Over the past month I have been looking at a multitude of different trailers, both Teaser and Theatrical in order to research the conventions of each and find out the differences between the two.
After looking at Roland Emmerich - Independence Day briefly towards the beginning of the coursework project, I decided to look at it in more detail to see the differences between its Teaser Trailer and Theatrical Trailer.
I feel this is a very successful Teaser Trailer for a number of reasons. Firstly it doesn’t actually show any of the main characters that star in the film and I feel that it is far more focused on giving the audience a ‘feel’ of what the film is going to be about. It gives a basic idea of the story line and the trailer itself follows a narrative. It gives the date at the end of the trailer so audiences know when it is released and I particularly like the fact that the release date ties in with the storyline. However I think this Teaser Trailer is focussed far more on the death and destruction caused by the alien invasion, creating a sense of fear but also a sense of anticipation for the film. It also creates a lot of questions for the audience as whilst it shows some of the plotline, the majority of it is death and destruction and it makes audiences wonder what the outcome of the film is. As Teaser Trailers and meant to create a hype or ‘buzz’ for the film, I think this trailer works exceptionally well.
I feel that this works very well as a Theatrical Trailer. Firstly the audience is introduced to the main character played by Will Smith. He was already known for his more comedic action roles (Bad Boys) and part of his comedic qualities are shown for example when he stubs his toe at the beginning of the trailer and the joke he makes at the end of the trailer. This increases the audiences excitement for the film because he is a well known actor so the audience knows this is going to be a high quality film, possible containing some comedy which isn’t shown in the Teaser Trailer. The trailer also focuses more on the plot and the other characters in the film and gives the audience more of an idea of how the film plays out. This trailer is less focused on the destruction the aliens cause and more on how the characters in the film react to this threat. They have used lots of the shots from the Teaser Trailer and have added more in which answer some of the questions the audience may have had after seeing the Teaser Trailer and doing this increases the audience’s anticipation for the film.
Another set of trailers I have looked at are the ones for New Moon. This has become one of the most eagerly anticipated movies of 2009 and I decided to look at the trailers for this film to see how the hype has been created.
Unlike Indendence Day, the Teaser Trailer for New Moon allows the audience to see many of the main characters in the film. I feel this is because they are so integral to the plot line that it is virtually impossible to make the Teaser Trailer without including the main characters. I also feel that as New Moon started out as a book, many people already know the characters and the story. The teaser trailer follows a narrative and also follows Todorovs narrative theory with the beginning of the Teaser Trailer having an equilibrium and the equilibrium being disrupted. However you do not get to see how the problem is resolved and what the outcome in. This creates anticipation for the film as audiences make not know how the film will end (however once again as it started out as a book many may know how it ends). The Teaser Trailer also ends on a cliff hanger with the only real use of sound/music building up to the point where one of the characters transforms into a werewolf. This only increases the audience’s sense of anticipation for the move. The Teaser Trailer ends with the date of the films release which informs the viewer when they can see the film.
The Theatrical Trailer does not differ much from the Teaser Trailer. A lot more of the shots from the film have been used in this trailer and it shows a lot more of what happens in the story. The audience is also introduced to a lot more of the characters which is good because it increases interest and anticipation for the film. There is a far greater use of text in the Theatrical Trailer and this brings more narrative to the trailer but also increases the anticipation with the use of language. The use of sounds is far greater in the Theatrical Trailer in comparison to the Teaser Trailer with the intensity increased towards the end of the trailer cutting between shots on drum beats and the music getting louder and more intense. During the fight shots at the end this is particularly prominent with the sounds getting louder. The use of the fighting shots creates a sense of fear and danger for the audience as we are not shown the outcome of the fight. I like that after the name of the film is shown there are a few more shots included from the film. These are quite exciting and powerful shots beginning with a young girl practically looking into the lens telling the audience that ‘this may hurt just a little’ which creates a sense of excitement and fear in the audience. This is followed by a shot of the lead female character screaming in a panicked voice and then a shot of the lead male being thrown down onto steps. These shots also create a sense of panic and danger for the audience and it makes the viewer want to see the film to know the outcome of the fight.
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