RESEARCH: WHY IS A FILM TRAILER MADE?

 

I looked at three trailers on the Teaching Trailers Resource supplied by the FDA online in order to further my understanding of why trailers are made and how they signal the film's genre.

The trailers that I viewed:

The Mustang

Came across as a Drama. The main character is a violent prisoner, in the movie he is tasked to train with the Mustang. The film also looks like it would fit into the western and fantasy genres due to the fact that there are western elements like cowboys and it is set in Nevada.

Fast & Furious

Came across as an Action Adventure film due to the fast paced editing and the stunts shown throughout the trailer. The upbeat non-diegetic music also helps present the genre. The 'childish' stunts also helped show the genre and it showed that the target audience is varied. It can attract a lot of younger audiences however there will still be adults that will want to watch.

Artemis Fowl

Came across as a Fantasy/Sci-Fi filmed with a very young target audience due to the fact the central character was a child who seemed to swagger his way through the scene. The film exploited children's love of magic and adventure in its beautiful sets and its scenes of fantastic transformations such as the magical set-piece scene in which an old woman tranforms into a 

RESEARCH: WHAT IS A FILM TRAILER?

I have started further research into trailers using the FDA, Teaching Trailers online course, from which these resources come,

I watched the trailer for Booksmart before considering the following questions about trailers in general.

The marketing campaign for a film is the different ways in which the film’s ‘message’ is presented to potential audiences.

1. What do you think are the major elements of a film marketing campaign? Taking as example, the marketing campaign for Black Panther, marketing covered a huge spread, from all the convergent links on the BP film website such as social media links, as well as merchandise, film formats like DVD, BluRay film trailers, posters and connected events such as star appearances.

2. Where might you expect to see each of the different parts of the marketing campaign? In cinema (trailers) and on TV; online (film website with convergent links to twitter, instagram, youtube, blog posts by influencers and fans; TV and chat shows; newspaper reports and features; P&A (quad posters, fleet media, cinema lobby posters); radio shows; magazine articles.

3. What factors make you want to go and see a film? How do you decide which films to see? For me the trailer plays a big part in whether i want to go and see the film or not. Having a gripping trailer will either make me watch it or push me away. The genre conveyed through the trailer also helps with my decision. Posters also play a big part to see certain directors and actors that are starring in that particular film which will lure me in to watch it.

During my study of the film industry last year, i learnt about how both Hollywood majors and UK independent films created different marketing campaigns to reach and engage their audiences. A film marketing campaign may cover many different ways in which the film's message is presented to potential audiences.

 

FILM POSTER ANALYSIS

 

TRAILER ANALYSIS

 American Sniper (2014)

At the very beginning of the trailer, the audience get a sense of the atmosphere through audio codes. There is non-diegetic sound when the explosions are going off in the background. Through different camera angles the viewers are able to get an idea of the setting and the emotions of the soldier. A close-up shot is used to get right into the face of the soldier, allowing the audience to see and feel his emotion in the moment. The camera then hard cuts to an extreme wide shot which shows everything including the setting, the soldiers and everything going on underneath them. Hand-held camera shots are used throughout the trailer which can make the audience feel more engrossed and it feels as if you are in the action. As the trailer progresses it becomes more obvious that Bradley Cooper is the main character throughout the movie as there are flashbacks to his family when he has his sniper aiming at a child. Throughout the fast paced flashback cuts, it allows you to build a rapport with the character as you get to see inside his life. 

The whole trailer has a very bland colour palette which helps to establish the genre of war and conflict. A bland colour palette suits this type of genre as there is always so much damage done to the locations that you would expect it to be very dark and damaged. The trailer builds up suspense which makes you want to watch further when he is aiming at the child and is hesitating on what to do. At this point there are lots of hard cuts with flashbacks which makes it seem as if everything is building up in his head as he needs to make a decision.

Gravity (2013)

From the opening few seconds of the trailer, straight away the genre is exposed. There are 4 lines of text to open the story and then the audience are brought into outer space where everything seems to be going wrong. There is lots of panic which is also enhanced by the shaky camera. When there is contact on the spaceship, the camera is also jolted which creates more of an atmosphere and it makes you feel as if you are in the action. 

From these opening seconds, audience can see that it is a thriller. There is a constant tracking shot of the astronaut which gives the impression that she is never going to get out of the situation and it is endless. Music is played in the background which helps create tension throughout the trailer. As the music is gradually building up in levels and tempo, it makes it seem as if something is building up and it's leading us to a big event throughout the film.

Towards the end of the trailer, there is a lot of fast paced editing as the camera cuts from one shot to another. There is an overlay of the astronauts rapid breathing which sets the tempo for the edits, as each shot is matched to the breathing. As this is happening a voiceover of George Clooney begins as he talks to the astronaut about her life and where she lives. This gives off the impression that it could potentially be the end of her life. This is due to the fact that the fast paced breathing shows panic and the emotional voiceover can connote that something bad has happened in the film and the audience want to know more.

Cloverfield (2008)

The trailer for Cloverfield relies heavily on editing techniques in order to create atmosphere. There is constant rapid cuts between shots which exaggerates how everyone is panicking and something bad is happening in the film. There are a range of camera techniques and the camera is almost always hand held which makes it more shaky and feels more realistic in the moment. At points the audience can feel as if the camera is in a POV shot of the characters as they rush through the busy scene. The quick cuts between shots also makes the story more extreme and intense which helps connote the thriller genre. 

The trailer is edited well to the point where the storyline isn't given away, this is achieved through the quick cuts between shots and also through dialogue. When the character is talking directly to the camera he says "you know more about it than I do", this makes the audience want to watch more as we don't actually know whats happened and in reality we know less than what he does.

Nocturnal Animals (2016)

To open the trailer, the audiences attention is brought onto what seems to be the main character straight away. Due to the fact there is an extreme close up shot of her face you get the idea that the film could revolve around her. The editing is done in a way where the cuts between shots matches up with the tempo of the piano. This helps create atmosphere and also matches the genre. 

As action starts to build up throughout the trailer, the music also changes and picks up in tempo as the camera shows two cars which are about to collide. As this happens the family appear in shot just before everything goes black. This shows there was potentially a big accident and this matches the thriller genre.

Throughout the trailer there are also intertitles which help sell the film as some Hollywood stars names appear on screen. This also allows the audience to build rapports with the characters especially if they are already familiar with the actors.

Birth of a Nation (2016)

To open the trailer, on screen are the awards that they have obtained which they show to the audience before the trailer has even begun. By doing this, it allows the audience to recognise that the film should be of good quality.

The camera follows one character for most of the trailer which shows that it is all about him and his story which helps show the genre of biography/drama and the fact that it is based on a true story could also link to the history genre. Another reason this links into the history genre is due to the mise en scene. The setting and the attire helps show this is based in a past-time as you don't see people where the outfits that the people in the film are wearing.

There is a contrast between the scenery and the colour palette in this trailer. The colours are very washed and dark which creates an emotional and sad atmosphere but everything else is very scenic and fresh. Throughout the trailer the song 'Rise Up' is played which also makes everything a lot more emotional and atmospheric and the song sets the tone for the film.