Research Into Teaser Trailers 9

I was watching this trailer and found it different from the original story, I like the fact that this film has decided to re-imagine the story. 

• The teaser trailer begins with a close up of ravens flying and squawking and then multiplying into even more, then the shot moves faster towards the castle 
• a narration begins in the background, diagetic sounds are overlaid with non-diagetic sounds throughout.  
• The next scenes show armies riding presumably getting ready for a battle, next we are shown the queen, here we learn she is evil and she sucks out other girls life essences to maintain her own beauty. 
• We are shown various shots of the queen including mid shots and close ups. The teaser introduces us to three of the main characters in the film, the queen, huntsman and snow white. 
• The setting is clearly medieval and includes elements of fantasy and magic which are established in the early shots through the use of special effects and a castle mis-en-scene.

Research Into Teaser Trailers 8

 

Dr. Seuss was one of my favourite authors because I loved his books especially “Green Eggs and Ham”. So far there have been three film adaptations of Dr. Seuss books, and this is the fourth. 

• The teaser begins with a person narrating and some shots of the film. The narration is also performed quicker than usual and feels almost urgent and certainly rushed.
• The teaser gives some of the plot away but not too much, the boy Ted wants a girl to like him so he goes to the Lorax for help. 
• The CGI is really good we can see the different effects taking place. 
• At only 36 seconds, its a very short trailer. This means many of the scenes that are shown are rushed through in quick succession. This has an almost hypnotic effect as you are forced to concentrate harder to try to keep up. It is however effective in drawing the viewer in and certainly plays on the strength of the previous adaptations as the name  "Dr Seuss" is very prominent above the tile.
• The colour schemes used throughout are bright, the mis-en-scene changes from urban to rural

Research Into Teaser Trailers 7

I am a fan of Pixar and the creativity they keep emitting, I love their work from “Up” to “Finding Nemo”, they just know how to make a film addictive and funny. When I heard they were creating another legend I just had to see the teaser. The film is called “Brave” it is set in Dark Ages Scotland, Britain and it’s about a girl called Merida who is a skilful archer, the story revolves around her to decide what the true meaning of "Brave" is.

• The trailer begins by showing the famous Pixar logo, from here we see the camera moving slowly through a  forest, 
• with this we hear a narration in a Scottish accent, we can be sure the setting is Scottish. 
• Camera angle is turned to a person on a horse riding through the forest, we then find out it’s a girl who takes down a bear four times her size. 
• The teaser last up to 1:06 doesn’t give too much away again, 
• the narration, music and themes are poetic, solemn and cleverly finishes the last line with the title of the film which is not spoken but displayed just as the narration ends. 
• Other than the diagetic sounds of a bow, a horse and bear, all other sounds are non-diagetic music and narration. 
• The shots begin with wide angle shots of landscape that is raw and an idealised version of wild landscape, accompanied by music that make the mood both majestic and menacing.
• The mis-en-scene throughout is a wild woodland

Research Into Teaser Trailers 6

 

I was really excited to see this teaser trailer because I have seen the Arnold Schwarzenegger version, so this Total Recall is going to have a lot to live up to. Colin Farrell was chosen to play the character Dennis Quaid; 

• the teaser begins by showing Colin aka Dennis looking over a balcony a wide angle shot is taken. 
• This is followed by a non-diagetic loud menacing sound and various other shots of the main cast in action. 
• We see a lot of futuristic special effects which is a good sign because the original had the same type of effects but not this clean and believable. 
• The teaser trailer is short at 39 seconds long and shows enough content for you to take an interest in the film. 
• The sounds employed throughout are non-diagetic and are clearly meant to give the impression of futuristic technology. 
• All the shots are heavy with CGI adding to the futuristic theme.

Research Into Teaser Trailers 5

 

 

I like Sacha Baron Cohen especially in Madagascar as he is so funny when he is in the character of King Julian. But he is also known for taking his comedy a bit too far and in poor taste, vulgar and disgusting at times. This film pokes fun at the stereotype of dictators in the Middle East, their relationship with the west and their excesses. The trailer doesn't give much away but sets up the premise of a dictator friendly towards and probably supported by the US. I hope in making a funny movie, the film makers don't ignore the social and political comment behind the issues of that premise. Particularly in the light of recent events in the middle east where ordinary people have in some cases toppled malevolent regimes and where they are suffering as a result of trying to. In my opinion to make light of these issues when people are suffering right now without also making plain the social and political comment would be a failing and in very poor taste.

• The trailer opens with scenes of different Middle Eastern dictators, 
• in between these shots text is shown to explain further. 
•  we are introduced to Cohens character and shown examples of what he gets up to in the film. 
• The main song throughout the film is a song composed by Punjabi MC with distinctively Indian melodies, it is non-diagetic. 
• The shots are mid to close up and every shot has some kind of gag in it, clearly showing the film to be a comedy.

