The Purpose of a Trailer

A marketing campaign is a company’s effort to increase awareness for a particular product or service. Marketing campaigns are needed in the film industry to promote films and in a way, film trailers are seen as marketing campaigns, as their purpose is to promote the film.

When a film is released at the cinema it has only a short space of time to become a ‘box-office hit’. The marketing campaign plays a vital role in telling the potential audience about the film and in encouraging them to see it in the cinema. The company who own the film and loan it to the cinema to show for a period of time are called the distributors, because they distribute the film around the country.

The distributors want the film to be as successful as possible so they create a
marketing campaign which aims to raise awareness of the film and arouse interest. In this way the distributors stand the best chance of making a profit on the film.
The trailer is very important in distributing a film, as it determines whether or not audiences will want to see it. Other than hearing about a new film from friends or family, or seeing it on a poster or website, I ultimately make the decision whether or not to go to the cinema and pay to see a film by watching the trailer for it, as the trailer shows clips from the film, and pieces them together to create the general story of it, whilst not giving away the ending and enticing a potential audience to go and see what it is. Posters are important in capturing the initial interest of the audience but they cannot convey the excitement and atmosphere of film in the same way as a trailer does.

Film Poster Analysis

Analysis for ‘Candy’ film poster

The film poster for the 2006 film ‘Candy’ uses Chiaroscuro lighting to add deep focus to the two only characters shown, which cover the whole of the poster. In terms of mise-en-scene, these two characters are the only people or objects visible to the audience, suggesting they are the focus of the entire film. The characters consist of a male and a female, holding hands and touching each other’s face, which shows the intimate relationship the characters have, they also share certain similarities such as their hair looking quite dishevelled and what appears to be gravitating behind them, suggesting the two are lying next to each other; another example of their closeness.

The female character on this poster looks to be smiling at the male character, however her eyes are very squinted and her mouth is very wide which indicates she is not only smiling but laughing. She also appears to be rather plain in terms of make-up as she doesn’t seem to be wearing much, and as stated previously her hair is dishevelled and somewhat wavy; suggesting to an audience that this character is not really ‘into’ looks and breaks the female stereotype. Although, she has light blonde hair which is seen as feminine and creates the stereotype ‘dumb blonde’ or ‘ditsy’.

This character also adds colour to this poster as she is wearing a low cut top which could be a dress, although the medium two shot of the assumed couple does not reveal anything below the chest. This piece of clothing consists of bright colours such as green, blue, red and yellow which when put together connotes happiness and fun. She is also wearing light pink nail polish which is also feminine and shows she has put some effort into her appearance.

The male character in this poster is wearing a light blue t-shirt which connotes neutrality and masculinity. He is also looking back at the female character with squinted, happy eyes and an open, smiling mouth which too, suggests he is laughing. Although his head is level with hers, creating equality between the two, he has his hand covering half of her face which gives him some power over her and shows that he is in control and holds more status on this poster.

His hair is brown and curly, although appears wet and so indicates to the audience that it is greasy and unkempt, similar to hers. Whereas the female character is plain, he on the other hand is wearing an earring and has a small tattoo on his neck which signifies rebellion and individuality.

The font used for this film poster is sans serif which is considered plain, although this contrasts with the bright coloured colours used for it; green, blue and pink which together connote happiness, however the title of the film, ‘Candy’ is in pink which suggests this film is feminine and so the film appeals to female audiences more than male.

This film poster does use conventions which follow the dramatic romance genre, by relying only on a picture of the two main characters, showing them lying next to each other closely which shows the close, intimate relationship they have. However, the poster fails to show the conventions of the dangerous lifestyles they have within the film, which involves drugs, drink, prostitution and mental instability.

