30 Days of Night

How have soundtrack, commentary and language been used?
In the opening the first thing the audience can hear is thunder which has connotations of danger. The official film trailer starts with a woman in the kitchen and a man (assumed to be her husband) is in the living room. The way it has been shot creates an anxiety for the viewer as you are made to feel that she is being watched. Diegetic sound is used as as you are able to see that outside there is a blustery snow storm going on outside which makes you wonder whether the two characters are hiding away from the cold and snow or because there is a danger outside.  Throughout the trailer theres a constant use of non-linear sounds with abrupt shifts up and down in pitch, the harsh, discordant and unexpected noises tap into our instincts of fear and giving the viewer goose bumps enhancing the emotional impact of the following scenes.  Once the audience no who the audiences are Apocalypse Me by Muse is played to keep you interested giving you a sense of excitement. Occasionally whilst watching the trailer I was able to hear crackling which makes you think of loss of communication which tells you they are isolated consequently closely following connotations of a horror genre as the townsfolk are in a remote area where no one can help or save them.

What genre? How can you tell?
This trailer conveys a thriller genre for the film. However as the film trailer develops, connotations of horror are used to create suspense. This is portrayed through the use of non-diegetic and diegetic sound used in the background. The horror element is clear by the use of text and the flashing deathly faces that were made using an X-Ray camera to connote death.
For the duration of the trailer elements of the horror genre are enforced through the use of lighting. Lighting is used to make shadows which is effective as it is usually on you as the viewer who can see what is about to unravel thus making you feel helpless.
The use of the colour red is used to connote vampires and blood. This will supply the audience with a clear understanding of what they are involved with and the type of film it is.  The vampires in this movie have a very animalistic nature and a lot of the time shots have been taken from above the innocent victim, this shows the order of the hierarchy and gives the audience the feeling that they are being watched like they are their prey.

How are characters used?
The first characters we are introduced to is the wife and husband in the house. The woman is cooking in the kitchen silently and noiselessly and the man is in the living room showing very closed body language. He is sat hunched over his legs with his elbows on his knees and wresting his face in his hands. Both characters look worried and nervous which gives you as the viewer a gut feeling that something very bad is about to happen. The woman, of course, is the first victim to the vampires as it is a common connotation of the horror genre to use a woman screaming for help as she is dragged away by an unknown killer. Her character was used to influence you on the danger the town of Barrow is dealing with and that they are defenceless and vulnerable.
The next character we are introduced to is a man walking at night with a torch. Although we are not aware if it is actually the day to them due to the sun not rising for thirty days but because of him being alone and with a torch you are made to think that has lost something or someone or searching for somebody. You then get this threatening feeling and because of the music you know this man is a goner.
You see the Sheriff's car which shows he is going to be the protagonist  and 'bring light' back to the village.
The movies vampires are very graphic and very animalistic in nature. The creatures have pale skin, black eyes and rows of razor sharp teeth. The Vampires speak a strange guttural language which makes the audience feel involved with the characters as you are confused just like they are. Just like the creatures of myth in other films, novels and genres these vampires have superhuman strength, speed and abilities who can only be killed by fire, decapitation or sunlight. They appear to pack and herd in the way that wild animals do possessing the nature of a wolf, lion or tiger and just like in the animal kingdom they have a leader who commands them and whose orders they follow without question.

How are non-verbal communications (gestures, facial expression) being used?
In the opening of '30 Days of Night' you are introduced to a couple in their house sheltered from a blistery snow storm outside. The house is dark and silent as the woman is alone in the kitchen hunched over her washing bowl. The lighting is very dim which cast strange eery shadows over her face and kitchen making it eerie however the only light in the frame is through the window in the corner of the room with a snowy mist on it. The camera flicks too her a man you assume to be her husband in the living room sat on a sofe. His body language is closed making himself look small. He has his face resting on his knuckles making him look afraid, frightened and uptight.  In every clip you see of someone they either have their arms wrapped tightly around them or flailing as they are dragged away or bitten. It is difficult to see the characters facial expressions as the lighting on them are so dark
However when you see a 'vampire' their faces are very clear on the screen and their pale faces are lit by the snowy surroundings. Their faces are disfigured and furrowed to show their strength and fiercness. They have blood around their mouths to show that they are killers.
The female lead is a white blonde woman. This makes you symolise her with purity and therefore as the viewer you will worry for her because you are made to think she won't be able to protect herself. Another shot of this woman is taken using an extreme close-up, her eyes are teary and she saying "vampires don't exist" this paints her as a maiden in distress and the Sherrif (te protagonist) will be her hero and will eventually save her at some point.
There are a series of flashing faces that are used to show you that people are hiding and watching as another victim is taken. The victims are usually women or children.  You usually only see their eyes so that you can clearly see their fear.

What is the tone of the text? How does it change?
The trailer begins with a green wash over the screen. This is warning their viewers that this trailer is suitable for any audience. The text is in white to create a reserved tine, as if it is the calm before the storm. The trailer compnay have used a series of text and commentry throughout the clips. For the first half a white text is used to symbolise that the danger is is in the future and that the town is still untouched from evil. Although for the majority of the trailer, the white text is placed in front of a black smokey screen, this creates a movement like a ghostly shadow which makes you, as the viewer believe you are being watched. The white blurs on the black screen however could also be hinting at where the movie is set, so therefore the ghostly figures could just be snow. The text commonly uses 'They' or 'Their' in order to create a mystery to the murderous perpetrator and keep the audience keen and afraid of the unknown.
At 1:22 the text in the trailer turns to red. This immediatly tells you that danger is now upon the samll town above the Arctic Circle by representing blood, suffering and death. Behind the text a smokey red mist descends the black background showing that the towns people are confused and have clouded judgement. A red mist was recognised publicly during tghe victorian era to show extreme danger.