Action Trailer #5 - San Andreas

San Andreas 

Action trailer analysis 

                

Immediately the trailer shows drama as the non diegetic music is quite theatrical, a medium shot of an helicopter is then shown, at a glance is appears to be a rescue helicopter in the mountains suggesting someone is lost making the audience interested in seeing what is about to happen. This is followed by a slow panning shot of a City. So far the shots have been slow and have faded into each other this has created suspense. Another panning shot of the city, the audience notice the two patriotic American flags therefore making us aware it is set in America. Medium shot of Dwayne Johnson; a well known, popular actor, this encourages people to go and see the film as audiences make the assumption that if a well known actor is in the film then the film is therefore going to be worthwhile.

Next shot is a long shot of Dwayne hugging a girl, the audience assume that she is his daughter; this idea of a father daughter relationship also encourages audiences as it is relatable. The same girl is then displayed meeting another boy although nothing else is given away; the audience is then intrigued to know what the connection is between the two. By this time in the trailer the shots have become faster suggesting more things are about to happen. In between the shots there is a few words which made up the sentence, “ who will you be with when everything falls apart” not only does this hold the audience’s attention as they are concentrating on the trailer trying to work out what the sentence is, but it also is asking the audience a question which gets them thinking about the movie, and causing them to be visualising themselves in the film, creating a more personal connection, which potentially increases the chance of them coming to see San Andreas.

The suspenseful music is then interrupted and becomes more suspenseful by a sudden crash, a close up two shot of the people in the car show horror on their faces creating empathy, a match on action of the man’s hands shaking on the steering wheel emphasises the amount that the car is shaking. At this point in the trailer the audience’s attention is at 100% as we are wondering what is happening. A close up of the tyres skidding across the cracked ground shows that there has obviously been a natural disaster such as an earthquake. A long shot of the gaping hole in the road which has destroyed a petrol station shows immense destruction, this grabs the audience’s attention showing the seriousness of this incident. Another high angle panning shot is used of the city showing an earthquake rumble across wiping out hundreds of buildings. This shot is very dark connoting misery causing the audience to emphasis with the people in the film. Different Non diegetic music is then introduced it is a very dreary and low tempo song connoting misery and distress.

A point of view shot from a young girl stuck in a car of a helicopter circling above, with a rescue crew, this shows that the first shot of the helicopter was in fact a rescue helicopter. A long shot of this helicopter coming close to being hit by a crumbling building suggests that this film is filled with near misses and destruction. The iconic Hollywood sighs are falling over showing that everything is coming to an end; this reaches out to the audience as this landmark is very well known therefore people feel they can relate to this incident. Close up of Dwayne Johnson’s face as he is the pilot of this heliport, shows shock on his face as well as very deep breathing, it is obvious he is looking as something which is causing him distress, the audience are interested in finding out what he is looking at. This is followed by a montage of heart breaking shots where people are fighting for their lives, and potentially seeing love ones for the last time. The first ] piece of dialogue is of a well educated looking man stating that people should be getting out of the city immediately, the audience trust this man due to his respectable looking appearance (glasses, neat hair, smartly dressed) and start to realise the intensity of this natural disaster.

More shots of the building crumbling to the floor and water bursting through concrete walls, Dwayne Johnson appears again we by this point coming to the conclusion that he is most likely one of our main characters, he yells “Everybody down” followed by a long shot of lots of people quickly ducking, showing that Dwayne has authority and experience in instructing people what to do in these kind of situations. The diegetic sound of cars being flown in the air and water crashing together is ended by a slow song which then cuts to the grey film title, followed by two hashtages which will increase the popularity of this trailer as it is now become something to talk about on social media.

Action Trailer #3 - Need for Speed

                 

   Action Trailer Analysis

Need For Speed

                          

Establishing shot across the city, with a cloud of fog suggesting imperfection within the film. Over the shoulder shot of a male with a leather jacket on with the collar popped up, connoting rebellious behaviour. The super cars we see either side of him connote wealth, audiences also associate fast cars with danger. Simplistic non diegetic music is playing very slowly and gentle, doesn’t suit the theme of the film. Scene then fades to black with the next shot being a close up of who we assume is the main character behind the wheel of a car, he seems focused, audience can hear a diabetic engine revving pointing towards a potential race that’s about to unfold. There is also a voice over who the audience believe to be the person in the car, “they took everything from me” suggests he has nothing to lose.

Extreme close up of wheels spinning away, the low angle shot as the cars whizz past to give the audience a sense of how fast the cars are actually going. Dramatic music starts to play suggesting an ordeal is about to happen. Birdseye view of the cars racing over a bridge and dodging other cars suggests that what they are doing is illegal as it is putting other at risk. Audiences then relies that what is being done is definitely illegal as a tracking shot of a Mustang being followed by a police car.

Another fade to black shot is used, followed by a long shot of a potential love interest, so far the trailer doesn’t follow all the action genre conventions for example the music is very dramatic instead of high tempo music. Audience is given an insight to the inner thoughts and feelings of the main character through the voice over. A short clip of police man holding up his gun pointing towards the main character surrendering in front of a herd of police cars, followed by a medium shot of him in prison, showing that not everyone gets away with crimes in action movies, he committed a crime, got caught and he has paid the price, although he is in white clothing compared to the still imprisoned orange inmates, white connote innocence and cleanliness suggesting he is a new and better person.

