The Fault in Our Stars is a romantic comedy-drama film released in June 2014. The film stars Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort and was distributed by 20th Century Fox. It gained $303,285,269 at the box office and received critical acclaim.
The MS at the beginning introducing the main character.
At the very beginning of the trailer we are introduced to the main character in a medium shot which hints the narrative of the film to the audience but also fans of Shailene Woodley will be automatically engaged and make them want to carry on watching the trailer and make them want to go and see the film. There is also a non-diegetic voiceover in the background of the beginning shots which is conventional of romance film trailers as the audience are made to feel sympathetic or have a connection with the characters, but it also gives some background to the setting and narrative of the film.
The non-diegetic incidental music then comes in after the voice over and is upbeat and reflects the happy tone of the film and the conventional atmosphere of the genre.
The first title shown throughout the trailer.
There is a title which tells the audience what the film is based on. "The best-selling novel by John Green" - this will persuade people to watch the film as it is highlighting that it is based on a best-selling novel, and will also make people who are fans of John Green want to see the film because if he has written novels that he likes then it will be likely that they will like The Fault in Our Stars.
Insidious: Chapter 2 is a supernatural horror film released in September 2013. It is the sequel to the 2011 film Insidious. It stars Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne. It was distributed by FilmDistrict and Stage 6 Films and garnered $161,919,318 at the box office. The film received generally mixed reviews from critics.
At the beginning of the trailer the incidental music is cheerful and happy. This is conventional of beginnings of horror film trailers as it lulls the audience into a false sense of security. We are introduced to the main characters at the very beginning which will intrigue the audience right from the start as there may be people who are fans of the actors and this may persuade them to watch the film more. The incidental music then becomes more sinister as the trailer goes on and the lighting becomes more low-key which creates a foreboding and ominous atmosphere for the viewers and is typical of all horror film trailers as fans of the genre want to feel scared.
The use of happy music, high key lighting and the normal titles which change later on throughout the trailer, shows the use of the conventional narrative structure of horror films, set by Todorov. This shows the equilibrium at the beginning as everything is as it should be and everyone is happy.
The establishing shot showing the location of the film.
We can tell from the establishing shot at the beginning that the location is a large, old house which hints to the audience the narrative and where the film is going to be set and also makes the genre identifiable for fans as conventionally, many supernatural horrors are set in large family homes.
The diegetic sound of the children's toy in the close up of the female protagonists face is conventional of the genre as children's toys are often the subject of focus in supernatural horror films as they have creepy connotations surrounding them. At this point, the diegetic incidental music which was playing beforehand stops and the audience can only hear the music from the toy. The use of having no incidental music creates an eerie atmosphere for the audience and creates suspense which is often done in horror trailers. This shows the disruption in the equilibrium that we had just seen at the beginning of the trailer.
The titles showing the red typography and dark background.
In the title "From the makers of Saw and Paranormal Activity", some of the font is red which is an icon of the horror genre. The background of the title looks like an old, dirty and dark wall which also links to the supernatural horror genre and makes it identifiable for fans of horror. The use of this title persuades fans of Saw and Paranormal Activity to watch the film because if they liked those then they will probably like Insidious.
As the incidental music begins to fasten and become more loud, the shots become very quick and only last about one or two seconds long. These shots only show the most dramatic parts of the film and are from the key narrative points which hints to the audience the general narrative to the audience. The use of fast shots are conventional of most trailers, not only horror ones, as they tease the audience by giving them little snippets of the narrative.
Example of a CU of one of the protagonist faces.
Throughout the trailer, there are quite a lot of close ups of the protagonists faces. This shows and emphasises the fear that the characters are feeling and this will intrigue the audience into what the protagonists are scared of and also make fans of the horror genre want to watch the film as they will want to be scared like the protagonists are during the trailer.
There are many icons of the supernatural horror which are featured throughout to make the genre identifiable for fans. For example, in a medium shot of a backlit door, a shadow of a person is being cast through the window. Shadows are an icon of the genre and are often seen in supernatural horror films as they intrigue the audience as it creates a sense of mystery as to what or who is casting the shadow. The fact that it intrigues the audience is effective as this will make them want to watch the film and find out answers.
A CU shot which shows the low-key lighting present nearing the end of the trailer.
The lighting which was initially quite bright and high-key which reflected the sunny weather outside in the establishing shot at the beginning of the film changes to low-key once we have the disruption in the narrative half way through the trailer. This lighting creates an eerie and foreboding atmosphere for the audience which is conventional of the genre.
