Textual Analysis Film Trailer

Film Trailer - "Crazy Heart", a Fictional Music Drama

15. Actor prestige - Gains 'wow' points from audience

. Power status - centre foreground focus and looking down perhaps implies a power status

16. Alcohol centre focus - connotations of alcohol dependency

. Dim light - perhaps connoting to an unhealthy living style

17. Sell lines - important to keep the audience interested with use of intensifiers

18. Extreme long shot - good way of showing the setting as well as the action

. Slightly off centre - perhaps suggests the character/ action is unbalanced

19. Close up shot - shows the facial emotion and pain

. Action off screen - keeps the audience wondering what is happening

20. Setting establisher - circular rundown caravan park, perhaps a play on the circle of life

34. Background out of contrast - implying it is not of any importance

. Character on right side of screen - perhaps connoting that the character is old and past best

35. Mid two shot - a good way to present facial expressions and actions of two people

. Youth more dominant - younger is on the left side of screen

36. Over the shoulder shot - visually interesting to move the narrative along

. Eye level in top third - would suggest power however they are looking upwards suggesting he is not of power in this relationship

44. Power status - Character leering down looking very much in control

45. Eyes looking upwards - perhaps suggesting less powerful status

. Centre foreground focus - the complete importance of the shot as viewed by opposing character

61. End credits - necessity

. Background setting - nice touch to finish on country theme of film

Film Trailer - "24 Hour Party People", a British Music Drama

1. Iconic institutional logo - some have there own video graphics appose to just a logo

2. Use of green screen - all the narrating shots use green screen technology to show the arty effect

. Addressing the audience - using hand gestures the audience can be integrated into the mix

3. Using iconic band font/logo - shows close associates with the film

. Paint covered background - attempt to recreate the chaos of the music visually

4. Use of layering texts - implies unfinished elements perhaps with further connotations

. Iconic club logo - reaching a specific audience of club goers

5. Record label logo - important to introduce as key part of narrative

. Continuous slide design - referencing the time period and is also visually exciting

6. Background also in focus - so the audience can see both foreground and background are of significance

. Eye contact - to properly address the audience as narrator for the trailer

20. Recreation of live shot - important to stand up to the integrity of the original shot

. Strong lighting colour - adds to the 'live' theme

. Extreme close up - allows audience to feel closer

21. Varied background - the vibrant colours show reveal the time period and feel to the film

. Text position within composition - crucial to arrange imagery around text in this circumstance

22. Focus on centre background - creates the feel that the audience is only slightly behind the action and very much on the 'inside'

. Torn effect - the brash and edgy style of the time

. Prestigious reviews - help to sell film to a particular target audience

31. Film company name and font - attention to detail allows for sleek design appeal

32. Directors credit - if prestigious, then this is also a good way to 'sell' the film

33. Actors credit - vital information for a trailer

. Flashing imagery - shows the nature of the film whilst also perhaps a warning that there will be flashing imagery for suffers of epilepsy.

Film Trailer - "I'm Not There", a Music Drama/ Biopic

1. Institutional Logo - important to begin the trailer
with this as it immediately tells the audience the scale of the film being independent or Hollywood based.


2. Central framed - first shot must be eye catching
. Side profile - perhaps construed as more serious
. Silhouette edit - shows iconic stature


3. Open framing - strong contrast from previous shot, allowing viewer to integrate
. Setting determiner - beneficial to show a range of the films settings
. Crane shot - ideal to set a scene


4. Birds eye view - interesting composition
. Prop heavy shot - archetypal male mess
. Black and White - sinister feeling alongside the props

5. Mid shot - allows for a closeness whilst the background is still in clear focus

. Colour shot - associate certain characters with colour and others with B&W

. Introduces new character - important for the storyline

6. Black and White - shows the time the film is set, modern white styles of the sixties

. Establishes character profile - important the audience develop bond

. Action shot introduces new setting - action in the background isolates the still foreground effectively

15. Handheld camera - creates a 'real life' aspect

. Background focus - underlines the importance in shot

16. Closed framing - exaggerates the panic and crushing

. Close up shot - clear view of facial expressions

17. Power status - important as the characters role

18. Director credit - breaks up the clips with visually pleasing text

. Films font and style - important that a continuous font and background style is followed

19. Eye contact - good to engage audience

. Frame composition - perhaps suggests the character is slightly off balance in some form

20. Off screen action - suggests that the audience is meant to only see the shown point of view

. Foreground focus - directs attention to the foreground

I plan on using this technical research when creating my own film trailer to help establish the correct genre features of camerawork including the frame composition, shot type and angles. It is crucial that i refer back to this research and when to put what, for example which shot type is most effective and when.