Differences between film trailers and openings

A film trailer is essentially a compilation of footage from the completed production that advertises the film through highlights and climatic moments in the sequence. Very occasionally, the trailer will contain scenes that are not actual footage and are computer-generated, but these are often `teaser trailers` that are created during pre-production rather than post production.

Film openings present a title and include details such as the cast members and major institutions. It also establishes a diegesis and suggests to the audience what the atmosphere of the film is likely to be. It is not a requirement to hint at or reveal the storyline (in the same way a trailer has to), but some film openings move at different paces. Many openings will move slowly and hold information until the production's climax, but others will give away a critical detail within the first 120 seconds.

In terms of creating a film trailer in A2, the differences to the AS courses' film opening include:

• The order that some information and/or text appears will be different - e.g the title will be at the end of the trailer rather than the beginning of the film opening.
• The film trailer must hint at the story-line. A film opening does not necessitate this.
• Creating a film trailer will involve shots and scenes from the (intended, implied) film production but they will not be the same order as the events from the story proposal. It cannot give away the story structure, only the content.

Film trailer codes and conventions

Film trailers have a few conventions that are followed universally. To begin with, the shots within a trailer are essentially a compilation of footage from the actual completed production. This means that almost every trailer (besides 'teasers') are in fact released when the film is in post-production and the trailer is part of the distribution process. Also, as the footage is often from the actual film, the shots are not in the same order they appear in the film to avoid the audience picking up too much on the story structure.

Also common in film trailers, is a brief synopsis of the story-line through dialogue pieced together through film footage. For example, they will use a character saying: "The police want us locked up" in the trailer to hint to the audience that the protagonist or antagonist is not working alone and they are wanted.

Another universal convention is the film title's inclusion and position. it is usually placed at the end of the trailer and has a font and colour that reflects its genre (e.g black writing and calligraphy for a horror). Film trailers also have production company logos at the very beginning to hint to the audience what the film may feature (e.g 20th Century Fox for a large budget production).

Critical for any film trailer, the release date is always included and usually positioned at the end. This is done so that the audience can watch the trailer, decide if it is something they must see, then they have the information of the film's title, release date and social links. The addition of social media links is a more recent feature of film trailers but still very important all the same as viral marketing is a very important part of the distribution process.

Lastly, the length of a film trailer will often be approximately 1:30-2:30 and every trailer will have music that reflects the footage shown and the film's genre. Music that perfectly compliments a film trailer makes it more effective and helps the audience identify its genre.      

What I have learnt from my film mappings

Within my film mappings, I have learnt a large number of conventions that should be present in my trailer . I have seen action, comedy, science fiction and thrillers all as genres within the trailers I have viewed. These genres all carry their own qualities and identity within the production and these can be seen and identified in their film trailer.

In comedy productions, I noticed that a pause in background music would be common when a punchline is delivered by a character in order to bring attention to it. Also, comedy trailers often have a humorous tagline to go with TV advertisements or other traditional marketing features (e.g print ads). Note also that the trailer can often begin or end with a funny punchline or scene that cements its genre as a comedy. If I was to consider creating a comedy, I would have to take these points into account.

Science Fiction usually crosses over with Action or Fantasy but, in the case of Assassin's Creed (movie), Action/Sci-fi was the genre. For science fiction, I noticed that the background music changed as soon as the diegesis changed (to hint at a new environment). This is relatively common in sci-fi productions if there is a storyline that involves travelling to a different planet or elsewhere beyond earth.

Action films have to show excitement within their trailer and this can be done through quick cuts, special effects - which may not be available to us due to budget - and most importantly, action. This could include car chases, fighting, or even free running. Action may be one of the most difficult genres to do under a small budget but scenes with quick proxemics and quick transitions to keep up momentum could still help create a convincing trailer.

Thrillers need tension, above all else. This can be done through careful selection of the background music (important for all genres) that could include a slow tempo and plenty of depth to the bass in a surrounding which is both dangerous and unfamiliar to our protagonist (just like the opening to the Assassin's Creed trailer). Also, Thrillers can benefit from slower transitions that speed up when a character is under threat, and this can then cross over with horror, action or another genre when the threat is revealed in the production. These points must be considered if Thriller becomes the chosen genre.

In addition, all the film trailers I analysed were from 2016 and they all carried one thing in common: hashtags. Usually positioned at the very last shot, information on how to share the trailer (or your comments) were placed here; not dissimilar to institutional information. In this task of creating a film trailer, invention of a hashtag for our film is an absolute must.

