To leave more options open when it comes to our main task and to have a very clear idea of how film trailers work, we were tasked with researching into two non-genre specific films which could potentially be the genre of our main task. Genre-specific wise I chose to look at the comedy genre, specifically sub-genres of comedy such as action-comedy (The Nice Guys), and horror-comedy (Scary Movie), as this is the genre I want to exploit in the main task. For my two non-genre specific films however, I chose the horror genre and the documentary genre. This is because I feel if I was not successful with the comedy genre these would be two possible genres that I would try next.
Choice 1- Horror genre- Don't Breathe
For my first non-genre specific idea, I chose to look at the trailer for "Don't Breathe", a horror movie which has just recently been released in the UK. The movie is contemporary, potentially meaning conventions found in the trailer represent the current state of the horror genre. I looked at editing, mise-en-scene and lighting within the trailer.
Editing
Editing wise, I found that the trailer differs in its approaches. For example some parts, like the beginning and the middle, have slow editing in order to build tension. However the last third of the trailer has very quick editing. This use of montage editing signifies that the films tension builds to something and that there are fast-paced, dramatic scenes in the film as well as slow ones. This is probably done in order for the trailer to appeal to a wider market. The music builds in sync with the rapid increase of editing and shots used, to show perhaps that the film gets more and more dramatic as it goes on (a horror convention.)
The shots used in the trailer include an establishing shot, reaction shots, long shots and low angle shots. I think that the reaction shots definitely help to portray the fear that the characters are feeling, and thus make the trailer more entertaining to watch. The establishing shot of the trailer with a city skyline visible, and the long shot of the blind man's house, help to build the atmosphere as it establishes location, and pinpoints to the audience where the action is going to be unfolding. As the locations look quite eerie and threatening, this will make the trailer more frightening for the audience. The low angle shots that are used (which are, for the most part, also reaction shots), I feel help further develop the characters emotions, which is important for a film of this nature. I think that it is shot from a low angle in some cases simply to make the trailer more visually pleasing. When the low angle shot is used for the villain in the trailer it is perhaps showing the power and dominance he have over his victims.
Mise-en-scene
For mise-en-scene, I observed that the environments used are environments typically associated with the genre, for example an establishing shot with a city skyline, an abandoned house, and dark, barely lit corridors. Again, this was probably done to make sure the film appeals to the masses (audiences tend to like the familiar.) In the actual environments themselves there is little in the way of physical items. For example the rooms in the house where the thieves break in are quite bare and void of any distractions. I feel this lack of props helps with the overall effect of the trailer, as it makes the house seem more empty and as such more eerie and creepy. The shots are all relatively simple as well, with the things that the audience should be paying attention to clear in the shot. I feel this is done as the horror genre as a whole is quite a simple genre, usually containing no "deeper meanings," or moral messages. As such, shots and set designs used are often simple to convey this idea. Saying this however, mise-en-scene is important in order for the audience to feel captivated, and this is an aspect that the trailer for "Don't Breathe," ultimately exploits.
Lighting
The lighting in the trailer is very dark. Although the lighting starts off quite bright (though still somewhat murky), this is only to show the increasingly dark and sinister tone of the film as the shots get darker and darker, both literally in the lighting and in what is shown on screen. As can be seen from the screenshots, the environment surrounding the characters tends to be murky and hard to make out, with the characters standing out from their backgrounds. I feel this is done for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it makes the characters seem somewhat more important, as they physically stand out from their environment. It attaches importance to them, and makes the audience aware of the fact they should be paying the most attention to them. Also, it really adds to the horror feel of the film, as the dark shadows and environments that surround the characters add a sense of paranoia to the experience of watching, as you never know what could be lurking in the shadows or round the next corner.
