The document discusses various codes and conventions used in film trailers and posters. It notes that trailers typically begin with studio logos and introduce main characters, then build tension through shorter shots and faster pacing as they approach a turning point in the story. Teen-oriented trailers focus on themes of relationships and relatable protagonists. Film magazine covers usually feature a large central image surrounded by subheadings, with identifying information like price and barcode placed unobtrusively. Film posters commonly use a central character image with the title and release date, plus additional text blocks for credits.

1. By William Lewis

2. There are many codes and conventions shared throughout all film trailers such as a voiceover, which
would be spoken by either the protagonist, or by a deep male voice usually in action films they could
also have no voice over to create more tension for the trailer. We will see either the actors name or
director’s name or sometimes it will say “from the people who brought you…”and then a popular film.
Their name may feature an award they had recently won or been nominated for the names are often a
popular actor or director that will draw people to go and see the film. The title is mostly featured at the
end of a trailer followed by the release date which may be put their so people remember the name of
the film and when it comes out as it was the last thing they saw on the screen from the trailer. It can be
featured towards the start with just the release date at the end but it depends what kind of film it is and
how the trailer has been made. At the start of the trailer we see the instutional logos sometimes they
changes the colours to suit the film and then we would start to be introduced to the main characters
whether it is only showing us them and seeing them talking and doing things or the voice over is
talking about them to us. The shot duration usually starts as quite long and the pace would start quite
slow as well and usually by the turning point in the trailer the pace starts to increase and we have
shorter shot duration as the tension or action or romance is building up in the trailer. In trailers there is
always a turning point at some point in the film it could start with the equilibrium and then have the
turning point towards the middle with possibly an accident happening or someone has met someone
and changed their life and then after the turning point we may be shown the new equilibrium or it may
not show us the new equilibrium to make us guess what happened. It could also start with the new
equilibrium and rewind back to the equilibrium at the turning point. We see a few themes in the trailer
specific to that genre for example if it was an action film we would see a theme of violence. The film
will be specific to the target audience using things such as mise-en-scene and sound using the
incidental music with songs specific to that genre or used to build up or release tension and also the
sound effects may go in time or out of time with the cuts to try to disorientate the viewer and we will
view scenes from the film but not necessarily in the same order to show the development and not give
away the story an also the dialogue may be in time with a scene or be played during a black screen to
create the kind of atmosphere they want to convey.

3. There are a lot of codes and conventions for Teen Trailers but they will all be related to Teens
and aimed to appeal to their target audience who are teens.
The voiceover will almost always be the main character teens prefer films where they can
relate to it. There may be no voice over and just text coming on the screen and we see the
main characters. In the teen trailers you see more of “from the creators of…” as teens may
prefer seeing what films this person made rather than who it is but they do like see the actors
names but they often don’t have an award or award nomination with their name because they
prefer seeing the actor they don’t really mind if they have won an award or not. The title will
usually at the end with the release date the next scene because they will want to remember the
name and release date so they can go see it when it comes out. The structure of a teen trailer
is that it starts with the equilibrium and then the turning point shows us the disequilibrium and
then finishes either with us guessing the new equilibrium or the new equilibrium being shown
and the story is how they will cope with that. We often have the start of the voiceover or the
music or both while the instutional logos are showing and then the main characters are
introduced often by the voiceover and they may describe them as well and saying how they are
important to them or just what they are like. Often in teen trailer it starts with a long short
duration and fades between scenes and long pace of trailer and then at the turning point there
are no longer any fades and the pace increases and we have shorter shot duration. Often the
scenes from the trailer have been put in a different order to how the films narrative is actually
played out. We often have the dialogue not shown and then we see who it is saying or we don’t
see who says but it relates to the next scene and the sound effects often move with the scene
or movements. The themes explored in the trailer are often related to teens like relationships
between family, friends or boyfriend/girlfriend.

4. In teen drams/thrillers the codes and conventions are slightly different to teen trailer
codes and conventions but there are some similarities. The voiceover is often either the
protagonist or there isn’t a voiceover and we see text describing the situation sometimes
we have a deep male voice but not as attacking as an action film trailer. Often the actors
names are shown without any award with it and nothing is shown about the director as
they need to create a tense build up rather then describe most of the story and show the
actors names. Often the title is at the end of the trailer along with the release date so it
doesn’t get in the way it ends on that and makes everyone want to see more. Similar to
teen trailers the instutional logos are shown at the beginning before a voiceover or music
starts and then we start out with the equilibrium and then we move to the turning point
and we often see their struggle in the disequilibrium and their struggle into the new
equilibrium Or their struggle with the new equilibrium. The themes explored are more
dramatic like an abusive relationship or teen pregnancy or violence and death and horror.
The pace of trailer also starts and builds up and turns into a fast paced short shot
duration trailer with a lot of quick cuts and close ups. The target audience is teens again
but teens who enjoy thrillers and dramas and the music often has two distinct songs often
an upbeat happy song to start showing the equilibrium and the it drops out as the turning
point is introduced and then another song is played and depending on the story it could
be a slow downbeat song or a quick scary song. The dialogue is often little bits that give
a brief idea of what is going in hat part of the trailer but doesn’t give away the story.

5. On the front cover of a film magazine you will almost
always have a masthead and it will often feature at the top
of the magazine in quite big font size then we will have a
main image often taking up most of the cover. Then we will
have subheadings around the main image in the centre.
There will be a house style which the magazine follows but
it may change its colours to suit the film they are focusing
on. There may be a pug but it will often be out of the way to
draw attention to it but not too much to draw away from the
main image. The barcode and price will often be in the
bottom left corner so it can still be scanned but is out of the
way of everything else with the price in small font alongside
it.

6. Masthead at
the top in
big font.
Large main
image in
the centre.
Sub
headings
around the
main
image.
Pug out
the way to
draw a bit
of
attention
to it.
Price and
Barcode in
the bottom
left corner.

7. On a film poster will often follow two different styles either it
will be just the main image either of the character in direct
address or just the face in tight framing or a low angle looking
at the character to show their power also possibly with the
logo of the film and the title along the top or bottom and the
release date and the legal copyrights or a tagline addressing
the audience such as “do you have what it takes?”. The other
style would be the character in the main image either in direct
address or looking up and then the title in big font along the
top or bottom with the block of text underneath with the
directors name and the certificate and copyright and the main
actors may feature there or they will be in a bit bigger font just
above it and it may feature a tagline talking about the film and
the release date along the bottom.

8. Actors names.
Main Image.
Title.
Release date.
Block of
text with
directors
name and
production
companies.

9. Title at the top
of the poster.
Sentence
addressing the
audience
Main Image in
direct
address.
Release date.