The film mappings I have been tasked with researching has given me invaluable information on different genre conventions, the importance of  giving some kind of information on how to share the production, and most importantly it has made me consider what has to part of my own work, depending on my choice of genre.  

Now You See Me 2 film mapping and analysis

Now You See Me 2: film mapping

0:16 Summit Entertainment a lionsgate company
1:08 THIS SUMMER
1:28 YOU HAVEN'T SEEN
1:33 ANYTHING YET
2:11-2:13 Now You See Me 2
2:14-2:16
Jessie Eilsberg  Lizzy Caplan
Mark Ruffalo  Jay Chou
Woody Haroldson  Sanaa Lathan
Dave Franco  with Michael Caine
Daniel Radcliffe  and Morgan Freeman
2:16-2:20
story by ED SOLOMON & PETER CHIARELLI
screenplay by ED SOLOMON
directed by JON M CHU

JUNE 10

www.NowYouSeeMe.movie
facebook/NowYouSeeMe.movie
twitter instagram/NYSM.M
#NowYouSeeMe2


Analysis of NYSM2

The trailer of Now You See Me: The Second Act seems to take a different take than its predecessor. The first film's trailer featured a bank heist in which an owner and/or supervisor of a French bank was transported from New York to Paris in just a few seconds through some kind of "magic". This then allowed the protagonists (four of the world's greatest magicians) to requisition cash from the bank's vault. The story then leads to our antagonist (Morgan Freeman) attempting to track them down and discover their secret to the bank heist's execution; with the police doing exactly the same thing.

The sequel sees Morgan Freeman return and a similar trick of someone being transported across country in an instant being part of the story. However, similarities end here. There is a change in cast among the protagonists, "The Four Horsemen" and the film's location. The story appears to now take place in China and New York rather than Paris and New York.

Most importantly however, the sequel's trailer has a layer of humour that was absent before. We see punchlines, potentially humorous scenes throughout and slightly less intensity than the first film's trailer. While Now You See Me 2 is still a Thriller/Action movie, there are a few conventions of a comedy in the trailer.

Firstly, there is the pause of the (non-diegetic, asynchronous) background music whenever a punchline is delivered; common in comedy movie trailers. The trailer also begins with a lightly-comedic scene of one of the Horsemen trying (and failing) to teach someone magic.

The pause in background music is not only used for humour, however. It is also used for tension (critical for a Thriller), with lines that are delivered by the antagonist (Morgan Freeman) also carrying a background music pause. This ensures that there is still a certain level of tension and a threat somewhat to the protagonists with this addition. The combination of humour and tension also makes the protagonist seem somewhat "cool" under the pressure of whatever situation the film presents. This could simply be because trailer is a compilation of the crew's best moments, but the trailer still portrays the characters in this way regardless.

Now You See Me: The Second Act has a film trailer that shows conventions present in an action, comedy and thriller production and this will hopefully see the film become just as successful as the first. The comedic scenes just have to avoid seeming forced to the audience and the cast change (most noticeably Isla Fisher's absence and Lizzy Caplan's appearance) should be as seamless as possible.

Assassin's Creed film mapping and analysis

Mapping for Assassin's Creed Trailer

0:02-0:06          The Following Preview Has Been APPROVED For APPROPRIATE AUDIENCES By The Motion Picture Association Of America, INC.
0:08                   20th Century Fox
0:09                   Regency
0:10                   Ubisoft
0:30-0:31           20th Century Fox Presents
1:48-1:49           ASSASSINS CREED
1:57-1:58           12.21.16 Assassins Creed Movie.com        #AssassinsCreedMovie

Analysis for Assassins Creed Trailer

The Assassins Creed trailer (released around May 2016) has the challenge of making a film for a gaming franchise seem engaging to both casual sci-fi and action film fans, but also more hardcore fanatics of the franchise and passionate gamers alike.

One sign of this synergy between gaming and film genres is the institutions. We see Ubisoft in alignment with Regency and 20th Century Fox within the first few seconds; telling the viewer that this is a production with gaming kept in mind.

The trailer itself is also filled with 'easter eggs', hints and signatures that the average Assassin's Creed fan will recognise and (hopefully) be very enthusiastic about (e.g: hidden blade carried by protagonists).

