Psycho Trailer- Specfic Genre Analsis

Name: Pyscho

Date Released: 1960

Rating: 15

Production Company: Shamley Productions

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Box Office: Gross $32,000,000

Actors: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh

Awards: Oscar Nominated for Best Actress in supporting role, Best Director, Best Cinematography. Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress.

Target Audience:

After watching the trailer for Pyscho I think that the Primary target audience for this film would be teenagers from the age of 15 up to around 50. I think that the youngest age for this film would be 15 because as this is a thriller film there may be some scenes that wouldn't be appropriate for someone who was under the age of 15. The theme of this film is mainly murder which therefore may be unsettling for someone who was younger than 15. As this film is quite old fashioned it still may appeal to someone who is older, this may be because they remember when it first came out. This may be another reason why it would not appeal to someone under the age of 15- it might be too old and mature for them. I think that this film would typically appeal to males more than females as stereotypically crime and murder orientated films are more appealing to males.

Settings, location and Mise en scene.

The trailer begins with a series of extreme close up shots of a body- these include hands and feet. These opening shots immediately peak the audiences interest and make them attracted to finding out what has happened. These shots are linked together by using montage editing. The extreme close up of the shower curtains introduces the location of these shots and makes them link together and form a narrative.

The next shot in the trailer is a mid shot of a man holding a knife above his head. This immediately establishes a threat to the audience and introduces the narrative and what is yet to come. The lighting for this shot has been achieved carefully- it allows the audience to see the man's figure but not his identity. This shot of the man with the knife is one of the most iconic shots in film history and therefore it makes a lasting impression due to it being in the trailer.

The next shot in the trailer fades from black. This shot is an establishing shot which shows the audience the main location of the trailer. This shot looks like a point of view shot as it has been completed looking through the front window of the car. The sign of the motel is an icon of the film and introduces the motel to the audience by its own name. The low key lighting in this shot sets a mysterious tone to the shot. This location is conventional for a thriller film as it is distant which shows implications that there is no where to run. The flashing light used for the sign draws your attention and makes it the key element in the shot. The lighting in this shot is low key which adds a mysterious atmosphere to the trailer and the introduction of the narrative.

This shot cuts to a long shot that pans to show the motel during the day. The use of including this shot gives the audience a real look at the location and introduces the narrative. The high key lighting used in this shot establishes a normal everyday atmosphere. This technique will provide the foundation for the narrative and the incorporation of Toderof theory. This long shot further shows the audience that the location is quite a distant and emphasises that there is nowhere to hide.

A point  of view shot that zooms in close to the front door establishes how old the house is as it is made of wood. Wooden houses are typically associated with houses in America. This shot shows the introduction to one of the settings used in the film. The slow pace of the zoom effect shows connotations that someone is sneaking into the housed. The slow pace of this camera movement adds an eerie and mysterious atmosphere.

A medium close up of the female protagonist introduces her to the narrative. This is the first look the audience sees of one of the main characters and therefore it needs to make an impression. This shot of the character enables the audience to see what costume she has on and how she has been represented in this narrative. This character has been portrayed as a archetypal female, her makeup is very feminine and looks put together and presentable. The style of the protagonist's hair is quite classical and elegant for the time period- the hairstyle supports how the archetypical female is very elegant and cares about her appearance.

A high angle long shot of a man in the window shows the the audience that the female protagonist 

 is not alone at this motel. The low key lighting used in this shot exhibits an creepy and ominous atmosphere. This is further supported by the mysterious shadow in the window. The lighting that has been used inside the house makes the character in the window more prominent. The use of a shadow makes the antagonist seem more intimidating. From looking at the silhouette I can connote that this character is a man. Typically men are used as antagonist's because the archetypes used to describe men is strength.

An over the shoulder two shot of the antagonist and protagonist properly introduces the antagonist to the audience. The framing of the shot is mid shot which exhibits to the audience what the male character is wearing. The costume of the male character is button down shirt and a jacket. The fact that he is wearing a button down shirt shows that he cares about his appearance and is slightly above middle class as his outfit is quite formal. The props in the background are hotel room keys with numbers. The room keys are a main icon of motel and hotel orientated films. By using these props it makes the location of the motel more realistic.

A two shot of the antagonist and the man in the suit has been framed as a mid shot. The composition of shot and the rule of 2/3rd exhibits that these two characters are equals as they have the same shot space. The costume that the other male character is wearing is a suit. As the costume is a suit it shows connotations that this man works in an office and most likely works in the city. The hat that has be worn by the male character further emphasises. Another connotation of wearing suit is wealth- this could infer that this man is upper class or middle class. The costume of this character juxtaposes the antagonist's costume.

A mid shot of the antagonist and the protagonist in a compromising position follows the conventions that are seen in Thrillers. Typically in Thrillers a love interest is introduced, by having a love interest it adds a twist and an element of surprise to the narrative for the audience. The blinds pulled down in the background infers privacy and shows that no one can look in. 

An extreme close up of an envelope on the bed shows importance of how it will help to build up the narrative. The close up of the envelope shows the audience that this prop is important to the narrative and that it is a key prop used in the film. The fact that the cash is in an envelope connotes that there is a lot of money in the envelope and that the character has concealed it. This shows there is more to why she has it than she is showing. In order to link these shots together a fade to black transition and a jump cut is used to show that time is moving forward.

