Shot by shot trailer analysis

Germain

Distribution Company

Right at the start of our trailer, we start with our distribution company which is a conventional feature in real trailers and so this convention we have used in our trailer. We decided to do this because we wanted to make our trailer as real as possible. As well as this “Paramount” is a very popular distribution company which means that audiences who recognizes them will want to watch our trailer as they also look for big quality companies and so this was very important in attracting our audiences.

Production CompanyOur production company is also introduced at the start of our trailer and so this is a very conventional feature and timing in real trailers. The production company is very important in the trailer as audiences who recognize big production companies will associate quality films with them. Therefore our trailer will look even better with a highly quality production company and therefore gain more audiences to watch.

Establishment Shot

This is the establishing shot in the trailer and so most real and professional movie trailers begin with an establishing shot to instantly hook the audiences which therefore is a very important phase of the production. The establishing shot can indicate a lot about the narrative of the film. Our establishing shot here is a house where people are dining and it is dark outside / dark setting. Immediately we can tell that something shady is about to happen as we tend to associate negative events with darkness for example horror genres are mostly in dark settings and this is what we see here as a first impression. This is a very neo-noir setting as well as the outside lamp feature.

Film critic Quotes

Quotes are very conventional in trailers that help to really hook audiences onto watching the actual film. This is a quote “absolutely stunning” from a film critic called the guardian that is very popular and known amongst the public. Audiences that are shy or hesitating will have trust in film critics and so whatever good comments the trailer or film achieves, the audiences will be more likely to watch it.

Close up

This is a close-up shot in the trailer, not of a character but an object – telephone to help the audience really understand what is happening and identify the situation. Some trailers do not do this so help keep their narratives confused so audiences will want to watch the full film to find out but part of our narrative is kept uncertain for the audience.

QuotesHere we can see the first quote that starts to really connect the audience with the trailer and make the audience feel as if they are in the narrative or world of these characters. These types of quotes are always used in trailers as making emotional connections with the audience and the trailer is a very powerful tool in attracting the audience and increasing the chances of the trailer becoming successful.

Femme fatale

This shot here is very unique as we are introduced to one of the conventions of neo-noir genre – the femme fatale in a long shot. The femme fatale as we see her is wearing a red dress that instantly symbolizes her lust and danger. The way she is posed makes it seem she has full control of the situation and she is clearly sexually manipulating the detective and he is seen as weak. Her alone in this trailer also brings the attention of some audiences as she is portrayed as sexy but at the same time mistaken as innocent – an icon of the noir genres.

More Quotes

This snappy quote is one of the quotes that reveals quite a bit about the narrative and so helps to hook in the audiences more as it builds the snowball of interest from the audience. It also develops the chilling effect that the previous quotes are giving the audience.

Setting

This shot here is an urban setting shot that helps to reveal more about the setting of the trailer and narrative. It is dark and unfocused which makes it very shady and immediately we know that something is not normal here or that some kind of shady deal is about to happen. Setting shots are everywhere in real trailers whether rural or urban. As the trailer goes on, the shot reveals more about the narrative and the true story of the characters.

HollowayThe shot of Holloway the main character here establishes more about the genre with the mise-en-scene elements. His garments is a work suit that clearly shows he is a detective – a character of neo-noir and he is in his office – the prime workplace for a detective where we can clearly see he is stressed out. The lamp in the corner is also an icon of neo-noir that was used a long time ago everywhere and so the lamp has the same identity as the lighter on the magazine front cover as well as the candle on the website. The lamp sets a pessimistic and mellow atmosphere, a mood that is one of the element of neo-noir.

More shots

This shot here is outside and dark and follows up from previous shots revealing more about the narrative. The use of the suit shows that this character is overpowering the figure in the hoodie and so distinguishes the power of clothes in this pessimistic world.

More film criticHere towards the end of the trailer, we remind the audience about the high ratings received for our trailer by a different film critic – EMPIRE just so that they are reassured they will not regret watching this film. Audiences will recognize EMPIRE as a huge company and therefore associate that the trailer is worth watching and has high credibility.

Last shot

This Is the last shot of the trailer and so with every real trailer the last shot finishes with a bang. This is because the trailer is reaching the climax and so we have replicated this to end the audience with a thrill and excitement. The last shot also does reveal a lot about the narrative which hopefully buffers the curiosity of the audience. We have included a gun in the last shot which insinuates shooting and so crime is inevitable.

Anonymous TitleTowards the end of the trailer, we finish the last couple of shots with the title of the film so that the audience can finally identify the branding of the film, especially if they have seen or come across the magazine or website first. Similarly to real trailers, the title is always in big bold fonts that is almost as wide as the screen if not half the size. The big fonts can have a chilling effect as it can be overpowering.

The Date, website & other linksFinally the last ever shot is announcing the date of the release of the film so that audiences who have been hooked can start to look into the film more and dates it is playing in theatres etc. In addition, other announcements are the website where a lot more content and information can be researched by audiences and fans to read more about the characters, settings or the genre etc. this can actually help achieve a fan or audience base. Lastly social media is widely and popularly used in modern society and so to ignore it would be to lose out on marketing purposes and product awareness so we created a twitter account where live feed can be read by fans. This also helps to create fan bases as the film will gain followers and so this would be a great way to spread the product.