Melodrama Trailer Analysis - Conclusion

After looking at 5 melodrama trailers I have found following conventions that appeared a lot and that I want to put in my own trailer:

• The trailer will include romantic elements.

• There is usually a boy and a girl who are the main characters and fall in love with each other and have some sort of relationship.

• Usually scenes of separation and heartache, a lot of the time due to differences in class and status between the girl and the boy.

• There are scenes set in romantic places like the beach.

• The music is usually romantic or uplifting.

• Many of the trailers mention Nicholas Sparks as he write many books of melodramas which are then created into the film.

• There are many kissing scenes within the trailers and also several references to love.

• Fades are popular in trailers for melodramas.

• The name of the film is always at the end of the trailer.

• Often melodrama trailer include an event which is the main storyline of the film. The event is usually something sad that will break up the couple, for example a car accident.

Melodrama Trailer Analysis - Dear John

Here is my analysis of the trailer for 'Dear John'.

• The trailer begins with a boy jumping into the see to save a girls purse. She is thankful for his kind act and introduces herself to him.
• There is soft music in the background setting a somewhat romantic feel.
• The scene takes place on the beach which is a typical setting for melodramas and scenes from other melodramas that I have already analysed have also taken place on beaches, like in Safe Haven and The Vow for example.
• Nicholas Sparks is mentioned in the trailer as he wrote the book. He is well known for writing melodramas and is mentioned in other trailers that I have previously analysed including The Notebook and The Best of Me.
• Just like all 4 of the trailers I have already analysed, there are 2 main characters, a boy and girl, who fall in love.
• There are different clips which give off romantic vibes like kissing in the rain and dancing on the beach. I have noticed these kind of scenes occurring in a lot of melodrama trailers.
• Melodramatic music is played in the background.
• Actor Channing Tatum is the main character in the film who falls in love with a girl. He was also the main character in The Vow, which I have previously analysed, whereby he played a character that was also in love with a girl.
• Midway through the trailer the characters become separated which causes heartache. Separation occurs in many melodramas and I have noticed it in some of the trailers i have already analysed, including The Notebook and Safe Haven.
• There are several references to love and many scenes of kissing.

Melodrama Trailer Analysis - The Best Of Me

Here is my analysis of the trailer for 'The Best Of Me'.

• The beginning of the trailer starts with romantic music, which I have noticed in a lot of the trailers I have already analysed.
• The first words that appear on screen says 'From Nicholas Sparks', who is a well known writer of melodramas and is mentioned in the trailers for The Notebook and Safe Haven, which I have already analysed.
• As the trailer progresses, we see a girl and boy meet and fall in love. There are several clips shown which are set in romantic places, like at the top of a tree and kissing in the rain. This indicates a love story.
• Scenes convey separation and heartache, which is common in melodramas and occur in other trailers that I have already analysed, like The Notebook and Safe Haven for example.
• Fades are used in the trailer to go back in time. This gives the film a melodramatic feel.
• There are several clips of kissing
• James Marsden, who is one of the main characters, has appeared in other melodramas, including the Notebook which I have already analysed.
• There are many references to love

Melodrama Trailer Analysis - The Notebook

Here is my analysis of the trailer for 'The Notebook'.

• The trailer begins with calm, romantic music.
• The mise-en-scene portrays a romantic setting within several clips, for example canoeing in the river and riding bikes as couples in the woods.
• There is a narration at the beginning of the trailer, describing a boy and a girl meeting and falling in love.
• In the middle of the trailer there comes a problem in the relationship where family, class and status is breaking the couple up.
• There is a lot of separation shown in the trailer, which is a typical convention of the melodramas
• Another common storyline of melodramas is a love triangle, which is shown towards the end of the trailer whereby two men want the same woman.
• Some of the actors in the film are well known in melodramas, for example James Marsden and Rachel McAdams, who also starred in The Vow which i have previously analysed.
• Midway through the trailer the music becomes more dramatic and uplifting.
• The narrator mentions the writer, Nicholas Sparks. He is a well known writer of melodramas and is also mentioned in the trailer for Safe Haven, which I have previously analysed.