A quick close up of a man grazed and traumatised face is shown inside a car, the trailer doesn’t give much information away about this which leaves us wondering who he is and what has happened, another bird eyes view shot is used above the city as well as above a flying plane connoting wealth. Extreme close up of the main character face inside a car is shown followed by a point of view shot showing the car has just crashed, we emphasis with the female in the car, slow motion of the car flipping allows the audience to absorb the full intensity and heart ache of the scene, there is broken glass which is a common convention of an action genre. During the slow motion crash there is a medium shot showing the two reacting to the collision, he is concentrated on her and seems to be instinctively looking out for her suggesting his character is caring and considerate and in love with this girl.

A point of view shot followed by a close up shot of him in his car alone is presented, the audiences are unsure whether the girl survived the crash, and the green lighting connotes regret and guilt. Another tracking shot of a fast car speeding away from police further enforces the idea that crime is normal for our main character. An extreme long shot is used to show the intensity of the crime due to how many police car enforcements are there. A quick montage of events, containing fast passed editing is then shown, we see the main character holding the girl walking down and empty road, followed by a funeral and a fight scene. A quick release date appears to inform the audience when they can see it but it doesn’t last too long as they want to hold the audience’s attention on the events which are happening within the trailer.

Another chase scene is happening although this time the U.S Army is getting involved, therefore audience can see that his crimes are so much for the police department and that they needed to call stronger services. Another close of main character Arron Pauls face is shown, speeding off in his car, this time he is wearing blacked out glasses, this may suggest pain, that he doesn’t want people to see the hurt in his eyes. Another point of view shot from the inside of the car looking out onto the road, this shot gives the audience a sense of real life thrill, as if it is them who are starring in the film. Another montage of events occur, there is a lot of car racing and crashes and explosion all converting to stereotypes of the action genre. The shot then stop along with the music giving the audience a moment to soak up what has just been displayed to them, to end the trailer off the title of the movie is shown for a few seconds in order to make it the last thing the audiences remembers.

Action Trailer #4 - The Mechanic

Within the first 10 seconds of this trailer there are typical conventions of the action genre, masculine main character with a deep mysterious voice, a speed boat, shots of a variety of guns, expensive cars and money both connoting wealth. We start to get an idea of who this man is when he skilfully kills a man, our initial thoughts is dislike towards this man as he is a murderer, the audience also realise he is a professional through the amount of skill and knowledge her had when killing this man. An area of business is then introduced, where the main man is given a job, the audience start to see where and how the story is developing. Montage of jump shots is used shows all his stunts a skills. Slow motion is used showing a house blow up, this is effective as the audience attention is drawn to watching this house slowly catch alight. this leads to a long distance shot of a big explosion conforms to action genre stereotypes. Up until this time there has been little non diegetic music only a discreet tune which is slowly building tension. Rock music is then introduced as another montage of action shots are played this creates excitement and thrill. Quick close up shot of the man having sex with a girl conforms to stereotypes that the main character in action films are womanisers. There is a mass amount of guns being shown and used in this trailer, conforming to stereotypes finally the amount of voice overs used tell the audience how the story is developing while their eyes are drawn to the action scenes.

Action Trailer #2 - Taken

Taken

 Action Trailer Analysis

             
                   








       


Production titles open the trailer; they are quickly displayed
so the audience’s attention doesn’t stray. Medium shot of Liam Neeson is used as
the first shot; he is holding a large present that we quickly learn is for his
daughter who he adores. This leads on to the daughter  telling her dad about the trip, close up of
his face suggest worry and concern alongside the reality that he has to let her
go even if he doesn’t want it.

Voice over of the daughter asking her father if she can go to
are used, while shots of her going to Paris are shown, non-diegetic music is
calm and peaceful . A shot of Paris is shown, as well as the parents saying
good bye to her at the airport the clothes the daughter is wearing are very
glittery and colourful, connoting youth suggesting she is too young and vulnerable
to go away with just her friend. As Liam Neeson’s character takes a picture of
the girl the shot changes alongside the music, the mood suddenly gets darker. As
the phone rings is suspenseful music and a split screen follow. The split screen
enables the audience to see what’s happening in both settings. Fast paced
editing is used during the kidnapping to build up suspense making it near
impossible for the audience to look away.

 The mood quickly changes
and the daughter witnesses her friend being kidnapped. The dad whom we first
assumed was a concerned normal parent then gets out a briefcase filled with
gadgets, and seems to know exactly what to do, suggesting there is more to his character
than we once thought. Tempo is quickly increased as well as the pitch, this mirrors
our heartbeat during the kidnapping as the audiences are so on the edge of
their seat.

After she is taken music changes to more depressing and piano
based music this increases the audience’s sympathy for Liam Neeson. The remainder
of the clip is him speaking on the phone to the person who is believed to have
taken her, describing how he has skills in order to find him and get his
daughter back, while this close up is happening  other shots of his journey into finding her
are shown. Quick montages of event are shown suggesting that this film is fully
packed with exciting scenes. As his journey into finding her goes on the music
changes to more exciting and hopeful music, music then fades to nothing as Liam
Neeson is left to listen to someone say “good luck”, the final part of the trailer
is the tone of them hanging up suggesting that he has been challenged and the challenge
starts now.

