as it’s extremely

important to set the atmosphere of the film. Without sound, 50% of the ‘fear factor’ is gone. When the woman taking pictures looks at the

camera and notices something unusual in the window of the abandoned building a sound boom is heard, making the viewer jump.

Dead Set

Sound:Within horrors, and zombie films especially, lots of loud groans/screams are heard, which represent that the ‘undead’ are near. The first glimpse

of a zombie is seen when a man is shining and torch through a car window and a low boom sound is heard as the dead face appears.

Cinematography:Dutch tilt is used excessively within the horror genre to show

disorientation through fear. Also, the camera in this film is shaky most of the time when a zombie is chasing a victim to

put the audience in the action.

Mise En Scene:Mise En Scene in this film is incredibly important it is vital that is

exactly mimics real life, as it’s based upon the television show ‘Big Brother’. The same location has been used, and the host

Davina is wearing the clothes she would wear for the real show. The more realistic it is, the scarier it will be for the audience.

Editing:Fades are used at the beginning of the trailer, so that the state of life on screen seems calm, until the zombie outbreak happens and the

cuts become jumpy to show the chaos being caused, it is much more contrasting. Also, typography is used to make it seem more

realistic, ‘on live television’.

The Descent

Cinematography:An aerial shot is used to show that they are in the middle of

nowhere, far from all modern civilisation. Also, close ups are used very often to show the confined underground space that the

characters are trapped in, making the audience also feel confined.

Editing:Quite a few different screens are used to isolate words that

relate to the film, almost the same way as the characters are isolated from the outside world. The words

include, fear, claustrophobia and hallucination- all of these words are emotive and stick in the readers mind as they watch

the trailer.

Sound:Not a lot of music is used throughout this particular trailer- this has been

cleverly thought out to make it more realistic to the audience as of course, music would not be heard underground. Most of the sound

throughout the trailer is either ambient or diagetic, and consists largely of screams/shouting and the screech of the monsters to scare the viewer.

Mise En Scene:As the film is based around the disastrous pot-holing trip of a group of

women, the mise en scene has to be spot on. Throughout the trailer, the audience is convinced to this as they see various gear and tools that

would be used in a real life caving experience, such a rope, harnesses, helmet torches etc.