Melodrama Trailer Analysis - The Vow

Here is my analysis of the trailer for 'The Vow'.

• The trailer starts with a wedding which instantly shows that the film is something to do with love.
• There is romantic and uplifting music which portrays a melodramatic atmosphere.
• There are several clips of romantic scenes in the trailer which include the 2 main characters who are a man and woman, portrayed to be very in love with each other. This is a typical convention of melodramas.
• These scenes are set in romantic places, for example the beach.
• The trailer shows the release date is Valentines Day, which associates the film with love.
• There is a car crash shown and the main girl loses her memory. This is quite a common story line for melodramas. 
• Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams, who play the 2 main characters in love, are well known for starring in other melodramas.
• There is a lot of talk about love and challenges which is essentially what melodramatic films are about.
• Fades are used to get from one shot to another. This gives the film a romantic feel.

Melodrama Trailer Analysis - Safe Haven

Here is my analysis of the trailer for 'Safe Haven'.

• The beginning of the trailer shows a woman who is on the run from people who are looking for her
• The trailer has uplifting music throughout
• The 2 main characters are a man and woman who meet and fall in love with each other
• There is romantic scenery shown, for example canoeing in the river and being on the beach
• There is kissing
• A lot of romantic elements are involved throughout the trailer.
• The dialogue of the film shows romantic and melodramatic conventions of the film for example lines like 'I'm in love with you', 'I'm happier with you' and 'There is no safer place for you than here with me'
• The trailer mentions other melodramas like The Notebook and Dear John and also the writer, Nicholas Sparks, who is well known for melodramas.
• Parts of the trailer shows scenes of separation and love problems which are typical conventions of a melodrama.

Melodrama Trailer Analysis - Introduction

I am now going to look at 5 different trailers from the melodrama genre to see if I can find conventions of melodrama trailers. This is going to help me decide the conventions I will need to include in my own teaser trailer. I am going to analyse all 5 of these trailers, shown below, to see if they share similar conventions.

Comparing Teaser and Theatrical Trailers - Conclusion

The key differences between teaser trailers and theatrical trailers are as follows:

• Teaser trailers are shorter.
• Teaser trailers often have very little dialogue, if any.
• The editing in teaser trailer is quicker, with more fades.
• Teaser trailers appear to contain a greater number of tag lines and fewer images than theatrical trailers.
• The release date in a teaser trailer is often vague, whereas in a theatrical trailer it is specific.
• Teaser trailers tease by withholding story information, whereas theatrical trailer give audiences a much greater understanding of what happens in the narrative.

The key similarities be between teaser trailers and theatrical trailers include:

• Both contain images from the film.
• Both contain production company logos towards thee begging of the trailer.
• Both contain the name of the film.
• Both contain a website or social media links.
• Both contain billing.
• Both contain music and impact sounds.

Whilst I am making a teaser trailer I intend to make mine slightly longer than the 20 or 30 second teasers I have analysed and I feel that my teaser will blend some of the elements of teaser trailers with some elements of theatrical trailers.

Both of the teasers I have looked at belong to films that have an existing fan base, which enables the teaser to withhold narrative information but still be appealing to the audience (50 Shades Of Grey is based on a best selling novel, whilst Captain America is based on a novel). In order to make it realistic that there would be a teaser trailer for my film, I will either make my film a sequel, or base it on a novel.

Comparing teaser trailers from different genres - Introduction

When I analysed posters from different genres I noticed that they each shared certain design conventions. Now that I am looking at teaser trailers, I want to see if the same applies here. I am going to look at the teaser trailers for the following films:

1) Star Wars Episode VII - Science Fiction

2) Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Fantasy

3) The Expendables 3 - Action

4) The Dictator - Comedy

5) Noah - Epic

Even though the teaser trailers are from different genres, I think that there will be many conventions that they share, but  I want to double check this by analysing the teaser trailers closely. I am going to begin with the teaser trailer for Star Wars Episode VII.

