2. Beauty and the
beast (2017)
A gentle piano track begins the trailer alongside
an establishing shot.
A voiceover is used over an enchanting track that
helps the audience learn the characters of
Belle, Gaston and Belle’s father as the
voiceover is in Belle’s father’s point of view
The colour filter at the beginning is clearly very
saturated and yellow toned as it creates a
glow effect, adding to an unreal fairy tale
impression.
The voiceover is presented as an L cut which it
identifies Belle’s father as the one speaking,
then the visual element changes into a
montage of various clips introducing the
character of Belle to the audience.
https://youtu.be/k-AyhL9AR9Q
3. The music dramatically changes into an extremely dramatic
sinister track that captures the audience’s attention. This
is paired with a flash of light from a torch.
After the sudden music change the colour changes to be a
blue/grey scale it is clear that this represents a sinister
and tense part of the storyline however it does not reveal
how this part of the storyline is sinister
The Disney ident causes the track to pick up even further and
brings this sense of tension even further into the trailer
Enhanced sound of the Beast’s roar and powerful piece of
dialogue such as “He’s a thief” and “Come into the light”
are used to capture the audience's attention while not
giving too much away
4. The non-diegetic tracks then stop, allowing the audience to hear
Belle’s dialogue, “I will escape, I promise” and the enhanced
sound of the prison door closing.
Due to the pause in the music a calmer atmosphere is built and
the yellow colour filter is used again when the characters of
Lumiere and Cogsworth are introduced highlighting to the
audience they are good characters
The editing pace then speeds up with short takes that fade to
black, the short takes highlight the key moments that the
audience should be aware of to understand the plot of the
film. Calm but powerful music again plays during this with
pieces of dialogue that help the audience connect with the
characters and the storyline itself such as “The master
becomes a beast forever and we remain antiques”
5. The short takes then fade to black and the montage begins with the
same blue/grey colour filter and the tense track. The montage
shows the violent and aggressive side to the film and ends with a
piece of whispered dialogue and intertitle.
Character voiceover is again used to explain the main plot leading into
the non diegetic track of the iconic beauty and the beast song
This is played while intertitles giving details about the film such as
when it is released and a montage of the film is shown.
The montage creates a feeling of excitement and wonder through the
use of saturated colours and yellow filter. The montage is used to
display the romantic plat of Belle and the Beast falling in love.
The montage uses the beats of the song to keep the audience's
attention with drum beats and dance and finally ends with the
iconic scene Belle in the yellow dress dancing with the Beast,
leaving the audience wanting more
6. Summary and evaluation
In this trailer music is the key in causing the audience to form a relationship with the characters and the plot itself, dialogue
and enhanced sound are also extremely effective in portraying important information and key moments. The editing of this
trailer is seamless with two montages that highlight the two main aspects of the story with one highlighting the tense and
nail biting element to the plot and the other showing the romantic and magical side to the story that Disney is very well
known for. This editing through the colour filters and match on action to the dialogue and music help to present the magical
enchanted nature to the film. Both the intertitles and the title at the very end help to give the audience information as well as
representing the two themes of the film. Finally using the colour yellow is so effective in making this film appealing as
everyone watching will understand this colour was chosen due to the colour of Belle’s dress in the final scene of the trailer.
I have not seen this film yet however I will do now I have seen the trailer. The most effective element that made me really
want to see the film is the final montage that contains the iconic song and yellow colour filter as I am a fan of romance films
and this is very clearly a romantic film it also helped me to connect with the characters especially Belle and the Beast.
7. Taken
(2008)
The trailer begins highlighting the relationship between
the main character and his daughter this is shown
through dialogue as the first piece of dialogue used
is the daughter calling the main character “dad”
The main plotline is discovered very quickly as through
conversational dialogue as it is clear what is about to
happen.
A bright and saturated filter is shown at the beginning
with high key lighting of the trailer when the daughter
and main character are together to show the
audience that this is a positive atmosphere.
The flash of a camera indicates the change as through
this the ident of 20th Century Fox is presented in a
strobe effect over an establishing shot of the airport.
https://youtu.be/uPJVJBm9TPA
8. The strobe effect then fades to black then revealing a bag with
a mobile phone ringing. The enhanced sound of the phone
ringing created a haunted feeling
The track into the bag and phone then cuts to a split screen of
the main character and the daughter on the phone to each
other.