Research Into Teaser Trailers 4

 

 

Since I was little I have grown up watching action films and I have been surrounded by Arnie, Van Damme, Stallone, Statham etc. Their films were the only thing my older brother and I had in common back then and we would enjoy the banter in these films. I loved the first "Expendables" the release of that film was very popular and it was received differently from the usual sort of action film because it had so many of the main actors who were well known and famous for their roles in hard core action films.

• The teaser trailer begins with the two main production logos 
• along with some loud non-diagetic sound effects.
• The teaser trailer is 1:33 long and doesn’t give much of what the plot might be about instead it shows some shots of the actors involved in some gun play. This technique is good because it entices the audience to be patient until the film comes out and it has also got them hooked even though there isn’t much content involved it’s just the idea of all the action based actors in it just intrigues the audience more. 
• some of the major star is introduced in quick succession using jump cuts interleaved with their names
• camera angles used are generally front facing and mid to close-up

Research Into Teaser Trailers 3

I have been looking at more teaser trailers and I came across the “Men In Black 3”. I have seen the first two films and I loved them because the films encompassed a bit of comedy, action and makes science fiction look cool. The third film looks really good, the trailer doesn’t give away to much but there are more secrets involved in this film.  

• The trailer begins by showing fast shots of the city and men getting their guns out while we are watching you can hear the character K narrating in the background. 
• Also in between the scenes text is shown in the same font as the main title as well it being in simple colours too. 
• The use of sound is mainly diagetic, though the trailer is overlaid with distinctive music through out creating a mood of urgency. 
• The shots are mostly mid and close-ups, emphasizing the stellar cast.

The film will be most popular due to the first two films doing so well at the box office. Also the regular fans will be happy to know that there is a third “Men in Black”. There are many camera shots used to emphasise different situations, the producers have spent more than 200 million dollars on this film and you can see that it was worthwhile with the special effects. 

Research Into Teaser Trailers 2

 

I have just watched the teaser trailer for “Despicable Me 2”. I was really excited to find out that the teaser trailer was out, the first one was really funny and the film was ten times funnier. The teaser trailer doesn't give any plot details, but shows the loveable minions singing in their made-up language.I think the director and the producers wanted to show the minions again to create more of the hype around the upcoming film because the minions were favourite characters in the first film

•  All the sound used is diagetic including the party horn.  At the end we have the hip hop song which was introduced to us in the first film “Despicable Me”.
• The party horn shows off the 3d unique selling point of the film. 
• The mis-en-scene is very simple, a white background and floor, this focuses attention more on the minions and their antics.
• The camera angle is fixed and  the whole teaser remains a single unbroken shot.

Research Into Teaser Trailers 1

 

 

I am currently researching teaser trailers. The recent one I have just watched is called “The Avengers”, before this was made into a film it was originally a comic book created by Stan Lee who is also famous for such titles as “The Amazing Spiderman”, “The Incredible Hulk” and "The Iron Man". He created the comic books aimed for children who would collect them and read them. The main target audience for this film will be those children who used to read the comics or even the recent generation who were introduced to the cartoons. 


The genre for this film will be action and comedy so it is a hybrid genre. The producers have put in 220 million dollars into this film so it has very high expectations. The teaser trailer is 1 minute 58 seconds long and it starts off with clips of New York City and a person narrating over the different angled shots of the city. The different shots are showing chaos and the army and police officers emerging to tackle the situation. Then we are introduced to the Marvel logo as well as the Paramount one. 

• There are scenes that include a mixture of  non-diagetic sounds, music and  raw guitar sounds are composited with diagetic sounds such as explosions. The next scenes show all the heroes and we can hear a guitar as well as Nick Fury narrating in the background. 
• Mid and closeup shots of each of the main characters are faded in and out consecutively and all in heroic poses.
• The text is simplistic and shiny; its shade is black with outlining of silvery white. 
• The mis-en-scene is generally dark throughout and gives a feeling of foreboding.

Research - What is a Teaser Trailer

A teaser trailer is a short version of a movie trailer which is designed to grab the interest of the audience, getting them excited about an upcoming film. Teasers are usually released months in advance before the expected release date of the film; they are designed to build eagerness and curiosity. Teaser trailers can be seen before feature films in some movie theaters, and they are also released online and shown on television. Teasers can last between 30 seconds or a minute, it may include some scenes from the film, or often enough show scenes that may not even occur in the actual film.

Teaser trailers are known to be only made for popular films that can afford it, the purpose of the trailer is to let the viewer know that the film is upcoming in the near future, it also adds more hype towards the release date. Teasers in some cases can be released over a year before the release of the film proper, for example "The Hobbit" and "The Avengers" began their teaser trailer marketing in 2011 and are due for release in late 2012. Teasers are made during the editing process of the feature film in most cases. But some like Pixar Films usually make their trailers from scratch not taking any scenes from the film. 

