Now this trailer follows a similar conventions of those in Inception, it shows what happens in the movie however everything is so fast and distorted due to camera angle, composition and lighting that it intensifies the sci-fi adventure horror conventions, much of which is still used today.
Alien (1979)
After the blue screen with certificates and information, the establishing shot is zooming into space, as if we the audience were passing blurs of stars- instantly setting the seen, we are not on Earth-sci-fi.
The non-diegetic music a mixture of slow beating rising and wind like gushes as it continues to travel further into space.
This cuts to a mid-shot of an "I" in the black sky as in the foreground, along the bottom of the shot, a unfamiliar planet floor, brown. I like the fact this setting complemented by the music makes the scene mysteriously unsettling.
As the shot zooms out to reveal more of the planet's surface and another two vertical line in the atmosphere, the music of a spaceship entering the atmosphere the lines look like the slit windows of a typical drawn alien spaceship, the music increases in pace reflecting a beating sound and this continues to connote mystery and focuses the audience to the suspense.
The three lines remain however the shot, camera angle changes. it now tilts down from the black letters to a round bright white planet as to more white lines appear in the spaces- as the music builds it creates a sense of time running out.
Cuts back and forth between to a fast tracking as if travelling around this planet surface and the tilt down onto the bright round white planet. As the music races, I like how it mirrors each other building to create tension and heightening the suspense.
Cut fades to a zoomed out close up tilting downwards showing as egg, which fades into a mid-shot, the white lines now reveals the white lines to spell Alien. I like the imbalance of contrasting white and black as the audience is immediately told the film's name.
Heightened music, resembling distorted screaming or moaning, after a series of overlapping fades between extreme close ups and mid-shots of the egg- importance and dominance
Close up, the loud cracking of the egg releasing light, I like how this scene has been constructed.
A series of long shot of exploration- implies the setting and the genre
Distorted mid-shot tracking/hand-held one of the female explorers Sigourney Weaver suggests by the mise-en-scene, running, lower angle emphasising vulnerability and danger
Dark, minimal lighting- suggests entrapment, little room escape and allows the audience to anticipate the fear.
We the audience are subjected to more hand held shots, this time from behind
Weaver, point of view of someone else- I like this as it places a connection with the audience.
Distorted sirens or screaming along with danger between the the duration of shots,decrease, to mirror the fast paced music and amount of cuts.
The running action enigma continues and allows the audience to be placed in a point of view shot as the Weaver continues to run. I like the way this trailer builds tension through the use of suspense, it gives us, the audience all the information however distorts us at the same time.
Now this trailer differentiating itself from Inception conveys a whole new atmosphere. It illustrates more of the first point. It shows the audience everything they need to know without leaving many gaps to fill in yet leaves us the audience intrigued to see it anyways.
Crash Trailer (2004)
After the green screen, with relevant certificate information, a Lionsgate symbol which appears live a starry night and fades as such while a male voice over begins to set the scene.
We are instantly exposed to an establishing shot of LA at night while serene orchestral non-diegetic music begins to lull the audience- equilibrium.
The duration of cuts fade into one another, getting the sky scrapers from every angle making the night seem longer- false sense of security.
A close up of the character's voice over narrating, sitting in his car, dazed looking suggests that he has a lot on his mind, a use of pathetic fallacy- rain on his window-instantly creating empathy.
A series of closes ups of other characters from different walks to life, all fading into one another, illustrates the variety of people that not only live in the city but encounter each other unknowingly everyday. I like how the calm voice over mirrors the action.
A change in music, deeper pause then chimes as a black out with white text which has distant head lights to the right hand of the them "we are searching for answers" text, connotes a new tone - emphasising dis-equilibrium.
More series of shots, distorting the audience not quite linking together, black out text insert "we are moving forward" again with the head lights themes, the music deepens and pause with just chimes.
The duration of scenes become longer but the cuts quicken as we are given an insight into different lives an stories in the film. The scenes contrast from interior and exterior shots.
Close ups of facial expressions and emotional scenes- illustrating the conventions of a drama.
I like how some shots are from various angles such as a low angle centre frame shots to connote dominance contrast from high angle, bird's eye or as if God eye view shots to highlight vulnerability
Black out, text, "we are falling apart" as the tension in the music build, the action, length of shots and the amount of them increase-
close ups of heightened tempers, flames, sexual harassment, police lights, gun violence.
A stand of action enigma scene, the music stops excepted for a bass undertone followed by a longer black out, diegetic sounds of two gun shot fired.
