The document discusses film trailers and analyzes the trailers for the films Inception and Law Abiding Citizen. It notes that the Inception trailer uses a slow, beating soundtrack that increases tension and suspense. It features first-person narration and fade-in/out shots of film scenes. Symbols like black suits and guns imply suspense and action. The Law Abiding Citizen trailer also starts with a rating before showing the protagonist on a roof with mellow music. It includes shots of violence and escalating action scenes of police and weapons as the music intensifies, implying danger and threat. Both trailers effectively establish the genres through conventions like costumes, music, and visually exciting scenes.

2.  A film trailer will attract an audience into
watching the film. It sets the genre of the film
and creates a feeling for the setting, by using
genre conventions, which suggests the
storyline. It introduces some of the main
characters and draws interest to the audience
with attention grabbing footage. The trailer
usually builds slowly from the beginning to an
exiting end. It also includes textual elements
such as the film title, credits, actor names and
etc to covey key information about the film.

3.  A convention is a typical or standard trope of plot,
character, setting, icon, theme or effect in a genre story.
 For example in a western film its conventional to have
the heroes wearing white hats and the villains wearing
black hats (icon convention) .
 The genre of your film is a crime/ thriller, therefore I haven
choose to investigate 3 favourite films that are of the same
genre. I will analyse the way they code the genre convention
into their trailer and it can help inspire me and my group on
how we can attract the audience.

5. Director - Christopher Nolan
Writer - Christopher Nolan
Stars - Leonardo dicaprio and Joseph Gordon Levitt
Release date – 16 July 2010
Genre – Action/Mystery/Sci-fi thriller
Tagline - Your mind is the scene of the crime
PLOT- Dom Cobb is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of
extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious
during the dream state, when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb's rare
ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of
corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and
cost him everything he has ever loved. Now Cobb is being offered a chance at
redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can
accomplish the impossible-inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and
his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse: their task is not to steal an
idea but to plant one. If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime. But no
amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare the team for the
dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move. An enemy that only
Cobb could have seen coming

6.  For legal reasons, the trailer starts with a film rating, stating the audience it is appropriate for. In this case,
Inception has been approved for appropriate audiences.
 The opening shot begins with the production and company logos on a black screen associated with background
music.
 The shot cuts into the opening shot of the trailer. The music persists with a slow tempo beat and occasional thud
sounds to convey a calm feeling, alongside a serious tone of thud noises to infer mystery and action is about to
escalade.
 An extreme close up shot of a male protagonist on the floor in the rain, depicts an image of weakness which is
typical of an action thriller. It gives a theme of hopelessness as the male protagonist is usually being plotted
against/in danger.
 A voice over, of the leading character is used as he looks directly at the camera. His tone of voice is serious and
concise as he narrates in first person. It directly emphasises his perspective with the viewer.
 Fade in and out shots are numerously used to keep the slow tempo of the music in line with durated film shots.
The film shots are situated at daylight, and vary from different location settings such as the streets, public
restaurants and inside buildings. Dialogue scenes from the film is also combined in the trailer, to preview scenes
from the film.
 These scenes differ from characters and location, the type of film shots such as panning shots of cars, over the
shoulder shots of characters and extreme close up shots of objects and people.
 During the fade out shots of film scenes, the thud sound from the background music is combined with a zoom out
heading , of key information such as starring characters eg Leonardo Dicaprio. This grabs the viewers attention
with key information and impactful music.
 During the trailer a light is shone into the main characters face, the shot then cuts into an establishing overview
shot of mountains and the music escalades into a louder volume, faster tempo and beated music. This signifies the
climax of the trailer as the plotline prevails and insinuates a theme of terror.
 There is also a thematic dress code of the males in the trailer, they appear to be wearing black suits which can
convey a working class that are part of a business or possibly a gang. It secludes further mystery and objects such
as a guns are shown in full view shots in the trailer which insinuates plotted murders and a chase evoking.
 Paranormal shots such as objects twisting and turning adds to the theme of mystery, as the dramatic music and
film scenes are combined to infer action. Drowning horn sounds associates with the film titles at the end of the
trailer, including the release date and film title. The trailer immediately cuts off after the horn sound, which leaves
an impactful end after the burst of drama and action from the climax of the trailer.