Analysis of Dark Knight Film Trailer

The title is just The Dark Knight, not Batman: The Dark Knight. The audience know that this is from the Batman franchise due to the logo in the background and the use of Batman in the trailer. The title for the Dark Knight has a blue filter to make it appear colder, more dangerous and more serious. The background is predominantly black which links in to the idea of ‘Batman’- he operates mainly at night, and in this film, his 'dark' personality is portrayed. The letters are bold, sans serif making it more masculine, less formal and modern to appeal to the target audience of young males and other thriller fans. ‘The Dark Knight’ is more morally ambiguous than usual super-heroes. ‘Knight’ and ‘night’ are homonyms which creating a play on words signifying that is he is a vigilante in the night-time; as opposed to Harvey Dent who is the 'White Knight', fighting crime with the law in the daytime. Black on black emphasises the authority which suggests that the film is not purely based on death. The letters are spread out and are in capitals, making it clearer to read and making the name appear more significant. The studio titles are set against a dark shadowy sky scape and the Warner Bros. logo which is normally gold with blue skies and fluffy clouds has been changed to a much darker sombre image which signifies the mood and genre of the film – dark, mysterious and scary.

In terms of non-diegetic music, there are sudden percussive sounds coming in with the clips, adding drama and suspense. The music is mysterious and heroic due to its low pitch, fast tempo and harsh pulses, reflecting the mood of the film. There are silences before the Joker speaks which act as dramatic pauses and make The Joker’s voice seem more dark and sinister. For example, when the Joker says “Good evening ladies and gentlemen” there is a blank screen which creates an ominous effect and unease in the audience as we are unable to see who is speaking. With diegetic sound, the narrators of the trailer are in fact the characters as The Joker begins it by saying “Where do we begin”. He was used as an introduction as it makes the trailer darker in tone and links to Ledger's death as a selling point.

The genre is action, thriller and hero film; the conventions of which are fast paced clips, suspension through exciting music, many explosions and the use of dark colours in the character clothing, set design, and filters used on the footage.

The key audience is mainly male teenagers (15+). This can be gathered from the explosions and the connotations of the colours used. The trailer appeals to their key demographic by using very masculine colours e.g. black, blue. However, thought there are a lot of explosions, there is also character exposition and development of wider themes, such as romance and humour, which appeals to a broader audience. It also appeals to adults for nostalgic purposes as Batman is a well known and an established franchise.

The producers aim to appeal to the widest audience as possible. They do this by trying to get a low film certificate, and using a variety of conventions to attract fans of different genres: such as action or romance aspects. They do this for commercial success, and to secure future funding for possible sequels and therefore, further profit. However, whilst trying to widen their audience, they must still make sure that trailer demonstrates that the film is different from other releases in the genre with a unique selling point.

One unique selling point is that usually although super-hero films include action, they are not as 'dark' or serious as this film. This makes it seem more adult and thriller like; although it still got a 12A rating. The character of Batman is also a unique selling point in this film. He is a well established hero and they make a point of this by including the logo in the flames and the title. Similarly, the Joker is unique to the Batman films. Although the film stereotypically has hero and villain characters, this film makes it unique by making Batman seem morally ambiguous as he is not always just good. This reflects real life and makes it more like a thriller, creating another unique selling point. This will allow the audience to relate to the film.

Another selling point is Heath Ledger's role in the trailer. His part in the film gained huge attention after his sudden death, combined with his posthumous nominations and awards.

Analysis of Candy Film Trailer

The trailer for ‘Candy’ begins with soft non-diegetic music playing along with the production company logo, ‘ThinkFilm’. A low angled medium close-up shot is shown of a man diving into water, which straight away signifies neutrality and tranquility for an audience, suggesting this film is a romantic one. A non-diegetic voice over begins with a deep male voice, most probably the thoughts of the man jumping into the water as a two shot is shown of the man kissing a woman under the water. The soft non-diegetic music starts again with an underwater shot of bubbles rising to the surface, again connoting calmness and neutrality.

Another two shot is shown of the couple swimming underwater, which dissolves into a close-up of a water ripple onscreen. The non-diegetic voice also starts again with, ‘when I first met Candy’ as we see a medium shot of the girl opening a door, suggesting to the audience that the woman is the eponymous hero; Candy. The girl is wearing a colourful summer dress which connotes happiness and sets the scene in terms of what time of year this is. She also has blonde wavy hair which suggests she is a feminine character and a ‘free spirit’ by wearing her hair down as well as such a colourful dress.

