Film Trailers
Analysis

The Woman in Black
Category: Based on a play/novel
Genre: Thriller/Horror

Question’s raised:
Who are the children
What is the storyline
Where is this set
Who is Daniel Radcliff’s character playing? Why is Shot list
he in that place? -Establishing shot of train in
Will this be similar to the play? the distance
Why so many dolls/toys -Extreme close up of DR’s facial
Is it reality? – very stylized seems like fantasy expression
- Long shot of old/scary house
- High angle shot of DR
Comments entering house (shows his
Scary noises – wind, music box, kids voice, clowns insignificance in comparison to
Scary old pictures his location?)
Fast and short cuts - Panning shot of house
Text in between shots (gives some storyline) - Close up shot of 3 young girls
Juxtaposing pathetic fallacy Long shot of wagon and horse
Saturated colours – dark, not bright, graded colours (nothing else around)
Old fashioned pictures/props/make
up/setting/costume
Non diagetic narration
Surprise element at the end – climax
Uses some slow motion

A Dangerous Method
Category: Based on a true story
Genre: Drama

Question’s raised: Shot list
When and where is this set - Close up of man’s hand
Who does Keira Knightley play working a machine
Is it completely a real story - Low angle close up shot of
Is Keira Knightley’s character psychologically stable? Freud’s character (suggest
How many relationships are there in the film? superiority/power?)
Between who and why? - Long establishing shot of city
Comments
Many diagetic sounds – lots of dialogues, footsteps, clocks ticking, screams, horses etc
Heroic music
Builds up conflict like the actual film probably would
Short and quick takes
In terms of sound there are lots of accents and different dialects in characters’ voices
Juxtaposition – weather very nice throughout when theme clearly contrats (pathetic
fallacy is not present)
Text in the trailer explaining some of the narrative (effective convention) – gives a lot of
the story away

Taken 2
Category: Fictional
Genre: Action Thriller

Question’s raised:
How is this different from the first movie?
Who are the people that appear in the first shots? Where are they from and why are
they being tortured?
Where is this set?
Who dies and who lives in the film?
Why was the mother being ‘taken’ this time?
Comments Shot list
Short/quick takes - Establishing high panning shot of graveyard
Diagetic sounds – - Low angle shot of bearded man
gunshots, laughs, fireworks - Flashback of crime scene
Special effects – explosions etc - Eye line match shot facing villain
Non Diagetic score – thriller like - Aerial shots over mosques in Instanbul
music, builds up climax, also - Tracking shots of action
synchronised with action. - Close up shot of car plate
Slow motion effects - Point of view shot in car chasing scene

Les Miserables The Film
Category: Based on a Musical
Genre: Drama/Musical

Question’s raised: Shot list
Is this exactly like the musical? - Establishing shot of person climbing a hill
Who does Anne Hathaway play? - Point of view shot – children running
Does she sing in it? towards camera
Why are the characters ‘miserable’? - Aerial shot of women working in factories
Where in France is this supposed to - Low angle shot of church (highlights
be set in? significance of religion?)
Comments
Non diagetic music – soundtrack of musical
Pathetic fallacy – rain & snow - reflects the title which means ‘The Miserables’
Some diagetic sounds – wind, waves crashing
Relatively long takes – suggests the audience should feel emotionally connected
Text in between each shot (eg From the directors of…)

Typical trailer conventions…
• Film company logos (one or two companies)
• Establishing shot of film location
• Fast pace editing and straight cuts
• Builds up to a climax (leaves the audience wanting to see more by the end
of trailer)
• Representation of victims portrayed within the narrative stage known as
‘struggle’ suggested by theorist Vladimir Propp.
• Soundtrack music (plenty of non diagetic sounds)
• Relatively short takes
• Text in between shots
• With thriller/horror there’s usually scary sounds like music boxes, children
whispers, as well as some shots in slow motion.
• Inclusion of endorsement, tag lines and credits