Textual Anaylsis - Caroline

Textual analysis -Teaser trailer

Film- Saw IV

Director-Darren Lynn Bousman

Length-55 seconds

Release date- 26th October 2007

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdLXjIu6UhM

This textual analysis will be focusing on the teaser trailer of Darren Lynn Bousman’s ‘SAW IV’, which was distributed by Lions gate in the United States and Maple Pictures in Canada. The film was shot in Twisted Pictures studio, and was released on the 26th October 2007. The film is the fourth make out of the saw franchise which the first movie of Saw was directed by James Wan. Bousman has since then directed saw 2, 3 and 4. The teaser trailer is 55 seconds long which is a perfect length time because it stays within the 60 minute mark.



The teaser opens up with the first 10 seconds of showing the audience the film company and the production team of Lions gate and Twisted Pictures. After the opening credits of the production team there is a fade to what looks like a garage or studio, it is difficult to make out what it is. The scene has an uncanny atmosphere to it with non-diegetic music playing in the background. This sound has elements of an eerie feel to it which leaves the audience feeling un-settled and uncomfortable. There is low key lighting which gives a dark and gloomy affect and brings awareness to the audience that danger is lurking. Fans of the film will already be aware that this uncanny studio is of course the place where Jigsaw tortures people and the fact that the director has started the first scene with the studio already notifies the audience that their is still going to be a lot more torturing and pain in the sequel.


A fade transition follows to allow the shots to blend well with each other and this also adds to the slow and calm pace of the teaser trailer. The pace is at a slow pace, this is done I believe to be able to catch the audience off guard. They believe to know what is going to happen but the editor has started off at a slow pace then build the pace up gradually to increase in the tension of the plot. The fade goes in to a black background with the release date slowly fading in `26th October’. The Saw films are well known to be released the holiday of Halloween as this adds to the whole negative characters of evil and sinister beings.

The shot that follows is of a man tied up I wires but this is done as if it is being projected by a projector on to a brick wall in the same studio as the torture chamber. The reason why the director has decided to use the projector is because in the Saw films. The protagonist character which is Jigsaw uses the television screen to give the victims set of rules. With the use of projecting someone who is being tortured on a wall informs the audience that the director has still followed the norms of the previous Saw films. This still allows the film to remain as part of the franchise just like the Batman films. The Batman films always have the bat logo and with the saw films it is all about the technology of communicating to one another. Also with this shot the non-diegetic music has changed. It has become faster paced and has increased in volume. This is in contrast with the beginning music where, it resembles a church melody, with a calm angelic sound. Now the sound has become more aggressive. This helps build up tension in the audience because now they are bracing them selves for the torture and pain which is well known ion the Saw franchise.


The lighting still remains dark with the undertone of green. Throughout the whole teaser trailer the transitions are fades. This is done to help build the elements of surprise and mystery because we as the audience don’t know what is going to happen, and in the film surprise is one of the main themes in the film. We as the audience don’t know if the victim is going to survive and this is what the director wants us to still be trying to figure out through the trailer. The words then appear of `the traps are set’. This informs the audience of the dangers that are going to take place. The traps are being put into order and already this builds up some sort of hysteria to the audience because we are now excited and wanting to know who is going to be Jigsaws victims. This links in with the previous shot of the male character being tied up which was projected on the brick wall. The colour of the text is white which is in contrast with the black background. It denotes the meaning of good and evil. How the villain is evil (Jigsaw) and the police force who are trying to save the victims are good. But in a Saw film it is all about trying to save yourself so at the end of the day the audience don’t actually know who is good and who is evil.


I believe that is why Jigsaw wears a mask because he is just portraying the human beings lifestyle. People don’t really know who each other really are until they are put into certain circumstances where their true personalities come out. After another fade 5 quick shots are then shown of victims being tortured. This is now done at a quicker pace in contrast with the original shot of the male character being tied in ropes.


The use of their being a variety of victims this shows the audience the amount of people are going to be tortured or possibly give us a clue because for all we know their could be plenty more people going to get hurt. The last shot is of a man possibly a police officer because on his countenance the audience can see the uneasiness he has and his head is looking down which suggested how he feels powerless against the unfortunate events that keep occurring. It then fades faster this time to a dark background with the text `if it’s Halloween’. this is the first half of the sentence because it then cuts to the man as before in the previous shot but this time screaming in agony as he tries to undo something but the audience is unsure of what he is being tied up in because of course this is a teaser trailer and the director doesn’t want to much to be giving away. It then fades it the dark back ground with the white text saying` it must be saw’. Now the non-diegetic sound has changed to screams and loud machinery instead of the fast paced music. It then cuts not fades this time, to variety of people under pressure and I pain. Throughout the whole teaser trailer all the shots are taken form low angles this is to show how powerless the victims are from this evil force. It then cuts to the image of Jigsaw on the television screen for about 2 seconds, then fades to the title Saw IV, this is done at a slow pace to bring attention to the title of the film.


All of the shots of victims are still being projected on the brick wall. There is a fade to a black background with just a voice over of Jigsaw saying `you think it is over…but the games have just begun’. This adds a chill to the audience because it is all dark and we don’t know where he is coming from. It then cuts to big plastic bags with what looks like blood inside but this a quick shot so the audience is not able to figure out what is exactly inside the bags. It then fades back to the release date just to finally remind the audience when it should be out.