Action Trailer #1 - The Equalizer

               

The Equalizer

Action Trailer Analysis

                 

                    

This trailer starts off with a classic establishing shot,
which is very common as it gives the audience a quick idea of where the film is
based, in this case it seems to be in a City and at night time, using the
darkness of night connotes mystery and the wonder of who could be lurking in
the shadows. Shot reverse shot is used between the two in the restaurant,
audiences straight away can tell that these two have only just met, suggesting
that the storyline may follow these two. At this moment we aren’t certain who
is the main character here, although a few medium shots of the man life’s alongside
his voice over secures the decision that he holds most prevalence and is the
main character.

An effective camera shot is used to change between scenes tastefully,
it displays the man having two sides of him, his home self who seems mysterious
and deep then his career self which appears to be very friendly and popular. A
long shot was used to take the audience to a new setting which is a home ware
shop. Shot reverse shot is used again between the main character, his employee
and a stereotypical hooded mugger. Close up of the gun cocking connotes threat,
as we learn that the ring the mugger is requesting was a treasured memory from
her mother, the audience feels sympathy and wants revenge against the criminal.
Long shot of the car speeding away and then a close up of main character Denzel
Washington face, audiences can tell from his face expression that it’s not
over.

We then have another shot of the city at night accompanied by
the young girl, suggesting that they only meet in the dark hours of the night
connoting that he has two sides to him. Scene then quickly changes as we see a
close up of a mallet being removed from the shelf, the audiences expect
somethings going to happen. Denzel’s character seems very normal, able to blend
in we can see this from the medium shot of him on the subway. Next shot is of
the stolen ring back in the women’s possession, giving Denzel approval from the
audience as we now know he is a good guy, this is followed by the mallet being wiped
down before being put back on the shelf. This shows that Denzel’s character is
skilled and tidy in what he does and obviously has experience. Diegetic sound
of Denzel Washington giving advice to the young girl shows a relationship
between the two where he cares from her as she is obviously in some danger, which
is apparent when the men get out the car.

We then have a different style of scene which involves slow
motion shots which give the audience a chance to close up see clearly his
skills, although the extreme close up of his eyes opening shows pain and anger
we as the audience see he isn’t a violent an unless he has to be. More fast
pasted medium shots are used to display the setting and his journey into not
only protecting the girl but into wiping out everyone involved the pain she was
caused. Shots of helicopters, planes and stacks of money connote wealth and
power, suggesting that he is up against a rather large challenge. We don’t see any
more shots of his work place instead it focuses on his secret life, close up of
Denzel skilfully turning the gun round further supports the idea of past experience.
Final shot of the flames conforms to the action genre.

The sound and the editing run aside each other, as the tempo
of the music is low the speed of the shot transitioning is slow, but as the character
is revealed the tempo of the music increased, as Eminem’s Ft Sia’s Guts Over
Fear comes on the editing increased in speed adding excitement, the majority of
the trailer includes flash cutting this creates suspense and excitement making
audience keen to watch. Diegetic sound is used throughout such as conversations
and the sounds of pain that Denzel Washington’s character has delivered. Mise-
en- scene for this trailer is very basic but effective, clothing of everyone throughout
is dark colours this connotes mystery which seems to be a large part of this trailer
as it doesn’t want to give much away, instead it encourages people to watch the
film.

Horror Film Trailer - The Purge 2

             
                   

A very face paced happy song is played at the  beginning alongside a establishing shot of City/Suburb, Then jump cutting to a car driving along, again cutting to a two shot of a man and women in the car having a conversation. The music played at the beginning becomes diegectic as it is being played in the car. A match on action of the car coming to a random stop is used as the couple then panic about being out in the evening, the audience want to find out why they are so worried therefore continue to watch.A loud dull alarm is then sounded alongside a womens voice repeating, "Emergency, Emergency". Close up shots of shops being shut and locked up suggest something bad is occurring tonight. The trailer then skips back to the couple running from the vehicle. A long shot of the sun setting as day become night and "The purge" begins causes commotion and fear within households. Close up shots of locking bolts, protection and gun are shown. This makes the audience realise that the streets are a very dangerous place at this certain time and people need to be ready. Face paced and glitch editing is used to display a gang of people chasing after the couple wearing scary masks, this is a stereotype of Thriller/Horror films. The trailer ends with a variety of exciting shots showing what is going to happen in the evening while titles with one word at a time are displayed, this builds tension and the audience want to read the message. As this is one of the end things to occur the message will remain in the audiences memory creating an lasting impact.

Romance Trailer - The Fault In Our Stars

Opening titles are immediately shown as well as our first establishing shot being a starry night, this romantic setting is cliche. A voice over of a girl accompanies this as she proceeds to talk about her love for a man, we are then introduced to him through a range of close up shots of them together and kissing. Therefore the audience know that the story line is about this young couple. An extreme close up of her eyes shutting then fades into another panning shot of this girl pulling along an oxygen tank. Upbeat music is being played at this time alongside her voice over. Audiences begin to wonder what is happening and want to find more out about her welfare so their attention is firmly stuck onto the trailer. A medium 2 shot of the couple we saw at the beginning meeting shows the audience that the film will include every part of their relationship including the romantic development. Diegetic music starts to play as the titles appear saying "Based on Best Selling Novel" this attracts audience to watch the film also. Once the audience realise these two have suffered/ currently suffering from cancer they feel empathy and are more emotionally invested therefore are more likely to watch the film. The upbeat trailer then changes for the worst, the lighting darkens and the music become more dramatic as the main girl is rushed to hospital. Final part of the trailer becomes happier as is shows the couple again in a variety of medium and long shots as they spend each day with each other. The trailer ends with positive music playing.

