I analysed the inter titles of the trailer for The Spectacular Now, because this is an independent film that is of a similar genre to mine, a teen drama. The first inter-title that is presented in the trailer is telling the audience that the film's writers also wrote '500 Days of Summer', another independent film. This will engage audiences, especially those who have seen and like 500 Days of Summer. This targets a specific audience. The next inter-title shows that this film won an award at Sundance Festival, which shows that it was widely appreciated at this festival. This also establishes an audience, those who like winners from Sundance or those who like the Sundance Festival. The next three inter-titles include reviews of the film, including positive comments about the actors and director. These reviews come from Rolling Stone Magazine, Collider and Filmmaker magazine. These are targetted at specific audiences and film lovers, therefore could attract a slightly more niche market. The next inter-title is the title of the film. The title is in bold and the 'now' is really big, this draw attention to the title and look as if the text is jumping out at you. The last inter-title is the date of release which is really important, notifying eager audiences when they can see this film. From this analysis, I have decided that in my trailer I'm going to have 'From the makers of...", as well as a few reviews from magazines/news papers/websites. I also need to decide a 'release date' for my trailer to put at the end. I might decide to use a colour scheme like this trailer, which uses white and yellow, although I will decide which colours look better when editing.
After doing some research, I decided to use the institution 'Indian Paintbrush' to produce my film as I want to recreate the style of films that they create and produce.
I decided to try and get the majority of my filming done with Casey today as it would save us having to keep arranging dates which could have been complicated or difficult to arrange. In these scenes I had to shoot myself and Casey sitting in her house, then looking through photo albums to find a list. That was my main aim for the trailer as I wanted to explain the storyline. Then I had to include the key scene of Ellie telling Casey that she is going to America, this scene was shot in Casey's room however, half through filming my camera ran out of battery and I did not have the charger with me. This was a bit of a setback as it would mean i would have had to go home to get the charger then wait for the camera to charge. However, I resolved this problem by using Casey's phone to film. Her phone is high quality, but the sound was a bit quieter than the camera, however this is easily changed in editing. Another scene we filmed was with Casey's mum. After that Casey and I recorded ourselves doing the things on 'the list', for example eating ice cream, dancing and giving each other makeovers. I will try and find space in the trailer for a few of these scenes to show the friendship of the two girls. Overall, we had a successful day of filming and the next time I will be filming is in America!
Today I went round to my friend Lucy's house to film some scenes with her sister, Daisy and her sister's friend, Tilly. Daisy and Tilly will be playing young Casey and Ellie in the trailer. I took a tripod and my camera to Lucy's house and we filmed in Daisy's bedroom. At first, the girls found it a bit difficult to stay in character as they kept laughing. However, it was okay to laugh in most of their scenes because they are supposed to be natural and like kids. Overall I filmed the beginning scenes where the girls write the list and then one of the end scenes where Casey says "We're going to be best friends forever". I also kept filming as the girls did things that they would normally do, like making music videos and playing with bears, so I might try and find space for these scenes in my trailer. The shots I got look great and I can't wait to edit them!
I have put in some dates of filming that I am planning. I had to make sure the actors were all available on all of the days. Hopefully, there won't be any changes and I can stick to my plan so I can begin editing as soon as possible. When I am in America, I will probably film bits and pieces randomly if I feel it fits with the film, therefore this doesn't really need planning.
Lighting research from elliesmith1201 I did some research on lighting in films similar to mine, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and If I Stay. Both of these films differed in the way they used lighting to convey different emotions, however both used a sort of sterile white light because of the clinical settings and darker, warmer colours for happier scenes. I concluded that I wanted to use similar techniques in my trailer and I would do my best to achieve this in filming and editing.