The pace of editing then speeds up with two close up very short
takes of both the daughter and Father
The shot then fades to black very quickly revealing another split
screen, the placement of the two scenes change with
extremely fast fades to black.
Close up of devices/phones and the characters themselves
fade in and out in this very fast action creating the feeling
of panic and stress.
9. White flashes are used as the transition between the short takes.
This is used to highlight the suspense and panic that this
scene holds
The conversational dialogue is kept the same with the father
always shown talking to his daughter, this constant dialogue
helps bring the audience into the plot.
The split screen is then split into three parts with this the dialogue
from the father becomes a lot more dominant when he says
“They will take you”
There is then an enhanced sound of the daughter screaming as
she is shown being dragged away by a low angle
The lighting is low key throughout which shows how the situation
is the complete opposite to previously when high key lighting
was used and how it is very tense
10. Low angles are used to highlight the feeling of panic and being
trapped along with close ups to highlight who the main
character is and to build suspense.
Once the daughter was pulled away from the low angle the screen
fades to black for an extended amount of time the a close up
of a speaker is shown and the pace slows down.
There is then intervals that contain extremely fast montages that
use the white flash with shots of the daughter being taken as
well as reaction shots of the main character and the mother.
There is a great use of match on dialogue when he talks of the
skills he has required as the montage then shows him fighting
and tracking people.
All the montages are split up by the main characters phone call
and close ups of him on the phone and finally end with him
receiving a response on the phone of “good luck” and the title
appearing.
11. Summary and Evaluation
Overall, I think this trailer is unique due to the split screen and extremely quick transitions between the takes especially in
the montages. The lighting is shown to be key as it helps tell the story between the good times at the beginning to the tense
and serious times in the montages. By using a split screen it allows the audience to get more out of the trailer as they are
constantly seeing two aspects of the story. The plotline is clear from the trailer however, they leave a key element of the plot
as unknown which is whether or not the father finds his daughter. It is clear that the genre of this film is an action/thriller
through the fast paced editing and use of enhanced sound and close ups.
I have seen this film before and the trailer is a true representation of what the film is about. The montages help portray the
action and violent nature of the film, it is extremely important that this is highlighted in the trailer in order for the audience to
understand completely what this film is about. I think the film’s plotline is cleverly disclosed in the trailer as it gives the
audience just the right amount of information leaving them wanting more and lets the huge question remain unanswered in
order to draw them even further. Finally the final element that I think helps support the film through the trailer is the final line
of “I will find you and I will kill you.” This helps cement the audience's interest into the film.
12. Annabelle 2
(2017)
Synchronous non-diegetic sound is played over a high
angle establishing shot of a old looking house
A character voiceover is used paired with a tracking
shot of a young girl with a close up used to highlight
to the audience that she has a problem with her leg
Then another character voiceover begins showing the
setting with the use of fade to black transitions of
the takes.
The voiceover is presented through a J cut and match
on dialogue is used to highlight the setting
The tracking shot continues through the J cut all
centreing around this one girl, after a close up of the
doorknob being slammed shut the screen
dramatically fades to black
https://youtu.be/zjaOgN2Uti8
13. The music then changes to a diegetic track of an old nursery
rhyme alongside an establishing shot of the house at night
and close up on an ancient record player
A mid shot is again shown of the girl and it begins to track her
including an extreme close up of just her eyes
A panning shot is then used across a little girl's bedroom and the
music volume is increased to highlight this sinister scene.
The panning shot then reveals a girl dressed in a formal white
dress standing by a window of which reflects her pale face.