Fantasy Trailer - The Hobbit

                 

Fantasy Trailer Analysis 

             

           
                   
 

Typical codes and conventions which are excepted in fantasy trailer is shown within first 2 seconds of the trailer, the mystical extreme long shots of beautiful forests and misty skies accompanied by a booming voice over which holds authority and knowledge. A low angle shot of an elderly man with a long beard connotes he is wise. Panning shot of a treasure looking map suggests the film contains a quest of some sort. Non Diegetic music is building in tempo, we then get a medium shot of a heard of men all of which have long beards and are holding medieval looking weapons, covered in fur suggesting they have been hunting, connoting masculinity. Shot then cuts to black until the films titles appear, the colours used are gold/brown and black are mysterious and somewhat sinister.

The entire mood of the trailer then alters, the lighting is brighter and the music is more upbeat all creating a more positive and happy feeling. A new character is introduced, he calls himself a “Hobbit” and states that he is surrounding by dwarfs all are typical stereotypes of a fantasy film. A long shot of the dwarfs head butting each other and the “hobbit” is in the background looking puzzled suggests he is different and doesn’t understand their ways of communication. Following shots of many people surrounding a dinner table having what looks like a feast as they throw food about while the hobbit awkwardly circles round them, further reinforcing the idea that he is potentially an outsider as he doesn’t behave in the same way as the others. This small scene ends on someone taking on a leadership role and shouting that about a new tail that they about to embark on.

Long shot of The Hobbit running among the chickens and shouting he is going on an adventure shows innocence as he was seen before as being manipulated by the others, the audience like The Hobbit as he is lovable and sweet. The trailer then includes a long shot of two characters, one being a women, the first women we have seen in the trailer, she is wearing white and has the sun setting behind her, with her long blond hair she symbolises an angle, this causes audience to try and figure out how her character fits into the film.

 This then swaps to a very different scene where the Hobbit is seen being confronted and threatened by a large animal, showing that he has already got into trouble, something that we expected. The audience has emotionally invested in his character therefore are intrigued to see how he gets out of this situation. Another title shot is used, showing the audience that the director is same one who directed Lord of the rings, which is another popular fantasy trilogy, therefore the audiences will trust that this film will be good down to the fact they have the same director, resulting in them being more inclined to watch the film. 

After scenes of various mythical creatures battling which each other, audience is introduced to a scary looking creepy character which is sure to leave an impact on the audience due to a close up of the characters freakish eyes that bulge out of its head. This is followed by another montage of shots showing battle and animals accompanied by dramatic and heroic music which suggests that somehow the Hobbit may come out of this victorious. All these action packed shots lead up to the reveal of the movie title, which takes a gold ring and turns it into the “O” in “The Hobbit” which makes another reference to Lord of the rings, resulting in the last message of the film being that it is associated with Lord of the Rings. The final part of the trailer shows comedy, suggesting this film is slightly different from others as it is not so serious but instead has some light hearted moments for families to enjoy.

Film Poster - Avengers

Film Poster - Bad Neighbours

                                                 
             

Comedy Trailer - Easy A

              

Unconventional beginning of the main character doing a video diary of a story she is about to tell. Upbeat and jollfull music beings to play as shots of a high school is being shown, sunny weather connotes a positive mood. Typical convention of slap stick comedy is used as the main character gets pushed over making her look very clumsy. Another unconventional moment in the trailer where a gay guy wants to date the main girl, he is then displayed as being beaten up and tormented for his sexuality which is a stereotype that many gay people are bullied at school. A medium shot is used as the main girl walks around school with many people whispering about her showing her as an outcast. Next few shots show what the film is about they contain many different settings all containing bright colours and sunny weather making the mood positive. The group of popular teenagers subverts the stereotypes as they are presented as a religious group who refrain from alcohol and sex. A short clip of her with a boy who is sticking up from her shows a possible love interest. Lady Gaga music is being played as more shots of the main character are displayed this gives the trailer a fun and unserious feel to it. A montage of scenes is used as the production titles appear as well and the title of the film. The ending dialog contains a joke which is very stereotypical.

Drama Trailer - Southpaw

                 

Trailer starts with production titles before then boxing shots are shown, showing what this film will be predominantly about and enticing sport audiences immediately. Bloody shots and punches are shown in medium shots demonstrating more of the sport side of the film and making the opening 30 seconds interesting. This is contrasted by grand surroundings and fancy dinners as the main characters daughter is shown – another character crucial to the film. After a pivotal scene in the trailer of the wife being shot there is several high angle shots of the main character to show how he is down and defeated by this loss, the trailer then changes pace as he attempts a change of personality after he loses his daughter again. There are finally some more boxing shots to reinforce the idea that this is a sport film – helps to entice the male audiences. The trailer ends with cast titles intercut with establishing shots of New York and boxing ring with the film title appearing as the last thing.