Reference :  http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-teaser-trailer.htm

Research - The History of Film Trailer Timeline

Movie trailers have developed a life of their own over the last 50 plus years, and have evolved as much as the movies themselves have changed. Their style and pace have developed and changed many times, with each decade having its own recognizable form.

Many unique characteristics define horror trailers in particular from each decade, this is especially true in sci-fi and horror films.

The 1950s film previews:

• had longer trailers.
• told the whole story, or almost revealed the whole plot.
• flashed words on the screen, such as: "Terrifying! Close your eyes! Never before seen!"

The 1960's movie trailers:

• Still used bold flashing words.
• Tried to build on famous actors' names.
• Used narration to summarize the story.   
• Often showed the ending of the movie, in order to reveal an exciting effect.

The 1970's previews

• Were still too long, but tightened up a bit more.
• Revealed less of the story, but still showed many key or spoiler scenes.
• Enjoyed teasing us with mis-edited scenes, often out of order.

The 1980's movies had trailers that were tighter:

• More abruptly edited.
• Told very little about the movie.
• Often included scenes that were cut from the final edit of the film.
• No spoilers, and instead total mystery about the endings.
• Began to revel in catchy tag-lines.

The years 1991 to current have shown an evolution toward rock music backgrounds, and zoom editing styles. Not only are the endings a mystery, the whole plot is a secret. We may only get a series of random images thrown at us in an exciting style meant to entice us, all with a popular rock song in the backdrop.

The current trend features the use of

• Current rock or pop music, often from a new or popular artist.
• Shows less and less of the real story.
• Quicker editing and zoom effects.
• Often these trailers are more exciting than the actual movies. 
• Greater use of publicity stunts such as internet viral marketing or Facebook campaigns

Reference:   http://www.horrorfilmtrailers.com/extras/history-of-film-trailers.html

Things To Do.......

This year, for our group project we are considering doing a film trailer, we felt it would be fitting as last year for AS we did a film opening sequence. Last year the project went quite well, the filming and the editing was our full focus and we tried to complete it to the highest standard we could. I found that in general, the planning aspect is an important part of the project and we need to make sure that we plan thoroughly this time, so we know exactly what we’re doing. Here are some of the things we need to do:

• Research on the history of film trailers.
• Research different film trailers varying from different genres.
• Analyse in depth the different types of film trailers.
• Pick a genre for our film trailer which we want to work with and go in depth with.
• Research on film posters in depth.
• Research on target audiences.
• Choose the target audience I want to aim my film at. Produce a questionnaire to achieve a more reliable set of results.
• Research in depth of the camera angles/shots.
• Find an existing example of a similar media product (eg, if you are doing a short film, you need to find some examples of short films on Channel 4, YouTube, etc).
• Put the video/poster/Magazine Review on your blog.
• Analyse the generic conventions of that media product.

Research - The History of Film Trailers

A trailer also known as a preview is an advertisement for a feature film that will be shown in cinemas once the feature film is completed. Trailers were originally shown at the end of a feature film screening, unfortunately this did not last long as customers would leave theaters at the end of the screening. Trailers are now shown prior to the start of a film. Film trailers are also shown on DVDs, Blu-rays and on the internet, this is another way to promote trailers for global consumerism. The first trailer ever to be shown was in a U.S. film theater in November 1913. 


Nils Granlund produced a short promotional film for the musical ‘The Pleasure Seekers’. The Daily Star described it as an entirely “new and unique stunt”. In the late 1950s trailers were originally created by the National Screen Service, they would design their trailers in various ways. They would frequently add a few shortened scenes from the feature film followed by large descriptive text introducing you to the story, there would also be music to make the trailer and the text stand out more. Most trailers that could afford to do so would also include some narration; this would generally be in a stentorian tone. As the feature film industry was moving forward with new techniques of filming being invented as well as being improved, film trailer techniques were also changing with time. In the early 1960's, motion picture trailers that consisted of text montage trailers were being replaced with quick edited and textless montages. These trailers became really popular due to the birth of “New Hollywood” the new techniques introduced to these trailers became very popular when advertised on televisions. Stanley Kubrick was one of the directors to set a trend with his montage trailers for his feature films "Lolita", "Dr. Strangelove" or "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb", "2001: Space Odyssey" and "A Clockwork Orange".

In 1964 Andrew J. Kuehn started Kaleidoscope Films, he and his company became largely recognized for making film trailers. This was due to Hollywood becoming massively more successful producing blockbuster films which is why directors like Steven Spielberg, Oliver Stone and Barbra Streisand would invest more money into marketing the films properly which is why they were dependent on Kuehn. The creative people that once worked for Kaleidoscope now work for big film companies in their trailer making departments such as Paramount Pictures, 20^th Century Fox and Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM).
  

