FILM TRAILERS Film trailers are like music videos

FILM TRAILERS

Film trailers are like music videos. Why?

Make the following website your go to source for film trailers when working through the tasks in this booklet and completing practice papers: http: //trailers. apple. com/ The ones that you look at in detail should be recorded in your ‘Record of examples of different media texts’ book

Click to watch the trailer for the film Mad Max Fury Road. Unjumble the key features below. MAD MAX FURY ROAD TRAILER(10, 7) CSDTIERPODRUCIONT ANRARTEVIETUSP (9, 3, 2) TORANRAR (8) CTORSA (6) SCHACOSEUPLOFCTARERS (5, 3, 2, 10) RVEOVICEO (9) FLLOOGMICPOMAYN (4, 7, 4) SEEESCNKY (3, 6) IITTLMLEF (4, 5) ETADESAELER (7, 4) ROMTAF (6) MUCDISRAAMTCI (8, 5) ECTFFESSUNOD (5, 7) TIIAESTDNGFPAEC (4, 7, 4) NEMASDRRECTOI (9, 4) URHETORQIESTONSALCI (10, 9)

Much of what you know about film posters can be applied to film trailers and the work that you have done regarding television can also be used, so let’s just concentrate on the features that are particular to trailers, e. g. q. The use of graphics q. The audio codes q. The editing

Graphics are used to reinforce the name of the film, its stars and its genre. Look at these examples. The Thor title is written big and bold, surrounded by a dark, stormy sky giving connotations of action and power associated with the word. The Despicable Me logo is a lot more playful and friendly in its design but also included is a mysterious silhouette of the ‘villain’ to contradict that and set up an enigma. The Dad’s Army title gives clues to it setting and a sense of patriotism, as well as harking back to the sitcom on which the film is based.

Design a logo for a new film called Casablanca if it were a science fiction film, a western or a war film. SCI-FI WESTERN WAR FILM

Audio codes Music You will probably find that the music used in a film trailer is the same as that used in the actual film. If a film is part of a series you will probably hear similar music in each one to create a sense of expectation and familiarity. Watch trailers for the James Bond or Indiana Jones films and you will hear the same pieces of music used over and over again. The music used tends to be very genre-specific and can also be quite dramatic, you may also see the editing pace in synch with the music to create even more impact. Sound effects The use of sound effects in a trailer can place the film in a particular genre, for example gun shots and explosions in an action film. Voiceover The voiceover in a film trailer will usually be done by a voiceover artist and will act to link the shots together that have been chosen for the trailer and build up suspense and excitement giving promises of pleasure to the audience. Sometimes you will hear the actors provide a voiceover in the first person to set up the narrative.

Audio codes ‘Watch’ these trailers without the picture so you concentrate fully on the sound. NO CHEATING. What audio codes do you hear that indicate the genre and audience of the film? Trailer 1 choose the middle one from the choice of three at the bottom. Trailer 2 choose the on the right from the choice at the bottom. Trailer 3 Complete the grid on the next page…

Audio codes in trailers grid 1. 2. 3.

Editing The trailer will be constructed and the best extracts from the film will be selected to attract an audience. The chosen extracts will also establish the narrative strands in the film and may include some of the plot situations. These may be recognisable to an audience who are familiar with the genre These stills from the trailer for the film ‘Dream House’ demonstrate that it is from the thriller/horror genre. How?

Editing What you should have noticed… In three of the shots the lighting is low-key. The actors are lit only by lamps surrounded by darkness. The clothing and expression makes the family look vulnerable – the mother is wearing white in two shots. The close up of the scream and the iconography of the knife are conventions of the genre. Editing - pace The editing pace of a trailer is very quick. The producers have to pack an awful lot in to a very short amount of time. There are probably at least three times as many shots in a 90 second trailer than there are in a 90 second film or television sequence.

AS Media Studies Practice question 9 Study two film trailers from different artists and genres. 1. Analyse both trailers commenting on: · visual and audio codes · genre conventions used · narrative [40] Spend no more than a total of 50 minutes on this question. Please ensure it is clear which film trailers you have used to answer this question.