Trailers

• What is a trailer?

A trailer is a short film clip, used to advertise an upcoming film to audiences. There are two types of trailer, teaser and theatrical trailers. A teaser trailer’s purpose is a clip usually lasting around a minute in length, and is released a long time before the film itself is due to be released, between 12 and 18 months. The teaser often contains little actual film footage or information, so to ‘tease’ the audience with it, but generate interest.

A theatrical trailer is full length, usually lasting a few minutes, and will contain more footage from the film and dialogue, sometimes including voiceovers to deliver a narrative.

For example, here are two trailers for , the first being a teaser trailer and the second is the full length theatrical trailer.

• Where might a trailer be seen? How will different formats affect the viewing of the trailer?

A trailer might be seen on television, as well as on the internet, and even on mobile phones and iPods. The increasing way of viewing trailers means it is accessible to more people and can attract a bigger audience. Viewing trailers on the Internet and mobile phones means that people are able to view with others, sending trailers on to people after having seen it themselves.  Trailers are shown in places where people are guaranteed to see them, such as the television. They are often used in advert breaks to gain attention and generate interest, and with more and more people accessing the internet, trailers are very likely to be viewed on there as well.

• What are genre conventions?

Genre conventions are what are typically linked with a genre in film, for example how a typical convention for a horror film would be the colour red, often symbolising danger, blood, anger or death. A horror film could not be a horror film without most of the typical conventions.
 I've decided to use the horror/thriller genre for the film package, as I think I will be more able to produce a convincing trailer as opposed to creating a drama or romantic comedy etc. I also think it will be easier to produce as opposed to a sci-fi, as it would be hard to find locations and make it look realistic.

• Watch 3 trailers for films in your chosen genre, Analyse them in terms of their style, music, stars, plot, editing, graphics etc. Upload them from you tube to your blog if possible.

Case 39

This trailer stars several well known movie stars including Bridget Jones' Renee Zellweger, which is important because it attracts different audiences to the film who may be fans of the actors. A film will be successful depending on how large an audience it attracts so it is important to include different aspects that will attract varying audiences.
The trailer uses music that builds suspense, which adds to the tension of the horror film. This, combined with a lot of fast-paced editing creates drama and adds to the suspense.

"Chain Letter"



As with Case 39, this film uses dramatic music to build suspense, and teams it with a lot of fast cuts to create effect. Chain Letter uses typical horror conventions, involving a lot of blood and violence. In terms of the films stars, Nikki Reed features in this trailer, famously known from teen movie Twilight. Fans of hers may be attracted to this film, which would attract a larger target audience.

"Scream 4"



Finally, this trailer stems from the well known Scream series of films. This would attract fans of the previous films, and includes several of the original stars, which would maintain much of the original audience.
As this film is a sequel, the first few shots are of the protagonists, as the audience would recognise these characters.
 The trailer doesn't give a lot about the narrative away, but uses music that builds suspense, as commonly seen with the other trailers. The cuts become faster throughout to add to the drama, and create that uneasy feeling in the audience.


 

• List five events that we see in the trailer and alongside these, the questions that each event raises.

• Which of the trailers you have seen gives a strong indication of the narrative in

the film? Make a list of the features that are needed for this to happen.

• Which trailers do NOT give you a great deal of information about the narrative?
• What DO they convey? What elements do they use to do this?
•  Analyse the posters for your 3 trailers, do they follow a consistent theme?
•  Can you find a magazine cover for one of the 3 films, if so who does it include, what are

the tag line used, does it follow a consistent theme?