Text Analysis :)

TEXTUAL ANALYSISMelissa Moon

What Happened In VegasTrailerhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJGAsbcfuRsI had looked closely at the trailer for “what happened in Vegas” as it is also a romantic comedy and this is the type of trailer in which I am going to go on to create. I have looked briefly into certain areas of the trailer to see what type of features it uses. This trailer in particular only uses two logos at the beginning of the film within 0.06 to 0.08 meaning that each logo is only on for one second, baring this in mind I am only going to use each logo for one second but I am planning on using three logos so that it resembles that of a professional text. However, this trailer often uses intertitles but they are very rare within the clip and are only introduced when showing the productions once again for three seconds exactly half way through the trailer. This therefore shows that not all romantic comedies use intertitles to show some of the narrative or plot.

Sounds, Dialogue and VoiceOverThroughout the trailer there is a lot of dialogue used with non diegetic music in the background. However, there is a voice over used in which is revealing some of the narrative and the plot. The voice over is in a male voice in which could suggest the ideology that a male voice is stronger than that of a female. Often in romantic comedies there is male voices used so that it is clear to hear and also it could be seen as less soothing than a female voice, and this fits well with the trailer as it is showing more the comedy than the romance. In terms of other sounds there is non-diegetic music in the background to add more atmosphere to the trailer and set the scene. The music seems to be quite soft but getting more upbeat as the more drama happens and this is done to show how the character may be feeling and also it could signify the romance blossoming even though they do not want it to be and it is showing the revenge theme with the upbeat music.There are not that many sounds in which aren’t dialogue but there is a diegetic sound of the arcade and alarms in order to add realism to the setting. There is constant dialogue used in the trailer to add more to the storyline and it is revealing some of the plot without revealing the full plot.

Narrative Set Pieces, ThemesThe theme of this seems to be love and romance which is constantly hinted at throughout the film. It could be said that the voiceover is hinting at this theme because it is recalling all the stereotypical views and vows that are said during marriage. The shots however don’t constantly refer to this theme as they are normally separate shots of the characters and they are not often sharing a frame but the dialogue is often giving away that they are falling in love. The narrative is clearly shown through the use of voice over as well as dialogue because it is revealing the plot bit by bit in order to entice the audience it is aiming it’s package at. The shots themselves do not actually refer to the theme as much as the sound and dialogue does, however the thing in which shows this narrative theme is the characters themselves. There are other themes in which are shown throughout this clip also and these can include: Greed, Revenge, and eventually forgiveness. The greed and revenge theme is shown by the characters in separate clips jeopardising each other, for instance when the male character removes the toilet seat it could be seen as revenge, and it is all for greed as they are both fighting to get the money.

Characters(Amount, Types, Costume)This trailer tends to show the two main characters as an introduction to their lives, and by doing this it also contains other characters in which play a minor part in the film but are still important. This is due to the fact that they play a part in how the two main characters have got into the problem. However, throughout the film it shows the two main characters with extras who play the minor parts of being friends of the two main characters. Both the male and female characters seem to be similar who are just out for a bit of fun when they walk into trouble by meeting each other at Vegas. The characters’ costumes change a lot throughout the film from a variation of smart casual, to formal dress in order to suit the location of the film. For instance, at 1.10 the two characters are wearing formal dress in order to suit the location of being at court and to show they mean business. The characters in this trailer tend to both have at least 7/8 costume changes in order to show the flow of the clip, and the changing of day and atmosphere.

Location (Amount, Types)In “What happens in Vegas” there tends to be a wide mixture of locations in which suit the genre. The film starts off by over looking the city and this could have been done in order to set the scene, and then it goes into showing the inside of a house (which could have been in the city). There is about 10-12 locations throughout this trailer and they include a large mixture and depends on what is happening at each point dependant on what location it is showing. For instance, there is a mixture of clips from both a field and a beach showing the lighter memories of fun whereas there is a clip at court showing the negative side of the story.

Editing PaceIn What happened in Vegas the editing pace seems to vary a lot. At the beginning of the trailer the editing pace was quite slow to show that because there was issues in their life then the time had dragged. However, when the two characters arrived in Vegas the editing pace had sped up and I think the reason for this was showing the fact that they were having fun and things were going by too quickly to even realise what was happening. Moreover, the editing pace then tends to slow down when the characters both wake up the next day and this could be due to the ideology that they do not know what has happened and they are just waking up and realising what has happened. The speed then remains at a slow as time goes on because it is showing all the decisions in which they have made and it could be done like this to show how time consuming it is to make decisions and also it could have slowed down due to the idea that because they both want a way out time is going so slow because they want it to be over.

Friends with Benefitshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJS-wWqVAykI had looked closely at the trailer for “Friends with Benefits” as it is also a romantic comedy and this is the type of trailer in which I am going to go on to create. I have looked briefly into certain areas of the trailer to see what type of features it uses. This trailer in particular only uses two logos at the end of the as small images when it is giving further information on the film such as the website and release date, but I am not planning on doing this in my trailer as most professional texts use these logos at the beginning of the text separately. However, this trailer often uses quite regular intertitles throughout the trailer showing part of the narrative but they are quite brief intertitles that show what the film is about yet they are only hinting instead of giving away the storyline. This therefore shows that not all romantic comedy trailers have the same conventions in unison or totally similar.