This is my animatic storyboard for my film. I drew the pictures myself, taking into consideration camera angles, shots and locations. Then I used iMovie to edit them altogether and added intertitles that I might add in my film. I also added some music, however I am aware that this is probably copyrighted and thus, I wouldn't be using this in my real film. I added the music to get an overall feel to my animatic. One thing that I need to work on is the title screen at the end as I didn't think this one really fit or looked like a real film trailer. I want to make my trailer look as authentic as possible, so I will work on this. I will try my best to stick to this and include all of the different shots and angles to make my trailer varied and interesting.
Today I developed my Photoshop skills as I have never used this program before. I learnt how to add layers and pictures. I have used a picture of Casey and I, who are the main characters however for my real poster I will use a still from the film or have a photo shoot. I also found a picture of a notebook page and added that at the bottom where my title would go. This would link to my film as the plot revolves around a list/notebook, I used a fade option on this to integrate the picture into the poster.
I also learnt how to add text to the picture. I put the actors names on the heads of the actors, which I think may be a good idea to use in my real poster. I used the font that I got off the dafont.com website called, End of the Dream. I haven't definitely decided on this font but this looks really good. I also added the date however I need to look more into the placing of these details on real film posters. As a first time using photoshop I think I did quite well and I have decided I will use this program when I am creating my real film poster and I can't wait to get better at it!
I made a PowerPoint on emaze to display what I thought about which styles each character would wear and some examples of some outfit. I will try to match these outfits to ones the actors own and that they can wear whilst filming.
I created a shot list so that I could take it to the different shooting days with me. I have printed them out so they are easily accessible when I am at my locations and I can also tick off when I have completed each scene. The shot lists also really helped me to try and get a variety of shot sizes and angles as well as some movement. This will help to make my trailer more interesting for the audience. I wrote a brief description about each shot so that I knew what the actors had to do in each scene.
I have chosen to analyse this magazine cover as Variety is an entertainment magazine where actors and films are featured and this particular cover really caught my eye. This cover is different to many other as it has a unique style with the overlapping of the two images. This was achieved because of the similar colours in both images and also perhaps with a green screen dress so that the dress has the facial features on it.
The masthead is in-between the two images and this seems like a popular design for magazines to have the image over the text. This shows that this brand is recognisable even when partly covered, so draws in the audience.
The colour scheme is bright with light pink tones which could attract a more female audience because of the stereotypical feminine colours. Women would also appreciate the makeup and outfit more therefore it's important these are the main subjects.
There is a lack of text on this front cover, only about the main story and not about smaller articles in the magazine. This is maybe because the main story is the most interesting and eyecatching, or perhaps the simplistic look of the cover would seem too cluttered with text all around it. However there is a small line of text at the top which people who want to can see what is inside.
The text about the main story has a bold title and then a small description which gives the reader more information about what is included in the story or magazine as a whole. There is also a small puff of text with the date for the magazine. The font is classy and traditional to go with the attire of the main subject.
Although this issue is about beauty and not film, i chose to analyse this magazine cover as the magazine does cover a lot of films and actors and the 2 females relate to my film as my main characters are both female.
The title of the magazine has been changed to a pink colour, this is effective as it shows the clear target audience of this issue which is females as it is a beauty issue. This colour will attract mostly females as this is a stereotypical feminine colour.
Both of the main subjects are looking at the audience, using mode of address to catch the eye of passers by who might see this magazine in a shop. This connects the magazine and the audience together as they feel involved or perhaps more encouraged to buy the magazine. The way they are positioned and holding themselves gives a sense of power which is in culture at the moment of women gaining more power especially in the media. This could relate to other women who are in positions of power or perhaps want to be.
The two ladies are wearing smart outfits which could draw in older, professional women. The costumes are elegant and classy linking the whole of the cover with the traditional text. The dress is feminine but in a black colour to suggest power and Drew Barrymore wears a smart casual outfit with a blazer suggesting a business feel.