A low angle long shot is shown of gold stars falling from the sky, which is shown to be a match-on-action shot as they are shown falling on Candy from a high angled close-up shot. A long shot is then shown of people in formal attire, Candy in the middle holding balloons and smiling, suggesting this is her family and they are celebrating a special occasion. This shot which connotes happiness and excitement is then contrasted by a cut to a two shot of the couple sitting outside in what appears to be an neglected garden with bricks strewn everywhere and overgrown plants, which signifies a certain isolation and strange, obliviousness the couple have toward the world around them, which brings the two closer together, allowing the audience to focus on their relationship.

A medium two shot is then shown of the couple in a car alone; again, showing their isolation from the outside world. This then leads to other two shots of the couple, lying in bed next to one another, kissing, and just looking at one another which makes the audience feel uneasy at this strange, dysfunctional and warped relationship the two have, which is portrayed more as an addiction than love.

A medium shot of a middle-aged woman dressed smartly is shown crying and asking, ‘what happened to my beautiful little girl?’ which suggests she is the mother of Candy and is concerned for her wellbeing and safety. The couple are then individually shown in medium close-ups, crying and looking exhausted and ill. A two shot is then shown of Candy slapping the man across the face which shows the audience that the relationship is becoming dangerous and violent. The exhausted looks on their faces suggest they have been taking drugs and the violence proves this assumption further as the effects are highlighted.

A black screen is shown at the climax of this heated, volume increasing, speed increasing part of the trailer, before the contrasting first clip is shown again, only with Candy underwater, not her lover. More two shots are then shown of the two hugging and kissing, but not in a passionate way as before, more so a desperate and needy way as they are both suffering with drug addictions. The male’s non-diegetic voice over starts again with, ‘I wasn’t trying to wreck Candy’s life’, which suggests to the audience that he was the one to start her using drugs.

A long shot of Candy getting into a parked car on a street at night is shown, suggesting she is prostituting herself, as a close-up is then shown of her lover watching in a car behind. Close-ups of him and Candy are then shown smiling and happy, before a high angled close-up of the man screaming in a shower is shown, connoting fear and pain, usually a convention used in horror films to portray danger. More two shots are shown of the couple; happy, smiling, kissing and cuddling, before the white bold title fades in with a black background, ‘Candy’ followed by, ‘more is never enough’ which is an ambiguous phrase for an audience, as it could be referring to the love between the couple, or the drugs they take.

Analysis of Trainspotting Film Trailer

The trailer for ‘Trainspotting’ begins with a sound effect of a non-diegetic train, as we see black and white production company logos of ‘Lionsgate’ and ‘Miramax’. The sound effect stops and loud, fast paced non diegetic music starts with a medium long shot of a man shown running through an urban street. A non diegetic voice over is then heard with a low pitched Scottish accent, which is calm and descriptive, as opposed to the action onscreen. Also, this is suggested to be the voice or thoughts of the man running as it is played along with him. The man has a shaven head and an earring in which suggest that he is stereotypically a criminal. He is running with a man who looks similar to himself, and is wearing the same type of clothes; jeans, a plain t-shirt and a jacket. The men have worried looks on their faces which to an audience, suggests they are running from something or someone. Two men are shown in the background also running, both wearing smart suits, contrasting with the first two men and separating the four in class; the two men in the foreground being of a lower class that the two in the background.

A jump cut shows the men running again but lower down, focusing on their legs and the fast speed, which is accompanied still by the fast paced music. A panning shot of a low angle is then seen of the man running down some stairs, and by the focus being on him, it is clear to an audience that he is the main character of this film. A diegetic sound of a car screeching to a halt is heard as the man slides across the bonnet in another medium long shot; this adds to the excitement and makes this chase more interesting for an audience.

The man is shown through a medium shot in black and white, stood still and laughing, with a reflection of light on the screen, suggesting that the point of view is from inside the car looking at him, and showing him finding danger comical, this signifies to an audience that this man has mental problems, or has a drug problem, which is the basis of the film, ‘Trainspotting’. A red box with a bold white font reading, ‘Renton’ wipes across the screen before the man, showing this is his name.

The mise-en-scene uses colour again as we see a two shot of the man and a woman, wearing a sparkly dress and a red coat, connoting femininity and passion, as the colour red connotes passion and love. The non diegetic voice over changes to a woman’s voice, in a higher pitch but still in a Scottish accent, which suggests this woman he is with is now speaking. ‘A little bit crazy, a little bit bad’ are words used by the woman to describe the man which makes the audience believe the two are an item and she is referring to him being ‘a little bit bad’ which is obviously a paradox, and is delivered in a sweeter way than just ‘bad’ as she likes him.

