Film trailer analysis essay

The three trailers I have analysed, I have produced an essay to sort of compare them. Its basically the same as my analysis only in continuous prose.

Film trailer analysis essay:

The three film trailers I have chosen to analyse are all of different genres; however they were all released between 2013 and 2014 so they are considered as current films. Firstly, FROZEN, Disney's musical, fantasy, comedy is currently the biggest selling animated film of all time. This 2013 winter blockbuster has been called a milestone for animated films, being both Disney's highest grossing and most influential film made by the studios. Aimed mainly at children and families, the film used adventure to appeal to the children, sophisticated comedy that adults can understand and a hit soundtrack that all will appeal to. Mockingjay part 1 is a science fiction, dystopian film aimed at young adults due to its 12A rating. Based on the bestselling novels by Suzanne Collins, it is the 3rd film in the franchise documenting Katniss Everdeen's fight for freedom from the hands of the overbearing capitol. As the film is yet to be released in cinemas, the trailer is currently having an effect on the audience. Finally, Life after Beth, is a 2014 RomZomCom directed by Jeff Baena, it tells the story of Zach, whose recently deceased girlfriend Beth, miraculously returns from the dead, although she is not all she seems. As it is rated a 15, it will most likely appeal to young adults. All three films use various conventions to establish and enhance their genre.

 

Firstly, in terms of colour, FROZEN used colours to anchor to the title and the colour of the title as blue is typically referred to the cold. Blue and white are frequently used in the 'winter' scenes of the trailer to provide obvious colour connotations to the audience (children, who may need extra emphasis), also they give these scenes added brightness so the characters and locations stand out due to the colour contrast. The colour contrast also creates clear character stories, for example the 'snow queen' Elsa is often seen in the snow scenes wearing a dress of the same colour, implying that this is where she fits it, on the other hand, her sister Anna wears bright colours during the snow scenes that infer she doesn't belong there, she fits in much better in the castle scenes of Arendelle. Also bright colours such as green and pink are frequently used to show the 'summer' scenes, thus creating greater colour contrast between the winter scenes, enabling the child audience to make a clear link. The use of bright colours is typical to a Disney animated film, often acting as a motif for the company, this suggests that the world created is that of a fantasy one, therefore establishing a fantasy genre. ‘Life after Beth’ frequently uses the colour grey, this is most obviously used at the beginning to give a sense of impending danger and mystery. In act two, however, everything is mainly black to infer something ‘dark’ is going to happen, this is soon followed by the orange of the fire, giving a dramatic twist to the plot, this links to the ‘zombie’ genre of the film.  Green is used in the graveyard scene at the start to provide a peaceful look to the scene, his implies that somebody has passed away. Mockingjay uses colour to reflect the mood of the film, for example, grey tones are used almost everywhere to reinforce the industrial underground district 13, this gives a sombre, military look to the film, adding to the audience experience by making them think this film is ‘darker’ than the predecessors of the franchise. This also establishes the genre, a dystopian film, where the future is generally seen as ‘darker’. To contrast the dull and colours used in district 13, the colours and lighting in the Capitol scenes are very warm and opulent, giving a luxurious feel as colours such as gold are typically referred as a colour of the wealthy and privileged.

 

 

 The lighting in FROZEN is used to create specific feelings and emotions for the audience, it also emphasizes the situation. High key lighting is used in the winter scenes to brighten the 'snow' effect, adding to the winter scenery. It’s used in an unusual way as high key lighting is typically related to comedies, yes, this is a comedy, but the high key is used to depict Arandelle in danger as it’s trapped under ice. Low key lighting is used in the action scenes to increase the predominance of shadowy areas, this increases the sense of danger felt by the audience, thus emphasizing the action scenes. In Life after Beth The film sticks to typical zombie film conventions by using low key lighting at the start to give a shadowy feel, this provides the audience with connotations of death and despair. During the ‘flashback’ sequence, high key lighting is used to create a happy feel, this reflects the romantic element to the film, as he remembered how Beth used to be. Again, in Mockingjay part one, the lighting reflects the mood of the film, low key lighting is prominent to highlight the underground scenes of district 13, it makes it look gloomy, unappealing and industrial as shadowy areas are highlighted. The ‘gloomy’ light used in district 13 contrasts with the soft, warm light used in the scene of Katniss and her sister Prim, this tells the audience that this is where Katniss wants to be and anchors to the voiceover parallel to the visuals, “I just wanted to save my sister” creates a link with what is seen on screen.