Sound
In the trailer, the music starts off with quite a slow, sad tone. The music is not intense or out of the ordinary in anyway, perhaps representing the state of equilibrium that horror movies often start off with. Once the thieves break into the house, the music then stops, building tension. Then, when the villain appears in a dark doorway, increasingly sinister music begins to play, which builds and builds as the action increases on screen. Then, in the last scene which is presumably in the basement of the house, the music stops again. This complete absence of music makes the trailer more scary, as the audience is waiting for something to happen and all we can hear is the worried voices of the people in the basement.
Dialogue wise, we hear important conversations between the characters that help advance the plot within the trailer itself, so the audience have a rough idea what the story is by the end of it. This is another convention of trailers, to show certain key plot points within the trailer so the people that go and watch the film will have a rough idea on what the plot is.
Within the trailer for "Don't Breathe," we hear that the thieves are breaking into the man's house as he is blind (so he is an "easy" target) and because he has lot's of money. We then learn that one of the thieves gets attacked and shot by the blind man, and that the other two get locked in and have to try and avoid him. We learn this through lines such as "There has to be a way out of here," and "He's coming." There is also a hint of another plot point in the film as we briefly see a woman (whom we can hear screaming) who looks to be locked up in what could be the basement of the house. This intriguing plot device could make more people want to go and see the film, as they will want to see if there are any twists in the film and anything that could take them by surprise. This is important as enigma is a convention that often makes the horror genre so successful.
Narrative structure
The trailer, as typical to a lot of trailers, plays out in a linear fashion. From the trailer we get a rough idea of what the story is, which is three thieves break into a blind man's house because he has a lot of money. It is then revealed that the blind man is not nearly as vulnerable as they first thought and the tables turn; they are now being hunted by him.
I think the fact the trailer is shown in a linear fashion is important for the horror genre especially, as the audience need to have a rough idea of how the film will play out to add to the tension of the media. I think this is less important for a genre such as the comedy genre (something to consider when I make my trailer). I think this trailer in particular is successful with it's narrative structure, as it is easy to follow whilst at the same introducing an element of enigma and being somewhat intriguing as well.
Choice 2- Documentary genre- Touching the Void
For my second non-genre specific idea, I chose to look at the trailer for "Touching the Void," a documentary film which was released in 2003. I looked at the editing, mise-en-scene, and overall style of the trailer.
Editing
Editing wise, I found the trailer quite peculiar and not typical to the usual conventions of trailers. This is because the trailer is almost advertising for two films, one half advertising for a documentary and the other half advertising for an action film. I feel this is done in order for the film to appeal to a wider market, as action films generally sell a lot more than documentary films. If the film was, for example, just made and advertised as a documentary, it would not sell nearly as much copies as if there are actual actors, set pieces and action sequences. This film shows that the documentary genre can mix with the action genre, and be successful. The film was received well, receiving 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and 8.1/10 on IMDB.
The first half of the trailer is styled in a much more conventional, documentary styled way. This is because there are slow shots of, for example, a boot lying next to a closed book. Audio wise there are voices narrating over what is shown on screen (which are the slow shots and text describing the experience of the mountain climbers.) This again is a typical documentary convention, with the real people describing their experiences to the audience.
The second half of the trailer strongly juxtaposes with this however. The voice-overs are gone, and instead we are suddenly bombarded with dramatic, action film music. On screen, we can see extravagant action scenes taking place, for example someone falling off a mountain and someone cutting a rope with another person attached to the other end. These scenes could easily be found in the trailer for a new action blockbuster, and so to place them side by side with previous scenes which would usually be found in a documentary is both intriguing and mildly confusing. I feel this is what the producers were aiming for when making the trailer, to make the film seem as interesting as possible so people will go and see it. Indeed the trailer is accurate to the movie, as (having seen the movie myself) this is largely how the film plays out, with documentary styled scenes cleverly interspersed with high-energy, high-octane scenes of action.
The shots used in the trailer include sweeping birds-eye view shots, long shots and also close shots. I think that the mixture of long shots and close shots (for example a long shot of the Andes compared to a close shot of one of the character's faces) makes the trailer more intriguing and all the more peculiar. The sweeping high angle long shots definitely serve to make the trailer more dramatic, and help set the scene for the action that takes place in the second half of the trailer.