The relationship is made clear for the audience between these two characters, as a medium shot is shown of both characters stood before a bed, taking their clothes off, which suggests the two are about to sleep with one another. The bedroom they are in seems more likely to belong to the woman as there are plenty of books, a radio, pink bed sheets and a pink ornament, which are all feminine colours and more likely to belong to a female than this tough-looking man.

The second man shown running with Renton at the beginning is shown trying on large framed glasses with yellow lenses in a public toilet. This shows the audience that this man is also ‘not all there’. The screen changes to black and white and the same red box wipes across the screen, with the name, ‘Spud’ inside it; introducing this character and suggesting that he is another main character.

This man is blatantly intended to add comedy to this film as a long shot of three people in suits suggesting importance and authority are shown asking him a question, to which a medium shot is shown of him staring at a picture behind of a beach, turning to them and saying ‘what?’ with a gormless look on his face. Another man is shown in the toilets in a medium close-up shot, with bright white hair, dark eyebrows, an orange t-shirt and a black blazer, suggesting he is into the fashion of this time and is a confident individual. He sticks his tongue out fully with an angry expression on his face, signifying the ‘rock and roll’ look of this time, and the screen once again changes to black and white and the name ‘Sick Boy’ appears, introducing this man, obviously by nick name which offers an audience a more distanced view of this character.

Sick Boy and Renton are shown in a two shot with a gun and binoculars, mimicking Sean Connery as James Bond as they refer to Miss Money-Penny. A long shot shown a man with jeans, doc marten boots and a dark jacket on his back in a park being attacked by a white bull terrier dog; seen as dangerous animals, alike Bill Sykes’ dog in the musical, ‘Oliver’. A medium long shot is then shown of raised hands surrounded by smoke, which signify people in a night club dancing, this is followed by Renton in a medium shot raising his arm and shouting again, in a cloud of smoke. This shows to an audience the type of lifestyle Renton has, of drugs and nightclubs, the smoke provides a hazy atmosphere and makes it difficult to see what it truly onscreen.

Renton and Spud are shown in a two shot drinking from one milkshake with two straws, adding comedy to this trailer and to the film, persuading people to watch it. The two are wearing suits, which contrast with the casual wear they started with. A close-up of a middle-aged man in a vest, also wearing gold earings and a gold necklace makes a diegetic scream before being introduced as ‘Begbie’. Judging by his attire, he is also portrayed as the stereotypical criminal of this film trailer.

A graphic match is shown of Renton falling to the ground in a field and then onto a wooden floor, which shows to an audience his tendency to be ‘out of it’ and hit his head a lot. The clips quicken in pace and the non diegetic music changes so a fast paced rock song before two shots of Renton kissing the woman he was with previously are shown, and a long shot of the four main characters crossing Abbey Road, in a shot similar to the Beatles Vinyl cover was.

Positive comments of the film wipe across the screen in white font and a red box, in between clips of the four main characters smiling in close-up and medium close-up shots. Renton is shown in a close-up shot under water, shaking his fist and saying ‘come one’, which contradicts the danger of drowning if one was to speak underwater. The trailer ends with the four main characters wearing smart-casual clothes, standing on a platform as a train passes by, with a diegetic sound of a train sounding it’s horn. This leaves the audience on a high and relates back to the title, 'Trainspotting’.

Trailers in Film Promotion

Film promotion is the practice of promotion specifically in the film industry. As with all businesses it is an important part of any release because of the inherent high financial risk; film studios will invest in expensive marketing campaigns to maximize revenue early in the release cycle. Marketing budgets tend to equal anywhere between half or three times the production budget. Publicity is generally handled by the distributor and exhibitors.

Trailers are a foundation of film promotion, because they are delivered directly to audiences. They are screened in cinemas before movie showings, and generally, they tell the story of the movie in a highly condensed fashion compressing maximum appeal into two and half minutes.

What makes you interested in a Trailer and/or find interesting or appealing within Trailers? Are there any bad things about Trailers?