In terms of how the shots are put together, the trailer begins with fades to transition each shot and make the trailer seem slick to begin with. The shots are also on-screen for approximately two to three seconds with a deep, slow-tempo tone to the (non-diegetic, asynchronous) background music. This makes the trailer seem as if it is moving relatively slowly and lets the audience focus on the dialogue which gives critical hints to the storyline.

The music and shot length at the beginning is in sharp contrast to the last 30 seconds. This sees Kanye West being played (with a moderate to fast tempo) while action shots of the "Assassin" are shown. The action shots last for between 1 and 3 seconds, but the pace of the kinesics give off the impression of a shorter sequence. All of the shots are also very familiar with what can be done in the Assassin's Creed video games such as parkour, use of a historic melee weapon and free running. The action shots also see a second female Assassin seemingly working alongside the main protagonist that is not mentioned within the trailer's synopsis. It is the only part of the story that is not briefly explained and it is likely an enigma for viewers to speculate. Note also that the action scenes are set in a historical diegesis (Spain, 16th century approximately) and the Kanye West background music starts when this diegesis comes into the trailer.

While Michael Fassbender plays the protagonist - a well-known actor and a good selling point - this has not been forefronted within the trailer at all. This trailer has focused primarily on the storyline and atmosphere to make it feel like an Assassin's Creed product: something new and interesting for a secondary audience and something cherished and loved by the target audience (gamers, fans of the franchise). Achieving this response from audiences will get the Assassin's Creed film the best possible reviews and (hopefully) the highest revenue.

Central Intelligence film mapping and analysis

Film Mapping for Central Intelligence

0:01 Warner Bros. Pictures    A TimeWarner Company
0:03 New Line Cinema      A TimeWarner Company
0:04 UNIVERSAL     A Comcast Company
0:28    20 YEARS LATER
0:48    From The Director Of WE'RE THE MILLERS
1:15     From NEW LINE CINEMA
1:29     THIS SUMMER
1:45     SAVING THE WORLD
1:47     Takes A LITTLE HART
1:50     AND
1:52     A BIG
1:54     JOHNSON
2:17     CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
2:26     JUNE 17th              #centralintelligence
2:29     Follow Us On (media logos here)    #centralintelligence

The Central Intelligence trailer shows another action/comedy film featuring Kevin Hart: now known as a bankable star for this genre. He has consistently released (at least) one high-budget action/comedy film within a standard year, often playing the protagonist.

This film trailer informs the viewer that Central Intelligence is indeed another action film when Hart's co-star Dwayne Johnson reveals his character to be a CIA operative. This dialogue is then followed by their two characters being surrounded by armed assaliants and both protagonists jumping out of a window while escaping gunfire.

The action scenes are also littered with punchlines and humourous dialogue to keep this film a comedy as well as an action film. Note also that the trailer pauses the (non-diagetic, asynchronous) background music at the time of a punchline delivery by either character in order to make the humourous tone more obvious and bring attention to the dialogue without distraction. This technique is often seen in comedy trailers and its presence can be used to help quickly identify a comedy production.

Another convention of an action film that is present here is the quick cuts and short takes within the action shots. Each shot of gunfire, car chases or other stunts only remains on-screen for around half a second or one second at a maximum. Note also that shots containing dialogue and punchlines appear to remain on-screen for approximately 3 seconds which when compared to the quick action shots, gives off the impression of a long take. The overall effect makes the action scenes seem quick flowing and exciting and the dialogue seem funnier in combination with the background music pause.

The (non-diegetic, asynchrounous) background music itself is relatively upbeat with a moderate tempo, containing a single (programmed) drum beat for some action shot transitions and dramatic footage. This adds an extra level of excitement to the shots. The trailer also opens with singing, that transitions into being synchronous as a young Robbie Weredick (Dwayne Johnson) is seen singing and dancing in the shower. This adds to the humourous tone of the Central Intelligence trailer; now well established with many features to ensure its presence.

However, what is most likely to make this film trailer a large success is Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart's co-starring as protagonists. Dwayne Johnson now has a good reputation within the production of action films and Kevin Hart is becoming increasingly popular for not only his comedy in movies, but his stand-up comedy and his social media responses to fans and other celebrities. One action film star and one comedian within an action/comedy production is very likely to perform well at box office and makes both actors bankable. Both viewers and producers know this, and the tagline "a little Hart and a big Johnson" has been put in place for this reason. It is also why these two characters are the only ones with meaningful dialogue within the highly critical two minutes thirty of the trailer.