The Mean Streets trailer uses narration and dimly lit scenes to introduce characters in New York City and establish Charlie as the main character. Through shots of Charlie in dark settings, the narrator describes him as caring for his friends but also getting into trouble. Conflict is then teased between characters to hint at the film's plot. Actor credits are shown over an important looking scene of Charlie without a suit, breaking conventions set earlier. The trailer ends by reiterating the film's title and studio information.

1. Opening shots of trailer
- Shows the streets of New
York
- Urban areas
- Shows a contrast between
the day and the night in such
areas.
- Setting the scene before any
characters are introduced
- Narration proclaims “Mean
Streets is about…” before
moving on to the next shots.

2. Character Introduction
- Freeze frame on each character as they are introduced
- often in a dark setting such as a bar or club
- Several are shown playing pool
- Every character is seen wearing a suit
- Lines of dialogue followed by freeze frame- gives a sense
of the characters personality/their role in the film
- A follow up to the previous “Mean Streets is about…”
each characters name is said as they are introduced-
“Tony, Michael, Giovanni, Johnny and about Charlie”
- Implies that Charlie is the main character

3. Introduction to main character
- Narration continues from previous
shots
- “Charlie who…” and then goes on to
describe what the motives of the main
character are
- Shots are once again taken in dimly lit
places, such as a car at night and a
restaurant
- Each shot now revolves around the
main character
- The actions of the main character
coincide with the narration

4. Introduction to main character (continued)
- Narration once again continues from
previous shots
- As the narration describes more of
what the main character does, the
shots reflect this
- Shots are taken in dark places, such as a
road/car at night
- Each shot continues to revolve around
the main character
- The actions of the main character still
coincide with the narration
- Narration of main character over shot
of dark road at night- keeps the focus
on this character
- Dimly lit shot of main character fighting
sets the tone of violence for the film

5. Title Card
- Title of the film does not appear until
halfway through the trailer
- Follows the theme of dark/dimly lit
shots
- Title is written in yellow in a bold font
and so stands out
- The appearance of the title coincides
with the narration “Mean Streets”

6. Out-of-context scene (Plot introduction)
- Conflict is introduced between two
characters on screen
- Other characters mentioned but not seen
- Scene is shown out of context to reiterate
point made in narration “Charlie cared for
his friends”
- Shots are once again dark/dimly lit- can
make it difficult to see what is going on
but implies the dark tone of the film
- Narration pauses while scene is going on
but then resumes, repeating that “Charlie
cared for them all”
- Singing can be heard behind the dialogue
of the two characters
- Both characters are once again seen
wearing suits

7. Actor Credits and End of Trailer
- Actors names are shown on-screen, over
a key scene of the film
- Actors names are only shown, not read
out by the narrator
- Main character is not in a suit, which
breaks the convention that has been set
up and as such this leads us to believe
the scene shows an important change
- Narration continues “The critics say…”
over the top of the scene and its
dialogue, however it pauses over some
parts of dialogue, giving the impression
that these parts are particularly
important
- Breaks the theme of dark/dimly lit scenes
which adds emphasis to the importance
of the scene
- Same “Mean Streets” logo shown at the
end of the trailer (with same dark
background as before), in addition to the
Warner Bros logo that has now appeared
along with copyright information