The main title of the film which isn't shown until the end.
The incidental music becomes more fast paced and louder as the trailer nears the end which creates suspense for the audience and puts them on edge for the climax at the end of the trailer. Unlike other genres, a new equilibrium isn't conventionally made in horror trailers or horror films in general. As the incidental music becomes quicker, so do the shots which is conventional of the genre as it makes the trailer more dramatic, thus making the audience want to watch the film. When the music reaches its climax the title appears on screen. The fact that the title of the film hasn't appeared till the end is a normal convention of most trailers. The title incorporates red typography which is an icon of the genre and uses the same dark background as the title earlier on in the trailer which adds to the sinister atmosphere set throughout. After this, the release date is shown, also conventional of trailers.
The Lucky One is a romantic drama film released in April 2012. It stars Zac Efron and Taylor Schilling and was distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It garnered $99,357,138 at the box office and received generally mixed to negative reviews from critics.
At the very beginning we are given an establishing shot which is conventional of teaser trailers as it teases the narrative's location to the audience. We are also introduced to the main character right at the beginning in a medium shot, who is played by Zac Efron. Having a well known actor who is also known for being cast in romantic films being shown at the beginning will persuade people who like Zac Efron to watch the film. It is also a conventional narrative for a romantic film of having a male character who is in the army being in a relationship with a female who is back home, this is an identifiable plot for fans of the genre.
The establishing shot shown at the beginning of the trailer.
There is a voiceover from the beginning which is of the main character. This is a conventional technique seen in a lot of romantic film trailers and gives an insight on what the narrative might be for the audience as well as lets the audience feel closer to the character as it is if they are talking directly to the audience. This is conventional of romantic films as the audience are made to feel sympathetic and close to the characters, more so than in a horror film for example.
There is a soundtrack running throughout the whole of the trailer which is relatively upbeat and by a well known artist. This is typical of romance films as they are generally quite uplifting and happy throughout most of the film and so the soundtrack would match this and they are also conventionally performed by well known artists unlike horror films which generally just use music composed specifically for the film.
An example of the high-key lighting in a CU shot of the main character.
The lighting seen in the screenshot above is bright which reflects the happy tone usually seen in romantic films and hints to the audience what the narrative may be. We can also see in the background of this shot that the weather is sunny which also reflects the conventional mood of romantic films and the usual setting of the genre. In the screenshot below we have another establishing shot which hints the location of the film to the audience but the location, a small American neighbourhood, is also a conventional location which is often seen in romantic films.
The establishing shot hints the location of the film to the audience.
In a long shot we are introduced to the second main character who is a female. Her costume is a white shirt and shorts which is overall a simple and innocent outfit. Conventionally, the female characters in romantic films are always depicted to be innocent and sweet and so this is identifiable for fans of the genre. In addition, it is a conventional narrative for a female and male to both be in a romantic film and to start a relationship.
A LS which shows the female main character.
In an extreme close up of the male and female characters faces we can see that they are kissing which is an icon of the genre as it connotes love and affection which is what romance and romantic films are all about. This persuades fans of the genre to watch the film as this is the sort of narrative events which they want and expect to see. This kissing scene is where the music builds up and it climaxes which shows that there is a large build up in the film for the two characters to come together and therefore hints at the narrative.
Unlike more action packed films such as horror or action/adventure films, there are longer shots of the characters and there is more dialogue featured in the trailer which is conventional of the genre. Also the shots all dissolve in between each other which give the trailer a calm and soft feel which are what romance films are generally like.
The titles shown half way through the trailer.
The titles which are shown are in a blue/pink/purple colour which are colours that are icons of the genre and relate to the targeted audience which for romance films are stereotypically female. The titles state that the film is from Nicholas Sparks, the author of The Notebook. This will make fans of Nicholas Sparks and The Notebook want to watch the film as if they liked that then they will feel like they will like The Lucky One. Also, as The Notebook is a romance novel/film, fans of the genre will be able to identify with that and then feel like they can relate to this film as well and will be more likely to watch it. The background of the title is a creamy beige colour which relates to the bright, warm colours that we get throughout the whole trailer and set the happy mood often seen in romantic films.
A large part of the trailer is the equilibrium and we get some snippets of the disruption and we can see this when the female character is distressed in a medium close up of her face. Conventionally, there is usually a disruption in a romantic film but this doesn't last as long as it would in a horror film where the disruption makes up nearly the whole film. Also, in romance films, there is always a repair of the disruption and usually a new equilibrium at the end and we can see this by the medium shot which is shown below after the shots of the disruption.
