Jeepers Creepers
The first formal sign that identifies this as a trailer is the first intertitle that says ‘the following has been approved for all audiences’ along with the film rating. We are also able to identify it as a trailer as title slides appear saying ‘they were alone’ and ‘in the middle of nowhere’, which you would not find in the film itself. They also fade between different clips of the film at a fast pace so we get an idea of what it’s about without telling us what actually happens. This also indicates it’s a trailer. At the end they have the title of the film ‘Jeepers Creepers’ in bloody, red and black writing with a man’s voiceover. They also have the slide saying ‘coming soon’, which tells us its trailer as if it was the film itself then it would already be out.
We can identify the genre of the film to be a scary or horror film. At the start of the film the boy has dialogue that explains a myth of a murdered girl where they ‘never found her head’ and therefore this already creates a scary feel for the trailer. The title slides saying ‘they were alone’ and ‘it’s hungry’ also suggest the film is a scary movie. The background colour of the slides are red with splattered blood patterns which could represent death and therefore indicate the genre of film. The man throwing wrapped up bodies into a tunnel and other shots of dead bodies also indicate this film is a scary movie as they can be quite frightening. Other symbols for horror could be the close up of the axe used and the sound of the girl screaming.
The hermeneutic code could be a particular narrative code that we can identify in the film as we can see the two people are on their way to somewhere but they fact they witness this man throwing bodies into a tunnel gets in their way as they are now involved. They are facing the obstacles and delays that we would expect.
We can also see examples of the semic code as the setting, a deserted place in the middle of nowhere, is typical setting for scary films, symbolizing being abandoned and away from the normal rules of civilisation. This genre of film often involves young people as the main characters, which this film does as well. This is because they are vulnerable enough to make convincing victims, but old enough to make a good attempt at defending themselves.
This was a useful trailer to watch considering that I am thinking of working in the psychological thriller genre. It has been interesting to deconstruct a trailer thinking less about what it tells you about the film and more how it tells you its own form, genre and narrative. It is a very different way of thinking about a text but one which will help me construct my own trailer making these three codes clear.
Stepbrothers
We can identify this as a trailer as it starts with text over the shots telling us the names of the characters and the title of the film. They also have ‘this summer’ which shows the film is yet to be released and they are simply advertising it. They cut between a variety of shots and scenes from the film in a short space of time whilst leaving out key information to leave mystery for the audience, this tells us it’s a trailer as it hasn’t told us everything that happens in the film. The music playing through the background of the trailer also makes it recognizable as a trailer as it is typical music you would find in one because it is a continuous piece that works with the pace of the action. They also have the release date at the end, which shows this is just the trailer and not the actual film.
From watching the trailer it is clear to see this film is a comedy. We can tell this through the actors that have been cast as the majority of their previous works have been comedies also and that it what they are known for. The credits and titles that appear are in a blue and white or black design, which isn’t dark like a typical horror film or girly like a typical romantic comedy. The sound track in the background is very light-hearted and happy music, which indicates the film is light-hearted itself- not really sinister or serious. The comical scenes used in the trailer also show how the film is a comedy for example, they have a scene where one man jumps onto the bunk bed and it falls on top of the other man, which the audience may find quite funny. The story of the film is made to be quite comical also, as its ironic- the fact that two grown men are moving in together and becoming stepbrothers is unlikely to happen in the real world.
Particular narratives suggested in this trailer would be the enigma code. The boys have been set the puzzle of sharing a room whilst despising each other but is later resolved when they realize just how much they have in common. The audience has to work out how this relationship will be worked out to achieve the expected happy ending. The hermeneutic code is also indicated in this trailer as we see they try to overcome obstacles such as having to get a job and stand up to their bullies.
Love Actually
We can tell this is a trailer, firstly due to the voiceover from a man with a deep, husky voice, which is typically found in film trailers. We then see a montage of clips from the director’s previous films, such as Bridget Jones. This tells us it is a trailer as well as this would not be seen in the real film and also shows that a key selling point is considered to be this writer / director. Another way we know it’s not a full product is the intertitles ‘this holiday season’, as we therefore know it must be advertising the film. The trailer shows different scenes from the film without telling us very much of what happens, often just introducing the characters and presenting us with what their problem is. If it was the real film the problems would most likely be resolved. The soundtrack playing in the background throughout also indicates that this is a trailer, as does the title credits.
The first thing that shows this film is going to be a rom-com is the montage of previous romantic comedies that the director has previously produced. We also get different clips from the film of the variety of couples involved, suggesting it’s a film about love. The dialogue included emphasizes this with lines from the characters such as ‘I’m in love’ and ‘all I want for Christmas is you. The fact the person saying ‘I’m in love’ is a little boy highlights the fact this film is a comedy as well as a romantic film. The husky voice of the voiceover can be found in the majority of typical romantic comedies also. The soundtrack repeats the words ‘everlasting love’ which also allows us to tell this is a film about romance. At the end it has the title credit ‘the ultimate romantic comedy’ in red and white lettering which confirms that fact it is a rom-com.
The enigma code can be seen in the trailer. We see a number of relationships that face issues such as the prime minister and his employee not being allowed to date or the woman whose husband is having an affair. We wonder how these issues will be resolved. The puzzle in genre films is not whether there will be resolution but how it will be achieved.
Overall
The three criteria we have identified as being key for the success of this task are:
- making our work look like a trailer - using the formal conventions well
- making our genre clear - letting the audience use genre as a 'gatekeeper of taste'
- making our narrative clear - giving the audience an overview of the plot without giving too much away.
It has been useful analysing trailers with a very specific focus on these three areas.
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