The trailer uses various cinematography, editing, sound, and mise-en-scene techniques to immerse viewers in the crime thriller genre. Quick cuts between scenes of danger build suspense, while close-ups of weapons and characters' fearful reactions heighten tension. The music enhances moods from cool confidence to intense dread. Costumes and props efficiently convey the complex plot of undercover officers infiltrating the mob. Overall, the trailer employs typical genre conventions to attract audiences with glimpses of mystery, violence, and the precarious lives of criminals and police.

1. The Departed
trailer analysis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=SGWvwjZ0eDc

2. MISE-EN-SCENE
• We see in the first scene Jack Nicholson’s character is walking and smoking a cigar. We see low-key lighting used in
this scene and this connotes a sense of power around the character as well as an eerie feel. This is particularly
relevant in this scene as the character himself is presented as darker than the rest of the scene not allowing the
audience to clearly see the antagonist. This creates a sense of mystery and also that he is a very dangerous and
dodgy character. It also sets a serious mood from the offset and gives off a serious vibe showing clearly the style
and genre of the film, which in this case is crime and thriller. We see clearly straight away that this is a villain
which is a convention of this genre. The character is also wearing glasses which could link to how he keeps his
appearance hidden and makes the character more ambiguous. This is conventional of the genre as we usually see
a powerful and mysterious gangster in crime films.
• We also see a close up of a gun near the start of the trailer. The use of this prop connotes more danger and
violence and this helps to make the trailer more suspenseful for the audience. The gun is also cocked back and
made ready to fire in this scene further intensifying the suspense and giving clear denotations of the genre of the
film. The use of this prop is also conventional to the crime/thriller genre.
• We see a series of short scenes which allow us to interpret the plot of the film accurately. For example we see a close up of
Leonardo Di Caprio’s character in a police uniform training to be a police man. The use of costume in this scene allows the
audience to clearly make this assumption. This is significant as later on we see him in jail and then working with frank
Costello the head gangster that the police or FBI are trying to catch which shows Di Caprio’s character has become an
informant, and we know jack Nicholson is the mob boss because we see a shot with jack Nicholson's face on a board at the
top of a hierarchy of criminals indicating he is the boss of the mob and the most important target. This board is a typical
prop used by police. This shows how prop and costume is important in explaining and drawing the audience into a complex
plot and persuading them to watch more as they may like the idea of the film.

3. CINEMATOGRAPHY
• An example of an effective use of cinematography is the scene in which frank Costello slams his hand on the table and
Leonardo Di Caprio’s character jumps in fear. They use a close up to allow the audience to clearly see the reaction on di
Caprio’s face when it happens. This allows the audience to see the fear and stress di Caprio's character is undergoing by
being undercover. It also transmits the tension he is undergoing to the audience and makes them understand the suspense
of the film. The use of close ups is frequent throughout the trailer and this is because it allows us to see what certain
characters are going through at certain times and this is effective because it conveys to the audience the thrill of the film.
This goes with conventions as it is typical to have a powerful, dangerous and respected villain with other characters at their
mercy in the crime thriller genre.
• However, it is not only close ups of faces we see. There are also many close ups of props such as guns and knives. For
example when we see Leonardo Di Caprio’s character get cornered, the scene cuts to a close up of a knife. This is done as it
allows the audience to see how sharp and lethal the knife is and makes the scene extremely tense for the audience as they
know the potential danger characters could be in and the close up of the knife connotes this.
• We also see the use of different angled shots in the trailer. For example, we see a birds eye
angle used when Ray Winston's character slams Di Caprio’s characters arm on the snooker table and
he falls in agony. This type of angle is effective here as it allows the character to appear small and
powerless. It connotes how helpless the character is as he has no choice but to endure the
punishment. This also makes the trailer more intense as it shows the audience how the character is
at risk at any point. This again is conventional as usually the good guys often are at the mercy of the gangster criminals.

4. • In terms of sound the trailer varies in the sense some of the sound used in the trailer is conventional and some is not. For
example, the trailer starts off with background music and a voice over from the main antagonist. This is typical of the genre
and the song played is gimme shelter by the rolling stones which is used in many over crime/thriller films especially ones
directed by this director, Martin Scorsese. The song is quite ‘cool’ and upbeat and helps give Jack Nicholson's voice over
more importance and makes the audience associate the character with the theme of the song which is about crimes such as
murder. This is an example of non-digetic sound until the voice over joins a scene where the character is actually talking.
Non-digetic sound is often used in crime/thriller films and through the use of things like background music helps give a more
exciting and powerful atmosphere in which the audience will be sucked into.
• Later on in the trailer we hear more background music but this time it is more intense and suspenseful through the use of
loud drums and silent pauses. This, accompanied with some scary and tense scenes, allows the audience to feel extremely
nervous and worried for characters and entices them into the trailers plot. Tense music is also conventional of the genre and
is often used to emphasis the danger of different scenarios and portray the life of criminals and sometimes cops as being in
the fast lane.
SOUND

5. EDITING
• We see in the first few scenes the use of quick shot cuts and editing. For example, we see jack Nicholson's character walking
for a long duration then we see it quickly cut to a close up shot of Di Caprio's characters face and then quickly to a close up
of a gun being cocked back. This is done to give a fast pace to the trailer and generate more excitement and suspense as it is
not clear what is going on as we only see glimpses with negative connotations of danger. Quick editing also allows the
audience to see more shots than usual allowing them to potentially get a better understanding of the plot of a complex film
such as the departed which is a unique selling point that the film would want to promote in the trailer. This is a convention
of many thriller and crime films as often they contain action sequences in which the makers want the audience to be excited
by watching and on the edge of their seats in suspense.
• We see some instances of slow motion being used to emphasise characters facial expressions and feelings. For example, the
scene where jack Nicholson's character slams the table and di Caprio's character jumps we see slow motion used in a close
up of di Caprio's face. This is to emphasise the fear his character is feeling at the moment but also perhaps to connote how
time feels like it is moving slower for him as he is so uncomfortable as he suspects he might get caught and killed. This
tension is then passed onto the audience who are then on the edge of their seat also in suspense.