 

The sound in FROZEN makes the film more appealing to audiences, at the start of the trailer, a voice over is used to set the premise of the story, it uses a dramatic stentorian style voice to infer an impending conflict or scene of danger, this establishes audience excitement. Non-diegetic sound FX of wind and snow is used in the background of some scenes, this makes a direct link to the title of the film as the theme of 'frozen' is referred to, thus establishing the plot line. A non-diegetic soundtrack is used in the background, this score is not from the film’s original soundtrack but is especially composed to highlight and match the visuals on screen, dramatic music anchored to dramatic visuals will create a better audience experience. This synchronous soundtrack at the start of the trailer matches with the dramatic visuals.  Sound bridges are used of the main characters voices from one scene to another; this highlights their importance and indicates to the audience that they are the lead roles. Also the musical score from the film is used near the end after "the music" superimposition appears, this tells that this film has elements of a musical and how the singing adds to the plot line, and this will generally appeal more to children as they can sing along to the film. On the other hand, in Life after Beth, the sound is able to establish both the genres of comedy, romance and ‘zombie’, a non-diegetic soundtrack is used at the end of the film, it is upbeat therefore showing that the film is a comedy, however this is contrapuntal to the zombie situation, thus making the film unique. A dramatic score is used at the start which is parallel to the dramatic visuals, this makes the visuals more exciting. Diegetic sound is frequently used in this trailer, for example the guitar adds to the romance element of the film, whilst the zombie screams and shouts are parallel to the zombie genre of the film. The gunshots are used as a sound bridge at the end of the trailer to provide audience suspense as they don’t know if anyone has been shot or not, this is synchronous to the visuals of the man holding a gun and both Zach and Beth are portrayed as being in danger. In Mockingjay part one, a voiceover is deployed at the beginning of the main character speaking to allow the audience to build a relationship with that character as they understand the situation from their point of view. This is then used as a sound bridge to another scene when the voiceover is finished, thus making a link between the sound and the visuals. At the end of the trailer, a distinct four note sound motif is used, this is an important motif throughout the franchise as it symbolised the ‘call of rebellion’, therefore a motif is created for the film that is instantly recognisable.  A dramatic, non-diegetic score is used in the middle third of the trailer to heighten excitement and to be parallel to the fast paced visuals, this music has an apocalyptic theme to it which links to the dystopian genre of the film. The soundtrack is not part of the official film score but has been especially created to match the ‘best bits’ shown in the trailer, this generates more excitement and persuades the audience to buy tickets. At the start of the trailer, a non-diegetic string score is used to build anticipation, it also represents the loss and tragedy felt at the end of the last film, therefore creating a sombre background to the trailer.

 

