Genre-
Orphan in a physiological horror, with elements of mystery and thriller. The audience this trailer has a wider variety because of the age rating of 15. The trailer uses low key lighting and like many horror trailers, non dietetic music of creepy and tension building sounds. As for the plot the techniques of style of the trailer makes it clear to the genre, and the snippets of trailer gives us an incline of the plot, that the orphan girl is not how she seems, but not enough to give to much away. Many horror films use children as main 'evil' characters because they can be made to look innocent and the suspension and shock factor can be successful to the outcome of a film.One theory that is relevant to this genre of trailer is 'Andrew Sarris's theory that "genre is the idea that it has a recognisable style that draws on an existing audience" as the trailer for orphan attracts the existing audiences who like films which are mysterious and become a bit of a mind game, rather than a stereotypical goorey horror film.
Representation-
The representations in orphan are stereotypical ones, but the plot makes a twist on the good and bad characters. The main character (Ester) is the evil character , seeming to an innocent child, who has had a bad life and need a loving family. She looks different from the start, innocent yet different because of her clothes. As the trailer progresses we see that Ester isn't as innocent as she seem, she starts looking creepy with the change of mood, and we see different acts of physiological behaviour, which makes it clear that she is the evil character. The other representations are of the family not including Ester, the mum, dad, brother and sister. They all seem very innocent throughout the trailer as they are the victims of their adopted child's actions. Both stereotypes are relevant to have good and bad characters, although each character are naturally innocent looking, the twist gives a good tension builder.
Narration-
From this trailer we see the theory of 'Todorov' because the beginning of the orphan trailer everything looks happy and normal, a happy family adopting a normal child, then right after we see the destructive actions of Ester, showing how the trailer starts with a happy feeling, then suddenly changing completely to a horrified mood. The trailer consists of sneak peaks of selected scenes from the film, giving enough but not too much to spoil watching the film, however we aren't shown the plot being resolved to make the viewer want to go and see the film to see how the disruption and is resolved.
Audience-
The target audience for this film is people aged 15 and over, who enjoy horror film where they are on the edge of there seat, and like the suspension of not knowing what will happen next. Any gender could be interested in this genre, as both genders do generally enjoy films involving physiology, stalking, possession or anything paranormal. The trailer makes the audience wonder what's wrong with Ester, specially when a title page during the trailer says 'Threes Something Wrong With Ester'.
Media Language
Cinematography-
The trailer opens with establishing shots of the orphanage, the car driving into the showy drive, and the atmosphere of the happy children inside, using long shots to show that Ester is always alone. The mid shot of ester painting and happily talking to the adopting parents shows how innocent, and like any normal child, during this conversation whenever Ester talks it is a one shot of her face, whereas when the parents speak they feature in a tight two shot, to show how much of a close family they are, and how alone Ester is. The first minute of the trailer there are a range of shots and scenes to show Ester settling into her new life, meeting the family, and going to school. This light mood and tone soon changed with the mix of close ups and long shots of Ester screaming and having an angry fit in the toilet, the shots after that are close ups and mid shot of Ester and how unlike a child she is, and how deluded she is to burn down a tree house, push a girl from a tall slide, and turn the car on so it speeds of with a child in the car.
Editing-
The trailer uses straight cuts throughout, changing from scene to scene with a straight cut. The editing is very simple but as the atmosphere picks up, and becomes more intense, the scene is on for a shorter time and moves quickly with a straight cut. There a few shots acting sort of like title screens, saying 'There's Something Wrong With Ester' and 'You'll Never Guess Her Secret', these are successful in adding tensions and create more of a mystery for the whole film.
Sound-
This trailer uses non dietetic being background music to add a stronger feeling of suspicion, and at building up to find out that something wrong with Ester, to then speed up to the climax highlighting the key parts of the film, and the events that lead to a final action. When the mood of the trailer changed from positive to negative, there are two shots of a park swing creaking, this intensify the creepiness and weirdness of Ester. Dietetic sound is used for conversation, when talking to Ester at the begging, then their is move conversation when Kate (The Mum) investigates Ester finding that she went to a mental institute in years that her age would beg to differ, there are also screams to emphasis the horror of the film.
Mise-En-Scene-
The locations of the trailer range beginning at the orphanage, to school, then back and fourth to the family home. The scenes which show the outside setting have a snowy backdrop, showing the look of a cold winter. The family home which features the most is a nice home, but to me it doesn't seem homely, and has quite a clinical look, which is why the constant sight of which could relate to a feeling of clinical, to suggest madness and insanity.
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