Film trailers include a number of selected scenes from the film so it can be advertised, the purpose of the trailer is to attract audiences to the film, the selected scenes have to be exciting and an important part of the film but in short a form without spoiling the film. This is why generally the scenes are always shown at random and not in order. A trailer has a time limit of 2 minutes and 30 seconds, this is the maximum length of time allowed by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). If necessary the MPAA do allow some studios and distributors to exceed the time limit for trailers at least once a year. Some studios use a special shoot for the trailer. This is footage that is specifically created for marketing purposes, this footage is not shown in the film. For example this technique has been used for Terminator 2: Judgment Day, they used detailed special effects in their trailer but these scenes were never shown in the film. The special shoot technique was also used in the 1960s thriller Psycho, the trailer showed the director Alfred Hitchcock giving the audience a tour of the Bates Motel eventually leading us to  the famous shower scene here he rips back the curtain for the audience to see Vera Miles with a blood curdling scream. Unfortunately it should have been Janet Leigh but after the film was completed as she was unavailable to film the trailer which is why Hitchcock used co star Vera Miles, the audience barely noticed.
     

There are several well known companies that are specialized in creating trailers for feature films, most of these companies are situated in Los Angeles and New York. The trailers get put together in agencies such as The Cimarron Group, MOJO, The Ant Farm, Aspect Ratio, Flyer Entertainment, Trailer Park and Buddha Jones. When these agencies make the trailer they normally have to work with raw footage of the feature film because it’s not been edited. These are also known as dailies or rushes, which is why sometimes the trailer may have a few scenes that might have been edited out of the feature film.  

The basics of composing most trailers are known to have a three act structure known as the beginning: "act 1" which unfolds the basis of the story, the middle: "act 2" usually showing the story unfolding further. Then comes the ending with a sharp climax: "act 3" generally consisting of a piece of music, either an orchestral piece or a song composed by an artist. The music normally follows a montage of strong and expressive scenes of the film. To help with marketing, the trailer may also show a cast run of recognizable actors and directors which could help with advertising the film.

It is also traditional for trailers to have a voice over narration. This helps to set up the foundation of the story, the voice over narration also helps the audience understand the narrative better because a trailer can sometimes be overwhelming. Some of the best known voice over artists today are Don LaFontaine, Peter Cullen, Morgan Freeman, Tom Kane and Brian Cummings. The classic voice over artist during the 1950s and 1960s included Art Gilmore, Knox Manning, Reed Hadley and Fred Foy. Hollywood film trailers back then were known for clichés such as “colossal” and “stupendous”. Some film trailers choose to use these clichés for the irony and comedic effect. Music plays a big part in the trailer because it helps understand the tone and the background of the film. Most of the time the music in the trailer isn’t necessarily going to be in the film, the music in the trailer can be from other films for example "Requiem for a Dream" main title music “Lux Aeterna” by Clint Mansell. Sometimes music sung by artists such as Madonna can be used because the lyrics and the tone are connected to the trailer and the film. 

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trailer_%28promotion%29

Re-evaluation of my AS Research and Planning

I researched various aspects of film making and in particular the horror film genre including general film openings, horror film openings, mise en scene, target audience, sound, horror genre and horror conventions. This research helped me with my genre selection as well as my final task.

I blogged over 60 posts last year, but rushed most of these towards the end of term. So I suppose my time keeping could have been better. I feel I did a lot of research in to the horror genre and believe I covered most of the horror conventions. I feel that the research into film conventions was a bit rushed, it could have been more detailed. I could possibly have been more analytical and examined these conventions more closely. The target audience research needs more work, the research here was inadequate I feel. Were I to do this a second time round I would gather specific information from these target audiences to better gauge what these groups find appealing. One way to do this would be to engage in taking interviews and questionnaires.

However I feel the research covering the horror film genre and in particular horror film openings is more focused and analytical. This helped me later to more easily plan storyboards, to cast people and make shooting schedules. Research and planning is a vital process in preparing the groundwork before filming can begin. The process was a very useful way of learning what film making involves.

Brief

This is the brief that I and my group members have chosen to work with. We chose this brief because it's quite similar to what we did for our previous AS level work:

A promotion package for a new film, to include a trailer, together with two of the following three options:

• a website homepage for the film
• a film magazine front cover, featuring the film

• a poster for the film 

We as a group have chosen to do a poster for the film and a film magazine cover, featuring the film as our ancillary tasks.

The End of AS Media Studies

We have now finished our AS Media Studies Exam and Media Coursework, which by now should have been submitted to the exam board (fingers crossed). I will be starting A2 Media Studies next, this time instead of all of us doing the same brief, we have a range of briefs to choose from. I am excited at the prospect of starting the A2 course and can't wait see the different options available this time.