Textual analysis for WWZ trailer (A2 media)

1. AngelaPignatiello
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Trailer 2
I have chosento analyse the film: WorldwarZ it’sdefinitelyathrilling,original movie that
differsfromanyotherapocalypse filmsdue itsunique visual effectsof the waythe zombies
move.WWZ isan Americanaction/horror/thrillerfilm, directedmyMarc Forsterandstarring
Brad Pitttryingto protecthis familyinazombie apocalypse.Iwill be analysingandreviewing
this2minute 27 secondtrailershotbyshot,to give me ideastoinspire me withmyown
trailer.Thistrailerissojam packedwiththrillingactionthatthe audience will definitelywant
to see it.The fact that the main character isplayedbya successful actorlike BradPittalso
makesitmuch more appealing. He isthe face of the movie,whichattractshisfansand
people whohave likedhispreviousfilms.Zombie filmsdon’tusuallyhave famousactors,as
theyare usuallylowbudgetandnottakenasseriouslyasmainstreamHollywoodmovies.
But thisone has one of the biggestA-listersasthe leadrole;therefore,itmustbe on a whole
newlevel inthe horror/zombie genre.The characteristicsof the zombiesare indeedvery
original andcool looking.
Inthisfirstshot,it
showsa colourful,Birdseye viewdescendingslowlydowninNew YorkCityinwhichthere
are manycars andbuildings,goodweatherbutnocharacters.This isan establishingshot,
settingthe scene froma longwayaway.Howeverwe can hearthe maincharactersvoices
overthe car hornsbeeping,astheyplaya game.Thisisnon diegeticsound.The atmosphere
isordinaryand calm,so theycan buildupthe tensionabit lateron inthe trailer.Time:3
seconds.
In thissecondscene we
see a happymaincharcater in hiscar withhisfamilycontinuingtoplaythe game.Thisscene
createsa cheerful vibe,creatinganatmosphere of anormal,everydaylife.The shottype is
midshotaswe can see the charactersstraighton, fromthe waistup and we can see a bitof
the background.There islotsof colourinthisscene,nospecial effectsandthe onlysounds
are theirvoicesandcars beepinginthe background.
The nextscene isquick,itshowsa bikerzoompast
knockingthe mainfamiliesside mirrorrightoff the

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car, startlingthemandinterruptingtheirgame.Theylookconfusedandslightlyannoyedas
he just ridesoff,withoutapologising.The soundsinclude;the motorbikesengine,the wifes
voice,the side mirrorsmashinganda helicopterupabove.Inthese twoseconds,the
atmosphere hasdrasticallychangedfromhappytoa suddenrealisationthatsomethingisn’t
right.The audience are nowslightlyworriedandcuriousas towhat’sgoingto happennext.
Upon seeingahelicopterupabove (left,shottype:wormseye view),the maincharacter
utters‘whatis goingon?’makingthe audience nervousandaskthemselvesthe same
question.The soundof the helicoptergetslouder, whichaddstothe dramaticatmosphere.
The rest of the familyisalsomore confusedandperhapsabitworriedat thispoint.Visual
effects:helicopter(likelycgi)
In the nextframe,the maincharacter hasdecidedtogetout the car and see what’sgoing
on,as seeninthe picture onthe right.It’s a mediumshotwhichshowshimdirectlyahead,
fromthe waistupwithsome colourful carsand buildingsinthe backandforeground.By
lookingathisfacial expression,the audience cansee thathe is worried, whichmakesus
questionwhyandanticipate the nextscene.We canhear police sirens,carsbeepingandthe
daughtertellinghimtobe careful. Itisheartbreakinghisdaughtersare worriedforhim, so
we hope that nothinghappenstohim, fortheirsake.Thismakesthe audience emotionally
connectwiththe characters. Audience memberswithfamilywoulddefinitelyrelatetothe
fearof keepingtheirfamlysafe.Thismakesthe potential dangerevenmore nervewracking
and serious.
The nextshotis a colourful,extreme longshot,showingacar crash explosionfromfaraway
inthe background.Each frame inthisscene isquickand veryshakyto add the panicked
effect.Asyoucan see infromthe character’sfaces(middle &right,shottype:close up) they
are veryworriedandtheirfearthat they’re indangerhasbeenconfirmed.The wife callsher
husbandsname (Gerry) ina shaky,quietandbreathlessvoice,illustratingthatshe is
terrified.Itisstill unclearwhatexactlyisgoingon,whichaddsmysterytothe pandemic.In
thisscene we hearveryloudnoisessuchas the explosionandpeople screamingandwe see
bigvisual effectsuchasthe fire and smoke fromthe crash. These effectscreate amore
dramaticand realisticscene.We alsosee otherscaredandscreamingcharacterson the
pavement,wholooktobe runningawayfromsomethingbutit’sunclearwhat.

