What Genre will we Choose?

Alice in Wonderland Trailer Analysis

Alice in Wonderland is a 2010 American fantasy adventure film directed by Tim Burton, who is known for his dark, gothic, eccentric and quirky fantasy films, from a screenplay written by Linda Woolverton. The film was produced by Walt Disney Pictures and shot in the United Kingdom and the United States.

The non-diegetic soundtrack starts just before the production companies logo appears. Long-time Burton collaborator Danny Elfman's score was released March 2, 2010. This soundtrack music is played over an animated movie logo for the Walt Disney Studios, this animated logo contains fireworks and as they go off they are accompanied with diegetic firework explosion sounds.

The camera then goes to a low angle shot, almost a worms view shot, of down a hole in a tree root looking up as Alice looks down the whole framing her in the holes entrance. This suggests something is down the hole, then Alice crouches down to look into the hole closer, and the non-diegetic sound reaches a slight peak when she slips and falls straight into the hole. The tempo and pace of this music starts to increase and become a lot more frightening and energetic; this creates the sense of worry and craziness as she is whirling down the tree’s hole.

The use of cuts is used to provide the viewer with a sense of what is going on. The cuts only provide snippets of the action so therefore ensures that the story isn’t completely given away, which is important for a trailer.

There is then the first shot of the main character; she is walking through an arch into the mess of people. We know this is Alice as she fits the description of the previous 'Alice in Wonderland' cartoon movie; she has blonde hair which connotes a character that is naive and innocent. When we hear diegetic sounds the non-diegetic soundtrack goes quiet, this makes sure that the dialogue can be clearly heard. We then see a long shot of her running through the wood towards an old, large twisted looking tree. Woods are a close connotation of fantasy movies as many films which are of this genre are often set in the woods as they add an element of mystery and unknowing to a film.

Next is a title screens showing "From Director Tim Burton". The title is placed on a red background with gold writing which makes it stand out. There is then another word credit; it contains the name "Johnny Depp" who the actor is playing the mad. Johnny Depp is a very well-known Hollywood actor. This means that he has a lot of fans which would watch a movie purely because he is in the film. As well as using Johnny Depp to promote the film, the director Tim Burton is also very well known for making successful films and the production company Disney. Disney is an extremely well known media conglomerate and thus has a reputation for creating high quality, family friendly, movies. It not only attracts an audience who have watched other Disney movies and wish to watch this one but it also makes it clear who the target audience of the movie is, a family audience.

Deadpool Trailer Analysis

Deadpool is a 2016 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, distributed by 20th Century Fox. The film was directed by Tim Miller from a screenplay by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, and stars Ryan Reynolds.

An establishing shot is presented at the beginning, giving the audience an aerial view of the location. This trailer begins with low key lighting, this may be because we find out that Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) has been diagnosed with cancer. After he has been given the ability of having an extraordinary healing factor, the trailer automatically turns to a lighter tone; this suggests to the audience that the genre will be comedy and action because he will be turned into a superhero.

There is a non-diegetic soundtrack which plays over most of the trailer which is a very urban hip hop style score which is meant add a comedic effect to the trailer and shows the audience the film is not to be taken too seriously. The genre of this film is shown through music as the past pace of it indicates that it has action and violence. This is an accurate representation of film meaning that when people watch the trailer they will know that it is a superhero action film.

Long shots are used for showing a lot of the action sequences in the film such as the car rolling and the gunmen pointing at Deadpool. There are tracks and zooms in very fast shots of action sequences such as the track across the gun to the man holding it.

The editing is very slow to start with as there are many dissolves transitioning shots to one another until Deadpool becomes a hero in the trailer and once the hero is established the editing suddenly gets faster. 

