Textual Analysis - 3D Teaser Trailer - Bronagh Hunte

Film: Saw 3D

Director:  Kevin Greutert

Producers: Mark Burg

Production Company: Lions Gate

Length: 49 seconds

Release Date: 26^th October 2010

Genre: Horror/Torture

 Actors: Tobin Bell

Origin: Sequel to 6 other Saw films

Synopsis: Saw has become one of the most successful horror franchises in recent years. Revolving around the saga of the Jigsaw Killer John Kramer a mild-mannered toy maker turned vigilante. Jigsaw's motive is to make his victims appreciate the life that they have taken for granted; rather than killing his victims outright, he traps them in situations which he calls "tests" or "games", to test their will to live via physical or psychological torture.

The teaser opens up with a close up of a television set which has nothing on the screen apart from the fuzzy background, this connotes mystery as from the previous saw movies, when the victim was coming around from his conscious state a fuzzy television screen would be shown and then on some occasions it would cut to jigsaw who would then tell them their task they have to carry out in order to stay alive. This shot is used at the beginning as an insight into what the movie is going to entail and the fate of all of the victims involved.

There is a voice over of Jigsaw ‘the game has a new design’ this suggests that he didn’t plan the game as in all of the other Saw movies there has been the same kind of plot, however this connotes that there is someone else behind the killing as ‘new design suggests.  There is a fade into a long shot which introduces the first victim. The man is standing behind a car with a smashed window. You can just about see the man and he looks as if he is controlling something, which suggests that either he has to make a decision based on someone else’s fate or he is in control of his life. The setting for this shot is uncanny. The low key lighting and the green highlight on many of the props such as the car, t juxtaposes the common colours used in the horror genre, with them normally consisting of red. This is almost like the plot of the movie which differs to many horror films where there is normally a killer behind the brutal torture the victims go through; however in Saw the people decide their own fate, which suggests why common features of horror movies are not being used in this one.

From the shot of the man in the car, there is an extremely quick cut; this shot is a close up of the symbolic use of a pig, which is the common feature in the Saw saga. From recent saw films, we understand that Jigsaw has actually passed away, and he needs his associates to help him carry out his plans. This is the reason for using the pig masked character to help him. The idea of using the mask has a slight comparison to other horror movies, just as ‘Friday 13^th’and ‘Halloween’ where the killers are masked; contrary to this the killer is not behind the mask and only bringing them to their fate. 

There is another wipe, which is extremely quick to a woman who is being hung up by her wrists, on a sort of train track. In the background there is an ambulance, the trap the women is in looks inescapable and with a huge spike coming towards her, and with both her legs and arms being tied up there looks as if there is no escape for the women. However the ambulance suggests there is help around the corner, which is not a common convention of a horror movie.  The common convention in this scene however, is the conventional character, who is a pretty blonde woman. The woman is wearing a pink top which follows the convention of her being the ‘typical blonde bimbo’ in the horror film. The use of this character may tie in with the scene as she has no hope of survival, which follows the convention of a horror movie, as the stereotypical blonde woman dies, without any form of help, the way she is tied up with the huge spike coming towards her on a train track shows there is no escape.

The male character that was previously in the other shot behind the car appears again and is now in the car and in a lot of pain from his facial expressions. The close up explores the mans torso, he has significant tattoos which cover a large part of his torso, and he also has sever burns on his back. The lesson, in which Jigsaw may be giving him, is if he can damage his skin from excessive tattoos, then he can deal with the pain that burning can do to the skin. The mans facial expressions show a lot of anguish, also contrary to the first shot which the man appeared in he is not wearing the same vest top in which he had on. This also backs up the evidence that Jigsaw wanted to see the ‘damage’ he has done to himself.

‘Fear’, ‘Suffering’ and ‘Death’ are the word which are over heard and said by Jigsaw; Jigsaws voice is eerie and dull which is conventional with many horror films. These words and the triadic structure they are in suggest he is telling a story, ‘beginning, middle and end’. This is what the people go through, upon receiving the challenge by Jigsaw.

There is then a cut to people who are gathered outside a sort of museum, where there is a 'test' being put on show. The dynamics for this torture scene is contrary to the normal torture scenes, where they are always inside an institution or a persons home, they where never made public. The non-dietetic sounds of when Jigsaw says that the ‘design is different’ implies that he now wants people to be able to see his work, as it is the last in the franchise, he wants people to think about their mistakes they have made and to change them, this is what he makes his victims do, realise that they have done something wrong. With the use of 300-400 extras outside a public building, backs this is up as the victim is behind a glass window in full view for everyone to see. The costumes of the extras are very formal which suggests they are in the city. With there smart attire and the setting being skyline buildings, this appears to be a huge business industry, where lots of people would be gathering around, which adds to the sincerity of the man behind the glass window. The people can only watch in horror as the man has to fight for his life. The audience watching can relate to this, as their non verbal communication shows there discontent for being made to watch this: in relation to the audience who are watching the film/trailer.

  

The fact that it is the final Saw movie to be made is emphasized at the 3D effects which are used.  There are plenty of special effects which are used which ties in with the writing which comes up on a black background. The writing is a dusty colour which adds to the awe of the trailer. As this is the final movie in the Saw franchise, it is made to be grittier and the dismay of the film calls attention to final one, as the writing says, ‘you will witness the final one’ and a non-dietetic voice cover says ‘the dynamics have changed’ which combine with the mystery of the new vigorous attempts of Jigsaw.

The trailer does not give away the whole plot, which many films do not, as it is only a teaser trailer. Although this is the 7^th in the movie franchise, it is still fresh and exciting as it is in 3D and people know what it is going to be about. The fact that they have made 7 movies is exciting as people will wonder how many more disturbing ideas the producers can accumulate. The quick cuts and the pace of the editing also adds to the suspense and although not giving too much away, gives the audience a great incite into what is about to come to cinemas.