Teaser Trailer Analysis - Conclusion

Having now looked at all these different teaser trailers from all different genres, these are the consistent conventions that I found:


- Production Company Logo
(Noah)

- Reference to another film that has been created by the same person
(The Dictator)

- Eye candy
( The Hunger Games)














- Title of the film
(The Expendables 3)

- Release date
(Star Wars)

- Website
(The Expendables 3)

- Cast
(The Dictator)

- Indication of genre - this shot shows that it is a fantasy film
(The Hunger Games)

- A variety of camera shots
(Noah)

- Image of star
(The Dictator)

Other conventions the use of music, impact sounds, voiceover, dialogue from the film, tag lines alongside rapid editing and cuts or fades to black.

Teaser Trailer Analysis 5 - Noah

Here is my analysis for the epic film, Noah, which is due to be released in March.

• The clip begins with logos of the production companies, which is common for teaser trailers to do.
• There is dramatic music played throughout. This helps to convey the genre of the film.
• Like all the other teaser trailers I have analysed, the pace of the editing is quick to tease the audience, with a number of fades or cuts to black.
• The trailer shows the main characters and rarely anyone else
• Like in The Dictator teaser trailer, there is no voiceover. Instead there is dialogue from the actual film of the characters speaking.
• The teaser includes tag lines and impact sounds.
• At the end of the clip the name of the film and the release date is shown, which is done in most teaser trailers.
• The teaser trailer also includes a website and a twitter link.

Teaser Trailer Analysis 4 - The Dictator

Here is my analysis for the comedy film, The Dictator.

• Just like the other trailers I have analysed, this teaser trailer does not give away the full storyline, however it does make the genre of the film clear and known.
• The trailer, like the previous 3 I have already analysed, shows quick clips to tease the viewers, whilst not giving out too much information.
• There is music played nearly the whole way through the trailer, which is very common in teaser trailers.
• There is no voiceover in this teaser trailer and more dialogue from the actual film in comparison to the previous 3 trailers.
• It shows the name of the film at the end of the clip, like most teaser trailers do.
• All the clips show the main character which is done a lot in teaser trailers. This is in order to let the viewers know who is mainly in the film and give them an vague idea of what their character is.
• The trailer contains a number of tag lines.
• There are references to other films from the same genre produced by the same personnel.
• The name of a main actor appears on screen.
• There is a website at the end of the teaser and a twitter link.

Teaser Trailer Analysis 3 - The Expendables 3

Here is my analysis for the action film, The Expendables 3.

• The trailer does not give away a lot of information about what happens in the film.
• Like both trailers I have previously analysed, although the trailer doesn't make what happens clear, it does make the genre clear using iconography of action movies.
• There is music related to the genre playing throughout, alongside side frequent use of impact sounds.
• There is a lot of voiceover, rather than a lot of dialogue from the movie itself.
• It shows the name of the film and the production company logos(at the beginning of the teaser), just like in the Star Wars and Hunger Games trailer.
• There are lots of quick short clips throughout the trailer to tease the audience and the editing again consists of fades or cuts to black, showing some of the characters involved, and conveying its action genre by showing clips of peoples with guns and other weapons.
• The teaser also includes tag lines and the films certificate.

Comparing Teaser and Theatrical Trailers 2

Below I will be looking at the similarities and differences of the teaser and theatrical trailer for Marvel's Captain America; The Winter Soldier:

In the teaser trailer you can only hear background music and impact soubds, however in the theatrical trailer there is dialogue, as well as background music.

The music in the teaser trailer is different to the music in the theatrical trailer. In the teaser trailer the music is sombre, suggesting the threat at the heart of the films narrative, whereas the music in the theatrical trailer changes in tone a number of times from melancholic to uptempo, reflecting the action that will dominate the film.

Some of the footage shown in the teaser is also shown in the theatrical trailer.

The teaser trailer is very vague in comparison to the theatrical trailer in terms of delivering narrative information to the audience, however, both trailers make the genre quite clear through the use of recognisable iconography.

There are more tag lines in the teaser trailer where the images give more of the storyline away to the audience. The point of this is to tease the audience whilst not giving anything away.

The teaser trailer is much shorter than the theatrical trailer.

Both the teaser and theatrical trailer show the name of the film at the end in exactly the same way.

The theatrical trailer conveys much more information than the teaser trailer and gives a better sense of the characters and the storyline.

