Theatrical Trailers vs. Teaser Trailers

Trailers

The purpose of a film trailer is a marketing device to display the film to a potential audience in the most positive light. Scenes from the film are cut and edited into a short sequence, usually illustrating the most action-filled, exciting parts of the film.

What does the trailer need to portray?

• Key characters - a trailer usually introduces the protagonist and antagonist of the films, giving an overall reflection of the characters. The audience are also able to recognise any well-known actors/actresses, which further markets the film.
• Time period - the audience are informed when the film is set.
• Essential aspects of the plot - however the resolution of the story must not be given away.

The Motion Picture Association of America (The MPAA)

• The Motion Picture Association of America state that every trailer has to be less than 2 and a half minutes long.
• However, each film distributor or studio are allowed to exceed this limit once a year for films in which it is deemed necessary.
• Internet-only trailers do not have to stay within these time constraints are they are not to be shown in cinemas.

Theatrical Trailers vs. Teaser Trailers

The purpose of a teaser trailer is to simply 'tease' the audience by giving short snippets of the film. Very little plot is given away, whereas in a theatrical trailer the general storyline is hinted at.

Teaser trailers rely more heavily on editing processes, as in such a short space of time a lot of material has to be shown. More creative editing techniques are necessary to give a better 'feel' for the film.

Teaser trailers are much shorter - they tend to be between 1 and 1.5 minutes.

Cinematography Inspirations

Cinematography Inspirations

Below is a mind-map I created showing different cinematographic inspirations I took from various film and television pieces I have watched. I focused on camera angles, colour and general framing techniques.

The research that inspired me the most was the colours used by Jean-Pierre Juenet in Amelie. The emotions depicted in Machado's work are so beautifully replicated throughout the film. The warm colours, dark reds and browns have a very similar tone to the work of Machado.

We could try and replicate this if we opt for an arthouse style by researching artists we like and noting their colour schemes and visual styles.

Masculine vs Feminine Stereotypes

Masculine vs Feminine Stereotypes

We wanted our film to portray the realities of masculinity behind the facades of social constructs. Our film touches on the life of our protagonist – to the exterior world he is socially ‘normal’ (masculine, tough, aggressive) however alone he suffers with mental illness. With suicide being the biggest single killer of young men in the UK, we felt that this was an extremely prevalent issue in today’s society. We hope that our protagonist serves as a relatable character for male audiences, as well as highlighting social injustices. 

Our film needs to portray the protagonist as a three-dimensional character. His external ‘masculine’ self will be portrayed through the use of masculine imagery – for example shots of him boxing to depict the violent way in which men are ‘taught’ to express their emotions, rather than by talking about them. His internal self will be depicted with shots suggestive of mental health struggles.

Character Stereotypes (British Working Class Youth)

Common Stereotypes of British Working Class Youth

Social realism tends to focus on the hardships of the working class. Below is a mindmap I created showing the common stereotypes of the British working class youth.

How can we conform to these stereotypes?

• Our protagonist will wear sportswear as this commonly fashionable amongst young people.
• Our protagonist will perhaps come from a poor area.
• We could incorporate ideas about gang culture.
• Our protagonist may engage in mild anti-social behaviour, for example spitting.

How can we subvert these stereotypes?

• Our protagonist will not be aggressive or unpleasant.
• We will depict the inner struggle of our protagonist alongside the exterior depiction of his masculine self.
• Our protagonist will be portrayed as vulnerable rather than aggressive.
• Our protagonist will not be portrayed as uneducated.

Poster Deconstruction - A Way of Life

Poster Deconstruction - A Way of Life

• The poster is split into three sections - the ground, sky, and the protagonist's eyes.
• The poster contains the film certificate, which we could potentially include on our poster (especially if our film has a high age rating)
• The film's title is the biggest text on screen
• Amongst the clouds are film critic's reviews
• A naturalistic colour palette is used - blues and greens. 

Research on genre

Genre research

• We identified that it is essential that you establish your chosen genre before proceeding in any media production.

• The definition of genre is : ‘ a motion picture category based on similarities in either the narrative elements or the emotional response to the film.
• We decide to select the social realism genre to persue during the creation of our teaser trailer.
• The definition of social realism is: ‘the realistic depiction in art of contemporary life, as a means of social or political comment’
• After much deliberation, we decided to focus on the issue of masculine representation in society and the harsh expectations that are paired with being a male as we believe this is a topic that is not frequently addressed. 

'Under the Skin' Trailer Deconstruction

Under the Skin - Teaser Trailer 

I decided to deconstruct the teaser trailer for 'Under the Skin', a 2014 film featuring Scarlett Johansson.

Structure

• The trailer opens with a black screen - this creates a sense of uncertainty within the audience whilst building tension.
• Next a close up circular figure consumes the screen, getting larger. This section is interesting as it is very long, lasting from 0:07 until 0:52. This slowly increases the tension and confusion within the audience.
• The black circle eventually consumes the whole screen before it changes into an eye. This acts as a release of tension for the audience as the mysterious shape becomes identifiable, which provides a sense of reassurance.
• The next section is a montage edit of scenes from the film. A long shot of a dimly lit road is followed by various eerie shots of the characters at different stages in the film. Each clip lasts no longer than a second.
• The final shot lasts for a few seconds, showing a floating skin from one of the victims - this lingers in the audience's minds and provokes questions as to how the body came to be in such a state etc. These questions leave the audience keen to watch the rest of the film.

Sound

• The first 'eye' shot contains an eerie, creaking sound that reappears throughout, as well as static sounding electric sounds and a wind effect. In unison, the music sounds discordant and out of time, creating a tense and eerie sound. This sound builds in thickness as the shot duration increases.
• When the shot of the eye is replaced by the shot of the road, the music stops completely and is replaced with the parallel rhythmic percussion sound. The images on screen change with each beat which adds a sense of unison between the visual and aural aspects of the trailer. 
• The last shot is coupled with a contrapuntal string instrument sound. The chord is played in a minor key with discordant notes added to contribute to the sense of uneasiness and foreboding.
• The final slow percussion compliments the credits on screen, essentially 'rounding off' the piece.

Typography

• Typography of critics' reviews is shown on screen in a very quick cut montage, making the text barely legible. However the key words are readable as they remain on screen just long enough to be read.
• The text is of a bold, clean, white font in an all-caps style lettering. This adds a certain professionalism as well as readability.

What can we take from this 

• I like the eerie long shot at the beginning to build tension.
• The extreme close up shot of the eye makes it appear unrecognisable and disorientating, which is effective in establishing the film as a science fiction.
• The quick montage of typography is something we could apply to our own piece to display critics' reviews.