Analysis of Legend Teaser 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.