With this the music immediately stops and dialogue reveals
her character as Annabelle
The character of Annabell taps the window making a beat
therefore causing suspense to build shot reverse shot is
used between the two girls and the lighting is extremely low
key to highlight the horror genre of the film
14. Annabelle then turns around revealing her demon and an
enhanced scream and the falling down of the girl is them
shown before fading into an intertitle
Dialogue and a sinister non diegetic track is then used again
over a establishing shot and through a J cut
A character voiceover is again used to reveal the key
information needed to understand the film with piece of
dialogue such as “We prayed everyday to see our little girl
again”
Takes paired with fades to black present scenes showing how
Annabelle originally died with close ups of broken dolls and
the famous Annabelle doll rocking in a rocking chair in a
low lighted room
Throughout the voiceover there is also many reaction shots of
Annabelle’s parents as well as key moments such as a
close up of the note
15. Finally there is a close up on the light bulb and the only
sound is the lights flickering and then they all turn off
There is then a silence and cross cutting between
Annabelle in her rocking chair and the other girls in
darkness
There is then a loud audio drone and a hand grabs the girls
before another intertitle is shown
The scenes then present the girl in the wheelchair with
fades to black as the transitions lead from each take
while a terrifying non-diegetic track plays. Intertitles are
used to break up with montage
The pace of the trailer is rather irregular and speeds up at
some points and extremely slow at others ending with
a very eerie and slow paced scene with close ups on
the mother the holy cross ending with a cross being
dropped onto the floor and a terrifying reaction shot.
16. Summary and evaluation
This is very clearly a horror film due to the low key lighting and irregular pace of the entire trailer. The use of silence is
extremely effective and key in building suspense and tension in a horror trailer like this. The tracking of one character also
contributes to this suspense as it allows the audience to build a relationship with that character therefore pulling them into
the plotline. Due to the low key lighting a lot of the scenes leave the audience wanting more. It is not clear of the plot as due
to the horror nature it is unclear of what the ultimate storyline is as it is more about the character of the girl in the wheelchair
and annabelle.
I have not seen this film and the trailer does not make me want to go and see it as I think it is not clear what the film’s aim
is. I realise that it probably is due to the horror genre that there is not as much information as other trailers I have seen.
Another reason why this trailer not be as clear as others is due to the fact that it is a sequel and it may be that it is crucial to
see the first film in order to understand the sequel. Even though this does not personally want to go to see this film after
watching this trailer it may be that others who are already invested in this franchise are more likely to go and see this film.
17. The Intern
(2015)
The trailer begins with a non-diegetic upbeat track and
an interview style scene using shot / reverse shot
and dialogue
It is clear from the offset that this is a comedy film as it
starts with a humorous scene
The music than changes and a low angle is used to
track the main character and an establishing shot of
the office is used to signify the boss has just walked
in
There is then a montage style with lots of shorter takes
with dialogue. A J cut is used in the montage to help
let the audience know the relationship of the
characters and the plot of the film.
The montage ends with an intertitle and a change of
track to a steadier beat
https://youtu.be/ZU3Xban0Y6A
18. There is then a change of setting highlighting the role of the main
two characters and their relationship which is again ended by
an intertitle
The pace of this trailer moves fairly quickly however it is easy to
understand and helps show the audience the light hearted
nature of the film
There is an audio bridge into the next montage that is used to
show the characteristics of Ben's character with a track
change in the middle of the montage when a new character is
introduced
There is plenty of dialogue throughout the whole trailer with funny
pieces of dialogue used frequently to keep the audience
engaged such as “You’re not as old as I thought you were!”
After the montage there is a significant track change to a more
serious and emotional track that helps present the emotional
side that this film contains
19. A longer scene is then used to allow the audience to get
invested with the two main characters and their
relationship. The lighting also becomes warmer at this point
to highlight that although this is a lighthearted comedy film
there is also an emotional and heartwarming side to it.
Allowing the audience to see a little more dialogue works well
with this type of film as it allows them a chance to really
understand the storyline and the type of humour involved
There is another music change to a more lighthearted track
again that contains uplifting lyrics
With the change of music a variety of shorter and longer takes
are again used with a J cut that helps reveal the ultimate
end aim for the film
After another intertitle there is a panning and tilt shot with other
shorter takes using a fade to black transition that lead to a
pause in the music
20. The pause in the music allows a moment or a key sentimental
moment in the film that draws the audience in even further
The same track then begins again and credits roll over the
montage editing that is used to represent everything that this
film is about. All the key characters are seen in the trailer at
this point and credits are shown for both main characters
describing them both as “academy award winner” and then
the actors name
The title is then displayed at the end of the montage in the same
font as all the intertitles have been in.
Finally at the end of the trailer there is a coda(one last scene)
which gives the audience an “extra” scene which pulls them
further into the story and cements their relationship with the
characters.