 In FROZEN, an establishing shot is used at the start of the trailer of the kingdom of Arendelle, this is deployed to set the scene of the plot and establish where most of the action is to take place. A high angle shot of Queen Elsa is used on the balcony to infer she has power over her subjects and that she is of royal blood, here the audience can infer that she is one of the main protagonists. A bird’s eye view is also used of Elsa when she 'let’s go' of her powers, here the audience can see that she is free of the pressures of royal life. A pov shot is added when Elsa is looking at the royal 'tokens' whilst trying to suppress her sorcery. Also, a close up is used of Anna's face to show her concern about Elsa's powers; this emphasizes a sense of danger and tells the viewer that bad things are inevitable. Later in the trailer, a low angle shot is used to show the 'ice guard monster', this puts Anna and Kristoff (who are being attacked by the monster) in more danger as they are powerless, thus the audience can see how the monster is an antagonist. Two shots are a common occurrence in the trailer as they portray character relationships, Olaf the snowman and Anna are seen as friends whilst there is obviously a romantic connection between Anna and Hans. In Life after Beth   a long shot is used At the start of the trailer to depict Zach by the gravestone, as it is an establishing shot, the audience needs to see everything in the frame as it is the first shot of the trailer. The graveyard obviously infers that there has been a recent loss, giving the film a sombre start.  An over the shoulder shot is used to show the conversation between Zach and Beth's dad, Zach is seen as being in the minority as he does not yet know that Beth has risen from the grave. A two shot of Beth and Zach is used to emphasise their relationship, this links to the romance theme of the genre. Later a high angle shot is used of Zach on the floor during Beth's transformation, he is powerless as she is now a zombie and poses a threat to him. In the middle third of the trailer, a POV shot is used when Zach hits Beth with the car, here, he has the upper hand as the event is coming from his point of view. When Beth is on the roof, a low angle shot is used, however usually it is to make someone seem powerful, yet in this circumstance it is reversed and Zach wants to run away from her. Mockingjay part one uses a birds eye establishing shot to set the scene at the start of the trailer to create a sense of anticipation. Bird’s eye shots are used frequently as a trailer opener to allow the audience to view everything in the scene. Here a hovercraft can be seen, perhaps inferring war, conflict and a sci-fi element to the film. A canted angle is later used to depict Katniss on that hovercraft, it represents the unsteadiness of flying on a hovercraft, but also the unsteadiness of her emotions since the last hunger games. It could also show disorientation as to her reaction to her home of district 12 being destroyed.  An over the shoulder shot is used when Katniss is talking via video to President Snow of the Capitol, this gives the president more authority and power over her as he has the upper hand, being the president of Panem. Therefore the audience can see that in the film Katniss is seen as a diminutive figure as she is only the ‘poster girl’ for the rebellion. An extreme high angle shot is used to show president coin on a balcony looking down at her subjects, this gives her a higher status and portrays her as an authoritative figure. This also gives her the upper hand and emphasises the fact that she is the leader of district 13. Low angle shots are used to reinforce dominance, for example, Katniss and Gale are seen as dominant as they are in the foreground of the frame, however in the background, two hovercrafts threaten to destroy that dominance, emphasising the conflict between the two sides. In the second still, a low angle shot is used to emphasis height as the characters are scaling a building, thus highlighting the danger involved, therefore making it more exciting.  A long shot is used to view district 13. As the audience has never seen it before, and anticipation has built for those who are fans of the book, a long shot allows a lot of detail to fill the frame. Here we can see many weapons, soldiers and vehicles, therefore highlighting impending conflict, resurfacing the effervescent Presence of war. 

 