The text is at the bottom of the picture like a sort of summary to the image, the audience will look at the text of beauty and relate it to the picture, enticing audiences into finding out the beauty tips and secrets that these women use to look as elegant as they do. The other text is places around the edges and is fairly small. This shows sub articles which are shown to be less important that the main article of Drew Barrymore and her stylist. I don't think this is very effective as some people want to know about other articles other than beauty, but since the other text is small, it would be difficult to catch the eye of those who wish to read about these topics. Although the text is small it used imperative verbs, for example 'meet' so that the audience will feel obliged to meet this person. I also like who the image is over the masthead 'The Hollywood Reporter' as this shows that it is a recognisable brand even when partially covered and also gives a 3D effect, making the character jump off the page and pulls the audience towards it.
The colours are warm and inviting, again drawing people in to read the magazine. There are many brown shades with dark pinks to bring in femininity, however there are also blacks and greys to include the professional, business side of it. The lighting is quite dark, to suggest a secretive feel, as if the reader is being let into beauty secrets.
The prop of the chair makes the scene seem relaxed as if we are friends sharing tips and advice. It makes the audience feel apart of it and doesn't put them off like other magazines might with models in bikinis which could be seen as unrepresentative of 'average' women. It is vintage which is contrasts the modern outfits that the two women wear but is still stylish and is now trending again.
My favourite things about this poster is the colour scheme and the positions of the subjects in the image. The colours provide a warm, alluring feeling, making the audience engage more. I especially like the pink as it really draws in on the fact that the issue is about femininity. The positions of the women are also effective as they represent power but also normality at the same time.
With my magazine cover, I want to use the dark pinks as my film is surrounding two girls, however I would like to use more light colours than this cover as my film is quite happy. In addition, I think I will choose to have both of the main characters on the screen sitting next to each other maybe on a chair or sofa like this. I think mode of address is effective but I would also like to experiment with maybe the characters looking in different directions and laughing maybe to highlight the theme of friendship in the film and it could also draw the audience in because they want to know more about the girl's friendship. I think the whole cover compliments itself throughout and would attract its target audience easily.
These are props that I want to include in my trailer. So far I have:
Notebook/List
Pillows and covers
Tubs of ice cream
Minnie Mouse ears
Passport
Selfie Stick
Camera
Photo Albums
Friendship Bracelets
Once I have finalised my plan and script I will probably find more props that will be in the locations, but so far these are the main props that I need to do my trailer. It won't be difficult to get these things as I have most of these items, the only thing I'd have to buy is ice cream which is fine.
We all practised using cameras, tripods and also editing programmes as we made a trailer from a pretend plot. The plot was about a girl who was having a tough time at school but then made a friend, which turns out to be imaginary. Since we only had 1 lesson to film, I think we got in a good range of shots, including close ups and wide shots, using a school camcorder and tripod. I was in a group with Elle, Holly and Katie. Holly and Katie did a lot of the shots and Elle and I acted. We strived to use different locations although this was quite difficult as we only did it in school. We used our English block corridor and stairs, the walkway in the middle of the school and a bench outside. We wanted to include different locations as in trailers there are many different locations. The next lesson we used Adobe Premier to edit our film. This programme was different to what we had used last year as we used iMovie as it was a bit more basic. However we managed to learn how to split clips, add titles and music. From this task I have learnt: - To redo footage a few times in order to get a range of shots/angles to choose from - To check footage before leaving the location in case of tripods being in the shot (this did happen but we managed to crop and edit the clip). - To make sure the sound is clear and actors speak loud, especially when filming in a public place. - To check inter titles for mistakes. - How to fit a camera on a tripod. This was a valuable task and I'm glad that we did it as I know have new things to consider when filming my trailer.
The target audience for my film are teenage and young adult girls, so between the ages of 13-25. I have looked into the target audiences for similar films like The Fault in our Stars, who has a typical audience of 13-21 and who are also teenage girls. Because my film is similar to this, I have decided to recreate this audience with my film. I have picked a stereotypical audience member, Georgina. I have described what Georgina likes including films and genres that she would enjoy. I think teenage girls would like my film as they can relate to it as it is about friendship. There are also many films like mine at cinemas that are targeted at a young adult audience. In addition, teenage girls like to go to the cinema with their friends and they have more disposable income than an older audience.
