What is a trailer?
A trailer is an advertisement for a feature film, in which will be exhibited across cinemas in the future. It is designed to entice it's target audience by typically using fast paced clips along with music for example R&B within StreetDance represents a young audience. Trailers may also include information that is relevant to it's audience for example a star driven film such as Leonardo Di Caprio in Inception whom, already has a well established fan base as well as this, Christopher Nolan directed the film therefore also had an established fan base. A trailer generally includes a release date for a film, a website for a film, uses conventions of it's genre within the trailer for example a western - cowboys and guns! In many ways films will link to society at that time for example The Social Network (David Fincher,2010)
Example of a Trailer
Inception Trailer:-
My personal response: This trailer is very extremely enticing; it gives just little snip-pits of the film along with the diegetic of the music matched perfectly to the clips, which left me on the edge of my seat! A fantastic director and a Hollywood star along with a hint of a very original story line ' YOUR MIND IS THE SCENE OF THE CRIME' excited me further. The revealing of the title 'INCEPTION' made me aware of the name of the film, along with a memorable font (text written within mazes) I began recognizing the media campaign begin as billboards and websites were being produced etc. These various types of advertising come together to construct a mass media campaign. The revealing of the release 'Summer 2010' made me keen to share this trailer with my friends giving them plenty of viral marketing!
Where might a trailer be seen? How will different formats affect the viewing of the trailer?
There are a variety of places that a trailer can be viewed in each way, the desired effect is to attract it's target audience in a variety of different ways, effectively leading to viral marketing by letting family and friends know about up coming new films.
A trailer maybe viewed in:
- The comfort of your own home on the television, these trailers are cleverly placed inbetween programs that appeal to the same target audience. The experience can be shared with your friends/family in a snug, laid back relaxed environment. However, this may not have the same effect as seeing a trailer on the big screen e.g. a horror trailer may be best viewed within a cinema as the environment itself is far more immersive as it is dark and creates a greater atmosphere.
- The cinema where the experience can be shared along with over lovers of film where there are far less distractions than at home (in some cases) and the trailers are aimed at the audience who are waiting to view a film that day. IMAX is a popular format within some cinemas mainly used for high concept films such as Inception and The Dark Knight however; this may also influence the effect on the audience, as they are enticed within an incredibly immersive experience. 3D is one of the latest formats within film and it main also be seen as a main selling point of a film.
My personal response: I thoroughly enjoyed Final Destination 5 in 3D as it made me more involved within the film itself and i found myself dodging objects flying at me out of the screen! Before the movie a few trailers were put on before the film these were also very enticing.
- Online where you can find a variety of different websites in which provide the latest trailers for example:
- You can watch the trailer on demand whenever your ready and as many times as you wish, which is very convenient for todays very 'on demand' generation! However, trailers viewed online maybe of poor quality and therefore would not have a great effect of the audience that was intended.
- These websites can also can also be accessed through the use of convergence, using devices such as phones and iPods therefore, the latest trailers can be accessed online whenever and where ever which is very suitable to todays society who a part of this 'on demand' generation. However, the viewing of the trailer on a small device may be a less enjoyable experience for the audience in comparison to viewing it on a large cinema screen.
What are genre conventions? What role does iconography play?
Genre comes from a French word meaning 'kind' with this in mind, it relates to a type of film for example the horror genre. Conventions are they way in which something is done therefore, genre conventions are they way a film of a certain genre displays traits of it's genre mostly relying on mise-en-sence. For example within a western you would typically see cowboys and guns this also shows a reliance on stereotypes a film that displays this fantastically is Hot Fuzz.
