Media presentation

1. Features, Codes and
Conventions of a film trailer
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By Erin Harper

2. What are film trailers?
• A film trailer is an advertisement or a commercial for a feature
film that will soon be shown at the cinema in the future. The term
"trailer" comes from their having originally been shown at the end
of a feature film screening, like a ‘trailer’ on a car. They often match
to the genre of the feature film they are shown before, thus
creating a multiplier effect as the audience want to see that film of
a similar genre. They were previously shown at the end of the film
but due to the audience leaving before they were shown, they were
moved to the beginning to persuade audiences to watch the film
the trailer is depicting.

3. Functions of a film trailer:
In the last few decades or so, trailers have become highly sophisticated
pieces of advertising, even able to present even poor movies in an attractive
light. Trailers are typically made up of scenes from the film they are
promoting, but sometimes contain deleted scenes from the film. They attract
and establish an audience to persuade them to watch the film. They provide
information on when the film is going to be released.
A film trailers main function is as a persuasive device to advertise a film, it
could be screened before another film, released on internet sites such as
IMDM or YOUTUBE and shown on television ad breaks. Whatever platform
the marketers choose to advertise it on, it has to conform to a length of
around 2.30 minutes, therefore getting the best bits shown is vital. A film
may have familiar elements such as stars or a story adapted from a best-selling
novel or play, but past experience shows audiences still have to be
convinced the movie’s story will be personally engaging to them. For
example the movie, Larry Crowne starred the Hollywood legend Tom
Hanks, however it was considered a ‘flop’ at the box office.

4. Iconic film trailers:
• Iconic film trailers are often from ‘genre defining’ films, massive
blockbusters or award winning films. Examples include:
‘Gentlemen prefer
blondes’ 1953
‘PSYCHO’ 1960
‘TITANIC’ 1997
‘AVATAR’ 2009

5. Conventions of a film trailer:
• three-act structure: Trailers often have a three act structure. They start with a beginning (act 1) that
lays out the introduction of the story. The middle (act 2) drives the story further and usually ends with
a dramatic climax. Act 3 usually features a strong piece of "signature music. This last act is often
composed of a visual montage of powerful and emotional moments of the film, It could also contain a
cast run if there are noteworthy stars that could help sell the movie.
• Voice-over narration: is used to briefly set up the premise of the film and provide explanation when
necessary. A film trailer is a highly condensed/small format, voice-over’s can be a useful to emphasise
the audience's understanding of the plot. A voice over can come from the voice of a key character, or
from a voice artist, if it’s from the character then the audience gets a little more understanding about the
character themselves. The type of voice used can be vital also, stereotypically, a deep male voice is used
to create a higher sense of mystery to the trailer, therefore it would suit a drama or action movie.
Female voices are stereotypically seen as more light-hearted, therefore would suit a comedy better.
• Soundtrack: Music helps set the tone and mood of the trailer. Usually the music used in the trailer is
not from the film itself, but from a famous composer or artist, this recognisable music allows the
audience relate to the trailer even more. Often music from other sources is used as a final soundtrack
may not have been finalised. The music is often synchronous, parallel music to help guide the visuals
and emphasise their meaning, as often in film trailers, the short allocation of time allows for little
transference of information to the audience. Non-diegetic music is often deployed before the trailer
when the production company logos are showing, to help anchor the genre of the film, for example in a
rom-com guitar music will often play, however in a horror film there will be an orchestra of strings
used to create tension. A soundtrack is used to set the pace of the trailer depending on what is occuring
in the frame and the genre of the film.

6. • The Cast: A cast run can be used to portray anyone worth noting who had involvement in the film.
Also, if the director or producer is well-known or has made other popular movies, they often get a
mention as well. Most trailers finish with a billing block, which is a list of the main cast and crew. It
usually is located at the beginning or end of a film trailer. A vital part of the film trailer is when to
introduce the character as the relationship between the audience and character is vital, for example
there is no point revealing the protagonist at the end of the trailer as a connection will not be
formed. If a member of the cast is well known, they will feature a lot in the trailer, and their name
will be at the top of the billing block or as a ‘and…..’ or ‘featuring…..’, this is usually accompanied
by any accolades they might have won to draw the audiences attention and the critics. ‘Three times
Academy Award winner Meryl Streep’ will grab more attention than just ‘Meryl Streep’. Name
captions of the directors are frequently used to grab fans of that directors attention,
for example, fans of a David O. Russell directed film will be more inclined to see
films made by him as he is well trusted. This shows how the actor, actress, director
and producer is used across the trailer as a marketing scheme by the producers to
attract more viewers and to publicise the film. If the trailer states ‘from the makers of…..’ a genre is
already defined and the audience knows this film comes from a reliable source.
• Title of the film : The title of the film is generally at the end of the trailer as you have enough
information about the film to connect it with the title, also as it is at the end, you are more likely to
remember it. The font of the title is extremely vital as they define the genre. For example, in
Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, the font is in sans-serif and resembles a blade, this
anchoring it to a key motif of the film. It also refers to the genre, as this style tends to be linked with
violent horror films. Fonts can also be deployed to portray the setting, In the Hangover, for
example, the font resembles neon lights which with the American accents of the characters helps to
anchor the setting of Las Vegas. Title screens in each film have a similar look about them, they often
have a plain background and a simple design placed over the top, allowing the viewer to see the
title more clearly and to remember the title better .

