Props

One aspect of mise-en-scene that we overlooked drastically in our AS project was the use of props. With this in mind Joe started to create some ideas for props that could be used in action films:

Gun

Sniper stand

These props are obviously far more amateur than I would use in my A2 project but it gave us a good insight into what goes into constructing props which is a vital part of mise-en-scene. It also made me more interested in perhaps attempting to make my own props for my A2 project instead of using entirely existing objects.

Mise-en-scene research

My group was assigned the task of creating mise-en-scene for an action film; my role was make-up, Joe was doing props and Image created some costumes that would be suitable for that genre.

Other interpretations

Seeing as it was a class activity I also got to observe others' opinion on what a target audience is/is made up of:

I think that this is very interesting in showing how different people regard what a target audience is. Although there is a general theme there is a wide spectrum of interpretations within that.

Final thoughts

After participating in that task and gaining a deeper insight into how target audiences are constructed and reached I came to this conclusion about what the definition of a target audience is:

Changing trailers to be appropriate for different audiences

After deconstructing the trailer for Riddick we were then asked to try and think about what would need to be changed if the film was a Disney/Pixar movie that was targeted at younger audiences.

By doing this task we realised that attempts to reach target audiences are based primarily on stereotypes as it is not for certain that everyone in the target audience will be under the demographic that is expected or is being explicitly targeted.

Deeper thinking into target audiences

We were assigned a group task to enable us to think deeper into what makes a target audience. This involved us watching the trailer for the film 'Riddick' and deconstructing it in terms of how it is engineered to appeal to its target audience.

Sound

Editing

Cinematography

(harder to see top left says: Panorama shot)

(harder to see top right says: Establishing shot)

Typography/Fonts

After looking at these aspects of the trailer I rewrote what I believed to be the definition of a target audience:

I feel that this was a lot more of a comprehensive definition of what a target audience is as this can also incorporate exceptions from other demographics who will also be interested in the film.

Target audience initial thoughts

My initial thoughts on what a target audience is:

I made this judgement based on a very basic understanding of what a target audience was. I mainly focused on what a target audience is instead of looking deeper.

Conclusions

After watching three of both a teaser and a theatrical trailer i have come to these conclusions about what should be incorporated into each of them:

Theatrical:

Teaser:

This shows that there is a big difference between what must and should be involved in either type of trailer. The musts for teaser trailers are the same as theatrical however there are far fewer of them leaving more creative freedom to make and interesting and outstanding trailer.

Teasers vs trailers

Monster's University
This trailer includes:
-Introduction to main characters
-Scenes from film
-Background music
-Release date
-Film title
-General idea of story
-Informs the viewer that they can watch in 3D
-Production company titles

Insidious 2

-Background to story (information on first film)

-Atmospheric background music

-Shots that establish location

-Introduction to characters

-Scenes from film

-Names of other films made by production company

-Release date

-Tagline

-Film title

-Release date

Paranoia

-Brief character profile/introduction to main character

-Background music

-Establishing shots of city

-Information on Director's previous films

-Clips from the film

-Vague release date

-Tagline

-Film title

-Coming soon

-Possible Twitter trend

Aurora
-Production company name
-Establishing shot
-Background info to film
-Brief intro to story line
-Brief intro to 3 characters
-Film title
-Film website
-Names of those involved in film quickly shown at end
-Atmospheric background music

Last Vegas

-Introduction to main characters

-Vague release time

-Tagline

-Brief intro to story

-Actor's names

-Film title

-Background music

Anchorman 2

-Introduction to 4 main characters

-Diegetic noises

-Quiet background music

-Mainly dialogue by characters

-Introduction to comedy genre of film

-Film title

-Year of release

What is a teaser trailer?

In my experience teaser trailers come out a fair while before the initial film, particularly with sequels. Most recently this has happened with the teaser trailer for 'The Hunger Games' sequel 'Catching Fire'; the teaser came out roughly a month ago (May) despite the film not being due for release until November. 

Teaser trailers begin to initially introduce the potential audience to the film which starts to slowly build up the audience for the film. This is particularly effective when teasers go viral as it reaches a vastly wide audience in a very limited amount of time, perhaps even a wider audience than the actual trailer will end up reaching. 

In my opinion, teaser trailers are very good at creating a lasting impression with those who view it as it captures their attention more due to the shorter length, this then means that they will recognise the full trailer when it comes out and are more likely to want to watch the film due to the sense of familiarity.

What is a trailer?

From my research I have discovered that these elements are often/always incorporated into trailers. This is because these are the aspects of the films that are most likely to appeal to audiences and these elements can also be altered/removed/included to appeal to specific target audiences that the film makers are trying to target. 

They are fairly basic elements meaning that there is a wide scope for how they can be presented which leaves a lot of flexibility for those making the trailer as they can be modified to become specific to the film/target audience. They are also what people generally perceive to be the most important elements of a film as people are more likely to watch a film by a director they know, including actors they know and when they have a rough overview of the story-line/genre of the film.

The Hunger Games

The trailer is very effective at conveying a sense of escape from the very start; the shots showing Katniss leaving District 12 through the barbed wire with Gale's voice providing a short voice over before he is revealed to us as he talks of fleeing the district. This attracts the viewers attention from the very offset as it leads them to wonder why they feel that this escape is necessary. The low angle shot of the Capitol hovercraft starts to explain this need for escape to the viewer as low angle shots are often used to make something or someone appear menacing. The diegetic natural sounds of the birds and the rustling grass create a very natural and calm feeling to the trailer which is particularly effective when teamed with the picturesque natural backdrop which is incorporated into the first scenes of the trailer; this, however, is juxtaposed against what Katniss and Gale are talking about. This starts to convey the tone of resentment against conformity that is evident throughout the film to the audience granting them a better understanding of the film's general overtones. The high-angle shot of Katniss and Gale as the Capitol hovercraft flies over them conveys their vulnerability to the Capitol's mercy to the viewer. 

The Lionsgate logo is shown relatively early on in the trailer suggesting that there may be a particular importance of Lionsgate to the audience which may, in turn, attract them to watch the film. The logo blends in well to the next shot of the children of District 12 walking to the reaping as the colours involved in both are very similar. The lighter colours, contrary to their usual effect, create a sense of uniformity which seems quite harsh when compared to the natural soft colours of the nature that surrounded Katniss and Gale just moments before. This helps the audience to understand the regiment and order that is incorporated into these peoples lives and grants them a better understanding of why Gale is so intent on escape. 

The complete difference in Effie's accent and costume compared to the occupants of District 12 displays the clear genre of class divide within the movie to the audience, this allows the audience to begin to understand the oppression of the poor by the rich within the film. The shot, reverse-shot used in the scene between Katniss and her sister Prim creates a sense of the importance of relationships of whatever form throughout the film but particularly family in this case; this will appeal to parents who can relate to having a similar kind of closeness with their own child meaning that parents are more likely to be attracted to the film and will bring their children along too. The over the shoulder shot of Effie opening Prim's name during the reaping is particularly effective in conveying the Capitol's importance in the lives of those living in the districts as Effie is the Capitol representative for District 12. 

The music played throughout the majority of the trailer is surprisingly mostly serene apart from a few more intense moments; this serene music, however, creates a sense of uneasiness in the viewer as they feel like all is not as it seems, this will then attract them to watch the film as they will want a better understanding of what exactly is going on. 

Before any titles are shown in the film the viewer is informed of the fact that the film is based on a successful book, this will interest the audience as they will know that the story is already a success and for those that have already read the book it will evoke an interest into how the book has been adapted onto the big screen. Once the tributes have reached the Capitol the colours in the trailer become much more vibrant and the music tempo increases conveying the hustle and bustle and splendor of the Capitol to the viewers. This will entice viewers who may have been previously uninterested by the natural and uniform colours that had been shown so far in the trailer in District 12. 

An emotional side to the story is clearly conveyed when Peeta and Katniss are shown sitting on a window ledge as the music dies down to a much softer sound and the viewer hears Peeta talking of his emotional struggle with the concept of the Hunger Games. The tagline shown towards the end of the trailer ('the games will change everyone') is a sort of cliffhanger as it leaves the audience wondering how and why the games change people and what events take place in order for that to happen; this in turn will attract them to watch the film. 

The entire trailer, in fact, is left on a sort of cliffhanger as the viewer is allowed to see the countdown to the start of the games but none of the events that ensue, this will frustrate the viewer meaning that they will want to go watch the film to get answers. The film title is shown very close to the end of the film creating a sense of mystery up to that point and ensuring that the name will be remembered by the viewer as they will not be distracted by the films plot afterwards. The famous line from the film 'may the odds be ever in your favour' being shown above the date when it is shown creates a sense of personal involvement in the viewer as it seems to include them within the adventure of the film.

Overall, I believe that this is a very effective trailer for The Hunger Games as it clearly conveys the overall message and themes of the film. My only problem with it, however, is that it may give away too much information on the film's story perhaps ruining the viewer's experience when they do see the entire film.

Despicable Me 2

The dark tone of the first shot from the film is a complete juxtaposition to the comedy theme of the film in general. Seeing as the film is a sequel the audience is already aware of the films general theme which means that the trailer does not necessarily need to overtly convey to the audience that it is a comedy, particularly seeing as it is a well known film. The comedy aspect is, however, brought into the trailer shortly after during the family scene (which is also effective at portraying the film as family orientated) as Gru becomes worried that Margo may be involved with a boy. 

The Universal and Illumination Entertainment logos are shown relatively early on in the trailer suggesting that a main selling point for the film is the globally well known production companies, this coming second only to the comedy and family aspects of the film. The fact that one of the minions from the film is incorporated into the Illumination Entertainment logo begins to effectively introduce the characters to the viewer while introducing the audience to the production companies. Illumination Entertainment is shown again just before halfway through the trailer suggests that they may be trying to appeal to audiences of their previous popular children's films such as 'Cat in the Hat' emphasizing the family and child friendly aspects of the film. 

The location of the trailer appears to be in an (obviously cartoon) ordinary suburban neighborhood, a place in which many families would be familiar with and relate to; this will attract the attention of the parents who would consider the film to be family orientated and therefore suitable for their children to watch. The fact that one of the central characters in the film is a woman will help to attract a female audience who may have previously been uninterested in a film that seems primarily based around made-up weapons and action (despite the comedy overtones). The use of the lipstick tazer as a prop will also attract a female audience as it is something that many, though not all, girls can relate to. There is a distinct lack of actors names throughout the bulk of this trailer with the main focuses being on production companies and release dates, perhaps because the target audience is primarily children and their parents who would most likely be more interested in the content and quality of the film as opposed to who starred in it (particularly as it is a cartoon and no physical actor is ever seen). The submergeable car which then turns into a sort of submarine can be closely linked to the popular childrens film 'Spy Kids' which could be an attempt to appeal to the already existing audience of that film. 

The actual title of the film is not displayed until very close to the end of the trailer, this could be because it is a sequel so the main focus could have been more on familiarizing the audience with the characters as opposed to making it blatantly clear what the film was. The reinstatement of Gru as the main character for the film is also reinforced by his presence in the title of the film when it is shown. The names of the well-known actors that are involved in the film are not shown till the very end of the trailer further emphasizing my earlier point that they feel very little need to focus on actors as it is unlikely to gain them a wider audience base.

Overall, I believe that the trailer is very effective in appealing to their target audience of children and also young adults such as myself who take up a significant part of the film's audience. I can't say that this trailer has persuaded me to see the film as I was planning on seeing it already due to my enjoyment of the first film, however, I do feel that it has given me a brief insight into the film's plot and refamiliarised me with the film's characters and also introduced me to new ones.

The Great Gatsby

The first thing that I noticed about this trailer was that the music played at points throughout was exceptionally modern considering that the film is set in the early 1920's at the turn of the jazz age. The music creates a more modern feel to the story and could have been used as a tool to attract a younger audience who may have not been interested in the story previously. (After seeing this film in the cinema a few days ago I learnt that this modern music is played throughout suggesting that the film makers were keen to keep the attention of a younger audience who may have seen the film as too old fashioned). As well as creating a modern feel the music creates a sense of anticipation and excitement, particularly at the start of the trailer, as the deep bass could be likened to the Jaws music in the sense that it leaves the viewer with a feeling that something big is about to happen. By putting this music in from the very offset it will attract the audience as they will become curious as to what event this music could be leading up to. The sounds and images of the fireworks that erupt when Daisy asks about Gatsby giving the viewer an insight into the core relationship that will be predominant throughout the film. 

The first time the viewer sees Gatsby it is from a low-angle shot, this starts to convey Gatsby's importance to the film to the viewer as low-angle shots are often used to make the thing or person that they are showing seem important and, in some cases, menacing although I do not believe that is the case in this trailer. The importance of Gatsby is also conveyed when four shots of characters questioning and talking about Gatsby are shown edited together. The trailer is also very effective in establishing the location of the film and the importance that it will play, this is achieved by the use of an establishing shot at the very start of the trailer and the first thing said in the voice over for the trailer being the words New York. Warner Brothers' logo being displayed at the very start of the trailer could be to attract the potential audience to the film as it is a globally well known company as it has produced many famous films such as the Harry Potter films. The shot length throughout the trailer is predominantly short which suggests that the film is fast-paced and creates excitement within the viewer, this will then attract them to seeing the film. 

There is a large emphasis on the director as his name is shown before the names of the actors etc., this is effective in attracting viewers who liked past films of his such as Romeo and Juliet and Moulin Rouge who's titles are shown shortly after his name. The music played throughout the middle chunk of the trailer is quite sombre which is a juxtaposition to the lavish, extravagant parties which are being shown at the time. Unlike a lot of trailers, there is quite a large focus on actors; this is shown when Leonardo DiCaprio's name is shown about three quarters of the way through the trailer. As he is a very popular actor he will attract a large audience to the film regardless of the plot (especially withing the female audience after his roles in 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'Titanic'). Seeing as the film has many big-name actors, these are displayed in regular intervals after Leonardo's name suggesting that the main selling point for this film is the cast as opposed to the story, which is based on a very popular book. This could be because it is likely that those who have read the book may be of a higher age than who they are initially trying to target. 

The shot length gets increasingly shorter towards the end of the trailer creating the sense within the viewer that it is leading to a climax. This climax is the title for the film being shown shortly followed by the release date of the film and the prospect of seeing it in 3D which will appeal to the younger audience. There is very little focus on the companies involved in the film who are shown right at the very end of the trailer as it is not likely to be something that their target audience is interested in. The style of the writing and titles that are shown fits in perfectly with the art deco style that was popular at the time period shown in the film, this creates a sense of context for the viewer as they can understand more about the style of the time.

Overall, I do not believe that this is the best trailer for this movie as the music seems slightly out of place. I do not disagree with the use of modern music, however, I do feel that a different genre would have been more suitable. That being said it does effectively convey the main themes of love, corruption and deception to the viewer.

What makes an effective trailer?

I am going to be looking into how film trailers are successful in appealing to the future possible audience. I will do this by analysing the aspects of several trailers and making a judgement on whether they effectively reach and entice the audience. 

I already have a rudimentary knowledge of what a trailer consists of (having seen so many on the TV and at the cinema), however, I am aware that there is a lot more than meets the eye that goes into the construction of trailers as they are targeted and aimed at appealing to a specific group of people. This makes trailers the most useful tool for enticing audiences to the films.

I have decided that I will analyse the trailers for 'The Great Gatsby', 'Despicable Me 2' and 'The Hunger Games' as these are all films that I am familiar with and enjoy therefore I would find it interesting to watch their trailers.