This document compares and contrasts trailers from three different genres - comedy, drama, and horror - and discusses how each reveals its genre. The 21 Jump Street trailer uses comedic scenes, an unrealistic storyline, silly costumes in serious situations, and funny dialogue to reveal it is a comedy. The Crash trailer has a more realistic plot, emotional music and scenes, and conveys characters' problems through dialogue to reveal it is a drama. The Ring trailer uses a child's eerie voiceover, sinister music that increases tension, mysterious camera shots, and gloomy settings and weather to reveal it is a horror film.

1. Compare and contrast three trailers
from different genres and discuss how
they reveal its genre
Jordan Griffin

2. 21 Jump Street
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISJR4rVO0TQ

3. 21 Jump Street
• We can tell by the choice of scenes in the trailer that it is a comedy.
Comical scenes are chosen.
• The storyline makes the genre clear; a cool and confident handsome
character becomes friends with a small, chubby and awkward
character, finding themselves in unrealistic situations.
• When in serious situations, protagonists wears silly costumes, highlights
comedy and awkwardness.
• Funny dialogue throughout the trailer, use of irony and explicit also
used for comical purpose and to emphasise the genre.

4. 21 Jump Street
• The trailer reveals two main protagonists; two police officers that are
complete polar opposites
• One is a tall, strong, confident and handsome character, who was
popular when he was at school.
• The other is a short, chubby and smart character who wasn’t so
popular when he was at school.
• When they go back to school as undercover police officers, their
roles reverse as the tall character is no longer popular, and the small
character now becomes the popular one. This is ironic.

5. 21 Jump Street
• Dialogue is important in a comedy trailer. This is because the material
has to be funny enough to entice the audience to watch the entire
film. The material they show in the trailer has to show how the film is
funny.
• Non diegetic sound and music is vital also. The music should match
the scenes. Upbeat music is used in the trailer, which helps create a
comical atmosphere.

6. Crash
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=durNwe9pL0E

7. Crash
• The genre ‘Crash’ is in is Drama. The conventions of drama films will
be contrasting to comedies.
• Dramas tend to have much more realistic plots and situations.
• The music and non diegetic sound would be a lot more ‘dramatic’ in
scenes to bring out emotion in characters and also audience.

8. Crash
• Storylines usually begin with equilibrium, then disruption to the
equilibrium in the middle. At the end the protagonist will usually do
things to restore the equilibrium until the equilibrium is restored. Whilst
the equilibrium is restored, the things never remain the scene for the
characters and would have undergone changes in their lives.
• There are usually emotional scenes which consist of despair and
anger.

9. Crash
• With drama films, there is room for many main characters. This is the
case with Crash. There are twelve characters who all seem to have
different problems and stories, which are revealed through their
dialogue.

10. Crash
• The use of sound in the trailer is key, especially as sound usually sets
the overall mood and atmosphere of the film.
• In this trailer, the non diegetic sound conveys to the audience that it
is an emotional film and not a comedy or action film.
• The dialogue in the trailer conveys to the audience the problems the
characters have. Which also entices the viewers to want to watch
the full film.

11. The Ring
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuH5FaUpFm4

12. The Ring
• Voiceovers are quite common in horror film trailers. They are typically
used at the beginning of a trailer to explain the narrative or the
context of the film.
• The use of a child’s voice behind the voiceover is quite effect as it
creates an eerie atmosphere

13. The Ring
• Non diegetic sound is played at the start of the trailer. It is quite
sinister, slow tempo and high pitch.
• The tempo in the music increases as the tension and action builds up
during the trailer.
• Relaxing and cheerful music is typically used also to create a sinister
atmosphere and to essentially ‘freak out’ viewers.

14. The Ring
• The trailer starts off with long camera shots with little use of cuts.
• Fast paced shots are used during high action scenes to keep an
element of mystery with the audience, so they cannot get clear
understanding of what is going on, it also creates tension and the
fear of unknown kicks in as viewers don’t know what to expect. The
pace increases drastically during these type of shot sequences.
• Blackouts add suspense and anticipation. After a blackout, viewers
expect something thrilling to happen.

15. The Ring
• The use of weather is key. Bad conditions can represent a gloomy
feel to trailers and setting.
• Rural locations are used to make victims seem isolated, adds danger
and fear to the scenes.
• Dark colours symbolises mood and atmosphere. Black represents
death although negative colours can reflect a negative mood and
also the unknown.