The trailer opens with a hard cut which transitions into an establishing shot of an unfamiliar location filled with a green array of shrubbery a long with tall overcasting trees, alternately blocking light from reaching the forest floor. An eerie silence is broken up by a signature bell ring which is matched with a hard cut. Visuals are exploited immediately to provoke the audience, why is she wearing a blindfold? The audience are forced to question where she is and why. Clear panic is portrayed in the dialogue “where are you? Where are you?”, generally this connotates curiosity of who she’s talking to and why. Instantly the audience are faced with a multitude of questions within the first few seconds of the trailer, of which are yet be answered – as enigma is created, they must watch on.
BIRD BOX -
ANALYSIS
Following this, we are provided with a deeper insight into the first character, Malorie Hayes. Diegetic dialogue “please don’t take my children” voices a worried mother, and we can conclude she is not alone. Alternately, this is quickly followed by hard cut into a match shot whereby a little boy is shown – her assumed son. Visuals display him ringing the bell we are faced with in the opening scene of the trailer and the second child, her daughter, is then introduced. Matching visuals consisting of blind folds, quickly establishes a president that whatever, or whoever she is talking to, is not to be seen.
A flashback introduces Malorie’s past. An establishing shot presents her in the examining room of a hospital, where she is seen receiving an ultrasound. From this we can conclude, a period before her children were born. Moving on, a reaction shot is taken advantage off to present a seemingly less upbeat scene, whereby young girl repeatedly smashes her head against the glass wall of the hospital corridor. The expected chaos is followed with her outside; cars crashing, fire spreading, cars exploding, people running. Further enigma is created.
A multitude of fast past, action packed shots are linked together through hard cut transitions. A narration takes over “under no circumstance are you allowed to take off your blind fold”. The domineering narration insinuates a serious tone – that of life and death.
Editing techniques such as repeated hard cuts, along with the exploitation of short burst visuals help in replicating the overwhelming situation this mother and her children face. Furthermore, reflecting the thoughts quick firing through her head, jumping from one outcome to the next and thus aiding the development of tension. The evidently panic stricken mother is swarmed with a flow of autorotative and domineering voices in an echo effect. As a result, an overpowering atmosphere is created. Through a cannon effect, audio is built to a climax, equally, this is followed with a hard cut to a black screen and matched with silence. This is quickly broken with a harsh scream “please don’t take my children”.
A final hard cut finishes the trailer with a cliff hanger – This is broken up by intertitles of which previously produced films of the same production company are mentioned. Casting is introduced as a form of enticing previously established audiences, i.e. Sandra Bullock.
By Lucy Spalding
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