The trailer opens with more happy music as boxing _his passion is shown) and he succeeds in fighting, family shots of his wife and children are overlapped with dialogue of wife. The music changes to slightly slower, sadder song – more meaningful as he pays tribute to his wife, foreshadowing that something and may happen to her. The trailer takes a dramatic turn as a fight breaks out and guns shots are heard, a piercing ringing sound and crying can be heard as he mourns his wife, the music then turns sadder as he also loses his daughter. The final montage is fast paced with high tempo music building as he tries to get his daughter back, things seem bad, the music kicks in more high tempo as there is also dramatic pulses before the music fades out as the title is shown.

Drama Trailer - Everest

The first establishing shot of the trailer is of the mountains and in the centre – Everest, a high shot of the mountains shows it will be something hard to overcome and challenging for the characters. Establishing shot of city shows a new environment and helps in setting the narrative and story of these men to entice audiences.

An expensive shot of a plane and family shots make sure the excitement is kept whilst the audience find out more about these characters and setting up narrative. The titles “true story” is followed by many other titles which are accompanied by silence, creating suspense and allowing the audience to pose questions and worry about the characters, drawing the audience in. The titles flash up and are intercut with more dramatic scenes to raise the tempo and excitement of the trailer, there is also dramatic dialogue and multiple repeated shots of mountains to reinforce the fact that these men are putting themselves in great danger up the mountain and this story will make an interesting film . A dramatic fall and flashback to family makes audience sympathise in the final montage before a final shot of man screaming is shown showing he is the main character and the one who may go through the most pain and lost. The film title and cast list then appear before a final shot of mountain appears in a high angle shot showing is great size and reinforcing the prospect that these men have to attempt to climb it.

Dramatic music is played throughout with a dramatic monologue which sets the scene, dramatic pulses in music are used as the music builds tempo, then silence and the main character delivers his line. More dialogue is used as the narrative is set, there is then silence as titles are shown, this builds suspense before a man scream. Silence is used throughout to build tension, as the titles appear as well as after a dramatic montage of a storm, loud pulses are used as words appear to make it more dramatic and it ends with a man’s scream.

The long establishing is followed by shots of men and mountains – the two prominent things in this trailer, grand high shots of the mountains before the trailer cuts to black build more tension. High shots show surroundings and a fast paced montage of dramatic shots climaxes as he reaches the top of the mountain. Words and images flash together in a montage. There’s a fast paced dramatic end montage of love, friends, mountain with the end shot of mountain the focus of the film.

 

Romance Trailer - Dear John

         


Calm and happy tuneful music is being played right at the beginning, the audience is also presented with an attractive, athletic looking male, we assume he is the main character. As the bag falls into the water the long shot of Channing Tatum jumping heroically into the water is shown, this moulds his character making him seems caring and compassionate. A two shot is used showing the supposed main characters. Then shows a variety of shots which show they are now in a relation ship and are very happy, the girl is doing a voice over describing their love. the audience like this as romance fans love the idea of a classic and pure love story. Establishing shots of romantic places such as the beach and sunsets are shown as the titles appears across the screen. A close up of Channing Tatum in a army uniform suggests that he isn't going to be staying, which is going to cause complications in their summer romance. Aside from the twos romance storyline, we are then introduced to his dad which the audience can see is going to be another interesting storyline. A few fast pace shots then shows Channing Tatum beating someone up showing a different side of him. A typical kiss is then shared in the pouring rain this is a stereotypical convention of romance. Music then changes as he breaks the news he is going back to the army. A long shot shows the plane as he is getting off the audience start to lose hope for their relationship but this is quickly disappears as we discover they write to each other. Establishing shots of their lives apart make the audience feel sad as they hope they will remain together. A montage of emotional shots are then used filled with tears and heartbreak. A medium shot of the dad in hospital adds to the emotion making the audience want to watch the film to know how it all turns out.

Comedy Trailer - Bad Neighbours

                  

Bad Neighbours

Comedy Trailer Analysis

                   

Starts off with the titles, they appear then disappear extremely
quickly in order to keep our attention, a voice over is used as we see a few medium
shots of what seems to be a child’s photoshoot, we quickly establish that these
parents are rather quirky. The props used during the photoshoot offer humour
seen as the genre is indeed comedy. The non-diegetic music is similar to a
whistling and connotes calm and happiness.

Music slowly changes as the new neighbours are introduced,
from the variety of medium and long shot of the house and surrounding area we
have found that it is a calm and quiet place in which they are raising their
baby daughter. As the neibopurs are moving in and audiences discover it is a fraternity
house filled with 50 boys, we immediate find humour in it as well as sympathy
for the parents, there are many point of view shots, putting us in the couple
shoes, the audience would start to wonder how they would act in that situation,
therefore causing them to take time to think about the trailer, which will most
likely lead them into watching the film. The point of view shot enable the audience
to feel as if we are actually there watching them move in creating realism for
the audience.

The music and tempo of editing increases as the antics between
the neighbours increase, by the end of a clip a song called “let’s go” is
playing which get the audience pumped form a neighbourhood war. The main character
of the fraternity house is Zac Efron who is an attractive young man therefore attracts
the attention of audiences mainly female which will encourage them to watch the
film. Also other main character Seth Rogen is a very popular comedy actor,
audiences would that the film is worth a watch just from knowing that he is
starring in it.

The trailer starts of slow and calm giving the audience a
look in at the couples life, this is setting the scene, as the 50 college boys
move in next door we see the couple trying to “act cool” around them. And trying
not to be bad neighbours, the trailer includes many snippets of funny moments
which entice comedy lovers into watching it as they believe is will be jam
packed with humour.

The clothing changed throughout the clip, the couple start off
with browns and cream clothing on which connotes midlife blandness, as the neighbours
turn up they are young therefore wear bright vibrant colours to show their
youth, although as the couple compete with the frat house, their clothing
becomes brighter as they are getting in touch with their younger self in order
to compete with their “Bad Neighbours”

Horror Trailer - Carrie

                    


                  


Starts off with diegetic nursery rhyme/ poem being read out in a creepy tune setting the atmosphere for a horror. Camera then pans around a dingy room while screams are heard, the audience are all intrigued to know why there is screaming. The women who was singing is then shown cutting up fabric, the trailer is a big mystery up until now, conforming to stereotypes of horror and the idea that the fans like the fear of the unknown. Screams and banging gets louder as a close up shot of a locked door trying to be opened. This then cuts the production titles, giving the audience a moment to catch their breath. A mother a daughter storyline is then displayed the audience start to assume the little girl is going to be the main character as many horror films contain young girls as they appear vulnerable. Similar to any movie which contains teenagers in school , the main girl is usually the outcast this is clear in this trailer and she is being bullied and has no friends. As the mother and daughter are then at home we see the mother has strange beliefs and is forceful with her daughter the music and jump cuts all create suspense. The film volume goes up and down, there is a lot of whispering and then screaming. The end montage of the trailer is accompanied by loud tension filled diegetic music leaving the audience which a feeling to remember.

This is England - Drama Trailer

                         



                             

Two production titles are used at the very start of this trailer, these make the trailer look professional, they don’t stay on the screen for too long this is to make sure the audience don’t lose attention. An establishing shot is then present on a beach, there is a vandalised and worn out shack in the centre of the shot that symbolises poverty, suggesting the location of this film will be set in a beaten up area of England. Over this establishing shot is an award that the film won, this makes audiences more inclined to watch the film if they know it won best film of the independent film awards in 2006. A slow guitar intro is used. The next shot is a medium shot of a young boy walking down the road, he is walks past 3 adults, a nurse, and two butchers, this shows that people in the area have very basic jobs, suggesting it isn’t an area of wealth. Scene then fades to black, next shot we see is a long shot of the boy in his house throwing his jacket down on the floor, the furniture in the house seems cheap although there is a photo frame of the young boy on the chest of drawers, this small prop shows that he is loved in his household and cared for even though they may not be that rich.

A medium shot then shows the mother sitting on the sofa smoking, this conforms to the stereotypes of the working class that they have these bad habits such as smoking. By her hairstyle and the types of glasses frames she is wearing suggests this film is based around 1980’s. A voice over of the young boy explaining how he is getting bullied at school about his oversized trousers, the audience emphasis with the young boy as he is talking about his life, this is a convention of the drama genre. A close up shot of two smartly dressed boys in hats and ties are shown picking on the young boy, suggesting that the upper class are rude and snobbish towards the working class, when the boy retaliates in an aggressive manner he is conforming to stereotypes that his class tends to use violence to solve their problems.

The music now changes to a more fast pace, up tempo beat. The time period of the film is then shown followed by a montage of events that are happening in that era. A long shot is used showing the young boy playing outside with stuff he has most likely found suggesting he has nothing to do at home and turns to the streets to entertain himself which could potentially lead to him getting in trouble or mixing in with the wrong group. An extreme close up of a photo containing a picture of his late father in the army with his thumb stroking the side, showing the audience he still cares for his father and is definitely still effected by his death. We emphasise with the young boy for losing his dad at a young age and even more so for him being in the army.

The scene when Shawn has made new friends and is being introduced to everyone is pleasant to see by the audience as we want him to be happy, but we also realise this may be a mistake because he is a lot younger than the rest of them therefore may be susceptible to manipulation. In this scene there is graffiti on the walls behind them reinforcing the idea that the area in worn down. Since hanging around with his new “family” he has adopted new behaviour and language which isn’t appropriate for his age for example, “fricken”. The following shots are medium shot of all of them getting on together and not causing trouble therefore we as the audience feel pleased for the little boy. Happy music is played during this to keep the idea of happiness alive, the music will also reflect onto the audience.

Suddenly, the music gets a lot deeper causing the mood to drop, a high angle shot of a house with many cars parked outside with people piling in as well as the union jack being plastered around this area showing strong patriotism which is a stereotype white working class. Another high angle shot is used to show all the characters squeezed into a small room, the young boy is being introduced to who seems to be a leader. A close up of his face showing his tear tattoo which mean he has killed someone connoting strong violence, as well as the cross on his forehead connoting religion suggesting he is a strong believer in his faith. Next shot is a long shot of them both as the young boy takes a swing at the new character; we see obvious similarities between the two, the young boy has become increasingly more aggressive after meeting this man. He is encouraging the young boy to act much older than he is and when people challenge his age he will use violence to threaten others. This new character is very passionate about the rights of the white working class.