Mise-en-scene
For mise-en-scene, similiar shots of environments and landscapes are used throughout. Certain similarities can even be found in the shots within the first half of the trailer and shots within the second.
For example, there are numerous shots of a boot hitting the snow beneath it (these shots can be found in both the first and second half), which signify that this is a drama documentary on a hiking expedition. This is an example of how mise-en-scene quickly and easily gives away what the film is about.
Visible in the trailer are the Andes where the film is set, this time establishing where the film is set rather than what the film is about. I feel the mise-en-scene is successful in the trailer as it gives away a lot about the film's material whilst at the same time not giving away any spoilers which audiences may want to avoid (although such a scenario is less likely in this case considering this is a documentary.)
Props that you can see in the trailer include hiking gear, a rope, a knife and animals such as a lizard and camels. These represent the outdoor nature of the movie and, again, give away certain aspects of the film which is what trailers are supposed to do.
Lighting
For lighting, I observed the lighting and environments to be very bright and "in your face." I feel this is accurate as it represents where the film is set, which is the snow covered Andes. This can also be linked with themes of the movie. As the film is very dramatic and "edge of your seat," I think the lighting has to represent this and should fit with the action shown on screen. As such the intenseness of the brightness on screen fits with the overall feeling of the movie. The lighting is not just bright however. In some parts of the trailer the colouring is very grey, and in other parts very black. Whatever colouring is used is used to the extreme, for example the greyness of a snow storm or the scene where one of the mountain climbers looks up at the night sky, where everything within the shot has a very dark colouring to it. I think this is done to add to the intenseness of the movie, as strong colouring in a particular shade often makes the visuals more dramatic. As this is a dramatic film, I think these kind of visuals are necessary, especially in the trailer where producers want to make the trailer as convincing as possible.
Sound
Sound-wise, the trailer starts off with the unmistakeable sound of wind blowing, presumably over a vast, empty landscape. This immediately makes the trailer dramatic and intriguing, however not to the point where it is over the top. This is important, as the first half of the trailer has more of a documentary feel to it than the second half. Then the narration starts, over a sweeping, birds-eye view shot of the Andes. The first line of narration is "We knew a number of expeditions had failed on it, so we knew it was hard." This, like the sound of the blowing wind, serves to intrigue the audience and make the trailer immediately engaging. The second line is "At some point you're going to have to rely, wholly, on your partner." This line further engages the audience, as well as now giving away a key component and theme of the film, which is relying on partners and the element of trust that comes with that. The lines of dialogue get more and more dramatic as well as cleverly giving away more details about the film as a whole, finishing on the line "As soon as I saw it, I knew it had been cut." The slow, ominous music that had been building along with the sound of the wind suddenly erupts into dramatic music that plays loudly over scenes of action, telling the audience that what they can see on screen now are scenes in the film that are full of adrenaline. The trailer slows down briefly at the end, where the wind sound returns and the last line is spoken "I thought this is it, this is as far as this game goes." I think the trailer ends on this note because it is effective, as it again slows down the thought process of the audience and will leave the trailer lingering in their heads after they have finished watching.
Narrative structure
Unlike the trailer for "Don't Breathe," this trailer does not follow a particular linear style. This is a typical trailer convention that it is breaking.
Instead of being linear, the trailer shows a selection of random scenes from the film, especially in the second half, where action is taking place. For example we see shots of a man falling down a mountain and a rope being cut. This means the story we can gauge from what is happening is difficult to identity, as the shots are following no sort of order. It should be worth mentioning however that the voice-overs that are in the first half of the trailer do have a sense of order, as the lines of dialogue get increasingly dramatic as the trailer progresses.
The sense of story we get from the trailer however is not very detailed at all, though the main gist of what is happening (man gets cut off from rope and separated from partner) should be able to be identified by most.
Detailed. Explain the shots used and narrative?
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