Codes and conventions

Codes and Conventions

Codes and Conventions

Cast and Crew

Normally in a trailer, its either shown at the beginning or throughout or it is shown at the end of a trailer, the cast and crew information is shown. This could be the main characters of the film are mentioned in the trailers as well as the production companies and the company which has distributed the film. Also sometimes the editor of the film or the director of the film or people who were involved with the production and distribution of film names are shown throughout the trailer. This usually attracts the audience so if they like the cast or the crew they want to watch the film.

Narrative

The narrative/plot on every trailer is very short as it summarises briefly to the viewers what the film will be about. The narrative on the trailer tries not reveal too much of the plot and leave the audiences questioning themselves on what the film could be about. Therefore the trailer only reveals certain information to the audience, like a cliffhanger which leaves them wondering what the film is about.

Pace

A lot of horror trailers are fast paced. They show many clips which are in the film so people can grasp the narrative of the film. On the other hand some trailers start of slowly and then become faster. This helps to bring the tension throughout the trailer. By having the trailer to start of slower then builds up the pace so it becomes faster creates more of an atmosphere.

Voice overs

Not all voice overs may match the visual in the trailer however sometimes the voice over may match the visual in the trailer as the voiceover was taken out of the movie. The purpose of the voice overs in the trailer is to allow the audience to get an insight into the film and allow them to understand the trailer and get the genre.

Soundtracks

Soundtracks are used to help create an atmosphere and allow the genre to be clear to the audience. E.g. depending on the genre will be depend on the soundtrack, so if it is a horror the soundtrack will be more upbeat and fast and sharp to create tension and an atmosphere. Whereas a comedy or romance the soundtrack will be less tense and the pace will be slower to create less tension. So the soundtrack shows the genre and helps set an atmosphere for the genre in the trailer.

Target Audience

For a horror movie the target audience will be people in a higher age group for example 15-18+ year olds. This is because some content that may feature in horror trailers may not be suited for a younger audience for example scenes of violence and blood. Depending on the type of film and genre it is and also the features it includes then the target audience can be for anyone from kids right up to adults. Normally trailers do include the target audience by using something called age certificates, this means if a movie is rated an 18 and over then it would have a red circle with the age displayed within it.

Production and Distribution

Production being included in film trailers would include the production logo for example The dark knight was created by Warner Bros meaning their logo would be shown in the trailer presumably at the beginning. Warner Bros are known for being good distributors because they had to sell their movies to cinemas so that the public could actually see them so big companies like Warner Bros do earn a lot for distributing.

Quotes

Quotes are used in trailers to inform the audience about the movie itself. For example big businesses or most commonly newspapers will give their view of the film and they are usually good comments. Film producers use these quotes because these good comments about their movies are linked with persuading the audience to come and watch the movie.

Company Logo

The production companies logo shows the audience what genre the film could be under. This is because if it is a very well known company such as Warner brothers it would give the audience an example of what type of genre the film is about. For example sometimes the logo is changed to give it that effect. When the audience see the production company's logo it gives them a indication of how successful the film would be. This s because if it is a very well known company who have made successful films before then the audience would have high expectations.

Props

Props are important in trailers and this is because when using certain props to fit a specific genre it gives it more of an dramatic effect. For example when doing a horror film it would be useful to use props such as knifes, murder weapons and objects that will give an negative effect to the audience.

Dialogue

When attracting the audience to your genre it is important the dialogue is specified to that genre. This is because not only would it show the audience what genre the film is but also make the audience more interested. This is because you would need to select specific words and sentences to make the dialogue aim at the audience. For example if the genre was a comedy the dialogue would need to include humour or if the genre is horror the dialogue would be more serious.

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Codes and conventions