7.  SCREEN GRABS
 Film ratings
 Technical coding – Medium shot, Daylight scenes,
in public locations
 Symbolic coding –
flying objects, men in black suits
 Fading shots of film titles (written coding) with
dramatic music

8.  Inception is an action/mystery thriller. The slow tempo beated music with thud sounds helps to
increase tension and suspense as it combines with scenes from the film. Every time there is a thud
sound, there is a film caption or an action scene escalading in the trailer. During the trailer the music
heightens and more action scenes are revealed to elicit the climax point. I find this an effective
combination and would also like to use an impacting soundtrack in my trailer, so it grabs the viewers
attention and encloses you into the trailer.
 The bold silver coloured titles used, interprets solidity and vibrance which evokes action and
adventure in the trailer.
 There is a first person narration as the voice over. He describes the plot line using a slow, concise,
serious tone of voice, from the male protagonists perspective. This is effective as it brings the viewer
into close attention, on his dilemma. I plan to use a voice over, but in third person narration as the
villain in my film will be the omniscient narrator. It produces an effect of storytelling and is useful in
trailers because you have a limited amount of time to explain the brief plot line.
 Fade in and out shots are numerously used to keep the slow tempo of the music in line with durated
film shots. It produces a flash effect where film scenes are selectively being shown and summarises
clips from the film. This is an effective way of selling the film as effective shots can be shown to attract
the viewer. I plan to use this effect in my trailer as I believe it will attract the viewer by showing them
a variety of clips.
 The symbolic coding of black suits and guns infers suspense, terror and action involved in the film,
this links to the action genre and presumes there are villains in the film. My trailer involves focus on
the male protagonist only, but using black clothing will elude secrecy and mystery because of its
darkness and help insinuate that it a a genre convention of a action thriller.

10. Director – F. Gray Gray
Writer – Kurt Wimmer
Stars – Gerard Butler, Jamie Foxx and Leslie Bibb
Release date – 27 November 2009
Genre – Action/Crime/Drama thriller
Tagline - Your mind is the scene of the crime
Plot: The plot focuses on a man who, ten years after his wife and daughter
are brutally murdered, returns to extract justice from the assistant district
attorney who prosecuted the case against their killers. His vengeance
threatens not only the man who allowed mercy to supersede justice, but also
the system and the city that made it so.

11.  For legal reasons, the trailer starts with a film rating, stating the audience it is appropriate for. In this
case, Law abiding citizens has been approved for appropriate audiences.
 The trailer begins with a panning shot of a mysterious man in black clothing on top of a roof in a busy
city location. The non-diagetic sound of mellow piano music and diagetic sound of other characters
are combined into the shot.
 Fade in shots are used to go into the next scene. This lengthens the shots and consists with the slow
mellow music and creates an intense feeling of suspicion. It foreshadows the build up of intense
action that will evoke in the trailer.
 A soaring sound effect is used as the man is hit with a bat in his home by a supposedly villain dressed
in black clothing. The music changes with more beats to change the pace of the shots. This shot then
cuts into movie scenes from the film, with establishing shots of the city in-between, as the film is
based on law, court cases and working locations.
 The music begins to escalade after a few film scenes, with thudding sounds in-between and electric
guitar sounds for a rugged, rock music effect to infer the film has become rough.
 The scenes eventually change from simple dialogue scenes to shots of the Police, helicopters, guns, fire
explosions and running shots of the police. It appears that the police are seized under threat and the
symbolism of these objects and characters depict danger, terror and suspense as the leading character
appears to be the villain who is manipulating them.
 There are no voice over's but only the diagetic sounds of characters speaking from the film. This
allows focus for the viewer to imply what the film is about by listening to the characters and their
body language from the film scenes. It creates a feeling you are already watching the film.
 The intense music and action shots then fade out into captions of the company credits and film title.

12.  Establishing scenes at daytime and at night of
the city
 Explosions implies danger
 Dark black clothing

13.  Even if the leading character in the film is a villain or not a villain, I have
learnt organisations such as the police are still dressed in black. It is a
formal colour and adds a detective style to the film because it eludes
mystery and suspense. This assures me that the protagonist in my trailer
would be most appropriate with black clothing as it suits the genre
convention of an action/mystery thriller.
 I have also found the common build up of slow tempo music fading into
a rough, rock effect soundtrack. It combines with the film scenes as it
fades into action scenes of Police and guns to convey a climax in the
trailer. This creates a thrilling feeling and I find this combination effective
in establishing the genre conventions of this type of film. My group will
also aim to use this technique.
 The film uses frequent shots of the city locations, which is essential in my
trailer as it is also set in a working location and reminds you where the
action shall take place. The scenes are situated at daytime and also night.
This may be because the film is involved with crime scenes and uses the
night for dark events to take place. My trailer doesn’t consist of any crime
scenes however it is more mysterious to film the trailer at night to seclude
the darkness, and evil actions that will take place for it to depict an action
and mystery thriller at the same time.