Sound, Dialogue and VoiceOverThe trailer uses constant dialogue in which in itself explains the narrative from the beginning onwards. There is however constant non-diegetic music in which sets the scene and adds atmosphere. There is not a voiceover in this romantic comedy so it shows that they are not always used. The only sounds in which are used in the trailer other than music is diegetic sounds in which is making the scene more realistic, for example the helicopter in which is moving the character. This shows that a voiceover is not needed in order to show some of the narrative but non- diegetic music is an important factor that helps to set the scene. The music is soft throughout the trailer up until the end where something goes wrong and the reason this is set out like this could be that the soft music signifies the romance as it is soft and soothing which is a good thing like love, however as the bad things happen the music gets louder and faster which could show that something is about to happen.

Narrative Set Pieces, ThemesThis trailer shows acceptance, love, overcoming obstacles and trust as well as overall friendship. These themes are all shown in different ways throughout the clip but the main narrative theme in which is shown is friendship and this is shown in the title “Friends with Benefits”. However, the way in which it then moves on into the other narrative set is when the two characters look at each other and automatically accept each other for all their faults, for instance when they are in the café talking about their issues it is obvious they accept each other and are willing to overcome this. However, the love is shown midway through the trailer when the two characters start getting to know each other better and it is shown through the dialogue and the way the editing pace slows down. There are many obstacles in which the two characters have to overcome in order to succeed their love and this is what happens in the end as the trailer ends in a shot of the two laughing and joking, showing the end result.

Characters (Amount, Types,Costume)In this trailer there is two main characters, one male and one female. However, there are a few more extras in which are related to the storyline but they only have minor parts in the trailer. For instance, at the start each of the main characters have partners but it turns out that the partners are only minor parts within the trailer as they are only in a few shots each. This then goes on to continually show just the two main characters with the occasional extra in which are playing their friends. The two main characters however show two business people who are best friends but are more focused around their careers and not wanting any attachments in terms of relationships. The costumes of both the male and female are always smart casual yet it changes throughout the film in terms of colours as the mood changes and more of the atmosphere and storyline is revealed. Both the male and female tend to have 5/6 costume changes within the 2.34 clip. I have taken from this the fact that filming must be on different days in order for me to get the correct effect and have the clip flow like that of a professional text.

Location (Amount, Types)In “Friends with Benefits” there tends to be a wide mixture of locations in which suit the genre. Once again this trailer starts by over looking the city and I think the reason for this is in order for it to set the scene. There is about 8- 10 locations throughout this trailer and they include a large mixture and depends on what is happening at each point dependant on what location it is showing. For instance, there is a mixture of clips from both bedrooms, next to the sea and also in café’s. However, the main number of locations are indoors, and in a bedroom yet there is a mixture of locations to show the time passing and also to show how things are moving on in the trailer. Furthermore, unlike What happens in Vegas there aren’t any specific shots in which have negative connotations such as court rooms etc, so this shows that there does not need to be a lot of negative feeling in order to have a twist in the storyline.

Editing PaceThe editing pace in Friends with Benefits is quite slow to begin with as it is showing the beginning of the story and is hinting at how the two main characters are going to meet. The speed remains on a slow until quarter way through the clip when the two main characters make a decision to take their friendship further and the editing pace then speeds up as it is showing the rush and emotion between the two characters. The editing pace after the scenes in which the two characters are together, then again slows down and continues at this pace until the end of the trailer and this could be due to the fact that they want a steady pace to connotate the idea that the two main characters will eventually want a steady relationship and it could be seen as hinting at part of the narrative.

Shot (Types, Amount, Length)There are at least 98-100 different shots within both trailers individually and they are all of different lengths and types. I have looked closely at a few of the different shots and see how each of them could have been put together. I have discovered that a lot of the shots in Friends with Benefits are over the shoulder shots during conversations between two characters and this method seems to be used throughout the trailer. The other shots in which are in Friends with Benefits are a few long shots and a few close- ups of the two main characters. However, in What happened in Vegas there are a wider mixture of clips in which include a lot of over the shoulder shots and close ups, with the occasional long shot. The reason in which there are a lot of over the shoulder shots could be the idea that it makes it more personal like you are there so it seems more realistic like you are the one having the conversation. Furthermore, there are long shots in the trailer to show the full body in order to see what the characters are like fully and some close ups to make it a bit more clear and personal to see the expression more. In both trailers there seems to be both fade and cut out used as transitions and this could be to show it just jumping into the next part of the storyline and how fast time is passing as the experiences go on. These transitions could show the speed in which time is going by and also it could signify the way in which they see things going on over the time period and it just makes the trailer flow into the next section.

ConclusionI am going to use the themes decisions, love, overcoming obstacles, dreams and hope. I will do this by creating a complex plot where the characters will have to give up a lot just to be together and hope for the best. I am planning on having the female character having to make a decision between love and her dreams and she would be hoping to overcome all obstacles that stand in her way, much like professional texts I have looked at such as coyote ugly.I am further going to discuss my plot ideas in further detail in another post but I am planning on doing a plot in which shows two totally different people who meet by mistake and end up falling in love, to realise there is a lot more to risk than to gain and it will end with a choice. I am planning on using a mixture of shots due to the fact that the trailers I have looked at use a mixture of 90-100 shots per trailer so I am going to also do this. I have not yet full decided how my shots are going to be composed so I will further discuss this is another post, probably one in which contains my storyboards.

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Text Analysis :)

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