Analysis of 3 Film Trailers

First Trailer

Tropic Thunder

The trailer starts with a shot of 3 helicopters flying above a jungle landscape. This opening suggests that the film will involve violence, war and action.

A number of striking words flash across the screen to continue with the connotations of a serious war film. The word ‘heroes’ in particular suggests that the film will involve bravery and a deep and engaging storyline that plays on the audiences emotions.

The trailer then takes an interesting turn when the word ‘actors’ comes onto the screen with arrows pointing at all 3 people on screen. This makes the trailer very interesting and gets the audiences attention through confusion.

The trailer then takes another twist and turns into what is obviously a comedy trailer. A number of controversial and witty sequences are shown which are taken directly from the film itself.

The trailer then finishes with a bright and vibrant title presenting the name of the film.

CO

NC

LUS

ION

Overall I think the trailer does an excellent job of drawing the audience in and giving the film as much appeal as possible. The start is very serious and gradual which I think goes very well with the rest of the trailer; once the trailer takes a comedic turn it builds on what the trailer has already done and uses funny parts from the film to engage and entertain the audience. As I have seen the finished film I can say that I feel the trailer is a good representation of the film and leaves no ambiguity about the meaning and subject of the film.

Second Trailer

Paranormal

Activity 2

This trailer starts out with a clip from its prequel. It is obvious from the outset that this trailer plans to play on shock and suspense to captivate the audience.

The trailer keep the same shot with an increasingly eerie noise becoming louder as the shot stares the audience in the face. Then the statement ‘In 2009 You Demanded It’ comes onto the screen, this needs the audience to have seen ‘Paranormal Activity 1’.

A number of shots then appear and the time is displayed in the bottom corner, suggesting that these shots were shot on amateur equipment. As the shots are obviously of a home and in elevated positions, it is clear to see that the shots were taken on home security cameras.

Then, continuing with the trend, plays on suspense when ‘Nothing Can Prepare You’ and ‘For What’s Next’, which makes the audience anxious about what is about to happen, coupled with the constant blue filter put over the shots, the trailer uses emotion to grab attention.

A sudden, sharp sounds then plays as a dark figure is seen standing in the bedroom where a baby and dog were seen sleeping. Because the baby can no longer be seen and now that a degree of confusion and ambiguity is now implemented into the trailer, the audience become increasingly worried and scared.

The title of the film then shows up. The title flickers on and off. This again creates suspense for the audience who are given the impression that something else is about to happen.

CO

NC

LUS

ION

Overall, the trailer does a very good job of creating suspense. The producers obviously wanted the audience to be on the edge of their seats when watching this trailer and they do a good job of doing so without giving too much of the film away. I have seen the finished film and I would say that the trailer isn’t a great representation of the film as the film takes a lot longer to get into full swing and is a lot more intense and plays with the audiences emotions a lot more than the trailer does.

Third Trailer

Zombieland

The trailer starts out by slowly zooming into California, whilst a narrator who sounds sophisticated says ‘Planet Earth, home to over 6 billion people’, at this point, it appears that the film has a serious meaning.

The trailer then shows a shot of a groom at a wedding who is pounced on by what seems to be a zombie bride.

The trailer then plays on the comedic factor, using a series of shots of zombies in different areas of society trying to get to normal people. The trailer at this point is very confusing and the general subject of the film is very vague.

The trailer uses slow motion to add to the comedic appeal. A man bearing a sign saying ‘The End Is Near’ is seen being chased by zombies. By this point it is clear to see that there is a zombie apocalypse in this film.

The trailer finally uses words as a number of words flash onto the screen, ‘Our Land’ ‘Is Their Land’ This is again very vague and offers little to fully explaining what is actually happening in the film. Although little is given away in the words, the images once again tell the story of a zombie invasion.

Before showing the title of the film, a number of quick images and shots are shown of what appears to be four main characters. What seems to be a theme park is shown regularly so this offers a bit of a hint at part of the story line.

CO

NC

LUS

ION

On the whole, I feel that this trailer is not very well made. Once again I have seen this film and I think that compared to the final film this trailer misses the point on numerous occasions. The trailer never shows any signs of romance which is one of the biggest factors in this film. The finished film is about survival, comedy and romance; three things that are rarely used in the trailer. As well as the trailer the finished film is also vague and takes quite a while to be open enough to understand.