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Suddenlyapolicemandrivesinona motorbike,shoutingatthemto‘getback in theircar
rightnow andremainwiththeirvehic-‘before he isabruptlycutoff byan out of control
lorrythat comesspeedingdownthe road,smashingeverythinginitspath(cgi islikelyto
have beenused).Thisissounexpectedandsuddenbecause it’sdesignedtomake the
audience jump,tocreate animpressionandgetthemengrossedinthe trailer.The loud
soundsalsomake itjumpyand helpspeedupthe atmosphere.Firstpic:overthe shoulder
shot.Secondpic:wide,mediumshot.Asthe lorryspeedsthroughthe city,the soundis
mutedandall we hearis a deaf,highpitchedcontinuousringingsound,resemblingthe ones
youhear whenyourearsare blocked.
The fact that a figure of authorityhasbeentakendownbywhatseemstobe a civilian –
showsthat the cityreallyisinchaos. A police officerismeanttoprotectpeople;sothis
scene createsthe sense thatthe familyisontheirown.Nothingcansave them – theyhave
to survive bytheirownmeans.
Use of pathos:The camera cuts to the daughter’sterrified
face for a second, whichtugsthe audiencesheartstringsbecause she’ssoyoungand
vulnerable andit’ssadwhenchildrenoranimalsare hurtin movies.Sothe sudden
realizationthatthey’re indangermakesthe audience extremelynervousbecause we want
themto live,sowe siton the edge of our seatseggingthemonto survive.
The filmcompanylogosappear,showingthatthe movie hasbeenproducedbymajor,
mainstreamorganizations.Thismakesitseemmore impressive andpopularalready.Each
logoappearsfor lessthana second,onthe countof a dramaticloud,louddrumbeat for
emphasis,all withablackbackgroundandsilver,boldwritingtostandoutand create a dark
vibe.Atthispointthe buildupof tensionisalmostat itsclimax andit’sclearthat we’re
gettingintothe mainpart of the trailer.

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The dramatic musiccontinuesand
intensifies,throughoutthe next
manysceneswhichare short,
snappyand include avarietyof
shottypes.These include;bird’s
eye view,wormseye view,close
up,establishingshots,directmid
shots,overthe shouldershotsand
manymore.Theyare all colourful
and are likelytohave beenalteredwith
some digital effectsfora bettervisual
impact.There are manysounds,suchas
screaming,helicopters,carsskiddingand
crashingand shouting.Howevermostof the
noisesare inaudibledue tothe music
cancellingthemout.We see hoardsof
people runningthroughthe streets,
includingourmaincharacters,many
abandonedorcrashedvehicles,helicopters
and buildings.The fastpacedmoodof the trailerexcitesthe audience,
intriguingtheminthe movie.
Here we see an extreme wide shotfromthe view of ahelicopter,
witha slightlycantedcameraangle showingagreydirtydamaged
lookingcitydownbelow andasoldierholdingaguninthe
foreground.The moodlooksdarkanddepressingtoshow the
worldturningintosomethingugly.Thisshotlastsbarelya
second,before cuttingtothe nextshortscene.Eachshot isfast
pacedto keepthe trailerinterestingandexciting.
The nextshotis froma wormseye view,lookingupatmanyplanes
quicklyflyingacrossthe Smokeygreysky.We heartheirenginesasthey
do so.The appearance of these jets,showsthatthisisindeeda‘War’,
whichisa scary prospectinour modernsociety.
Thenfollowsanothershort,wide shotscene of ahuge
crowd of people runninginthe same direction,towards
the camera. Thismakesitclear that the source of the panic
isbehindthemwhichfrightensthe audience.There isno
soundat thispoint.
We see more pathoswhenthe cameracuts to the children’sfrightenedfacesandhear
the mothertryingto reassure hereverythingisokay.Thiswouldaffectthe women
(especially mothers) inthe audience the most,since theycanrelate the fearof losinga
child.The soundhere isdiegetic.

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The trailermovesforward,stillkeeping
up the tension,withourmaincharacters
attemptingtoescape byhijackingavan.
The music still plays.
Then,anotherjumpscare happenswhen
whatlookslike amad personheadbutts
the wife’swindow,crackingitandmaking
herscream. Thisscaresthe audience and
againmakesus fearfor theirlives.
The nextshotis an establishing
one,showingthe familysafely
drive awayfromthe madpeople
chasingthem.These scenesinthe
trailerare upsettingtothe
audience asit’sscary to see the
worldas youknow it turn madso
suddenly.Effects:CGIisprobably
usedto make the people looklikethey’rerunningfasterandthe same soundsas the
previousscenesare still heard.
For the firsttime inthe trailer,textisbeingusedforeffect.Ithasthe same colourcode as
the companylogos(blackbackground,
silverwriting)andappearsonthe count of
a drum beatfor effect.Itdoesn’tfinishthe
whole sentencewhich appealstoour
natural curiositytofindout whatit says.It
alsorevealsthatthe filmwill be released
inthe summer.
Afterthat,we see a close up profile shotof Gerry’spanicked
face,as he talkson the phone,questioningwhat’s goingon.
The camera cuts to a man in a
helicopter,revealingthatthat’swhohe’s
talkingto.Thismakesthe audience
questionwhatrelation theyhave toeach
otherespeciallysince theyknow each
othersnames.ThisimpliesthatGerry
mightworkfor a highauthorityand
there ishope that maybe his
connectionscansave him.The sound
here isdiegetic,because the source of
the soundis visibleonscreen.

6. AngelaPignatiello
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Here we see the rapiddecrease of the world’spopulationwhich
showshow quicklythe dangerisspreadingandthatit’sclearly
verypowerful.Thiswhichworriesusandpanicsus because
we’re realisinghow littletime thereistostopthisthing.The fact
that we still don’tknow whatthe dangerismakesit all the more
suspenseful.
For the firsttime inthe trailer,we see the zombiesastheytipovera bus,withsoldiersshootingat
them.Eventhoughtheydon’tlooklike the gory,slow shufflingzombiesinmostothermovies,it’s
cleartheyaren’thumandue totheirvast amountof energy,obscenestrengthandimmunitytothe
bulletsbeingfiredatthem.Theydon’tevenappeartogethurt aftertheyfall off the busand crash
ontothe floor.At3 seconds,thisscene isslightlylongerthanthe previousonessothe audience
can get a goodlookat the zombiesandabsorbthe fear.The fact that there are somany of themis
whatmakesthemso intimidatingbecause it’shardtofightsomethinginbignumbers.The cgi
whichspeedsuptheirmovementsalsomakesthemunique comparedtootherboring,slow
zombies.Ithinkthe editorscreatedthiseffectforamore thrilling,fastervibe inthe movieandthey
had to make itstand outbecause sucha bigactor is playingthe maincharacter.
Everysoundsuddenlystopstofocusonthe manfrom the helicopter(Terry). We
can see that he has landed,since he isstandinginwhatlookstobe a building
withpeople walkingaroundhim.He shakeshisheadfromside toside andsays
‘we don’tknow’ina weakwhisper,withastressedlookonhisface.The
audience losesabitof hope as not eventhe highauthoritiesknow howtostop
thisand it’sclearthat everyone isontheirown.
Thiscompilationof fastpaced
scenesshowsthe chaoshas
spreadthroughoutthe world
(as see onthe map diagram)
and that there isa mass panic.
All armedforcesare out as
civilizationbreaksdowninto
anarchy.The gunsand
explosionsrelatetothe
action/thrillerthemesof the
film, whilethe biological
diagram(middle left) shows
the science fictionaspect.

7. AngelaPignatiello
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Nextwe see ared flare beinglitandwe hearit hiss as it’s
broughtto life.It’suknownwho’sholdingthe flare right
now,or where theyare,whichmakesitmysterious.
Howeverwe know it’sdarkbecause the onlylightwe see
isthe redone comingfrom the flare.The suddenquiet
change in atmoshere worries the audience andbuildsup
a slighttension.Thisisaclose up shot,withdiegetic
soundand nocomputereffects.
In the nextshot,itis revealedthatGerry’swife hasthe
flare andall the familyisthere,hidingfromsomething.
The audience feelsreleif thatourmaincharactershave
survivedthe huge chaosinthe city butthe fact that they
are beingsoquietgivesusanuneasyfeelingthatdangeris
close by.In thisscene Gerryis breathlesswhichshowshe
has justrecoveredfromatrauma and the troubledlookon
hisface suggestshe knowshe’snotsafe,givingthe
audience anunsettledfeeling.
The daughteris showncoweringnexttohermotheras
the red glow flickersinheranxiousface.She whimpers
‘I’mscared,’ina shakyvoice, soundinglike she’sabout
to burstinto tears.Again,thismakesusfeel sorryfor
her.The creatorsof thisadvertkeepusingherfora
sympatheticaffect,sothatwe connectwiththe
characters andthe tensionistherefore intensified
whentheycollide withdanger.
The motherseemstopay no attentiontoherdaughterand instead
turns toGerry, saying‘How do we know they’re coming?’She paces
slightlyfromone foottothe otheras she quietlysaysthis,
demonstratingthatshe isnervousbutreadyto move.She looksathim
for a sense of reassurance,because she clearlytrustshisinstinctsand
knowshe’ll guide themtosafety.
Gerry looksbackat herwitha focusedface,the redflickering
lightstill fillingthe roomandhe whispers‘they’re coming’ina
doubtlessvoice.Thisconfirmsall fearandpreparesthe audience
for the upcomingdramathat’sclearlyaboutto happen.He
pauses fora couple of seconds,totake a lookat her uncertain
face,before saying‘ready?’inareassuringwhisperwithaslight
nod.At that pointwe start to hearquick,quietbeatsgetlouder
and fasterto increase the tensionfeltbythe audience.
In thisoverthe shouldershot,the wife communicatesnon
verbally,bynoddingherheadslowlyupanddown.The restof
herbody remainsstiff,indicatingthatshe isn’tfullyprepared
for whatthey’re abouttodo, but she understandsthatshe has
to do it.The quietbutquickdrumbeatsstill poundinthe
background,soundinglikehighpitchedheartbeats,mimicking
theirfear.

8. AngelaPignatiello
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Suddenlytheyburstoutthe doorwiththe low drop soundat
the start of the traileronce againplaying.The daughter
screamsin fearas she ispulledalongbyherparents
The sceneryof the roofsof buildingsmakesthe audience why
they’re upthere andhow they’ll escape.We hearthem
shoutingateachother,tell themto‘gogo go!’ and‘hurry up.’
The extreme heightsaddextradangertothe situation.How
will theyescape the zombiesfromhere?
Thenwe hear the soundof an aeroplanespropellers
(diegeticsound) asitlowersneartothe roof top.It is a
saviourthat relievesboththe charactersaswell asthe
audience.
A soldierhelpsthe familyboardthe plane,butGerryisnowhere
to be seen.There isa sense of relief asthe familyappearstobe
saved,butthe adrenaline hasn’tfullycome downyet.
We thensee himstruggingtokeepthe doorclosedas there is
somethingbehindit,tryingtogetthem.Thispart has tonnesof
tensionbecause ourmaincharacteris soclose to the zombies.
He isin a trappedsituation;he needstoescape butassoonas he
releasesthe door,aswarmof enemieswill overrunhim.
Eventuallyhe letsgoandreleasesthe zombiewhoburstsout
the door and chasesstraightafterhim.Thisisthe firsttime
inthe trailerthata zombie hasdirectlyattackedone of our
characters andwe getto see a clearerlookat one on it’s
own.It’snot verygory butit runs veryfast.The audience can
probablyguessthatthere’smore thanone whichmakesit
evenmore suspensful.Anotherthingthataddstothe edge-
of the seateffect,isthe deepdrumbeatswhichare now
speedinguptocreate tension.

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LuckilyGerrysafelyboardsthe plane justintime,
givingthe audience asense of relief.The soldiers
thenbegintoshootat the zombies.Cgi:likely
used.Sounds:loud,fastlow drumbeatsforeffect
The bulletsdon’thave anyeffectonthe
zombies,buttheydogetdefeatedbyrunning
off the buildinginafailedattempttoattack the
helicopter.Thisshowshow dumbthe zombies
are,as well ashow far they’dgoto eat.In this
scene it’salsorevealedthatthere wasmore
than one zombie chasingGerry.
The dramatic musichas died downintoquick,quieter
drum beats,the same onesthatwere playinginthe flare
scene.BradPittsname is showninbigcapital letters,in
irongrey writingagainstablackbackgroundto make it
standout and appeal tohisfans.
He isthenshownas Gerry,ridingina windy,coldlooking
helicoptertoadestinationthatwe don’tyetknow.We
wonderwhere the storyisheadingatthispoint.
The helicopteristhenlandedonashipinthe middle of
the ocean,a seeminglysafe place fromall the infected.
Thismeansthe audience cannow relax alittle.The
drum beatshave now changedfromsingle beatsintoa
differentrhythm.,tokeepthe soundinterestingand
match the new atmosphere of the trailer.
The trailernow goesback to showingshortclips,tobringback
the fast pace so it can leave withalastingimpact.Inthisone we
see Gerrycarrying hisdaughterto whatwe asume isinside the
ship.

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Here we see a close up profile shotof aman in a militarysuit,
whichgivesusa clue that Gerry’sworkmightbe inthe military.
He tellsGerryhe ‘needshimtohelp.’The soundhere is
diegeticas we can see the soundcomingfromthe characters
mouth.
Thenwe see Gerry saying‘you’re askingme toleave myfamily’
whichscaresthe audience aswe realize thatonce againthat
they’re goingtobe seperatedand thathe isgoingto have to help
stopthe zombies.
The nextcut showshimkissinghiswife goodbye,whichmakesthe
audience sadandhopeshe survives.The fastdeepdrumbeatsstill
poundquicklyinthe background.
We see a plane hoveringoveradirty,poorlookingcitywithblack
smoke risingupto the greysky.There is low dramaticmusicinthe
background,as the drumbeatsget louder.Thisisan establishing
shot.
The nextshotis a birdseye one,as we see the infected
sprintingthroughthe streets,smashingeverythingintheir
path.The dramaticdrums still play,gettinglouderandlouder
as the trailerclimaxes.
We see a baldboycurl up inthe middle of the chaos,makingthe
audience fearforhim.Butwhenwe see the zombiesrunstraight
past him, we’re leftwanderingwhy.
Thenwe see Gerry inthe middle of the street,withsoldiers
behindhim.The suspensebuildsashe almostcomesface
to face withthe infectedmob.Thisisa wide shot.

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Thenwe see the zombie mobfallingovereachotherastheyrun
downthe alley,towardsGerry.The drumbeatsare as loudas
they’ve everbeeninthisclip.
But it’sleftat a cliff hanger,asthe scene switchestoan
establishingshot,showingaplane surroundedbyzombies.
The drums have quietenedslightlynow thatwe don’tsee
any characters in danger.We hear the militarymansvoice as
he tellsGerrythat he’swell suitedforthe job,howeverwe
don’tsee him.Thisiscallednondiegeticsound.
We thensee Gerryinthe plane,sayingtohiswife onthe phone to
‘tell the kidshe’scomingback.’Thisportrayshimas a persevering,
strongcharacter, givingthe audience confidence thathe’ll survive.
The drums getlouderonce again.
Afterthat we see aneye level shotof himstandingatthe
readywithsome othersoldiers.He hasa stronglookon his
face as his commentaryrepeatsthe words‘I’mcomingback,’
ina deepwhisperwithnosoundeffectsinthe background,to
make the audience focusonhiswordsonly.
Afterthe screenblacksout for a secondto letthe audience absorb
Gerry’sdramatic words,we geta good lookat the huge mobof
zombiesonce again,astheyclimbupa giantwall.The audience is
shockedthatthe zombiesare capable of doingthisandthe amount
there are.Cgi isdefinitelyusedhere,tospeeduptheirmovements.
The low drop soundand fastdrum beatsare the quickestthey’ve
everbeenasthe trailerhas reachedit’sfinal climax.
The final shotof the trailer,isa close upof Gerry’sface,which
looksnervious yetdefiantatthe same time.
Afteranother1 secondsilentblackout,the titleof the movie emergesin
silvercapital letters,fromthe blackbackgroundonthe count of the low
drop sounf,whichmakesitstandoutso that the audience will remember
the name of the movie andwantto watch it.
The traileristhencompletely silentforthe firsttime,asthe release
appearsinthe same silverwriting,withall the companylogosbelow
so that the audience canagainassociate the movie withbignames
that make it seemmore impressive.