FILM TRAILERSCodes and Conventions

Film TrailersI will be looking at the codes and conventions of 15 very different film

trailers that have all been released in 2015, from a range of genres and target audiences.

The Green ScreenThe first convention in trailers that appear in almost every one is the green screen. If this

is shown, it is before anything else and highlights the age rating the film is.

The green screens to the right are from the movies Concussion, Knock Knock, Straight Outta Compton and A Walk in the Woods.

Production LogoWe usually then see the production logo next

in a trailer, especially if it a well known company, for example Goosebumps show

Sony, Columbia and Sony Pictures Animations, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

show Fox Search Light Pictures and Jurassic World show Legendary. However, the

production logo is also shown in Sleeping With Other People, despite its lack of

popularity.

The production logo is shown as people may recognise it and the films they have

previously worked on.

Review Quotations & Award MentionsSometime throughout a typical trailer, a

review quotation or award mentions may be seen. This is to further persuade the viewer to see the film as if it features Maggie Smith, an Academy Award Winner (The Lady in the Van) or has won a Jury Prize at Festival De

Cannes (The Lobster) it may be worth watching.

This has the same effect with review quotations; MacBeth features a quote from

The Playlist and Suffragette includes a 4 star rating and quotation from Psychologies

Magazine.

Names of ActorsWhen films cast actors and actresses that are famous,

trailers tend to feature an inter title displaying their name. This will allow people to realise who stars in the film and

may watch it because of this reason (star power).

Usually, the actors name is shown in front of a black background, an example is Michael Fassbender in

MacBeth, however Will Smith is shown with a brown background in Concussion to match the aesthetic of the trailer’s colour palette whilst Jason Sudeikis is shown in

front of footage from the film of him in Sleeping With Other People, this is to allow people to recognise who he is as he is less well known when compared to the likes of

Will Smith, it also matches the tone of the film’s genre; comedy.

The layout of actors names is different in the trailer to Suffragette due to the many famous people in that film

so many are on one inter title.

Names of Directors and ProducersThe names of directors and producers may also come

up in films depending on their popularity, this again links to star power as people may watch films depending on

the director, especially if they are considered an auteur.

Director, Eli Roth is mentioned through the use of an inter title during the trailer for Knock Knock and so is

Justin Kurzel, an acclaimed director, in MacBeth. In Spy, a ‘Director Of’ inter title is shown followed by the titles two very popular films from the same genre; this has been done because the director is not well known by

name but he has directed very popular films that people will most likely know if they are interested in watching

Spy.

In Sleeping With Other People we are shown the producers who again are two famous people in front of

an establishing shot of New York.

Title of FilmThe title of the film is usually shown towards

the end of the trailer after all the footage. Showing this usually is a conventional and professional way to end a film trailer. The

trailers for The Lady in the Van, Goosebumps, Jurassic World and Straight Outta Compton all follow this convention.

Another conventional order in trailers is to show the title of the film then one piece of footage (with dialogue) that summaries the

film in less than 5 seconds, for example there may be part of a funny scene that is a major

part of the narrative if it was a comedy.

Billing BlockTrailers almost always end in a billing block that include some of the important cast and crew, for

example the executive producers and the production designers.

They also tend to feature links to social networking (Facebook/Twitter) as many films now have their own

pages on these sites as they become increasingly poplar especially with the younger demographics.

Although some are shown with a black background, many are now shown with various colours that fit with their film’s colour palette. This is shown in the trailers for The Lobster, The Lady in the Van and Sinister 2. A Walk in the Woods features an establishing shot of the woods in the film when the billing block is shown. This is unusual but again fits with the general theme

of the film.

Style of Fonts and Colour PalettesWhen watching the trailers I noticed the style of fonts and colour

palettes reflected the genre of the film. Black background are usually used too, not always to reflect the genre but to add to the professional look of the trailer. This is used in MacBeth, which is shown in a deep red font to connote blood, danger and war as

well as strength and power. Black backgrounds are also used in Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. This font is shown in various bright and happy colours in a playful and informal font, this

reflects the tone of the film as although the main character is dying, her and her friends try to make the most of their life and

live every day to the fullest; a ‘feel-good’ storyline.

The Age of Adaline also uses a light colour palette with mainly white to reflect the storyline, the font also reflects the time period

it is set in and may appeal to a more mature demographic. Sinister 2, however appeals to a younger demographic as it is

clear it is a horror from the style of font. The background is very dark and black around the edges connoting the fear of the

unknown and death; this contrasts with the white which usually connotes safety and purity, however the colour is an off-white to

suggest not everything is as it seems.

Transitions and PaceTransitions and pace are very important in trailers.

Common transitions usually include straight cuts, fade to blacks or dissolves. In A Walk in the Woods, mainly

straight cuts are used however there are some dissolves. In this trailer, they have been used as they flow well from shot to shot and they also help with the

narrative, but in romantic films such as The Age of Adaline, dissolves are usually used to suggest there will

be a traditional love story.

Straight cuts are mainly used in Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and the shots are more frequent as the trailer

progresses to build excitement for the film, the fast paced shots sync with the music that also gets faster.

Sinister 2 also uses straight cuts (conventional for horror) and the shots are very fast paced, particularly at the end to contribute to the fear and tension that a horror

trailer should have.

The Close UpClose up shots are are very conventional

shot type to appear in trailers. They allow the viewer to recognise who is cast in the film, particularly if they are famous. The majority of close ups are almost always of the main

character in the film.

Here we see close ups of famous actors and actresses in various trailers; Will Smith in

Concussion, Maggie Smith in The Lady in the Van, Jack Black in Goosebumps and Melissa

McCarthy in Spy.

The Establishing ShotThe Establishing Shot is another common

shot that is seen in trailers as this gives the viewer an insight into where the film is set

which may appeal to them, especially if they are a part of the target audience.

The trailers to the right all include establishing shots of where the film takes

place. Concussion in New York, Suffragette in London during the 19th Century, Knock

Knock in a suburban American neighborhood and Jurassic World in the theme park.

SoundSound also reflects the genre and tone of the film in a trailer. All trailers generally include dialogue extracts from characters that

contribute to the narrative and help tell the story along with pieces of music.

They also tend to be instrumental pieces. The Lobster is a key example as it features a playful and quirky violin piece

throughout reflecting the unique and funny tone of the film. The music is in sync with the reviews and other inter titles that pop

up – when there is a sharp violin sound, a word will appear. This happens in the trailer for Knock Knock too, the music is synced

to the visuals, when there is a loud sound effect, there is a straight cut to another shot for example; this creates a jump

scare for the audience.

Many other trailers have a soundtrack throughout with lyrics. The song, Straight Outta Compton by NWA is featured in the trailer to

Straight Outta Compton to fit with the tone and narrative of the film. The Age of Adaline features a song from Lana Del Rey ‘Life is Beautiful’ which also contributes to the tone of the film; the film may send a message to viewers that life is beautiful and is worth

living no matter what happens.