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.