Both of the trailers show the production company logos.

Comparing Teaser and Theatrical Trailers 1

Below I will be looking at the similarities and differences of the teaser and theatrical trailer for 50 Shades of Grey:

• In the teaser trailer you can only hear background music, however in the theatrical trailer there is dialogue, as well as background music.
• However, a similarity between the two is that the same song is played in both.
• The teaser trailer is much shorter than the theatrical trailer.
• They both show the name of the film at the end of the trailer.
• The teaser trailer only shows one character, whereas the theatrical trailer shows several different characters throughout.
• The theatrical trailer conveys much more information than the teaser trailer and gives the audience greater narrative understanding regarding the film and the characters.
• The teaser trailer is very vague in comparison to the theatrical trailer.
• Many more words in the form of tag lines are shown on screen in the teaser trailer. The point of this is to tease the audience whilst not giving anything about the plot away. The theatrical trailer uses far more footage from the film, rather than tag lines, to reveal more about the story line to the audience.
• The theatrical trailer clearly shows the release date, however this is absent from the teaser trailer does - either because the release date is yet to be decided or because this is another way of withholding information and there teasing the audience.
• Some of the same footage is shown in both trailers.
• The theatrical trailer is overall much more powerful than the teaser trailer.

Teaser Trailer Analysis 2 - The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

Here is my analysis for the fantasy film, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, which is due to be released November 2014.

• Like in the Star Wars teaser trailer, music plays throughout the clip and impact sounds are used
• It makes the genre very clear, as does the Star Wars trailer.
• It shows several of the characters, but quickly and not in much depth at all.
• The pace of the editing is quick to tease the audience - the editing consists mostly of fades or cuts to black.
• Just like the Star Wars trailer, it reveals the month of the release date at the end of the teaser.
• Unlike the Star Wars trailer, there is no voiceover but there is dialogue from the film shown in the trailer, however the teaser still does not give a lot away and leaves the audience wanting to know more.
• It shows the full name of the film, as well as the name of the production company (the logo is shown at the beginning of the teaser).
• At the end of the teaser trailer there is also a link to a social networking site.

 

Teaser Trailer Analysis 1 - Stars Wars

Here's my analysis for the science fiction film Star Wars which is due to be released December 2015.

• There is a voiceover throughout, but no dialogue from the actual film
• There are a lot of jump cuts which show quick clips from the film - images to tease the audience
• The editing is rapid and consists of frequent cuts to black
• There is music throughout and the frequent use of impact sounds
• The trailer does not give any information away, it is vague
• The trailer contains recognisable iconography from the genre
• It shows some of the characters
• It says the full name of the film
• It says the month and year of its release date

Comparing Teaser and Theatrical Trailers - Introduction

For the main production task for my A2 coursework I will be producing a teaser trailer, so I thought it would be useful to find out what the differences are between teaser trailers (released well in advance of the film appearing in cinemas) and theatrical trailers (which appear much closer to the films released, in the final promotional push to encourage audiences into the cinema).

I suspect that major differences in between the 2 formats will include the length of the respective trailers (I think the teaser trailer will be considerably shorter than the theatrical trailer) and that the theatrical trailer will show much more of the story line than the teaser. I also expect there to be similarities between the 2 types of trailer and that both will include production company logos, images from the film, the fils title, credits, a website and social networking links, and an indication of when the film is fire for release.

Once I had decided upon the genre my film will belong to, I will look much more closely at the ways that genre conventions are shown in trailers. But for now I just want to try and get a clearer understanding of codes and conventions in trailers in general.

For my comparison I have decided to look at a teaser and a theatrical trailer for 2 contrasting audiences, from films from very different genres: 50 Shades of Grey and Captain America.

Potential Magazine Front Cover Images

Below are possible photos I took of my main woman protagonist for my magazine front cover.

 

List of magazine front cover conventions

Having looked at 3 magazine covers, here is the list of conventions that I have found. I will try to include each one of these conventions on my own magazine front cover.

• Main Coverline:

• Masthead:

• Issue Number:

• Barcode:

• Dominant Image:

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• Website:

• Banners:

• Date:

• Slogan:

• Price: