The trailer provides glimpses into Charlie's journey from being a lonely outsider to finding friendship. Through a series of quick shots, we see Charlie alone in the cafeteria at school but later at a party with friends. The trailer hints at a romantic relationship between Charlie and Sam. Interspersed are more somber shots that suggest inner turmoil for Charlie. Throughout, upbeat music plays in contrast to some of the visuals. The final shot shows Charlie standing in the back of a truck with his friends, representing freedom and a positive resolution. Overall, the trailer teases Charlie's coming-of-age story involving friendship, love, and personal struggles.

1. Teaser Trailer
Textual
Analysis: The
Perks of Being
a Wallflower
Sienna Parker

3. Frame 1
In this shot we see the protagonist, Charlie, sitting in a lunch hall in a school. The mise en scene tells the audience that
he is in a school, there are tables with students sat at and they have lunch trays and are eating which tells us that it is
lunch, we know it is a school as there are teenagers (students) and there are posters around the hall one even talks
about a ’senior class breakfast’ which further proves this film will be set in and based around school. Charlie is sitting
alone at a table reading a book, this infers to the audience that he hasn't really got any friends, he hasn’t been in school
for a while he doesn't have anybody to sit with this implies to the viewer that he is an introvert and is quite lonely. He is
reading a book which could mean he enjoys English as a subject and reading writing. The lighting in this shot is quite high
key as it is the day time because they are in school and school hours are during the day. The duration of this shot is not
very long as it is in a trailer which is showing a lot of varieties of shots within a small amount of time so a lot of the shots
are going to be relatively quick. In terms of the framing, Charlie is sitting pretty much directly in the centre of the shot,
he is the main focal point of the shot as the audience should be looking at him sitting alone and feeling sorry for him, and
maybe even relate to him. As this is a short shot there isn’t really much camera movement apart from a slight panning
away. There is some non-diegetic sound over this shot, we hear music in the background which is quite upbeat and
cheerful despite the visuals of Charlie sitting alone, the happiness of the music could be used to give the audience hope
that something good will come or to represent Charlies feelings of trying to make this year better. We also hear the
beginning of a voice over, the audience does not yet recognise the voice until the next shot when we see it is his teacher
talking to him.

4. In this shot we see Charlie sitting alone at school once again, but the mood is different, there is low key
lighting which suggests it is a night, we know there are not curtains closed as there is a beam of
(potentially) moonlight coming through a window and reflecting on Charlie sitting alone, this could be
implying that although he is isolated and in the dark now the light is yet to come and things are going to
get better soon. We know that he is at school as we can see there is a ’HOMECOMING’ banner above
Charlies head, he is dressed in a suit and there are balloons around him. It is clear that the audience
should be focusing their attention to Charlie, and the banner above him, as there is a light that is shining
on him, we can see other people in this shot but they are at the sides and sitting in the dark inferring that
we shouldn't be paying much attention to them. Again, this clip is quite fast as it is part of a montage with
a number of different clips in it so there is only very little camera movement which is a panning down
kind of movement. The framing of this shot puts Charlie right in the centre again because at this point the
trailer is focused on him, as he is isolated and has no friends there is nothing else to show so he remains
in the centre of his world and the centre of the shots. There is non-diegetic sound over this clip, it is the
same happy, upbeat music that we heard earlier that has been playing throughout.
Frame 2

5. In this shot we see Charlie at a party, he has found some friends. We see Charlie sitting
next to a boy, Patrick, the audience can tell that he looks a bit awkward in a social
situation. The mood of this scene is very light hearted, he is at a party and everybody is
having fun. The lighting is high key and quite warm which suggests that the atmosphere
is warm and fun. Patrick is smiling next to Charlie and he is too which implies that he is
beginning to feel comfortable around these people and enjoying himself. The decor of
the house they are in is quite vintage and look old which could suggest that the film is
not set in the modern day but maybe a few decades ago. Due to the montage editing of
a trailer this clip is quite short but we see Patrick laughing and Charlie smiling along, we
can see that Patrick is very comfortable with the group of people while Charlie is a little
more reserved but still joining in. This time the framing of the shot does not just have
Charlie right in the middle but the centre of the frame is shared between him and
Patrick which could imply that he is letting people in and making new friends. The same
upbeat light hearted music is used during this clip but seems to fit the mood better as
he is actually having fun.
Frame 3

6. In this shot Charlie is watching Sam in the play, it is pretty clear to the audience by
this point that Charlie is in love with Sam. We can see it in this shot, Charlie is in
the centre of the frame because the audience id meant to be looking at his face
when he is looking at Sam, he looks happy. Although there are a lot of people in
this clip we are focused on Charlie as he is focused on Sam. Having a romantic
factor in the film might make it appeal to a wider audience who may not typically
watch a film like this but they enjoy romantic movies so they watch this one. In this
clip the camera pans closer to Charlies face to show the audience his emotions and
how he feels about Sam. There is still the upbeat music in the background and
there is also a voiceover which cuts to Charlie talking to Sam and Patrick in a
different clip.
Frame 4

7. In this shot we see Charlie sitting at a typewriter, this implies that he enjoys writing but also that
this film could be set in a time before computers. Also all of the text in the trailer is in a typewriter
font which helps create a strong brand identity. Behind Charlie we see a bookshelf which has lots
of books on it, this implies that Charlie is an avid reader and enjoys to read and write. In this clip
Charlie doesn’t look as happy as he did in the last one, though this could just be due to him
concentrating as he is focused on writing, and the mood seems a bit colder, this may imply
something that happens in the film that causes a conflict within his friendship group. The lighting
is quite low key which reflects the ‘down’ mood and also there is not much else to focus on rather
than Charlie so the rest is in the shadows as it is irrelevant. Once again Charlie is the only one in
the clip and is in the centre, this could imply loneliness. The music has changed by this point in
the trailer, it is still upbeat but is slightly different, it has a louder drum and feels a bit more
upbeat which could suggest things are going good. This clip is only a couple of seconds long so
there isn’t time for any camera movement.
Frame 5

8. This shot shows Sam and Charlie, from the mise en scene the audience can tell that it is
Christmas due to the stockings above the fireplace and Sam wearing a Santa hat, the
general feel of this clip is a lot warmer which implies that Charlie is feeling happy as he
runs around with Sam on his back. By indicating Christmas it also tells the audience that
a subsequent amount of time has passed since the beginning of the film and we see
that their friendship has developed further, in the clip they are both laughing and
having fun. The editing of this particular clip is a bit different as it is all in the same
moment but has been cut a few times at random points in the clip then put back
together so it looks a bit choppy when it fact it actually goes in time with the drums in
the non-diegetic music in the background, it also makes it look more fun. The framing
of this places Charlie in the centre again but this time he has Sam on his back, they are
the main focal point of the clip and so are placed in the middle. The non- diegetic
sound is the same as last time, and it matches with the mood and creates an overall
happier ‘vibe’.
Frame 6

9. In this shot we see Charlie lying in the snow, making a snow angel. His face does not look happy,
but rather confused, as if he is lost in life. Him making a snow angel could symbolise him feeling
close to death or heaven as he is lying in the cold snow. It could also symbolise him wanting to get
away, trying to create wings in the snow so that he can fly somewhere else. This is only in the
trailer for a few seconds, this may be to entice the audience to want to know what’s happened or
what is wrong without giving too much away, just a snippet of what happens. Due to the
shortness of the clip there is only a slight camera movement which is just panning away from
Charlie, this could be representing him wanting to fly away, the camera is doing what he wishes
he could. Even though the snow is relatively bright and white, the overall mood of this clip is quite
depressing, there is low key lighting so we assume that this is at night, the brightness could be
coming from the moon, which is why it does not feel as warm and happy. The sound is still that
same happy and upbeat non-diegetic music which is a bit of a juxtaposition to what we see in the
clip, but it could suggest that things are going to improve and that there are lots of ups and downs
but it will turn out okay in the end.
Frame 7

10. This shot shows Charlie in his bedroom, he is visibly upset by something/someone. The
audience can tell that he is upset by his red puffy eyes also he has his hands over his
ears, this could imply that he has heard something bad or that he didn't want to hear or
maybe he is hearing things in his head and he wants them to stop. This clip is part of a
montage so is quite short, we just see Charlie bring his hands up to his ears and put
them there. Once again, Charlie is in the centre of the frame, this may imply that he is
feeling isolated, he’s on his own and he is feeling down as he is the only one in the shot.
The non-diegetic sound during this clip is of the upbeat happy music and part of a
voiceover of Charlie speaking. The Happy music could represent all of the people
around him being happy and having a good time while he is feeling the opposite and
alone because he thinks nobody cares/ is there for him.
Frame 8

11. This scene is at the end of the trailer, it is quite an iconic moment in the film and can be
recognised by pretty much anybody who has watched it. In this shot we see Charlie
standing in the back of the truck with his arms in the air, this represents his freedom
from all of his problems and letting them go and letting himself go. The lighting is low
key as it is set at night and the lights that are coming from the city and the bridge
create a silhouette of Charlie. The fact that the car is driving away form the camera may
represent Charlie leaving the past behind him and looking towards the future. Charlie is
in the centre of the shot again but this time he is not alone, his friends are in the car
and he is happy and free. The non-diegetic sounds are the same upbeat music and a
voice over of Charlie saying ‘we are infinite’ which implies that they are feeling like
there is nothing that can stop them and they are so happy and free and it has all ended
well.
Frame 9

12. In relation to the whole trailer…
– The entire sequence is 2.25, this is because it is actually the official trailer rather than the teaser trailer as there is
not one.
– In terms of genre and narrative, I think it’s portrayed pretty clearly as a teen drama with elements of comedy that
is about friendship, love and a little bit about mental health.
– There is some sense of enigma, the audience may be left with questions about Sam and Charlies relationship and
if Charlie does become a writer.
– I think one USP about this film/trailer is that it deals with mental health and is filmed from the viewpoint of a
person struggling with mental health.
– In terms of target audience I think it is addressing mostly teens and young adults as they will probably be able to
relate to the situations the most as it is based on their age group themes such as friendships and relationships
attracts a younger audience. The romance factor may attract a predominantly female audience but both sexes
seem to be targeted. It might appeal specifically to people who can relate to the storyline, people like Charlie or
even people who like writing and reading books.
– At the very end of the trailer there is a Facebook link and a Twitter hashtag, this is one way or marketing your
trailer to a large audience as most people have access to the internet and most people have social media.