A close up shot of this man being verbally aggressive toward 3 young innocent Muslim boys, telling them to get off of “His Streets” showing strong racism, the camera then cuts the young boy, he doesn’t look phased by the situation instead he looks happy showing he has been manipulated to believe in the same things as the racist man. Another montage of events containing high emotion are shown, conforming to the typical conventions of the drama genre because there are ups and downs which keep the audience interested in how it Is going to turn out for each of the characters. The scene is ended off with a foot looking as though it is stamping on the camera taking the scene to black as well as ending on a violent note.

 Music cuts out and the camera cuts to his mother asking if he is ok, a close up of him glancing up at her quickly suggests he has seen too much and needs to be with this mother. Ending part of the trailer is them walking down the road and enjoying their time together as a friendship group, as more of the films awards pop up similar to the beginning. Trailer ends on the boy standing on the beach that we saw in the first part of the trailer, looking down, he then makes eye contact with us making the audience feel as though he is looking at us. The title of the film pops up beside him in red, white and blue colour finishing the idea of patriotism

The young boy when he first met his friends laughed a lot and wore right coloured clothes although after being introduced to the other man who has taken him under his wing he had begun to wear black clothing showing sinister behaviour. 

Typical conventions of a Fantasy Trailer

Fantasy Trailer - Conventions

• Mystical settings such as a woodland or island
• Adventurous music
• Many shots of mystical characters such as wizards, this attracts the fantasy fans as it makes it clear that it is their favourite genre
• Group of outcasts that gets social recognition by the end.

Conventions of a Film Trailer

Film Trailer - Conventions

• Include a montage of events which are fast paced to give the audience an insight of what the film will contain, making them want to see it.
• Music is key to add tension or suspense
• Depending on the genre the editing will be extremely fast or averagely fast
• Depending on the genre the lighting will change as well to reflect the mood
• The titles will be short to keep the audiences attention
• Includes the Film title making sure the audience will remember it
• rating such as 5 star are also sometime used to give the impression to the audience that it is worth seeing   

Typical conventions of a Drama Trailer

Drama Genre - Conventions

• Story line which reflects real life, serious tone to the scenes
• Someone's life is turned upside down
• Music plays a key part in adding tension - pianos play a key part in the emotional scenes  
• Family and a love interest is shown
• Main character tends to be male
• Mixture of low key and bright lighting is used

Typical conventions of a Comedy Trailer

Comedy Trailer - Conventions

• Upbeat and joyful songs to set the light hearted mood
• Cheesy one liners
• Day light and sunshine all connote happiness
• Bright colours
• Likable characters
• Many story lines

Typical conventions of a Horror Trailer

Horror Trailer - Conventions

• Dark/ low key lighting
• suspenseful music
• voice overs
• contains young girls or teenage groups
• spooky setting such as woods, cabin
• weather conditions are gloomy such as rain - reflecting the mood
• story line is basic and predictable

Typical conventions of a Romance Trailer

Romance Trailer - Conventions

• Boy meets girl
• summer romance
• Attractive couple
• Ex gets in the way
• Romantic setting e.g. beach
• happy music
• turn in events effects their relationship
• other problems in their life create a spin off story line

Typical conventions of an Action Trailer

Action Trailer - Conventions

• Certain actors appear in action films, E.g. Jason Statham
• Predictable story line
• Chase scenes, guns, explosions
• Face paced editing
• 12 or 15 certificate
• Area of romance
• Attractive leading actor
• Protagonist Vs. Antagonist

Film Poster - Johnny English

                             

Film Poster - The Hangover

                   
                                           

Film Poster - The Possession

                       

Genre Conventions - Horror

Drama Genre Conventions

Genre Conventions - Fantasy

Genre Conventions - Romance

Romance Genre Conventions 

Genre Conventions - Comedy

Genre Conventions - Action

Action Genre Conventions

Total Film Magazine - Tomb Raider 2

Total Film Magazine - Avatar

Empire Film Magazine - Batman VS Superman

                               
                                 

Empire Film Magazine - Inception

Total Film Magazine - Jack Reacher

Conventions of a Magazine Film Front Cover - Romance

Conventions of a Romance Film Magazine Front Cover 

 

Typical conventions for a romance genre for film magazine front covers include the two main characters which tend to be the male and female who are in love, either looking deeply into each others eyes symbolising their love, or the couple looking in different directions which suggests that in the film there is a point where they may not be able to be together, or finally they could both be looking ahead like the one on the left displays, this makes the audience feel they are looking directly at them, making them more inclined to purchase the magazine. Also the couples will always be touching as this clearly symbolises they are a couple letting audiences know what genre the film displayed on the magazine falls under therefore the fans of that genre can easily purchase a magazine which is linked with their interests. White, pink and red colours are used as all these colour connote love and romance.

Conventions of a Magazine Film Front Cover - Action

Conventions of an Action magazine Front Cover 

    

Although women are starting to be introduced on the front on film posters, usually on a magazine only one character appears and in many action film cases it is a strong, masculine and attractive male. This attracts the attention of both men and women for different reasons. Men as they will aspire to look and be like the male on the front cover therefore purchase the magazine whereas women are attracted to it as they like the idea of being with this man. Red, blue and white are typical colours used, these colours together connote heroism, which is also connoted through how the men are standing strong and making direct eye contact with the audience, making them feel more incline to purchase the magazine.