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 Trailer Analysis

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 is a 2014 American dystopian science fiction adventure film directed by Francis Lawrence. It is the first of two films based on Suzanne Collins' novel Mockingjay, the final book in The Hunger Games trilogy, and the third instalment in The Hunger Games film series, produced by Nina Jacobson and Jon Kilik and distributed by Lionsgate. It is the sequel to The Hunger Games Catching Fire and was followed by the concluding entry, The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 2. The film had garnered a nomination for Best Science Fiction Film at the 41st Saturn Awards. For her performance, Lawrence received a nomination for Best Actress in an Action Movie at the 20th Critics' Choice Awards and a Saturn Award nomination. The song "Yellow Flicker Beat" also received a nomination for Best Original Song at the 72nd Golden Globe Awards and Critics' Choice Awards.

A bird’s eye establishing shot is used at the start of the trailer to set the location and it also creates a sense of anticipation because the audience will want to know where the action will take place. An over the shoulder shot is used when Katniss is talking by video to President Snow of the Capitol, this shows that the president has more authority over her as he is the president of Panem. An extreme high angle shot is used to show president Coin on a balcony looking down at everyone else, this emphasises the power she has as the leader of district 13.

This trailer uses a mixture of slow cuts and continuity editing. Superimposition of text on the screen adds information of the film’s release date, this creates audience anticipation. A mixture of montage, action matches and jump cuts are used to create the battle scene. At that point the pace of the editing quickens to build tension to the final of the trailer where the ident is shown.

The bow and arrow is used frequently throughout the film as it is the weapon of choice for Katniss and is also the symbol of the rebellion. This film is set in the future after a war or a battle, this emphasises the sci-fi genre. The Mockingjay symbol is also shown frequently because it is a symbol of rebellion and is also used as the logo of the film.

Gone Girl Trailer Analysis

Gone Girl is a 2014 American psychological thriller film directed by David Fincher and written by Gillian Flynn, based on her 2012 novel of the same name. The film stars Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris and Tyler Perry. The film had its world premiere on opening night of the 52nd New York Film Festival on September 26, 2014, before a nationwide theatrical release on October 3 2014. The director, David Fincher, is known for having directed the psychological thrillers Seven and The Game; this will make the film appeal to people who are a fan of his previous work. The purpose of the Gone Girl trailer is to get the audience to entice the audience in and encourage them to watch the film. The trailer seems to attract a wide target audience of all genders, which is conventional of such a big-budget film. The 20th Century Fox ident appears and this shows one of the distribution companies behind the film, this will encourage the audience to watch the trailer due to previous films released by that company such as Avatar.

There are many elements in the film that make us question what the genre is. When the police officers entered the shot it made it obvious to the audience that a crime has taken place. There are also guns, smashed glass, and blood which all demonstrate that there is an element of crime and violence involved with the film. The audience may think that the trailer reflects on real life because the locations used are parks and cities for example, this will increase the tension that the audience will feel because the locations used are not stereotypical horror/thriller locations. Furthermore, there are other elements significant to the thriller genre such as arguments, kidnappings, domestic violence and crime; this suggests that it will be full of action.

The trailer cuts from the present investigation and then back to Amy and Nick’s past; this is to make the audience think about who they think kidnapped Amy before they watch the film. It will also encourage the audience to watch the film because they will want to know if their guess is right and who did kidnap Amy.  It challenges Todorov’s theory as it is hard to identify which point of the story is the equilibrium and which is the disruption. The trailer follows Bathes’ theory, as there are many enigma codes that leave the audience wondering things like “What happened to Amy”. This is expected of a thriller film as they aim to always keep the audience guessing.

The establishing shot of the trailer sets the mood of the film, the shot looks calm, peaceful and happy, however it is juxtaposed with non-diegetic eerie music. This suggests to the audience that this is where most of the action will take place and something is going to happen which will disrupt the happy and calm nature of the scene. The lighting used throughout the trailer is mainly low key, this symbolises that the film is dark. However the scenes which include Amy have high key lighting making the scene brighter, creating a binary opposition between Amy and Nick. This portrays Nick as the antagonist of the film as he is very much is the dark throughout the trailer; this leaves the audience wondering if he did kill Amy. The use of the non-diegetic voiceover of Amy reading her diary encourages the audience to connect with her since they are hearing her side of the story.