7. • The release date: It tends to occur at the end of the trailer for dramatic effect, also the audience
are more likely to remember the date if it’s at the end. The release date is vital, without the date the
audience won’t be aware of when they will be able to view this production, which defeats the point
in releasing a movie and creating all of the advertising to support it. Typically the date gets more
specific nearer the film release, for example, a year before the release the date might say ‘summer
2015’ however a month before the release the date might sat ‘august 15’, this drip feeds the
audience information to allow them to remember the release date.
• Film production logo: Generally, within the first part of the film trailer, the production
Companies logo is shown, a production companies reputation can benefit the trailer
Before it’s even begun, if somebody enjoys films made by Lions Gate, they will be more inclined to see
a film from that production company. It also defines the type of film to be shown, for example if the
‘Pixar’ logo is shown, viewers will know that they make big budget animated films. Production
company logos are included to promote the company and to give the studio credit. The production
logo can also give the viewer an indication of the genre of film they are about to watch. Often, many
companies stick to the same or similar genres, such as 20th century fox which often makes Sci-Fi's.
Often the studio information is shown at the middle of the trailer when the audience is at its peak, this
is more likely to be done for blockbusters as the audience are inclined to have a greater interest in a
bigger production company.
• Titles and disclaimers: Disclaimer information is always shown at the beginning to show who is
suitable to watch it.
• Age certification: There is always a certification alert whether it be from the British Board of
Film Classification or a coloured banners in terms of American trailers, as it signifies the target
audience of the film. In the UK, the BBFC shows the classification of the age at the end of the film
as it refines the target audience, for example a film rated ‘U’ will be seen as family friendly and
children can watch it, however if it is rated ‘18’ it dramatically reduces the potential audience to
those 18 or over. The certification also indicates the content of the film, if its rated a ‘15’ its obvious
their will be some violence/ sexual themes, this can be used as an indicator for parents to make a
judgement if their child should see the film or not.

8. • Sound: trailers are mostly mixed in Dolby Digital or any other multichannel sound mix. Scenes
including sound effects and music that are enhanced by stereophonic sound are therefore the focus
point of many modern trailers. This makes the trailer more appealing for modern viewers.
• Resolution and image quality: Trailers at the start of feature films are generally presented in
the same format as the feature film itself, being either 35 mm film or a digital format. High
bandwidth internet connections can allow for trailers to be distributed online at any resolution
possible, thus a wider online audience is created. Since the milestone of Digital 3-D, it has become a
common occurrence for a 3-D feature film to be preceded by one or more trailers that are also
presented in 3-D, this establishes a regular audience.
• Editing: teaser trailers often use short clips of the film as a montage to entice the audience, quick
cuts are used for this but a fade to black is frequently deployed at the end of the montage for a
dramatic effect. A fade to white is often used in a dream sequence. Quick paced editing is used to
keep the viewers of the clip enticed, as one continuous shot through out wouldn’t give a sense of
fluidity that is typically associated with trailers. The clips that are pieced together to show the key
aspects of the film that creates an impact, clips need to be chosen that give away a lot of the
narrative however not give away that much of the plot.
• Camerawork: dramatic angles and close ups are used when viewing the main characters and
birds eye shots are used to establish the location.
• Time length: usually about 2mins 30 seconds, however teaser trailers could be as short as 10
seconds to build hype.

9. Where can film trailers be
accessed :
• In the cinema
• On TV
• Youtube
• Facebook
• Film websites
• Production company websites
• Twitter
• Imdb
• Piracy sited
• DVD’s

10. Dissected film trailer:
The Silver Linings Playbook
Act one lays out the
intro to the plot
Company logos featuring
synchronous guitar music,
specific to the genre of
comedy
Focus on protagonist
at the start of the film
Focus on the secondary
protagonist/ love interest,
this emphasises that the film
is a rom-com
Act 2 gives a dramatic
turn of events
The main stars
names are shown on
screen
Supporting casts names are also
shown, here a film ‘newbies’
name is shown, indicating that
he is a rising star, hence creating
more interest.
Act three is a montage of
shots featuring
cinematic/ uplifting
music not from the films
soundtrack
Film title is shown at the end so the
audience can remember it, a simple
sans-serif font is used on a clean
black background for emphasis
Company credits at the end as a
legal requirement, this is similar to a
movie poster.