Some Trailer Research findings

Throughout this week I've been continuing with my research into trailers, with a focus on the action/adventure genre which will be a key influence on my own work. From all the ones I watched, I selected some I considered particularly effective to make some more detailed notes and analysis on. However, the majority of the trailers feature some key conventions that are common to many trailers for modern audiences. They tend to use a voiceover from a western male that has a very booming tone to build the atmosphere and drama of the text as well as provide key information and comments on the plot and content of the text. The music is used similarly as it crescendos which is effective and important to add excitement and tension at key moments of the trailer. Also very quick and abrupt edits or jump cuts are used to increase the tempo and therefore drama of the shots which are predominantly high action, with fewer narrative shots included to build the structure of the text and introduce the plot. I've picked out two I thought had some particularly effective points:

The Bourne Identity: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD-uQreIwEk
This trailer like many other action/adventure genre trailers uses very fast and abrupt edits between shots to increase the tempo of the text and to heighten the sense of drama and excitement. I chose this one as it has a particularly effective transition between the lat shot of the protagonist characters face and the title of the film, using his image shown through the scope of a gun which is then a signature image shown on the iconic title and logo of the entire advertising campaign, to give adhesion to all the pieces of the promotional campaign, which is important in creating an idenitiy for the film. These very iconic props and stereotyped action scenes are useful in conveying the genre and tone of the trailer, this could be a very useful idea for our teaser trailer as we have a limited time to convey this mood.

Angels and Demons:
This was a notable trailer as although it was very effective it used less shots and less obvious action than many of the others which may be a more achievable idea with our limited budget and resources. It had one prolonged moving shot showing the key setting at night and instead used sound as a media tool to build the drama of the text. It used what sounded like radio footage to add authenticity and it used the familiar male, western voiceover to create tension and introduce the themes and plot. The music was atmospheric and the sounds of thunder created an eerie and dramatic tone. The weather shown in this trailer was effective as the stormy skies connoted danger and conflict. Towards the end of the trailer it showed several key shots in quick succession to heighten the action and add interest to the text. This trailer only being 1 minute and 14 seconds is also more similar to conventions of a teaser trailer.

(to watch with sound, click on below hyperlink)
http://www.screenrush.co.uk/video/player_gen_cmedia=18845226&cfilm=124371.html