Personally, I think the best way to grab somebody’s interest is to get them hooked from the very beginning of the trailer, and for me this is by using non diegetic music, of a song that would attract the same audience as the film would as a whole, such as Scouting for Girls’, She’s so lovely played at the beginning of the Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging trailer. The film is a romantic comedy aimed at young girls from the age of 12, and the music fits perfectly with this genre, as it was a well known pop song of this time, that young girls are more likely to be familiar with than say middle aged women who are less likely to listen to the charts and buy magazines and CD’s of the newest bands.

I think picking the song that plays along with the trailer is a very big decision to make, and it may also help if the song is in the film and was purposefully chosen for the film, such as Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On in the romantic classic, Titanic. The song alone effects the audience in a way that it is associated with the film straight away, and by selling the soundtrack, this also helps to promote the film, similar to the song Ghostbusters by Ray Parker in the film Ghostbusters, and Kenny Loggin’s Footloose in the film Footloose.

The song chosen is the second most important way to interest me in a film trailer; the first is the characters within the film. If there is a film revolving around for example, two elderly men like in The Bucket List, I would be less interested in it, rather than if a film trailer revolves around a young man and a young woman, like in The Notebook, where there is an obvious connection between the two and it is made obvious that the trailer is showing a romantic film. The genre of film is also an important factor in attracting the audience, and this can be seen through typical conventions of that genre shown in the trailer, such as colour schemes, certain camera angles and edits, sound and cast and costumes.

As a drama student as well as a media student, I look at the acting ability and characterisation within film trailers in order to decide whether the film is worth watching or not. Also, if a trailer shows a title similar to ‘based on a true story’, I would be more interested than if it was a fictional story, as films based on factual events are always more powerful and have more meaning, such as The King’s Speech and Shindler’s List.

Another thing that attracts me to a film, is if the trailer shown awards it has won, or that the actors within the film have won, such as Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady or George Clooney in The Descendants. Films trailers that show an all-star cast are also very attractive to me, such as Valentine’s Day and Independence Day.

Are some trailer conventions more prevalent to specific genres?

The word ‘genre’ refers to the basis on similarities in the narrative elements from which films are constructed. Most theories of film genre are borrowed from literary genre. There is a great deal of debate over how to define and categorize genres in the literary context. The basic distinction in literary genre is between fiction and documentary, although film genres can be categorized in several ways.
Fictional films are usually categorized according to their setting, theme topic, mood, or format.
Setting - the environment where the story and action takes place.
Theme - refers to the issues or concepts that the film revolves around.
Mood - the emotional tone of the film.
Format - refers to the way the film was shot or the manner of presentation.
An additional way of categorizing film genres is by the target audience.

Action films

Common action film trailer conventions include explosions and plenty of gunfire, such as 2006 Mission Impossible 3 although most action movies employ elements of both. Voiceovers with slow paced shots showing, followed by fast paced shots of action and loud, non-diegetic music playing are also common in action film trailer, such as in the 2010 A-team trailer. In terms of colour codes, dark colours are often used, particulary to emphasise the villian. Bright reds, oranges etc are used for explosions and the characters are often male, as men are more associated with action and danger than women, hence, attracting an audience of more males than females.

Comedy films

Conventions of comedy film trailers are to incorporate jokes from the film, tell them while there is upbeat non diegetic music playing, and stop the music while the punch line is being delieverd, this technique is used to emphasize the punch line and make it funnier for an audience, attracting them to the film and making it obvious that it is of the comedy genre. Lines from the film are put together cleverly like a jigsaw, for example, if one character asks a question, another answers from a scene later on in the film. This compiles the film together and creates the general story for the audience. Colour codes are mostly bright, vibrant colours, emphasising the connotation of happiness and humour and showing the film is realistic. Comedy films vary from having a mainly female cast, such as with the 2011 film Bridesmaids, to the majorly male cast of the 2005 film, 40 year old virgin.

Drama films

The drama genre is usually a subgenre, followed by another category such as crime drama, political drama, courtroom dramas etc. Conventions of these types of film trailers are that they tend to start with soft non diegetic music, which is followed by louder, more dramatic, suspenseful non diegetic music. Dissolve edits are also very common in drama film trailers, seen in trailers such as the 2011 Girl with the dragon tattoo. In terms of colour codes, dull colours are often used to highlight the acting, characterisation and storyline than the mise-en-scene, this is seen in the 2010 film, The Black Swan.