Today in lesson time, we got into groups of 4 and we had the chance to try filming with cameras and tripods. Mr Oswick gave us a pretend storyline about a girl who was having a bad time at school and then met an imaginary friend. I was in a group with Elle, Holly and Katie and we went around school filming. Our first location was in a corridor where Elle was looking out of the window, wishing she had someone to talk too. We also filmed on the stairs and outside on a bench. We wanted to include a few different locations. We used a sheet with different camera shots on it to make sure we had a variety of different shots. We managed to include all of them as well as keeping to the storyline which was a great result. We may film some more for this task next lesson and we will be editing these clips together and adding music for this task. I really enjoyed filming today as I learned a lot of new things, like how to fit the camera onto the tripod and how to include a variety of different camera shots and angles to fit the plot/storyline. This will help me when I am filming for my trailer Here are some pictures I took when we were filming this task as well as our shot list:
I want to include lots of different locations in my trailer as in real trailers there is not just one location and I want my trailer to look authentic and realistic. Some of my locations are abroad and I think this will be unique and exciting. I will have to think more about some of my locations like the hospital, but most of the locations are definitely possible to use. Please press the enlarge button on the bottom to see the slideshow clearer.
I analysed the If I Stay poster as this is a teen drama and the poster is unique and effective. The pictures on the poster are made into a collage of the main character and different scenes in the film. I think this is very clever and also looks great. The mix of warm and cool colours show the emotions in the film and I really like the font for the title (as mentioned in a previous post) as it it like handwriting which is what I would like on my poster and trailer. I will consider using the collage technique as I think it works so well and looks great.
I chose to analysis the Me and Earl and the Dying Girl poster because it is the type of film that I would like to set out to make with my trailer. The poster is quite minimalistic which i think relates to the blunt title and tagline, I think the makers of the film wanted the issue of cancer to be addressed but not in an overly emotional way and I want to follow in their footsteps. I think the poster is effective as the secretive pictures in the background link to the plot, which rewards audiences with a sneak peek to the storyline. The character's personalities are shown as they are hunched eating ice cream, showing teenage qualities.
I like this poster because it is minimal but also shows a lot about the storyline and characters in a clever way. I will consider using these techniques in my own poster.
The title for my film will be 'I Wish You Were Here', this relates to the narrative as the main character says it throughout the film and it's about missing and losing her friend, but also adventures. It also relates to the sadness and drama in the film. I wanted to find a font that would relate to the story and would also capture the emotion that the film contains. I decided to go with a font that looked like hand writing as the film is about a sort of diary to her friend. 'I Wish You Were Here' is stereotypically written on a postcard and so I wanted to portray this in the font. The font will be shown on the trailer maybe throughout with the inter-titles and the perhaps on the movie poster that I will also be creating. Here are some fonts that I found on the website dafont.com:
I like the fonts of the first 3 as I really like the hearts above the i's. This clearly shows its about teen girls and therefore target audience is acquired. However, this might show that its a chick-flick instead of a teen drama so perhaps this isn't a positive. I also really like the last one, 'End of the dream' as it looks a lot like handwriting and also reminds me of a love letter, which could link to the love the two friends feel. I was researching other teen drama film fonts, and I found a similar one from the film 'If I Stay', where the handwriting effect is used.
This is a mood board of my films that I want to make. It has the list of things that the girls want to do when they are older. I wanted to include pictures of what I want the characters to be like, they are eating ice cream together and laughing together and also I have a picture when they are little. I have a few of the locations, school, beach, Disneyland, a film festival and also a hospital. I think this mood board sums up my film as a whole and shows the range of locations and emotions that I want to include in my trailer. This will help me to decide the different scenes I want in my trailer too so I will keep referring back to this.
