Research: 'Shutter Island' - Trailer Analysis

Analysis of the trailer for the film "Shutter Island":

At the start of the trailer, we see a warning (pictured below) which shows that the trailer itself is suitable for the viewing of people of all ages, even though the film itself is only suitable for those aged 15 and up (in the UK). It would be too difficult for film promoters to only advertise in places that 15+ year-olds would see the trailers, as they are shown on TV in the daytime and also in cinemas, and it is impossible to control who watches them, so it is important to censor trailers enough so they can be aired whenever, whilst also including enough information in the trailer to inspire the target demographic to want to see the film.

The music within the trailer, which is non-diegetic, fades in and progressively becomes louder throughout the trailer and also when text/captions appear on screen, and then fades out afterwards. As tension increases in the trailer, the music becomes more intense and prominent within the trailer.

At 0.42 (below), we hear a loud scream which is playing throughout  two shots, and echoed in a third. It is not made clear whether the scream is diegetic or non-diegetic because of the different locations we are shown whilst the sound is playing, however the use of the scream signifies danger and terror, and its high amplification is very eery and adds to the confusion that the audience are experiencing.The white clothing worn in this shot signifies hospital staff and a clinical environment, which reinforces the location and setting of the film.

The tempo and pace of the sound increases throughout the trailer, which creates tension and suspense. All of the sound effects of any movement (e.g. dragging the gun across the floor) makes the audience feel uneasy, and anchors what we are seeing on screen.

Many of the transitions are straight cuts (the frequency of these increases as the pace of the trailer does), though there are many fades, flashes and there is also frequent use of jump cuts which show the passing of time and increases suspense, whilst also intriguing those watching into wanting to find out more about the film by watching it.

Props throughout the entire trailer are very scarce so that the audience focuses on the action within the film, and this then signifies the sense of abandonment felt by the protagonist who appears to be trapped on an island. The costumes are carefully thought out - the staff are in typical 1950s medical gowns and the clothes and trench coat worn by DiCaprio's character at the start of the trailer indicate the time period/location in which the film is set (1950s America).

Edit (29/01/12): Having now watched this film, I found it very interesting how the trailer presents and markets the film. With the trailer being put together from certain parts of the film, the editors have been very selective. Although there are lots of indicators of the film's narrative within the trailer, the film itself is a lot deeper and more intense than the trailer would suggest. This is due to its genre of "thriller". If too much had been given away in the trailer, it would definitely have spoiled the plot, however the suspense created throughout the film is very thrilling indeed. 

Research: 'Panic Room' Trailer Analyis

 Please watch the embedded video below for analysis of the trailer for Panic Room. (Additional details in text below video)

• Throughout the entire trailer, many of the shots are filmed from non-static cameras (hand-held, steadicam, tracking, panning. This technique is used to make the audience feel as though they are in the film and experiencing what they're watching for themselves.
• Many quick cuts are used to show the pace of the action (a lot of the shots last less than a second), creating tension, and have been editing to show two or more different things happening at the same time.
• Low -angle shots are used to signify dominance and empowerment of character, and high-angle shots have been used to reduce the characters’ control over the situations in the narrative.
• The use of non-diegetic sound throughout the trailer is very important. At the beginning, we hear music, which then appears later on in the trailer at points of high tension. As the pace of the trailer gets faster and the tension builds up more and more, the music becomes louder, more dominant and fast paced, which adds to our apprehension and expectation. There is a load drum/banging noise during the flash transition that defines the start of the disruption within the trailer’s narrative, which enhances this moments’ significance.
• We don’t actually hear the villains speak properly at all in the trailer, only the protagonists. Villains only shout inaudibly and scream so the audience aren’t given any reason to see things from their point of view and automatically side with the heroes. For a trailer almost 2 and half minutes long, there is very little dialogue as it would spoil the plot for many viewers. Many of the diegetic sound effects are very loud, so they stand out and hint towards the film’s plot without giving too much away (e.g. gun cocking, doors creaking/shutting/tools being emptied on table/mirror smashing). These are amplified heavily to draw the audience’s attention to them, so we focus on the specific things intended rather than being distracted by any background noise in the trailer.
• All of the characters are wearing dark clothing, none of which are particularly dramatic, so we focus on the other elements of the film’s construction in order to understand what’s going on. The darkness of the clothing works well with the low key lighting, which creates an apathetic atmosphere, which concentrates the audience’s focus on the areas that excite the most thrills in the film.  

