Trailer Research 2

Rowan Smith; 0121
Thomas Allison; 0051
Samantha Grant; 0081

Objective:

To identify the codes and conventions commonly used in teaser trailers which promote films within the genres of thriller and action.

Case Study:

Inception (Christopher Nolan, 2010)

The teaser trailer for Inception is incredibly different from that of Cloverfield. To begin with it is 46 seconds shorter at just over 1 minute long. It also uses a mix of CGI and traditional film. It follows the more conventional teaser trailer style by skipping through time to particular scenes of action. This method allows the audience to see some of the more enthralling moments within the film and seeing as the job of the teaser trailer is to invoke a desire to consume the text this method is very popular.

Another major difference with the Cloverfield trailer is the fact that no diegetic sound is used throughout. The non-diegetic sound used is a mixture of percussion used in a slow and deliberate manner and a sharp note which increases in pitch throughout the trailer. The pace of the beat alongside the increasing tone of the music was used to build tension within the audience.

The main character which the audience is expected to identify with is clearly established in this trailer in Leonardo DiCaprio. There are a number of close up shots which seem to indicate he is of significant importance within the film. As Leonardo is a well known actor and seemingly the main character, including him in the trailer is likely to attract many of his fans from previous films thus enhancing the success of the marketing campaign.

The additional information provided within the trailer included the production company, Leonardo DiCaprio’s name, a line of text which sets up an enigma, the date of release, name of the film and other noteworthy people and companies involved in the production. This being said little about the film’s storyline was actually revealed again in order to create an enigma. The parts that were shown in the trailer included scenes where gravity itself was being defied, and such an enigma as this will undoubtedly spark the curiosity desired to get the audience of the trailer to watch the film itself.