21. Summary and evaluation
This trailer is very different to others that I have previously studied it lets the audience know a lot more about the
plot and allows them to form a real bond with both the main characters. The use of dialogue is used the majority
of the time to give the audience a sense of the plot however, in two scenes dialogue is just used to present the
relationships of the characters. Right at the end of the trailer there is a coda this signifies the end of the trailer and
causes the audience to want more.
I have seen this movie and it 100% fits exactly what the film is about. In fact I would say that the trailer gives a
little too much away and is more like a mini version of the film. I think this because by the end of the trailer you
feel as though you know the plotline and are invested with all of the characters. This is not to say that the trailer is
not a good trailer it is, it would just be a little more engaging if they hadn't of revealed so much information in the
trailer.
22. Dunkirk
(2017)
The trailer begins with an arial shot and a tense non
diegetic track alongside a character voiceover
A intertitle introducing the producer is then with a harsh
transition to an establishing shot
Close ups of key characters and many establishing and
group shots are shown and the music slowly builds
into a fierce audio drone
The screen goes to black and the voiceover and audio
drone stop creating a deadly silence while credits
appear turning into the black into an intertitle that
narrates the story through showing the words “when
400,000 men couldn't get home”
Enhanced sound of airplanes and fighter jets leads into a
montage of explosions and close up of the main
characters
23. Conversational dialogue is then used in a slightly longer take to
reveal the plotline to the audience
A ticking clock non diegetic track is played over a montage that
uses fast transitions with pieces of dramatic dialogue to
enhance the feeling of suspense and anxiety
The pace of the trailer is very fast to display the panic and anxious
suspense that both the characters in the film feel and the
audience are intended to feel when watching the movie
A J cut is used to reveal the setting of the film and also helps
highlight the difference between the sailors and the soldiers in
the film
Slow motion is used a lot throughout the trailer to help show the
severity of what is going on, by editing explosions and gunfire
in slow motion it builds the audience's sympathy and affection
for the characters as in real life this would happen in a matter
of seconds
24. Many establishing shots are used in this extract as it is
clear that there are two main settings in the film one
being dunkirk and the other being england
There is a blue/grey colour filter over the entire trailer
and it is most apparent in the montage that is used
to highlight the harsh life of the soldiers at sea and in
dunkirk
Continuity editing is key here as while there is lots of
montage editing there is also some continuity editing that
allows the audience the chance to connect with the
characters and plotline
After the intertitles the clock ticking begins and proceeds to
build into a very sinister and frightening track, dialogue
also helps this as powerful pieces of dialogue are spoken
in both L and J cuts as well as using voiceover and
conversation
25. Just before the end of the trailer the famous line, “We shall fight
from the beaches” is introduced drawing the audience in as
this is a particularly famous and iconic line as well as
extremely patriotic to British people
At the end the shots used change dramatically as before they
used huge establishing and group shots to portray this
feeling of unity and togetherness however by the end it is
mostly close ups, extreme close ups and aerial shots
therefore showing that it has become severe and that unified
front is beginning to weaken.
The title is shown with a coda at the end introduced with a single
piece of dialogue “where’s the bloody air force” and
continuing with a montage of airplanes flying and close ups
of the pilots
Finally the trailer ends with a suspense filled ticking clock
coming to a stop with a loud thud this is used to keep the
audience guessing how the story ends.
26. Summary and evaluation
This trailer is hugely effective due to the ticking clock sound that keeps the audience completely engaged right until the end
and it definitely leaves them wanting more. The choice of the blue/grey colour filter worked really well as it kept the audience
minds focused on the fact that the plot was centred around a battle at sea. Dialogue is very powerful technique used here
as it makes the portrayal of the plot a lot more personal as it has come straight from the characters to the audience.
I have not seen this film however when it comes to the cinema I would definitely go and watch it as I connected with the
characters through the trailer and feel as though I am invested in the plot line especially due to the fact that the plot is
centred around a real life historical event. The trailer I believe is very well edited with just the right amount of action and
explosions while making sure it still remains historical and true to the history behind the plot. Finally, I really like the way
they have hot given away too much about any of the characters or the plot itself as it helps leave a bit of excitement and
questions that can be answered in the film.