Conventions of a Magazine Film Front Cover

Conventions of Film Magazine Front Covers 

Codes and convention of film posters tend to stay generally the same no matter what genre they are advertising, the typical conventions include, the obvious title of the magazine in large font at the top of the page, eye catching buzz words such as FREE and NEW are essential in making the audience more attracted to the magazine. Information is all over the magazine such as anchorage text which overlaps the image, this gives the magazine a neat and sophisticated look, there is also the essential information such as barcode,date and issue number these details tend to be small. Conventions which differ depending on the genre are the colour scheme as certain colours connote certain moods. Also the banner of the magazine which tells you about what can be found inside and finally and properly the most attention grabbing, what image is on the front, this tends to be big a interesting image which sometimes overlaps the title.

Conventions of a Magazine Film Front Cover - Horror

Conventions of a Horror Magazine Front Cover

   
    

Conventions of a horror magazine consist of an obvious feature which is red, red untimely connotes danger, blood and violence, all areas which a horror lover looks for. Black is also used to fill out the majority of the colour again this connotes danger and mystery. All magazine above have a close up face on which odd features such as a red eye, this allows the audience to quickly distinguish that this is a horror edition. Similar to other magazines there is a lot going on to grab people attention, horror genre tends to have other aspects of horror on the front of the magazine. Also the title of the film always tend to be visible but this biggest writing is the title of the magazine.

Conventions of Film Poster - Horror

Horror Film Poster Conventions

Typical conventions which appear on a Horror film poster tend to be mainly the idea of eyes, either eyes with no life in them or something crawling out of the eye, which is seen in the poster above, as a someone/ something's finger tips are coming out of the eye suggesting this person has an inner being. Another convention is screaming on the front cover, suggesting something within the film is horrifying making the audience wonder what is so terrifying therefor making them want to see it. The stereotypical colour scheme for a horror poster is dark gloomy colours such as, black, grey and red as all connote horror. A way of informing the audience that the film will contain gore and violence is displaying a weapon on the poster, such as a blade of some sort or another weapon but they don't tend to be guns as that doesn't associate itself with a gory death. The type of font used tends to be clear to see and blocky unlike swirly writing which you may find on a romance poster.

Conventions of Film Poster - Romance

Stereotypes of Romance film posters

Soft, light colours are used to connote romance and appeal to a certain target audience. Similar to every film poster the main character(s) are on the front, but in romance genre the tend to always be touching, or gazing into each other eyes this makes it easy for people to quickly distinguish the genre and whether or not they are interested in it. Another stereotype are the taglines which grab the audiences attention for example, "Live, Love, Let go" on Charlie St Cloud's film poster, this makes the audience think what could happen. The most famous actors names are displayed on the poster, to entice fans of those actors.

Conventions of Film Poster - Drama

Conventions of a Drama Film Poster

Typical colours displayed on Drama posters are gold and blue and these colours connote heroism which tend to be a convention within a drama film. Unlike other genres, drama film posters have the actors looking rather serious, due to genre being quite serious as a whole. The posters compared to others are more detailed and "dramatic". The actors also look directly down the barrel of the lens so it looks like they are looking and addressing you in particular which makes you more likely to go and see it. Similar to other posters there are the typical actors names and film title.



Conventions of Film Poster - Comedy

Conventions of a Comedy Film Poster

The colour scheme for a Comedy film poster are usually colourful containing bright and eye catching colours as these connote fun, which comedy movies tend to be all about .Typical comedy actors such as  Jonah Hill will be present to show audiences immediately that is most likely a comedy as certain actors are associated with certain genres. Another convention is an obvious funny front cover, the funnier the poster is the more you think it will be a humorous films, making you more inclined to see it. Funny tag lines are also used to attract attention. The titles are bold and clear making them easy to see and remember.

Conventions of Film Poster - Action

Action Film Poster Conventions 

         

From the picture above it is clear that blue, black and red tend to be the typical colour used on the front of an action film poster as they connote heroism, mystery and violence which are all aspects of this genre, typically on the front there is a good looking, in shape male which male audiences hope to look like and female audience hope to have. Although recently women are starting to become more than a person who needs the males help in films, there are becoming more developed characters therefore will appear more on the front of the posters, such as iron man although she isn't the biggest person on the front, she still holds authority. Another convention is the use of weapons on the front of the poster this is to show the audience is it an action film and that violence will be in the film. The background of the posters tend to have a city or a recognisable area in the background so the audiences can relate to the location. Finally, The film title much like every other genre are clear to see and vary in colour but typically in gold and silver colours.

Conventions of Film Poster - Fantasy

Fantasy Film Poster Conventions

   
         
             

 Mostly all Fantasy film settings tend to be rural for example the forest or a woodland, therefore a typical convention of the film poster would display trees and woodland letting the audience know where the film will be set. As fantasy films tend to contain mystery lights and mist are on the poster as the connote mystery. characters on the poster aren't similar to any other genre instead they contain wizards and hobbits and mythical beasts this allows fantasy genre fans to be able to quickly notice if its genre was fantasy. Title of fantasy films are always visible to people are able to remember them. Colour scheme are greens and blues and the connote nature. Actors names are sometimes displayed at the top but for this genre it is not always essential.