Research: 'Harry Brown' - Trailer Analysis

Harry Brown (2009) is a British crime thriller starring Michael Caine, and was directed by Daniel Barber. It has been given a 7.3 user rating on IMDB.

To watch the original video -click here-

The trailer above was used to advertise the film's release in UK cinemas, and follows many conventions of thrillers. There are many establishing shots of the stereotypical housing estate in which the film is set, allowing the audience to identify with its location as we can compare it to similar places we have seen elsewhere, thus making us feel as though we are in the film. Every single shot in this trailer has low-key lighting, most of them having extremely low-key lighting. Shadows and silhouettes are used throughout to conceal faces and objects, and create a tense, mysterious atmosphere.

Below is a typical over-the-shoulder shot, showing the character of Harry Brown mid-conversation with a police officer. The use of low-key lighting in this shot signifies the dark nature of the film, and she shadow cast on his face distorts him, concealing facial expressions which could reveal the character's inner feelings.

The shot below is one of few shots in the trailer with the least low-key lighting  elements. This is one of the only scenes we see that takes place outside in daylight hours. The significance of using less low-key effects suggest this scene is more positive than some of the others. We are given the impression that the character in the centre of this shot is a villain within this film, so his arrest is a positive element for the audience to identify with.

 This wide-shot uses almost high-key lighting as it is set in daytime. Although it is showing a funeral, it suggests that the character of Harry Brown may believe death may be better than the gang-culture experienced where he lives, as it is an escape.

One of the shots near the beginning of the trailer uses a hand-held mobile-phone/personal camera to add an effect of realism, as though we are viewing real events. This is incredibly effective and makes the audience feel as though they are involved in the action they are seeing onscreen. The shot is very distorted, and briefly shows someone wearing a hoodie, which has connotations of gang-culture, so we assume this character is a villain.

Many of the shots used are conventional of any film; extreme close-ups to convey emotion and reactions, long/establishing shots to present the location, over-the-shoulder shot-revers-shots to show communication between characters and low-angle shots to signify dominance etc. The clothes worn by most of the characters are dark/black, which works with the low-key lighting/shadows/silhouettes to create a tense atmosphere and represents darkness within the film and its narrative. Not many different kinds of transitions have been used in this trailer, though there are a couple of blank screens flashed up to signify the passing of time/change in location in the narrative. Most of the cuts are straight quick cuts.

Dark clothing also signifies masculinity within the male characters, and their stereotypical lack of interest in their own personal appearance/fashion. Other visual elements used to help the audience identify with genre include the iconography of the guns and car-crash. These are conventional of action/crime films, tying in with the crime theme in this thriller. Thriller films tend to take many conventions from similar genres of films and adapt them to construct something new.

Sound effects are used dramatically to build tension and cause apprehension in the audience. Some diegetic sounds have been exaggerated, e.g. the weapons cocking, to enhance the danger and create fear, possibly causing some audience members to be shocked by it. Non-diegetic music is used throughout the trailer, building to a climax. An instrumental piece with a heavy beat is used early on in the trailer to enhance the action in the narrative and fast-pace of the film. Later on in the trailer, we hear the song "End Credits" by Chase and Status ft. Plan B. Plan B plays the main villian and antagonist in the film, so the use of this music markets to fans of his music if they were unaware of his appearance in this film.

Most of the elements used in this film are conventional in thriller films.