A mid shot of a female character sitting at a desk introduces her to the narrative as a new character. The the costume that this character is wearing supports the female archetype. She is wearing a dress which supports the stereotype that women wear dresses and are very feminine. The typewriter prop in the background of the shot connotes that she is a receptionist or works in an office. The typewriter represents that she has been taught to write which infers that she is high class and has had a good education.

An extreme close up shot of someone packing clothes into a suitcase connotes that they are in a rush to get somewhere. Typically when someone is packing their suitcase it infers that they are on the run somewhere. The suitcase prop is quite large which suggests that they are going for a long time.

A long shot of a house in low key lighting creates an eerie and scary atmosphere. The fog in the background that has been used is an icon for fear in horror and thriller films. The lighting used inside the house to highlight the windows emphasises how dark it is in comparison to the inside of the house. I think that the lighting and the composition of this shot has been carefully though out, the moonlight used behind the house illuminates the setting perfectly to create the stereotypical horror location.

A tracking mid shot of the antagonist shot in low key lighting creates a creepy and erie atmosphere. The lighting in this shot has been created so the viewer can not see his face which gives the element of mystery and the unknown. The tracking movement of the camera makes it more inclusive for the audience as it feels like they are the one walking towards the antagonist. The fact that this film has been made in black and white further creates a spooky atmosphere, this is particularly emphasised on this shot.

A medium close up of the protagonist driving a car creates an eye line shot. The background in this image infers that she is driving through a busy city like New York. The fact that she is driving through a city like this infers that she either works or lives there. If she works of lives there it connotes that she has a high paid job and can afford to live in a city like New York. The protagonist is wearing quite smart clothing which infers that she has a respectable job and needs to dress well for it.

An extreme close up of a police officer wearing sunglasses introduces a semantic filed of crime into the trailer. The sunglasses prop that he is wearing hides his identity and makes him unknown to the audience. By hiding the officer's identity it makes him more mysterious and interesting character. The use of incorporating the police into this film follows the conventions of thrillers and the elements that are in these films. The uniform that the officer is wearing follow the conventions of a policeman's outfit and infers that he is an official officers and not an impostor.

                                     

An over the shoulder shot of a man pulling a body along the ground shows a equilibrium and the narrative developing  as the trailer progresses. The shot has been framed so no one sees the identity of the body and the person dragging this body. As this shot is being shown to the audience the title for the director appears on screen. The director's title is shown on screen first before the title of the film because Alfred Hitchcock is an established name in film and if someone sees that this film was created by him it will further convince people to go and watch the film.

A birds eye view shot of a character carrying someone down the stage insinuates that there is an issue that has happened and someone could be in danger. However it is not clear what has happened to this person therefore this shot could be exhibiting a softer side to the antagonist and shows that he is a regular human being. The many flights of stairs exhibits to the audience that this is a large house therefore the family must be rich in order to afford it.

A close up shot of the female protagonist in the shower is an iconic shot and scene for the whole franchise. The shot shows a shadowy figure in the background behind the shower curtain. Immediately as the shadow appears in the shot it creates a scary atmosphere and puts the viewer on edge. The lighting in this shot is high key which showcases a realistic scenario and makes the audience think that everything is ok. The shot may scare the audience and will help them make up their minds on whether or not they should trust the antagonist. 

A series of extreme close up shots have been put together using montage editing. The images that have been selected for this sequence all relate together and help the narrative progress and develop. The shots that have been used is an extreme close up of blood on someone's hands, the protagonist's face and an extreme close up of a knife raised in the air. These shots all add up to help set the scene for the audience as what it to come in the film. The knife prop is an icon of the film and follows the weapon conventions used in thrillers and horrors. The knife prop follows the semantic filed of crime exhibited in the trailer.

An extreme close up of an eye exhibits how the camera is a high quality. The shot of the eye creates an intense atmosphere for the audience and also makes the viewer fell closer to this character.

The title shown on screen exhibits the title of the film. The film title has been left till last so it leaves a lasting impression on the audience. The blood splatter effect follows the conventions of thriller films. The blood splatter supports the crime semantic field. The white font of the title pops and stands out against the black background. The typography used for this film is quite edgy and follows the conventions of titles used in thrillers.

The last shot of the |Psycho trailer is of the antagonist. This shot leaves an eerie and creepy effect on the audience and emphasises the threat of the antagonist. The medium close up shot of this character frames him perfectly. The background behind the cock and balls antagonist is plain which allows the character to stand out and allow the audience to focus on him more.

Sound.

The beginning of the trailer immediately begins with an incidental soundtrack which creates a jump for the audience. The soundtrack is very eerie and creepy which immediately sets the atmosphere for the rest of the trailer. It immediately entrances the audience and peaks the audience's interest to watch the rest of the trailer. This incidental soundtrack continues throughout the duration of the trailer constantly creating atmosphere and tension. The use of a string instrument adds a classical tone and fits in with the time period in which this was made. A voice over is used in the trailer to help set up the narrative and introduce it to the audience. The dialogue used in the trailer sound bridges into the shot after therefore creating a link between these two shots.