In terms of editing of the FROZEN trailer, the Disney logo appears, so audiences can expect the film to be an animated film featuring computer generated imagery, this will appeal more to the market of children and families as the stories are light-hearted and fun, this is established at the start of the film. Frequent superimposition of text on the screen is used to provide the audience with more dramatic information, it also adds to the plot line of the trailer. Fade cuts are used to transition from the clip to the superimposed text for a more streamlined finish. As this is a film trailer, montage editing is used to get the 'best bits' of the film, this is extensively used in the action sequence to quicken the pace of the visuals, and this is synchronous to the fast paced music. Action matches and jump cuts are also used with the action sequences to again quicken the pace and make the visuals more exciting.  Cuts between shots are used slowly at the start and the scenes dissolve onto each other to build up tension, then quicken when the musical song begins for a more joyous feel.  In Life after Beth, montage cuts are used at the beginning to show the background to the story and how it relates to something that’s happened in the past, this is coupled with slow paced editing at the start , parallel to the music, therefore suspense builds. A slow montage is also used of Beth and Zach in an almost dreamlike situation to depict toe good parts of their relationship, this is however, contrapuntal to the actual goings on in the film as Beth is now an out of control zombie. In the action sequence when Beth ‘transforms’, high shutter speed action matches and jump cuts are used to represent danger and disorientation, also it could refer to the speed that Beth can turn into a different person. Mockingjay uses a mixture of slow cuts and continuity editing while she is on the hovercraft, this builds suspense, this is used alongside the synchronous score which is also slow paced. The fade to blacks at the start of the trailer slow down the visuals and signals the end of something, here, Katniss’ freedom. A cutaway is used to show her and her sister, which again links to the sound as the voiceover at that point states ‘I just wanted to save my sister’. The middle third of the trailer uses longer takes to allow the audience to see the never before seen district 13, however the pace of the cuts quickens to synchronise with the faster music. Eye line matching is used between Peeta and Katniss to emphasise their relationship, referring back to the dialogue where she states ‘and keep Peeta alive’. Superimposition of text on the screen adds information of its release date and any more info on what the film is like, thus creating audience anticipation. At the end third, a mixture of montage, action matches and jump cuts are used to create the battle scene, this quickens the pace of the editing to build to the finale of the trailer when the logo of the film can be seen.

 

The mise-en-scene in FROZEN helps to indicate the plot of the film to the audience, for example the location of the film obviously indicates that the film is of a fantasy genre. The town of Arendelle has a fantasy, Nordic 'princess' style castle, inferring that the audience for the film is predominantly children as they are interested in things that aren't in this world. The costumes play a key role in the films plot, Elsa's ice dress indicates that she belongs with ice and snow due to her powers, which her dress reflects. Anna's costume on the other hand, it brightly coloured, showing her naive and bubbly personality, and how she does not belong in the winter scenes. The costumes make the characters recognizable, therefore children relate to either one of them and have a favourite, this is vital for the films marketing scheme of themed toys, clothes and gadgets sold at the Disney stores worldwide. The characters facial expressions obviously indicate that there is danger in the plot, thus making the story seem more exciting, persuading the audience to go and buy tickets. Also, to show the comedy element of the film, the character olaf is used in the middle third of the trailer to give it a light-hearted feel, this will appeal to children. In Life after Beth, Beth wears the same costume thorough the film, this acts like a motif for her as she remains a consistent character, i.ie always a zombie. The facial expressions in the film are important to express the ‘zombie’ genre, Beth's zombie faces and the screams of others tell the audience that the film may be both violent and scary at times. In terms of framing, Beth and Zac are mainly in centre frame as they are the two main characters; here the audience can infer that they are the main protagonists. Zach is seen wearing simple black and grey clothes, perhaps this could be because he is in mourning of the ‘old Beth’ he loved before. In the final third, a prop of a gun is used, this is parallel to the zombie genre as most Zombie films feature the humans fighting back, therefore the audience recognise this as a typical convention. In Mockingjay, props such as the bow and arrow are used frequently as they are the weapon of choice for Katniss and the symbol of rebellion, inferring she is defiant against the capitol. The location is industrial as the film is set in the future after a war/ uprising, the underground district 13 has a military feel to it, suggesting connotations of the war to come. The symbol of the Mockingjay is shown on the pin badge and as the logo of the film at the end of the trailer; it is a symbol of rebellion and a key motif for the film. Guns are depicted frequently, this links with the films genre, a war based sci-fi, to emphasise the impending conflict.

 

Overall, all three trailers use devices such as lighting and camera angles to establish the genre and apply it to the correct audiences. Frozen uses colour mainly to attract a younger audience whilst in Mockingjay, sound it the main device for attracting young adults, On the other hand, Life after Beth mainly uses camera angles to emphasise its hybrid ROMZOMCOM genre.