The Departed Trailer analysis

The Departed Trailer Analysis

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The title of the film trailer I have chosen to analyse is ‘The Departed’. The title itself suggests a major theme of the film is death, a typical convention of the crime thriller genre, this will be suggested to fans of crime thrillers through this title, thus attracting fans of crime thrillers such as this. This title could also refer to a major character, or characters that die either before or during the course of the film, possibly suggesting the there is a certain importance of this character upon the plot of the film. The title of the film could also refer to someone, who is a friend or family member of one of the characters, dying, or leaving their company, potentially creating a plot for the film, or to create an emotional link for the audience to the character. The Departed could also refer to a departure of normal behaviour of one of the characters, which is the main plotline of the film, in which a police officer is planted within a gang, and a gang member is planted within the police force. The title itself is shown in a blocky san serif font, possibly to reflect the gritty nature of the film and the characters within it. The title is displayed upon a silhouette of a handgun against a musky grey coloured background. The font is coloured blue, something which contrasts with the black colour of the silhouette, and could possibly reflect the cool, level headed nature of the criminal characters in this film. Upon the top of the gun is the skyline of Boston, Massachusetts; the city in which the film is set, a key identifier for the film. The title is designed upon a gun, another key identifier of the crime thriller genre. The combination of these two elements could reflect the gangster’s domination of the city through the use of intimidation and crime, through the use of firearms such as the one pictured within the titles. The film takes the form of an action-thriller film, and this is apparent with many key identifiers of the crime thriller genre being present in the trailer of the film. The trailer consists of fast editing and up tempo music to reflect the tension of the film, and to identify the film as a thriller hybrid genre film. This will appeal to fans of the crime thriller hybrid genre, as they will be able to relate to this style and will identify this as a film of this genre. The image of a gun is also shown repeatedly throughout the trailer. A gun is a prop that is commonly used in crime films, and is a prop which has connotations of violence and vice, this will appeal to fans of crime films. Extreme close ups of money are also shown in the trailer; money is a common theme in crime films, as it is associated with violence and law breaking incidents. Diegetic explosions are also shown within the trailer, this is also a key identifier of the crime thriller genre, as explosions are common devices used in film to bring a climax to building tension or pressure, and tension is a key device of the crime genre. The target audience of the trailer are fans of crime thriller genre films, and it makes effort to appeal to this key demographic by employing typical conventions of the crime thriller genre that are intended to appeal to these fans. It employs typical conventions such as use of firearms, transaction of money, violence and diegetic explosions. Also, “star” film actors are established repeatedly in the trailer, this will attract a larger audience, by attracting people who have enjoyed these actor’s previous roles, or are interested in their general celebrity life that is well documented in news programmes, and entertainment news programmes. This will attract a higher gross revenue, and in turn, a higher profit for the production company. It is clear that the creators of the trailer have tried to differentiate the film from other releases in the crime-thriller genre by establishing the setting of the film as Boston, and the main characters as being of Irish origin, an uncommon feature in American films, and serves to differentiate the film from other crime-thriller releases. This production still manages to appeal to fans of the crime thriller genre by including key conventions of the genre such as fast, energetic cuts, inclusion of violent props such as guns, knives and money. The trailer also employs up-tempo popular music non-diegetically. This serves to reflect the tone and feel of the film, but also serves to distinguish the film from other releases in the crime-thriller genre, by using popular music, this is different to other releases in the genre, of which most employ a musical score which is created specifically for the film. This will make the film appeal to fans of popular music also, and will attract a larger audience. Throughout the trailer, stylised dramatic sounds are played to emphasise and exaggerate the cut between shots The loud sound effect is also used to build tension for the audience, this is a key convention of the crime thriller genre, and is used to make the film suspenseful, which is typical of a thriller film. A popular music soundtrack is played non-diegetically, this is included to introduce rhythm to the narrative and to make the action more exciting, and this is also used to suggest to the audience that the film will contain elements of action during the course of the film. This is also used to appeal to fans of popular music, and rock and roll bands such as “the Rolling Stones” and “Pink Floyd”, this is also used to introduce an element of “coolness” to the narrative, which would make the film more appealing to fans of crime thrillers such as “Lock, stock and two smoking barrels”, as crime films such as this employ similar stylistic features. “Gimme Shelter” by the Rolling Stones is used to reflect the nature of both the plot and characters, as the film has connotations of crime, as lyrics of rape and murder are heard in the song. “Shipping Off to Boston” by Dropkick murphy’s is heard midway through the trailer, this is a song that alludes classic Celtic folk songs, and is typical of Irish culture, this reflects the characters, and their Irish origin, this is to emphasise this, and to differentiate the film from other crime thrillers to make the film stand out. “Comfortably Numb” by Pink Floyd is heard, which is a slower paced song. This is to establish that there are emotional elements to the narrative and plotline in the film, this is accompanied by slow paced editing, this is to establish the film as complex and sophisticated, and to differentiate the film from other less complex films in the thriller genre. Exaggerated sound effects of shotguns being cocked and doors slamming are used in accompaniment with the image of these events, this is used to emphasise the action.