We can see in this MS that there is a return to equilibrium due to their happy faces.
Little snippets of the equilibrium, disruption, repair and return to equilibrium are featured throughout the trailer to tease the audience and hint at the narrative.
The title of the film shown at the end of the trailer.
Like most trailers, the title of the film is featured at the end of the trailer. The typography for the title of the film matches the typography for the titles featured earlier on in the trailer, with warm and calming colours such as blue and purple which also relates to the stereotypical audience for romance films which are females.
Annabelle is a supernatural horror film released in October 2014 starring Annabelle Wallis. It is both a sequel and spin-off to the 2013 film The Conjuring. It was distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film has received mixed reviews.
The establishing shot shown at the beginning of the trailer.
At the beginning of the trailer there is an establishing shot which sets the scene and hints to the audience where the film's location will be. The location is a large family home which is conventional of most supernatural horror films as it makes the film relatable to the audience and they can put themselves in the characters shoes. The incidental music at the beginning is quite cheery and happy which lulls the audience into false sense of security which is stereotypical of the horror genre. The music then quickly changes to conventional eerie and ominous music when then gets louder in moments of tension and quieter to create suspense. We see this often in horror film trailers as it intrigues the audience and puts them on edge at the same time. The shots also become much quicker and shorter as moments of tension are present in the trailer which emphasise the action in the film.
An example of a CU shot which features the low-key lighting conventional of the genre.
Throughout the trailer, specifically nearing the end, the lighting is very low key which suggests to the audience that the film will be set during the night, which is conventional and an icon of horror trailers/films and also creates an ominous atmosphere for the audience.
The fact that there is a doll as the main subject throughout the trailer is identifiable for the audience as a horror film trailer as creepy old dolls are an icon of the genre. There are other icons of the genre which occur throughout the trailer such as blood and knives which make it identifiable for the audience.
In a long shot of a woman in bed during the night, in the background we see blood being splattered against the window in a deep focus shot. Blood is an icon of the genre.
We can clearly see a contrast in protagonists and antagonists in the trailer and a clear antagonist is usually made clear in horror film trailers and these are usually ghostly beings. Ghosts and other paranormal beings are icons of the genre and make it identifiable for the audience.
The titles throughout the trailer are a serif font which is conventional of the genre and and have a shadow cast behind them and shadows are an icon of the genre. The titles gave information about the film which preceded the release so people who have watched that film and liked it will feel like they want to see this film. We are introduced to the main characters right at the beginning which hints at the narrative for the audience as well as lets them see any actors that they like which could be in the film that would persuade them to watch it.
The title of the film appears at the end which is a conventional feature of most trailers. The typography is in serif font which connotes old fashioned and relates to the old houses and locations that horror films are typically set in. The background of the title is also quite dark and decrepit looking which links to the ominous atmosphere which is set throughout and the typical setting of horror films.
All trailers follow the same sort of conventions which make them recognisable for the audience. Generally, most trailers will include;
The stars of the film showcased
Dramatic camera angles chosen to show events and characters,
Music plays an important role in creating atmosphere
Conversations between characters often consist of one-liners
Key points are sometimes conveyed through titles
Voiceovers are used to tell the story (although this is often not seen in more modern releases)
The film's title may not appear until the end
The trailer builds to a climax, where it ends
All trailers are usually montage edited; the most dramatic, humorous or fast-paces aspects are highlighted
Trailers are designed to capture the audience's attention and to create a mood or atmosphere which heightens our excitement for a films release. We are given some information as to what the plot and who the characters may be but it is usually our task to put the pieces together and guess what the films narrative will be and this is what creates the anticipation that distributors want so that more people will go and watch the film. The information in a trailer is often fast-paced and shows only little parts of the films narrative and teases us on what it could be. The music is hugely important in a trailer as this creates the main atmosphere throughout and hints at what the genre and feel of the film will be. A voiceover is sometimes used to highlight certain aspects of the film such as parts of the narrative, actors or the release date but this isn't usually seen in more modern film releases and just the conventional titles are used to reveal information.
A teaser trailer is an advertising campaign which consists of small pieces of information about a films release to anticipate a much larger full-blown campaign (a longer trailer). Teaser trailers are usually under two minutes and can be as short as just a few seconds long and normal trailers are usually longer than two minutes. A longer trailer is released closer to the films release and reveals more information on the films narrative etc.
