Film Trailers

Trailer Questions
1) What cinematic techniques are used to establish mood and tone?
2) How does the trailer establish the themes and narrative?
3) How does the trailer establish genre?
4) Who is the target audience and how is this audience targeted in this trailer?
5) What is the reason/ effect for using the director's name and previous work?

1) First of all a dark and suggestive orchestral soundtrack is used, the sounds also link with events from the trailer, for example the bass increases when the water ripples to enhance the serious and existential tone of the film. There are lots of close up shots and Leonardo Di Caprio to show his main and leading role, and how he emotionally reacts during the film, this helps the viewer gain and understanding of what sort of mood the film should follow. An action slow motion is shown to portray the high intensity and quality of Inception, it shows that it is a high concept and high budget film that should and will gain a Blockbuster status. A voice over taken from the film is louder than the music and roughly explains the philosophy from the narrative of Inception, this helps the audience to understand the tone of the film, and hope to establish genre. Only scenes of emotional intensity and what looks like occurrences of disasters are really shown to push the idea of dark and futuristic tone.

2) Themes of the existential are brought up throughout the voice over, this is directly establish but the meaning can be lost due to the incredible cinematic. The theme of a dystopia are brought about as the bending world is shown, also an example of the CGI that is used heavily through out the film, this is also true of a POV shot through a window and a city on fire, tying in with a typical disaster movie theme. Narrative is not portrayed as especially fluid in the film, we can understand that Di Caprio is a central ‘hero’ character who is trying to save himself in a changing mind warping, dangerous planet, and that he develops bad and good relationships with people.

3) Genre is established through the full on soundtrack that stays at the same high tempo throughout the trailer, this shows its an non stop action type film. We soon find out that the film is no so typical and has an existential genre to it , (similar to The Matrix) we learn this through the voice over and scenes of un typical disaster scenarios, such as the cup tilting. The action side is made very clear with Di Caprio in a suit running with a gun ( James Bond- Hero character) and a rail car steaming down a main city road un controlled.

4) The core audience age of 15-24 I think is the audience target age, as most of the characters are fairly young who are central to the piece, the age correlates with the action genre in which this age its appeals most to. The action adventure audience are particularly targeted as action scenes dominate the trailer, although there is the niche market of existential film viewers target at the same time. Another niche are CGI fanatics where in the trailer its is clear millions of dollars have been spent to create a realistic future environment.

5) ‘From the Director of ‘The Dark Knight’’ is used to show off that the director of Inception has created a previous Blockbuster, and this is almost treated as a guarantee that Inception will follow up to the previous standards. Film enthusiasts will also know instantly from this fact given in text that Nolan is also accountable for ‘Momento’ and ‘ The prestige’ which are two other very well received films, this showcasing in the trailer acts as a pull factor for the market of ‘The Dark Knight’.
1) How does this trailer promote and focus on the big star? (look at camera work, editing, sound...etc..)

2) Action films are thought to appeal to a predominately male audience. How does this trailer target both a female and male audience separately?

3) How does this trailer use editing to create atmosphere?

1) The trailer heavily promotes Angelina Jolie as ‘Salt’, this first establishing shot of a close up of her this tells the audience that she belongs as the central and key character. There are many other clips of her close up, this allows and audience to adjust to a the actress and we see dialogue with her and man to establish what sort of role she will be playing. The tagline question is used ‘Who is Salt?’ and later indirectly the titles answer with bold silver font ‘Angelina Jolie this helps to create hype around the character. Jump cuts are made between the different stages and images of ‘Salt’ this makes her seem like a strong and unique character.

2) Putting it bluntly Angelina Jolie oozes sex appeal for the male audience and once again she is shown in this light as she has a number of tight outfits, carries weapons ( Lara Croft imagery) and is shown to be enjoying some sort of sex in the trailer. As we soon find out her role isn’t that typical and she is shown to be a strong and vastly independent woman fighting at first with the law and suddenly against, this now pleases a male and female audience, helping to widen the audience as much a possible for the film

3) At first slow motion shots and cut together to give a brief narrative and understanding of Jolie’s initial role, close ups are used to create mystery and intensity. Then unusually for a trailer a long scene is shown to promote the narrative, interweaved this scene jump cuts between this scene to show the audience what the narrative speech translates to visually in the film, this creates and air of lure for the audience as its already gets you asking questions and doubting characters within the film. The trailer is very involving and you a given a range of different shots of ‘Salt’ in various situations, this creates and tense atmosphere in which the viewer wants more from the trailer, this is incredibly successful as a trailer as narrative and tone are both made very clear.

Heartbreaker
Look at these different trailers and make notes on the difference between them and the reasons for these differences
- Look at the different tone - the editing, sound (especially v/o), camera shots
UK-
Fast paced. Familiar soundtrack. Different women. Central character displayed. Brief voice over the beginning to establish seemingly simple narrative. Simple title is shown. Followed by a finishing ‘joke’. Character to be shown in a very good light.

Europe-
Initial brief voice over. Character to be shown in bad and scandalous light, not
very likable. Titles of other actors displayed. Far less raunchy compared to the UK.

French-
Character shown in a clumsy selfish light. More characters are introduced, the team of 3. Voice over again used much like the other, all three use same shot of slow motion feet walking. Also uses a joke but this time at the beginning of the trailer.

MAIN DIFFERENCES:
Order of trailer narrative

Portrayal of Main character

How the character turns out