SHUTTER ISLAND

SOUND:The sound effects at the start and throughout are very sinister, it also sounds like fog horns which is signals danger and is very creepy. The sound of the waves crashing against the boat sounds very unnerving and gives the impression that where they are going is an unsettling place. As soon as the dialogue ‘for the criminally insane is spoken the soundtrack then becomes a lot more tense and dramatic and it drowns out the other sounds, which is done because up until this point the audience are unaware of what the detective what be dealing with (then tense soundtrack wanrs them that it will be danger). There is a lot of weather sound effects (such as rain and lightening) which reflects that something bad is going to happen (pathetic fallacy), the weather reflects the mood.

The trailer starts with an establishing shot of a boat sailing through some thick mist, which eventually begins to clear This immediately establishes the psychological genre, as this genre typically uses fog as it symbolises the unknown- not knowing what is hidden behind the fog which plays on your mind. We then have an establishing shot of ‘shutter island’, which sets the scene. The island looks very deserted and alone, surrounded by just sea and dark sky's. It makes you feel very isolated and which further adds to the psychological genre. We are then shown a low angle establishing shot of the guards opening the gates into the mental hospital. The lines in the bars connotate feeling trapped. These shots are fairly long and slow, and simply set the scene and the genre. There is sound put over the majority of this trailer of the characters talking, their conversation introduces you to the characters and gives a snese of the basic plot of the story.

We are then shown multiple montage shots of things such as handcuffs, hands writing on the wall and people being dragged

away and grave stones. We also see a shot of a dark, empty tunnel, with rain dripping into it; this is a very creepy image. The pace picks up which starts to build tension, suspense and fear. All of the lighting is very dark and sinister, and you immediate

get the sense that there is something not right about this place. Almost every transition is a fade to black and I think this works

well because it shows the darkness of the film and creates suspense between shots.

Unique selling point and target audience: The unique selling point of this film is that its set in the past this is because it gives the audience an insight into the past and the techniques that were used to ‘cure’ mental problems back then, this will draw in the audience as most films at the moment are modern or futuristic genre. Also the fact that its directed by Martin Scorsese and that it stars Leonardo Dicaprio, will be a big selling point within the first 10 seconds of the trailer, the audience are introduced to the A-list actor Leonardo Dicaprio, which immediately targets a female audience of around 15-35 as he is very attractive, popular and famous. After the words, "its a mental hospital" "for the criminally insane" are said, a backing music that is quite solemn begins, creating an unsettling atmosphere, which suggests that it is a mystery/psychological Thriller. This would relate to a wide audience as it is popular with all ages, both male and female, which contrasts to an action, which would mainly target a male audience. The Federal Marshals (Leonardo and Mark Ruffalo) would attract both a male and female audience: they are young and attractive and also can be seen as the 'hero' type that males would aspire to be. Emily Mortimer, a famous actress is also introduced in the Trailer, which would attract an audience as she is well known. Furthermore, as she is an English actress unlike the other two stars, this could attract more of an audience as it widens interest (English people are going to want to watch an English actress in a Hollywood film). The Thriller is also set in 1954, which is suggested in the trailer. As a result, this will attract an older audience also as they could relate to that time - there are flashbacks of concentration camps, etc. Therefore, the Thriller can be seen as interesting as well as entertaining to watch as it shows shocking images, which emotionally attach an audience because it relates to real life issues.

The clips then gradually slow down, and we are introduced to our protagonist; Teddy Daniel. we see close ups of the characters in order to sell the film to the audience. He dresses fairly smart, and like a typical detective (trench coat and tie). The film as sort of crime/detective genre feel to it, however with aspects of a psychological horror. We are then shown some very fast paced shots of things such as barbed wire, windows looking out into a stormy night and paper being thrown in the air. Theyre all quite mysterious images, which plays on the psychological side of the film. We then move closer into the actual hospital, and move past images of some of the mental patients (they are very disturbing looking which will capture the audiences attention)- this are slow paced to draw attention to them.

The first title we see says ‘A martin Scorsese picture’. This will capture the audiences attention as Martin Scorsese is a very respected film director- therefore the audience will be intrigued by the film. The next title we see says ‘leonardo dicaprio’- who is the main character in the film. This is a USP of the film as Dicaprio is a very well known actor- for films such as Titanic.

We see a lot of wired gates in next few scenes. This highlights how the hospital is some sort of trap for the protagonist. The diagonal lines on the wire connotate that something isnt quite right, which is typical of this psychological thriller genre. One scene shows a birdseye view of one of the small cell rooms with the detectives and doctors in, this angle makes it look as if they are being watched and makes them look very inferior and small. The next shot is a low angle shot in the same room. This also gives a sense of being watched. A lot of the scene is in darkness as well which connotates that something could be hiding in that darkness (possibly the protagonist is being kept in the dark, maybe a secret?).

As the trailer goes on we see the gradual breakdown in our protagonist as he acts more and more fearful and changes clothing (mental patient uniform)- which hints towards the storyline. The clips at the point become very fast paced, showing his mental breakdown and leading to the climax. One scene show him running up a spiral staircase- this is quite disorientating which links to the psychological genre. We see images of fire and crashing waves which represent danger. We are left with the final statement of ‘you will never leave this island’ which is a bold statement that audiences will be intrigued by and want to find out more!