I am analysing the order in which scenes appear in this trailer for Love, Rosie, a romantic comedy. We start with a scene that's maybe 10-15 into the film and then go back to their childhood which is the beginning of the film. The film makes many cuts to scenes from beginning and middle of the film, with some at the end. For example, when we see Rosie and Greg about to sleep with each other, which is near the beginning it then cuts to a scene over an hour into the film when Rosie's friend says "You did what?", which is about a totally different situation. I think this is used so the storyline isn't given away and also to create different feels, e.g. happiness and then intensity in the part where Rosie finds out she is pregnant. More evidence is when Alex asks Rosie if she got into Boston and she says no, in the film this scene in after she finds out she is pregnant but in the trailer it is before. This shows that scenes can be jumbled around but still make sense. I will take this into account when making my own trailer as I would like to mix the scenes up so they are not chronological and end up giving the whole story away as trailers should tell audiences about the film but not the whole plot. I also want to analyse this trailer at a later date to fit in with my genre anaylsis as it is a romantic comedy aswell as a teen drama.
We created a pretend romantic comedy called The Crush where we decided what scenes
we would put where in the trailer. Here is the order of scenes we chose:
There is a view of the city of London, to set the scene.
Main character (Joe) is sitting in his office at work, sad and depressed with his boss shouting at him and giving him orders.
He is home and he is looking out of his living room window when he sees a woman (Scarlett) get out of the car, swishing her hair in slow motion and he looks in love.
They walk around the town together chatting he shows her around
He goes to give a moving in present to her and his boss opens the door, he is the husband of Scarlett, unknown to Joe. He drops the present in shock.
The friend of Joe (Dan) tries to talk Joe out of meeting up with Scarlett because he will get in trouble at work but Joe disagrees.
There is a christmas party and Joe sees boss arguing with Scarlett, Joe is drunk and punches boss. After he does it he says "okay maybe that was a bad idea" then gets knocked out by boss.
Joe and Scarlett go to a dance class.
Joe goes to kiss scarlett but she pushes him away.
Scarlett is crying and Joe is shouting "what do you want?" Scarlett replies "I don't know what I want!"
We see a ring sliding off of Scarlett's finger.
The titles come up.
We see Joe and Scarlett walking around town at sunset we are at the back of them, they are joking and she pushes him laughing and he falls, she says, "oh my god I'm so sorry" still laughing.
During this task I learnt the importance of locations in a film trailer, as in order to create a genuine trailer, there must be lots of different locations. I included London, a house, a small town, a workplace, and a bar. This is quite a good variety that I will hopefully be able to achieve in my own film. I also learnt that the order of scenes should be mixed and matched so that the whole film isn't shown in the trailer. A lot of trailers mix up the scenes cleverly in order to maintain mystery, but also show audience basically what the film is about. I will use this technique in my own trailer.
I have been thinking more about the narratives that I want to work on with my trailer. Recently in cinemas, there has been a lot of films surrounding the subject of illness and cancer, some examples include, The Fault in our Stars, Me and Earl and The Dying Girl and even more recently, coming out this week is Miss you, Already. I think that because it is an issue that is so widespread, it would be good to address it. I understand that it may be quite tough to re-create such an issue, whilst being courteous and understanding, however I think it will be possible. In addition, I wanted to add in the part about America as I will be travelling there at the end of this year and I would like to have the opportunity to film out there, increasing the number of locations in my trailer. I really like this idea as I think I can do a lot with it, friendship, sadness and happiness too. I will ask others about this idea and get their opinions to see if there are things that need addressing or altering. Here is my idea:
'An awkward high-school senior (Thomas Mann) and a gravely ill classmate (Olivia Cooke) surprise themselves by becoming inseparable friends.'
I chose to analyse this theatrical film trailer because it is a recent film, coming out in UK cinemas in mid 2015 and also because this is the kind of film I want to make. Things I particularly love about this trailer is the music and the camera angles/shots.