A distribution company may decide to release more than one trailer for a film, especially if it a large production with a large budget for promotion and marketing. A teaser trailer for a film may be released up to a year before the films release and released online and into cinemas in the early stages of the marketing campaign to tease the audience and wet their appetite for more information. This will create word of mouth as the audience will be intrigued into what the film will be like and what it is about and therefore they will be talking about this with their friends during the air of anticipation before the release. Following the release of the teaser trailer, a longer theatrical trailer is released, usually just before the film is due to be released.
There are many different methods of promotion which institutions use to make people watch their films. If institutions didn't promote their releases months in advance then nobody would know when a film is released and there would be no hype around it.
The level of promotion depends on the budget and how large the production is. For example, film companies who would have the bigger budgets and therefore bigger promotional campaigns would be the Hollywood Big 6 such as Paramount, Walt Disney and Universal. These companies will have the money to promote on a much wider 'tent-pole' audience scale which differs from smaller institutions such as Warp who may only have the budget to promote the film locally.
Viral marketing
Producers and distributors are using viral marketing more and more due to the amount of people who know use the internet and have social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Viral marketing is when distributors promote films through social networks on which users usually share and retweet information about these films on to other people's feeds and the process continues until thousands of people have heard about the film that they are releasing and is why it is considered as the n ew word of mouth. This creates hype around the films release as the snippets of information that the distributors are releasing on to these social networking sites are intriguing to the audience and makes them want to find out more. It also is a very cheap way of getting promotion for a film and smaller institutions such as Microwave can easily and cheaply create as much hype online to thousands of potential viewers as they would to spend thousands of pounds on large heritage methods such as billboards, magazine ads, cinema trailers etc. globally.
An example of a successful viral marketing campaign is The Dark Knight Rises (2012). The distributors of the film decided to promote the film by posting an encrypted audio file on to the films website which was described by fans as chanting. The fans then decrypted the audio to the Twitter hashtag, '#TheFireRises'. Warner Bros. removed a pixel from the webpage for every tweet using the hashtag. The website then revealed an image of Bane. This created hype around the film as fans had to find out information themselves.
Traditional heritage methods Heritage marketing is the more traditional and old fashioned way of promoting films. These don't include the internet and most other digital methods that we usually see these days. Some examples of heritage methods include billboards, posters, newspaper/magazine ads, cinema trailers etc. An example of a film which has used heritage marketing is Maleficent (2014). Maleficent was distributed by Walt Disney pictures and therefore is a large budget film as Walt Disney is a part of the Big 6. The billboard pictured in the photo on the right would be one of many put up across the world to gain hype around the films release. This would cost a lot of money and therefore only one of the Big 6 and other large budget film industries would be able to accomplish this successfully. Like other traditional promotional methods, the poster/billboard features the main character and the main actress which will gain some insight into the films narrative as well as attract fans of Angelina Jolie to watch the film. The billboard also shows the films title, distributor and release date. Billboards would typically be released just before the films release unlike viral marketing which would normally be done a few months beforehand to reveal information in snippets which intrigues the fans, whereas billboards (and other heritage methods) would reveal a lot more about the film.
Digital marketing
Digital marketing is when the promotion of a film is entirely based on technology based platforms such as computers, phones, tablets etc. These include the internet, apps and e-mails which are integrated within these platforms.
An example of digital marketing is having adverts for the films feature on popular websites such as Facebook. The picture on the right shows an advert for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 (2011) featured on the Yahoo! website.
Another example is having the film be available to like or follow on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter on which fans who are eager to find out information about the film can follow the page and get updates on its release. This also links with viral marketing as liking the page and retweeting and liking the pages posts will then send the posts on to the fan's friends pages and so on until many people have seen the page and its posts. Below is an example of a film which has it's own Facebook page. This is easier for low budget film industries to do as it is very cheap to create hype around their films on social networking sites.
For my final film, I intend to use heritage marketing methods to promote my film as I will be creating my own trailer, film poster and magazine cover. My research into some posters and billboards will help me integrate the conventions of them into my own film poster.
Hello! My name is Charlie and I'm 17 years old. I have just finished taking Media at AS and I have decided to carry on into A2 as it is something that I am interested in pursuing in the future.
I am really looking forward to starting this project as I am very interested in films and the thought of creating a teaser trailer and magazine cover for one really excites me. By completing a project last year for AS, I have developed my Media skills and improved on some of my weaknesses, and I look forward to apply these into my finished product this year.