Woman in Black Trailer Analysis

The Woman in Black is a 2012 British-American supernatural period horror film directed by James Watkins and written by Jane Goldman. The film was released in the United States and Canada on 3 February 2012, and was released in the United Kingdom on 10 February 2012.

The trailer starts off with an establishing shot of the surrounding location to give the audience a look into where the action will take place. Tracking shots are used to give the audience an insight into the haunted house which is where most of the action in the film will be, it also emphasises the feeling of being scared for the audience. As the trailer continues there are lots of close ups and establishing shots, this is to show the characters facial expressions when they enter a certain location in the film. The close up shot will emphasise the atmosphere of the scene because if the characters are scared then the audience will start to feel scared too.

The genre of the trailer can be identified through the credits that appear, for example, Cross Creek Pictures produces the film and if the audience are aware of this company then they would know they produced films like Black Swan and Clown. James Watkins directed the film and he is best known for writing and direction horror/thriller films, he wrote and directed the thriller Eden Lake which won Best Horror Film at the 2009 Empire Awards.

Fast paced non-diegetic sound is used when a lot of action is taking place, this helps to build tension and prepares the audience so they know something is about to happen. The involvement of children in the trailer is significant because it makes the viewer think the children are weak and vulnerable. At the beginning of the trailer the non-diegetic sound has a slow pace; this puts the audience in a position of waiting and wanting to find out if anything dramatic happens. There are also diegetic sounds, such as; a crow screeching, people screaming and an arm chair creakily rocking, which are conventions of a horror film.

The title of the film appears at the end of the trailer, this is to help the audience remember the name since it is the last thing they’ll see. After the title has appeared, it is followed by the release date of the film. This shot also includes the web address for the official “The Woman in Black" website and the logos of the production companies involved. The writing is white on a black background with a smoky grey effect. The white colour generally connotes death and ghost which also ties in with the film's storyline and genre.

What I Have Learnt From Mapping Trailers

A title sequence is a scene or sequence of scenes usually shown at the beginning of a film, it shows the names of the key production and cast members. A trailer is an advertisement for the film that shows the best parts but does not give away the plot or ending. I analysed the trailer of Captain America Civil War, Pirates of the Caribbean 5 and Despicable Me 3.

Captain America Civil War trailer has the least amount of credits. The Marvel ident appeared after 19 seconds, then the release date at 1:30, title of the film at 2:11, release date again; viewing platforms and Facebook link at 2:21 and finally get tickets now at 2:23.

Pirates of the Caribbean 5 trailer has 7 credits. The Disney ident appeared after 40 seconds, then Jerry Bruckheimer Films at 44 seconds, This Memorial Day at 1:27, the final adventure at 1:51, Begins at 1:57, Release date, hashtag and viewing platforms at 2:22 and the remaining credits at 2:23. The title of the film does not actually appear in the trailer which tells us that the film is so well known to the audience that the film title does not even need to be seen.

Despicable Me 3 trailer has 8 credits. Steve Carrel is Gru at 0:09, Universal ident at 0:14, Illumination entertainment at 0:16, Trey Parker is Balthazar Bratt at 0:22, From Illumination entertainment at 1:16, Despicable Me 3 at 1:55, Actors names, Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig and Trey Parker at 1:58 and summer at 2:29.

After mapping three trailers I now know that there are fewer credits that appear then I first thought.

