The document discusses narrative conventions and structures commonly found in action thriller trailers. Trailers typically start by introducing the main character living a normal life until something bad happens, launching the plot in a non-chronological, fast-paced manner. This climaxes at an enigma that is hinted at but not fully resolved. Flashbacks provide backstory but also leave audiences with questions. Trailers balance revealing enough to engage audiences while restricting details to generate intrigue and enigmas around characters' histories, their goals, and whether they will succeed, in order to entice viewers to watch the full film.

1. Narrative Enigmas In Trailers
Judy Ibelgauptiene

2. Action Thrillers

3. What are the narrative conventions?
• The narrative starts in a chronological order (normal guy living his life) up until climatic point of
where something bad happens to the main character.
• At this point the narrative becomes non chronological and fast pace, and ends at a climatic point
which is usually the huge enigma.
Taken:
Man is living his normal life, going to celebrate his daughters birthday. Daughter is kidnapped and sold
part of trafficking while on holiday with her best friend and her dad tries to find and save her.
• Usually lots of fight scenes involved and based on a man and his past is involved. The man is usually
an ex solider or CIA agent.
• The MES of cars, guns and some explosions is used to make it more realistic and build tension.

4. What is the narrative structure?
• The first thing you see is usually a guy living an ordinary life and you are
introduced to the character but then a problem occurs that links to their past so
they must solve it. This introduces you to their story briefly.
• The last thing you are shown is usually them approaching the problem with a
climatic fight scene where the trailer ends and leaves the audience with an
enigma of what happens next? Does he die? Does he find what he’s looking for?

5. What unrestricted narrative is there
Within a Action Thriller the narrative is unrestricted as they want
to give the audience hints to what is happening and give them a
back story so the audience understands what’s going on.
In the trailer Hanna titles are used to help explain the story and a
brief insight into what happened in the past.

6. What restricted narrative is there?
However they also have a restricted narrative as they don’t want to
give away too much.
Action thrillers are usually restricted as they want to creative some
enigmas for the audience to think about. Some enigmas are never
solved.
In the Escape Plan the main character doesn't’t know who's put him
here which the audience can relate to because as he learns stuff the
audience learns with him.

7. What are the enigmas the audience is left
with? Who is following them and why?
What is their history? Flashbacks are usually too quick to fully understand what’s
going on.
Will they get free?

8. How do they create these enigmas?
• Enigma’s are usually created through fast pace
editing. As the scenes become faster and shorter
leaving the audience no time to fully absorb
what’s going on creating enigmas.
• Another way enigmas are created is through the
use of flashbacks as the audience is left to piece
the puzzle together on their own.

9. How does this connect the expectations/conventions
of genre?
Action Thrillers are expected to have fast pace editing as that’s how they create the
thrill.
The MES used is usually cars and guns to make it more action. Sometimes
explosions are used to make it more thrilling.
Usually set in the city.
Main role is a man and there is a lot of fighting scenes.