INCEPTION

Analysis of a teaser and theatrical trailer

Teaser Trailerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hstBN0Qkqhc

Theatrical Trailerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7OTkEY1tMI

Trailers

At what point in the trailer are we told the name of the film? Why is this?

Theatrical:• We get told right at the

end.• This is probably because

it is more memorable after a dramatic climax as that when the audience are gripped.

• It also needs to be the last thing the audience sees so they will remember it.

Teaser:Like in the theatrical, we

are told right at the end to build up the suspense.

Why are we told who is starring in the film? How is this information given to us?

Theatrical:We are told Leonardo

Dicaprio stars as he is a popular actor so he is essentially one of the films unique selling points used to draw in the viewer and persuade them.

His name is shown on Intertitles after the audience has already seen him.

Teaser:Much like the

theatrical we are told through Intertitles.

What type of action do we see from the film?

Theatrical:We see short snippets

that include of mix of high pace climatic scenes and more mundane scenes (to showcase the other famous cast members like Tom Hardy)

Teaser:We see a lot of the

same scenes from the theatrical but less of the ‘normal’ scenes. The teaser really helps show the most visually enticing scenes.

What clues does the music give us as to what type of film the trailer is advertising?

The music is very dramatic (it seems to fit in with the thriller genre well). The beats in the soundtrack get closer together to compliment the fast pace of edit and create a crescendo in both the trailers but the music in the theatrical is much more complex.

It is composed by Hans Zimmer.

What can you say about the voice of the person delivering the voiceover?

Theatrical:The voiceover is just

at the beginning of the trailer and the voice belongs to the main actor in the film.

He speaks very clearly and at a reasonable pace.

Teaer:No voiceover perhaps

to remain simplistic and give less away as the voiceover gives away the basis of the film in the theatrical.

Why do you think this voice was chosen? What effect does it have?

Theatrical:They have used it to

further emphasise the actors main role but also so the audience can engage with the protagonist . This may persuade them to watch the film.

Teaser:No voice over

How does the speed of what we see compare to watching a clip from the film?

Theatrical:It has a fast pace of

edit and they have used discontinuity editing so the scenes are much shorter.

In the actual film the scenes would be much longer and some would be slower.

Teaser:The scenes are much

shorter and they only show the most exciting scenes.

Fast pace of edit near end of trailer.

Does the speed alter or stay the same?

Theatrical:The pace gets quicker

near the end to build to a dramatic climax and prepare us for the killer punch shot that comes just before the title in this film.

Teaser:It gets slightly faster

in parts but overall is faster than the theatrical as it has much less time to build to a climax.

What information are we given in the very last frame of the trailer?

Theatrical:We get a vague idea of the

films release (this is unusual as you often get specific release dates)

We are also given the website address so the audience can find out more.

Then we have the names of the studios.

Teaser: We get a lot of writing on

the last slide that the audience probably don’t read but it only lists companies and actors associated with the film.

The shot before this simply said ‘coming soon’ to leave the audience in suspense.

Which is more effective in making you want to see the film, the poster or the trailer? Why is this?

I think the trailers make you want to see the film the most but especially the theatrical because it gives away a little bit more than the teaser but still leaves a sense of ambiguity. Posters are great at conveying the USP’s but they don’t explain what the plot is about and can mislead the audience about the genre. Trailer give the audience a real felling of the genre and atmosphere of the film.

Where would you expect to see this trailer?

Theatrical:In the cinema perhaps

before shutter island (also featuring Leonardo Dicaprio) , Unstoppable or The American (due to similar genres- Unstoppable is an action and The American is a thriller.

Teaser:This is much more

likely to get be in a TV spot due to it’s shorter length (1 minute).

However, this could also be used at the cinema.