The Incredible Hulk trailer analysis

For A2 media studies I have been analysing the trailer distributed to advertise The Incredible Hulk, a film based upon a character created by Marvel comics. The title in itself is a suggestion towards the tone and content of the film. The title “The Incredible Hulk” suggests that the film will consist of supernatural elements that seek to thrill the audience. When analysing the titles it is noticeable that the designers have deliberately rendered the term hulk in a clear, bold silver font, which is eye catching, drawing the attention of the onlooker. It is also clear that the term Hulk is rendered in capitalised letters, and is large in comparison to the other two words in the titles, “The Incredible”. The title is in great contrast to the pitch black background.
When the trailer begins it is noticeable that the creators of the trailer implemented the trademark logo’s of the companies distributing the film, it is possible that a person who is familiar with the type and quality of the films will be able to predict the quality and feel of the film, as fans of films have come to expect the type of films the production companies produce. The opening shot in the trailer takes form as an extreme long shot of mountainous scenery, coupled with dramatic, suspenseful music that is often associated with the superhero/ action movie genre. The use of this establishes the setting of the film and also provides significance to the surroundings captured in the shot. In the following shot, the main protagonist is established; he is captured displaying a facial expression that suggests that the character is in deep thought. This hints towards the possible ‘thoughtful’ persona of the character. Helicopters are next captured in a medium shot, in unison with further dramatic music; the sound of the helicopter is deliberately enhanced to create a feeling of impeding danger. It is captured in a medium shot so the onlooker can see the scene from the perspective of the people in the helicopter. A male character is then shown inside the helicopter, displaying a sinister, serious facial expression, this leads the audience to believe that this character is quite possibly the main antagonist. The main target audience of the film is males aged 12 to 50. This age range generally applies to the superhero/action hybrid genre. It can also be said that the film will appeal greatly to certain people because the Incredible Hulk franchise is a well established series that has a world wide fan base. Fans of the series will like the film, and thus the trailer will appeal to them this takes form as a unique selling point.

Prom Night trailer analysis

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For A2 media studies I have been conducting a semiotic analysis of the horror film, Prom Night. The title in itself suggests towards an obvious setting for the film, an American High school prom. The title in itself is rather ambiguous in depicting the nature of the film, it does not suggest towards a genre of film that the film is considered part of. The title does suggest the age range of the main characters of the film; it suggests the main characters are high school students which would place them between 17-18 years old. It also tells the person watching that the film takes place at night, a common convention and setting of the horror film genre. The title in itself is displayed in a bold black, sanserif font, with a neon backing. Around the title are drops of red fluid, which could quite possibly represent blood, something which is of great quantity during the film, and is a common identifier of the horror film genre. The background of the title is coloured black, with red sections, something of which supports the presence of blood. High pitched music is heard during the course of the trailer, creating a feel of eerie suspense during the course of the trailer, a typical identifier of the hooror film. In addition, loud noises such as the sound made when someone runs out of a wardrobe are highlighted and exaggerated, creating further suspense and threat. The sound of a heart beat is also played in conjunction with this, something which is consistent with the feelings of fear on behalf of the characters, and also furthers the feeling of drama and emotion. The heart beat speeds up until it resembles high tempo music. This high tempo music is played in conjunction with, fast, flashing lights, which create a terrifying feeling of urgency and mystery for the main characters. It also furthers the feeling of suspense for the onlooker. In addition to this, a shot with a person wielding a switch blade is shown. The sound made when the person draws the blade is highlighted and exaggerated, in conjunction with the sound of a screaming female voice, something which creates a sinister feel. The sound of females screaming is something which is displayed repeatedly throughout the trailer, establishing the genre of the film. The lighting is low key, low contrast, which creates an eerie feel, and is typical of the horror genre.