Analysis of 'Saw VI' teaser trailer

The genre of horror is quickly established in the teaser trailer to Saw VI. The mise-en-scene at the beginning of this film involves a CGI generate alley/corridor with flickering lights and dimly lit. Horror is usually set in the dark and the motivated lighting from the flickering light gives it a scary look. This is followed by screams which tells the audience that the characters are scared and in danger. The use of blood on the walls also helps to identify the genre as horror as this implies that someone has either been killer or injured by another person. Hooks dangle from the ceiling creating a weird and dangerous atmosphere. Several clips from the film are show where characters are in danger and screaming for help. The teaser does not show a villain/antagonist which is unusual for a horror teaser. However the film is part of a franchise of sequels and therefore many audience members are familiar with the villain. This also helps to keep the killer mysterious instead of over exposing them which can be un-effective. This teaser truly teases the audience as it is made up mostly of CGI rooms only showing a few shots from the movie.

The title of the movie is saved for the final moments of the teaser. “Saw VI” is written on an intertitle which consists of a black background with the text being silver. Black is a conventional colour for horror as it is dark creating an unsettling mood. The silver text is used to give connotations of weaponry such as knifes and of course a saw. The sharpness or the text and the texture effects help to achieve this. The name is not revealed until the end of the trailer to keep the audience guessing what the title is. The title is hinted at as previous intertitles all contain the number six in repetition. Viewers familiar with the franchise will likely recognise the film before the title is given due to hints such as the repetition.

The teaser has various ways of showing production value despite the fact that there are no stars and “name” directors given. The teaser is made up mainly of GCI all of which is specifically for the trailer. These shots will not occur in the film. This high use of special effects for the teaser implies a large budget for the film as if they can afford to make such an expensive teaser trailer they obviously have a high marketing budget. A high marketing budget implies a high production budget. As this is the sixth Saw film, the franchise itself is being used as a production value. Audience members will know what to expect from a Saw film and expect the film to have similar production values as previous instalments. The films production company Lionsgate is only given in small litters proving that the company is not that well known as opposed to a film from a large studio that would put for example “20th Century Fox presents” or something to that effect.

The music in the trailer is very fasted paced and loud which created excitement. The music is very good for grabbing the audience’s attention and the pace builds up as the clips get more exciting. The music’s gain of pace should leave the audience feeling that the film is going to be a thrilling ride. The music builds up to a crescendo which leaves the audience feeling that they want to see more. Horror teasers typically have a more sinister movie to create a dark scary atmosphere. Saw VI has taking another approach and aims to make the films events seem urgent, exciting and thrilling as opposed to just dark and scary; likely due to its “torture porn” sub-genre.

Little dialogue is used during the teaser, however the little that is used is key. “Where are we?” is used to establish that the characters have been somewhat abducted and do not know where they are or how they got there. This helps to at mystery to the plot as the audience will want to fin there things out. “We’ve gotta (sic) get out of here” helps to establish how scary the situation that characters are in is. It builds up the villain as being dangerous and terrifying as the characters are desperately trying to escape it. “Help me” is also used to help the audience to emote with the character and to create a connection with the audience. Most of the sound is asynchronous and is played over scary shots to help create the horrifying atmosphere.

The teaser uses repetition of "6 chances”, “6 lessons”, “6 choices” through the use of intertitles. These intertitles are followed by the films title “Saw VI”. The use of this grammatical structure is used for emphasis, memory and emotion. The audience likely already aware of the franchise will be excited by the sixth edition.