Opening Scenes The trailer begins by introducing us to the production companies, Fox Searchlight Pictures and Indian Paintbrush (both involved with The Grand Budapest Hotel). Then we get the first shot of a yellow school bus door opening then a pan from on top of a school. This instantly sets the scene as we, as an audience, are now aware we are in an American school. The birdseye view of the school shows the size and so, the insignificance of the people below. We then meet the main character who stares at the school hallways, which look like two pathways as he looks like he is stuck in the middle of both. This could represent a decision the character must make later on in the film. There are various panning shots in the trailer and I think this is so effective as it makes the film seem more free-flowing and less serious and dramatic. I also like the black screen and the ‘Oh god’ as it adds a comedic element. The shot of Rachel and Greg on the stairs is also effective as it shows Greg as being quite vulnerable as he has never been in this position and also shows the distance between the two, which gets closer as the trailer goes on.
Music One of my favourite things about this trailer is the music. The music is indie which matches the nature of the film and also the way the music fits the action. As Greg is hearing sad news, the music stops, as if the happy, peacefulness of Greg’s life has been disrupted and he is faced with a new issue. The change in music, as a new song appears, shows a transition and a new journey for Greg. The music stops for both comedic and dramatic moments and this is really effective as we feel like we are in that moment with Greg, whether it be awkward or sad. The best moment, regarding the music, for me is when Greg’s camera flips up and begins to shoot as Imagine Dragons “I Bet My Life” plays. It sounds so powerful and so makes the whole film seem more powerful and triumphant. It then goes on to show happy moments during the film perhaps showing that even if you are sick, there will be happy days, which is such an important message.
Voiceover and Conventions The voiceover used mostly throughout of the whole trailer is effective as we know that the film is the point of view of Greg and we see things through his eyes. Just from this voiceover we learn that Greg is ‘in’ with everyone although doesn't have his own group. This goes against generic conventions of teen dramas where there is usually a ‘clique’ problem for the main character as they are either ‘uncool’ or ‘popular’, though as an audience we can’t help but see Greg as an ‘outsider’. We see a few cliques present as Greg interacts with them all, this is done through clever shots of teens smoking in a bathroom and other teens sitting on a stage. We also get introduced to Earl, who is described as a co-worker, this leads into mystery as why he isn’t a ‘friend’ and also what they work on together.
Editing The editing in this trailer is also really effective. I particularly like the split screens of the times of the times that Greg and Rachel have together. This is a good way of showing how their relationship forms and develops throughout the film without taking up a lot of time in the trailer. I also like how Earl and Greg’s films are featured in the trailer and the style in which they are presented. It shows that even though they are amateur and small, they are still proud of them and enjoy making them. The trailer seems to be split into four parts, first is Greg’s life before Rachel, then meeting and getting to know Rachel. After this there is a sombre mood as we see the real effects of the illness as we see Rachel with no hair, upset and frustrated. We also see Greg’s personal stuggle with calling people his ‘friend’. However in the fourth part of the trailer we see the happy times and the effect that Rachel has had on Greg’s life and vice versa. This splitting up of the trailer provides the different parts of the narrative without giving everything away which I think is essential in theatrical trailers, therefore I will strive to do this in my trailer.
Titles The inter-titles are not used to tell the story unlike a lot of other films and is instead replaced with the voiceover. However, there are a few inter-titles showcasing the film and the companies, including one that says ‘From the studio that brought you Juno and 500 Days of Summer. Both of these films are so popular and are known for its realism, Juno showing teen pregnancy and 500 days of summer showing rejection and break-ups. This shows us that the film will be real, authentic and won’t just be a ‘touching romantic story’. The inter titles also showcases its winnings at the Sundance Film Festival, known for its independent films and also shows raving reviews from vulture.com, and The Guardian. After the title is shown there is another clip after which leaves us happy, as it is a comedic scene. Then the end slate is shown saying Coming Soon, with links to Facebook and a hashtag MEANDEARL, this is effective as it gives a chance for audiences to know more about the film.