P.S. I Love You Trailer Mapping

0:00 Credits

0:07 Warner Bros Pictures

0:08 Alcon Entertainment

0:16 His life ended

0:21 But a new life

0:32 Starts now

1:02 From the producer of “The Devil Wears Prada”

1:37 P.S. I Love You

1:43 Credits

Ocean’s Eleven Trailer Mapping

0:01 – Warner Bros Pictures ident

0:02 – Village Roadshow Pictures ident

1:30 – George Clooney

1:31 – Matt Damon

1:32 – Andy Garcia

1:33 – Brad Pitt

1:34 – Julia Roberts

1:55 – Ocean’s Eleven

1:58 – Coming soon

2:02 – Credit block

Despicable Me 3 Trailer Mapping

0:09 – Steve Carrel is Gru

0:14 – Universal ident

0:16 – Illumination entertainment

0:22 – Trey Parker is Balthazar Bratt

1:16 – From Illumination entertainment

1:55 – Despicable Me 3

1:58 – Actors names, Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig and Trey Parker

2:29 – Summer

Pirates of the Caribbean 5 Trailer Mapping

0:40 – Disney ident

0:44 – Jerry Bruckheimer Films

1:27 – This Memorial Day

1:51 – The final adventure

1:57 – Begins

2:22 – Release date, hashtag and viewing platforms

2:23 - Credits

Captain America: Civil War Trailer Mapping

0:19 – Marvel ident

1:30 – Release date

2:11 – Title of film

2:21 – Release date, viewing platforms and Facebook link

2:23 – Get tickets now

What's the Difference Between Film Openings and Film Trailer?

Targets for my A2 Media Blog

• For this task Georgia, Leanne and I will create a schedule which we will strictly keep to as time management was something we struggled with last year. We feel this will benefit us because it will allow us to look back over our work at the end to spot or correct any mistakes. 
• In order for our film trailer to be a success we will make sure to get feedback for every draft we make to ensure we get the most marks available. This means we will need to allow extra time to get the feedback and that is an example of why we will have a schedule. 
• We will make sure we have enough time to spend on making the evaluation questions to a good standard. We feel that during our AS coursework the evaluation questions were rushed so they were not to the best of our ability and less detail was put in because we were under pressure with time to make sure they were finished.
• This time we will communicate better with each other by letting the other one know when a blog post has been uploaded and if they need any guidance with certain things. This is a good target for us to set because in our past experiences we were not good at communicating and that did let us down. However, Georgia, Leanne and I get on well inside and outside of lessons so we should not struggle with communicating with each other. 

What Did Not Go Well in Our AS Media Coursework?

• As a group we did not keep to a strict time schedule on when to film or when to upload a blog for example. This is why for our A2 coursework Georgia and I are going to make sure we keep to a schedule in order for us not to fall behind in our work. 
• As a group we did not communicate well because there was a lot of confusion on when to upload blog posts. For example, there was confusion about when to upload the final evaluation questions and this resulted in Georgia and I having to quickly finish the evaluation questions that were supposed to be done by the other members in our group. 
• In order for us to show the progress we made when editing our opening title sequence we could have uploaded more drafts versions. This would show the changes we made, also none of us had any editing experience in the past so including more draft versions would allow us to show how our editing skills have improved.

What Went Well in my AS Media Coursework?

• In order to produce the best horror opening title sequence I did a lot of research into the genre. I did this by mapping out horror title sequences, researching the conventions of a horror film and many more. After doing this I made sure to include a lot of the conventions of a horror film to produce an opening title sequence that would portray my chosen genre.
• I think one of our biggest strengths was that each member in my group was really passionate about making a good opening title sequence. I was also the only member who has previously done media in GCSE so this meant I could help guide everyone else. 
• I think as a group we completed the brief really well and we did it all in a creative way. I worked with Georgia, Emma and Laura. I previously knew Georgia but did not know Emma and Laura well so this could have been challenging. However, once we started to work together it all came together really quickly and we knew what we all wanted to do which helped to get the work done more efficiently. 
• When it came to doing the evaluation questions we distributed the questions evenly and chose different creative ways of presenting the questions. We chose methods such as videos/vlogs, Prezi, Emaze and Slide shares. It allowed us to show the knowledge we have learnt from making our opening title sequence and keep it interesting by presenting in a creative way.