Film Trailer Analysis

Film trailers are made to act as a promotional device, to encourage people to want to go and watch a film. They are made up of selected scenes from a film, usually the most dramatic and appealing parts of the film as the trailers purpose is to attract an audience to want to watch the advertised film. Most conventional trailers have three stages, the start were the setting is established, then the middle which usually consists of an emotional climax, followed by the ending which usually consisits of dramatic scenes with strong powerful messages.


Jeepers Creepers Trailer Analysis
After watching the Jeepers Creepers teaser trailer it is clearly a Horror genre. It identifies this to the audience as the music signifies an eerie atmosphere, along with the fact that the trailer makes the audience understand that there is a monster. Also the way the characters are represented as scared and in danger also gives away this fact.The trailer lasts approximately one minute and twenty four seconds, having thirty one shots in total including the titles. A number of different transitions are used throughout the trailer, allot of fade to blacks are used and dissolves creating tension and drama, shots are kept short and run in chronological order to the film.There is no dialogue used in the trailer, diegetic music such as screams and footsteps on gravel are used to add effect, my favourite diegetic sound in the trailer is the heart beat emphasising the fact the characters are scared and anxious as to what is about to happen. Non diegetic sound is also used, eerie music is played to add effect and create atmosphere to the scenes, the male and female characters in the trailer are established as the victims. The monster is represented as a murderer, the audience are not aware of the fact it is a supernatural being which creates a sense of enigma and mystery.Shots of religious connotations such as the church and cross reveals the hiding place of the monster. The audience now know that the monster is clever which makes him more threatening as titles on the screen ' Perfect Place To Hide' shows that he knows that it is somewhere where people would not expect a supernatural being to be, the audience may feel unsetled by the text moving in the titles at this point.The titles in the trailer relate to the monster as an 'it' which is a personification of evil.'Francis Ford Corpola' Title appears on the screen at the point where the equilibrium has been corrupted. The audience knows and trusts the director.The trailer is set out in a linear structure, whereby all of the scenes have been taken from the film chronologically.High angle shots of the female victim emphasises her vulnerability, along with short shots which establishes the setting so the audience are familiar with the setting. Point of view shots are used showing the tunnel in which the make victim falls down, emphisisng the darkness and danger.Mise en scene is created in the trailer effectively throughout, in the first shot a car in the middle of nowhere, creates the theme of isolation, which is supported by the titles, ' In the Middle Of Nowhere'.Codes and Conventions that I have identified in the film and analysed are, the titles, dissolve, fade to black, high angle shot, non diegetic and diegetic sound,etablishing shots, point of view shots.The trailer is successful as a promotional device as it includes all of the best scenes in the film and gives the audience a preview into the climax of the trailer, leaving them intreaged into what happens, making them want to go and watch it.

The Saw trailor lasts approximately one minute fifty eight seconds and includes eighty two shots. It is clear from the trailor that the genre of the film is Horror. It is clear to the audience that this is the case as characters in the trailer ar represented as vulnerable victims, along with the understanding that there is someone or something making those characters in danger. The trailer targets the audience by using quick effective shots to emphisise the fast pace and energy of the film. Dark lighting is used throughout the trailer, this too adding crucial effect to the scenes along with fade to blacks happening after almost everyshot.
At the beginning of the trailer diegetic music in the form of the characters camera flash and his footsteps, along with the male character calling out to 'who is there?' by this time the audience have suspicions as to what is going to happen next. As the male character turns around a non diegetic sound of a computerised laugh is played, an unknown creature jumps in to the screen and a title along with more non diegetic sound is displayed. This creating tension and atmosphere as it is unknown as to what has happened to the male character.
The next shot is a canted low angle shot of lights which gives the sense of confined space, diegetic sound of flickering lights. The next few shots are quick and are reactions of the trapped characters, along with a shot of a television with the jugsaw puppet on, which is a crucial shot as it helps the audience make sense of the scenario.
An unknown character dressed in a cloak but who is limping and not acting in an atal threateneing manner leaves the audience confused as to who it is and whether it is threatening or not.
An over the shoulder shot of a man watching a screen with controls emphisises his power, a subtle zoom in while he is moving his hand shows that this is important and the audience should be aware of this.
Close up shots of newspaper articles with titles such as 'Killer Preacher' indicates to the audience that they are of some importance and leads them to think about them.
A voice over is used throughout the trailer to create a sense of narrative and to reveal key information about the plot to the audience.
Dialogue is also used throughout so the audience know how the characters are feeling and reveals more about the plot.
Titles are used such as, Madman, Voyeur, Physcopath, prophet emphising danger and the lack of control the two male characters are in.
Close up shot of a bullet, accompanied by a voice over shows the audience that they are not only victims to jigsaw they are also victims to themselves as the game is going to test how strong they are mentally.
Mise en scene is constructed in the trailer through the characters costumes and the setting.
The film studio has used this trailer to market its product as it gives an insight into the film, giving the audience a preview as to what the film is about, by selecting the best bits of the film, combining them as to not give the plot away but to intrigue the viewers into wanting to go and watch it.
Ten Codes and Conventions that I have identified in the film that I have analysed are, non diegetic sound, diegetic sounds, over the shoulder shot, fade to blacks, zoom in, close up shots, titles, voice overs, canted low angle shot, reaction shots.