Overall, I really love this trailer as it showcases the amazing narrative with clever cinematography and soundtrack. From looking at this trailer, I now have more ideas for my own, including the editing shots of the split screens and the different panning shots that are used. I also may consider using a voiceover instead of using inter-titles to set up the narrative.
I have decided I want to make a trailer for a teen drama. I love watching teen dramas as I feel like I can relate to the topics in the films. In addition, I believe there are so many issues and topics that can be addressed in these films that I have a lot to choose from.
I have included the generic conventions of teen dramas including, issues addressed, characters, props, settings and music. I added pictures of various films, including:
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Love, Rosie
The Last Song
Mean Girls
If I Stay
Particularly I would like to look at Me and Earl and the Dying girl in detail as it is a 2015 film and it is independent which is what I want to do with my trailer. In addition, my favourite film is Love, Rosie as I love the narrative and would like to look more into that.
This trailer is for Legend, a gangster and crime thriller. As it's the theatrical trailer, it is 2 minutes and 23 seconds, therefore we are able to see a lot more of the narrative showing through. We begin to see that instead of an intense thriller, this film has hints of comedy and romance too. Locations and Characters We get to see the personalities of the characters in this trailer as we can now tell the difference between two twins, Ronnie being 'mad' and Reggie being the more professional out of the two. This is especially made apparent when Reggie is standing in front of a brick building with a posh car and then cuts to Ronnie outside of a caravan in the woods. Ronnie's character brings in a comedy element to the serious topic of the Kray twins which will entice audiences as it it original and different. Instead of seeing the serious Kray twins that are portrayed to us normally, we see a different, unique side. However, we still see the conventions of crime and gangster films, "money and respect", guns, girls and fights. Voiceover The shot of London is used again, but this time we have a voiceover setting the scene of "London in the 1960s.". We then are introduced to the characters through this voiceover. This is different to the teaser as we were left to discover the narrative and characters ourselves, whereas this time we are brought into the narrative.
Storyline and Target Audience We see more action in this trailer which is what this film is mostly about, however we see other genres too. When Frances is introduced we see a hint of romance being tied into the storyline and these seems to be the thing that the dispute is based around, love verses brotherhood, "blood is thicker than water'. Because of the action and crime nature of this film, we can expect the target audience to be males between the ages of 18 and 30. However, the introduction of romance could attract a female audience too. Music The music in this trailer is effective as in the beginning it is contemporary and feels like an intense gangster film, however as we get half way through the song changes along with the tone. The narrative flips to Ronnie's sanity and the friction between brothers and girlfriends. After some research, I found that the second song that is played is The Walker Brothers - The Sun ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore), and this song was played when the Ronnie Kray (in 1960s) shot and killed a rival gangster. I thought it was so clever how they added this song as a kind of easter egg to real fans of the Kray twins. It also made me want to know more about them which is just a good marketing technique. This song has quite a dreary tone to maybe match the seriousness of the situation, but also is still able to match to action, the gun shots being particularly effective. Titles The inter titles are used well in this trailer as they set the scene and the narrative of the story as well as the effective "Tom Hardy as Ronnie/Reggie Kray" which really gets out the unique selling point of Hardy playing both of the Kray twins. This also shows the editing well as it will become a talking point around the film. I like how after the title of the film is shown another clip is placed, this clip is light hearted and quite comedic so this will stick in the minds of audiences. The end slate of this trailer has the release date and the #LEGENDFILM and also links to their social media accounts, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr. This is really good as audiences are able to connect with the film, therefore I would like to add this on to the end slate of my trailer. Overall, this trailer is really compelling as we find out more about the genre of the film, showing that it isn't a typical gangster film with the introduction of comedy and romance. We also get an insight into the different characters and the basic turning point in the film. I will take this all into consideration when making my trailer as I think showing the basic details of this film without giving too much away is important. In theatrical trailers, audiences get to see all of the different parts to a film so it is important to convey different setting, moods and tones in each scene, in the trailer.