Horror films

Horror film trailers are the most stereotypical, and share the most similarities and conventions. These conventions include voice overs, use of foley sounds such as 'whoosh', 'slashing' and 'cutting' sound effects into different shots, fast pace clips, suspenceful non diegetic music, and black and red colour schemes. These conventions are all used to inflict fear. Sound effects enhance the action shown on screen such as in the 2011 film trailer, Final Destination 5, and zooms into close-ups and extreme close-ups of faces of the victims' are also often shown, like in the trailer for The Thing, 2011.

Musical films

Like trailers for horror films, trailers for musicals are also very similar. They use conventions such as playing nondiegetic songs from the film throughout the trailer, showing the audience what type of music to expect. Choreographed dance is also common, along with the main character always situating centre screen, such as in the 2008 film, Mamma Mia. Similar to comedy films, musicals also fit pieces of dialogue from the play together to give an overall idea of the storyline for an audience, rather like in the 2010 musical film, Burlesque. The general colour schemes of musical films are a variety, lots of bright, vibrant colour, glitter and sparkle in the titles are used to emphasise the happiness and 'showbiz' elements of the film, which attracts audiences from all ages, although gender-wise, tends to attract more of a female dominated audience.

Animated films
The mise-en-scene throughout animated film trailers are always animated, such as in the 2009 film, Up. Other conventions animated films use are always colourful, include all the characters of the film, and use diegetic and non-diegetic music to attract child audiences. Voice overs are often used to introduce films such as Monsters Inc. 2001. Key scenes are used to advertise and entice audiences to want to watch the film.

Western films

Common conventions of western film trailers are the typical spaghetti-western non diegetic music playing throughout, close-up shots of the main characters, emphasis on gunfire and explosions, and desert-like locations like in the 1966 film, The Good, The Bad and the Ugly. The casts of western films are usually male centred, which attracts a male centred audience. There is however a damsel in distress shown in film trailers, such as in the 2010 film, True Grit.

Science Fiction films

The 2009 film, Avatar is an example of a science fiction film. In the film trailer, and other science-fiction film trailers, typical conventions used are frequent the use of graphics, creating creatures that are supnatural or not human. These creatures are often neutral, natural colours such as blue; the colour of the Avatars, and green; like the character Yoda in the 1999 film, Star Wars. Reds are often used to highlight the villain, such as Darth Vader and the light saber of the villian. Explosions and flying machines are also usually seen in science-fiction film trailers, along with non-diegetic, triumphant music.

Romance films
Common conventions of romance films are that they start with soft non-diegetic music, usually piano, or the song that plays an important part in the film, such as Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On in the 1997 romance film, Titanic. Water is also a theme in most romantic films, as it shows the calmness and tranuility of the film. This is shown in both Titanic and The Notebook, 2004. The characters shown in romance film trailers are always the main couple of which the love story revolves. Fade outs and slow paced scenes with a voice over are all conventions used in romance film trailers.

War films
Common conventions of war film trailers are the use of non diegetic, triumphant music to set the tone of victory and battle, and the use of diegetic explosion and gunfire sounds along with action onscreen of locations being bombed, characters being shot or stabbed, and fast paced movement of characters and sometimes horses. An example of the action coming mainly from horses is in the trailer for the 2011 film, War Horse. Characters are majorly men, as reinactments of actual wars must produce an accurate take on such events, when women were not allowed to fight in wars. An example of an all male cast in the trailer is Saving Private Ryan, 1998. The action onscreen is often fast pace while fade outs to a black screen with titles on are slow paced to add to the intensity of the trailer.

Thriller films

Similar to war film trailers, thriller film trailers also use the convention of having fast paced action on clips, contrasting with slow paced fade outs to black to add to the intensity of the trailer. They also use voice overs and non diegetic suspenceful music to add to the excitement. The trailer for the 2010 film Inception uses suspeceful non diegetic music., it also uses graphics to create other-wordly happenings within the trailer, like at one point where the horizontal ground becomes vertical. This effect is also used in many other thriller films, such as the 2008 Dark Knight trailer.