A change in music at crescendos, to emotive singing, guitar, accompanied by "when your moving at the speed of life" text insert (same continuous theme) suggest a change in atmosphere.
Close ups of emotion scenes, crying, close encounters, fires, hugs, explosions emphasises the characters turmoils and we the audience are exposed to them.
Many scenes include cars; driving, burning or crashing, highlights the nature of the film. I like the underlying reminders throughout.
Each shot fades into one another suggesting a connection and intertwining and overlapping of stories.
Black out-text insert- "we are bound to collide with each other"the most important text once again highlighted. This message has a hidden meaning as it foreshadows the film in a literal way also.
Towards the end more black out, text inserts of well established director. This is followed by more heart wrenching close ups and action enigma scenes- more so representing a new equilibrium to some extent.
A longer black out, as the name of the film appears-same text theme- off centre, lower case letters referencing this is a emotion, inspiring film rather than massive production, emphasised by the music.
We then see one more scene of an officer and a black male driving at nighttime, he say "people man, people" to the officer before the screen blacks out once more as a star studded cast list appears, same theme and off centred, this time as snow falls behind it. the names slowly fade as film information/ credits replace it before blacking out again.
All trailers are a type of advertisements hoping to entice its target audience into watching a particular movie. To do this a good trailer can do either one of two things:
A trailer may contain everything you need to know about the film, everything that happens, so there is very little surprises, yet intrigue the audience to watch it anyways.
It can give snippets of information, in a sequence which leaves the audience with little idea as to what happens but in doing so leaves the audience in suspense.
Either way still captivating its audience, in some cases a trailer can use aspects of both.
Inception Trailer (2010)
Now, this trailer does the latter very well. Although the trailer illustrates enough to grasp the general theme and genre of the film, the non-chronological snippets suggests a non-linear narrative. As Inception is a combination of genres- Sci-fi, Adventure, Action Thriller- after the green screen containing audience certificate information.
A black Warner Bros symbol, sets the scene already suggesting mystery. Which is then zoomed in an rotated revealing it to be an animated version of an American city instantly setting the scene to the audience.
The non-diegetic slowly building like a countdown beginning petering along, I like the way it creates a false sense of security to begin with- equilibrium.
In contrast the opening close up of crashing blue waves, a serene shot followed by a close up of a bruised Leonardo DiCaprio (Dom Cobb) face down on a beach. As his voice over begins to introduce himself. Highlighting to the audience the protagonist
Cuts to a new scene continuously contrasting from the last. From light to dark mise-en-scene, mood lighting. Such as the beach scene to Chinese interior and a mid-shot panning DiCaprio entering into a room wearing a suit-ideology-I like the imbalance of light and dark in each scene, it creates new atmospheres.
Close ups of DiCaprio's facial expressions, close ups of weapons, other Famous cast members including Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon- Levitt and Tom Hardy intensifies the anticipation. As the music builds suggesting disequilibrium approaching.
A black out, interrupting the continuity, a loud menacing horn as the director's name in white and the previous film success emphasising the importance of both to the audience.
From this point onward the duration of shots gets shorter, as the regularity of cuts increase as the music continues to dabble between to notes, which is continuously interrupted by the horn, however the juxtaposing calm voice over is lulling. I like the way this heightens the uncertainty, creates more suspense and mystery. I think I could use this concept in my own work.
As the voice over explains the concept of "inception" and it being illegal is mimicked to some extent through the intense, explosive and unexplained scenes, contrasting between fast action to slow motions and a romance scenes - between DiCaprio and Marion Cotillard).
The crescendo in the music at crucial line " I'm ready" opens the door for the action enigmas used.
Other crucial lines; "The dream is collapsing" and "I have it under control" at which point the action mirrors this, crashes, explosions- not only foreshadowing what's to come but creates confusion.
From this point there's a lot more low angle shots of DiCaprio looking more vulnerable and clearly out of control juxtaposing his lines.
Later on black outs again accompanied by the horn of the main start studded cast. contrasting black and white. I think an on going theme that highlights the theme could be used in my work.
The title of the movie is only seen in the last 20 seconds of the trailer but mentioned throughout. I like that it's the thing that's memorability factor, the font is large white and to some extent reflects a futuristic maze within each letter.
After the movie title there is one more scene not involving DiCaprio but Tom Hardy and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, in a gun scene, this juxtaposes from the rest of the themes, adding underlying comedy in the movie