This is a teaser trailer for Legend, a gangster and classic crime thriller. As it is only 30 seconds long, it provides little insight into the storyline of the film, classing it as a teaser. It introduces the characters as well as the key themes in the film. This teaser would be used to entice an audience into wanting to know more about the film and eventually go and see the film.
Genre conventions
The trailer seems to have all of the conventions of a gangster, guns, suitcases of money, police investigations and explosions to name a few. These are made very clear so that we know exactly what this film is going to be like. Even though it is just a teaser, we still discover the basics, a film about the rise and fall of the Kray twins.
Opening scenes
The trailer starts out by telling the audience who the production companies are, for this film it is Working Title and Studio Canal. These are placed next to each other to limit the time needed in the trailer, making it quick and sharp, in order to get into grab the attention of the viewers. The first shot of the film is very effective as it introduces the characters straight away. Because this film’s unique selling point is the characters and actors it is so important to introduce them in the trailer. The main characters are the Kray twins, notorious English gangsters, who are both played by Tom Hardy. This is unique as one actor is playing both of the main characters who are in the same shot a lot in the trailer. This showcases the editing in the film, which will lead to discussions about the film in the media.
Music The music in the teaser is fast pace and thrilling to match the gangster/crime genre. The technique of the shots matching the fast pace of the music is so effective, this makes the action look exciting and dramatic. The booming noises, matching the action, also sound like gunshots which could be linked to the genre of gangster films. The music track is fairly contemporary which contrasts the narrative, set in the 60s. This could give a new, fresh version to the story that has been featured in many films before. This is effective as it shows that it is not like the other versions but has a slightly modern twist, including some comedy which is not always expected in gangster films.
Shots and Angles
The teaser features many different camera shots and angles. There are a few wide shots of the different locations, including the London skyline and a London street. The character also says “London is going to be the Las Vegas of Europe” and one of the Kray twins wants to “rule London”. I think it’s really effective how the trailer is able to set the scene with just a few shots and dialogue and we, as an audience, instantly know where we are without the need of a voice over. I would like to use many locations in my trailer as it looks more professional and exciting. Another shot that is used a few times is close-ups to the characters faces, this is effective as we can see differences between characters already.
Titles The titles are also really constructive, especially the part where the main themes of the film are laid out, POWER, FEAR, FAMILY. These are also linked with gangsters and mobs as these values are very important to them. In addition, there are ratings from magazines, Empire and Total Film as well as Heat magazine. At the end it says the date of release and more notably it has the hashtag of #LEGENDFILM this will help to keep the audience involved and the production companies can follow the hashtag to see how the popularity of the film is advancing. This is something I want to include at the end of my trailer, so it looks more authentic.
Overall, this is a really effective teaser trailer as, even though it is short in length, it does not cut action and intensity short. We aren't given the full narrative which leaves us with some mystery to the story, but still leaves the audience gripped. I particularly love where the music matches the fast pace of the scenes and the words POWER, FEAR and FAMILY to help give a feel for the film on the whole. I will consider using these techniques in my trailer.
Today we got introduced to our coursework task and this year we have to make a trailer for a film. I really like watching upcoming trailers on YouTube, so hopefully this will help me when making a trailer.
I have had a few ideas already, last year I made a thriller, so I want to do something different. I want to make a teen drama as this could address so many issues and also, there are a lot of new teen dramas, like Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Love, Rosie, Paper Towns, so I can analyse the genre using these films. I watch a lot of teen dramas and I really like them, so I would love to create a trailer for one.
My ideas so far include one about teen pregnancy or one about a girl with a terminal illness. I think both of these topics can be hard hitting but also can be put into a light hearted context. I will think more about these two plots and decide soon which one I think is better.
