Wednesday, 17 June 2015

Summary of trailer analysis

I have analysed drama genre trailers as this is the genre my film will be. Two of the trailers I analysed have the sub genre of sport; due to the fact my trailer will be based on the sport gymnastics, I decided to analyse trailers that are also based on this sport. My trailer analysing shows how close up's of the protagonist are used near the beginning of trailers. As well as this, establishing shots are used at the beginning of trailers as these enable the trailers to let the audience know the scene or theme of the film. Due to this I will ensure to include a close up of my protagonist and an establishing shot of my main setting near the beginning of my trailer.

All of the trailers I analysed consist of text captions near the end of the trailer. To follow convention of my genre I will ensure to include a text caption in my trailer to add in extra information about my film which could make it look persuasive.

To convey gymnastics, I have noticed within the trailers I have analysed that a lot of birds eye view shot's and tracking shots have been used to portray people doing gymnastics. To ensure I portray gymnastics effectively and in an interesting way I will ensure to include a lot of these types of shots.

In the gymnastics based trailers there are also a lot of sound effects being used to exaggerate movement to engage the audience more, therefore I will include this sound in my trailer to follow convention and make it more entertaining.

Whilst analysing these trailers I also noticed there are many close up shots used. Therefore I will ensure I include a lot of close up shots in my trailer as these are conventional to drama genres because they contribute to portraying feelings.

Monday, 15 June 2015

'McKenna shoots for the stars' trailer analysis



Camera shots:

The trailer begins with a birds eye view camera shot showing girls doing gymnastics which immediately portrays the theme of the film. This camera shot has been used to make the gymnastics look like a pattern which is appealing to the eye and therefore attracts the audience to the film/trailer.

The second camera shot used in the trailer is a close up of the main protagonist. This immediately after portraying the theme of the film, shows who the main character will be. The close up shot used connotes the fact the audience are going to be learning about this girls life and her thoughts and feelings which is conventional for the genre of drama. The shot also enables us to gain information such as the age of the protagonist which is useful for the audience to know.

A tracking shot is used here to show the girls doing gymnastics. This type of camera shot enables us to see the level of gymnastics the characters train at, which gives extra information about the film and gives an idea of how the sport is their main priority in the characters lives.


A tilt up shot is used here so the audience can fully see that Mckenna, the main protagonist, is in a cast and on crutches. The tilt enables time for the audience to think about the fact McKenna is on crutches and this will effect her life as gymnastics is very important to her and she is unable to do this sport whilst she is injured. 


Juxtaposition is used through the use of these shots; the first is an establishing shot which has been used so that the audience is able to see McKenna in the environment of her bedroom which has many trophies and gymnastics posters. This conveys the fact gymnastics is a sport McKenna loves; however the camera shot shows the protagonist looking sad and angry whilst ripping the posters down. The following close up shots a bit further on contrast this as they consist of McKenna smiling, looking happy, determined and motivated towards gymnastics. This comparison shows how the film is filled with different emotions and how the protagonist is a strong, inspirational character which is conventional for a drama genre film. 

Sound: 

The trailer begins with non diegetic sound of background music along with diegetic sound through dialogue of the protagonists saying ‘2016, I’ll be up on the podium with my gold…’ This tells the audience straight away that the girls have a big dream that they want to achieve. Diegetic sound still though dialogue is used when the main protagonist makes a joke, and the music stops to emphasise this. The sound here portrays the fact the film contains some humour and that the protagonist is a relatable character.

There is non-diegetic sound used in the form of a voice over throughout the trailer to give extra information on the film. For example it says ‘Mckenna was talented’ which is said at the same time as a shot of McKenna doing gymnastics is being shown, implying that gymnastics is her talent. The voice over states this to the audience to ensure they know this information. 

Diegetic sound of dialogue is used when McKenna’s dad says ‘gymnastics is taking up too much of your time, you're falling behind on your school work.’ This conveys the fact there is an issue with McKenna being so determined in gymnastics and to make this team; this is conventional for a film of a drama genre. In addition to this, the non-diegetic sound of music stops so that what Mckenna’s dad says is emphasised and the audience realises that this is a main struggle in the protagonist’s life. At the same time, a two shot of both Mckenna’s parents are used, suggesting they both agree with what her dad is stating which further connotes that this is a true statement. 

Here, diegetic sound is used as McKenna says ‘there has to be someone else’ and a new character is introduced and says ‘McKenna’. At the same time non-diegetic music is used which connotes a new beginning and implies there is a future friendship between these 2 characters. Also, diegetic sound through dialogue is used to introduce this character: ‘Hi, I’m Josie’ which suggests she will be a significant character within the film. 

Consecutive diegetic sound is used through dialogue as McKenna gets told ‘you kind of inspire me’ and ‘I am so proud of you.’ This shows this film is following convention as a drama due to the protagonist being portrayed as a brave and inspirational.

Near the end of the trailer, in the background of the diegetic sound of dialogue, there is non diegetic sound of music used to create a happy, positive atmosphere connoting that there is a positive outcome to the film. 


Editing:

An editing technique of ‘fade to black’ is used when the trailer is portraying the protagonists struggle within the film. The fade to blacks could be symbolising McKenna’s feelings, which is supported by the diegetic sound of her dialogue such as ‘it is the end of the world for me.’ Juxtaposing this, on positive parts of the trailer white is used rather than black as this is seen as a more positive colour; this shows there are many different emotions within the film.

The pace of the frames nearer the end of the trailer are faster; they are edited and cut together to be made shorter, making it more effective when conveying happiness; it also shows a climatic point in the film. All of these frames consist of shots that show the characters smiling or laughing and enjoying each others company which is highlighted by the length of frames.

An editing technique of slow motion is used here to emphasise the fact McKenna has hurt herself. This is further highlighted through non-diegetic sound effects which highlight the characters movement and her falling. This slow motion editing connotes the fact this is a serious injury and will have an impact upon the protagonist. 

Text captions have been edited in to the trailer to give extra information on the film. Text captions such as this are used to increase the brand identity of the film or can be used to further persuade the audience to watch the film. Here, the text caption has been used as a reminder of what the film is called as by this point in the trailer the audience are likely to be persuaded to watch the film. It also increases the brand identity of the film.

Slow motion is used in all shots of gymnastics later on in the trailer which puts emphasis on it to connote to the audience that the protagonist has got her determination and motivation back for the sport she loves; it also highlights how the protagonist got over the struggle she is going through which is conventional for the genre of drama.


Mise-en-scene:

Most of the trailer uses bright high key lighting to connote a happy, normal everyday life. The bright colours used in the lighting could also symbolise the protagonists feelings such as happy and focused. However, on parts of the trailer where the protagonist is going through a tough time, low key lighting is used which is darker to emphasise the feelings of the protagonist such as sadness and anger; the darker lighting helps the audience to emphasise with McKenna. 

The clothing of the protagonist is usually basic T-shirts, shorts and cardigans which portrays her youth to give the audience an idea of the age of McKenna. Also, the T-shirt she is wearing near the beginning has a gymnastics logo which portrays her passion for gymnastics. In a lot of shots McKenna is wearing a gymnastics leotard which suggests she spends a lot of time doing gymnastics, further portraying how much she enjoys the sport. 

Many frames in the trailer consist of the characters showing different emotions through facial expressions and also actions such as laughter, crying, smiling etc. This is conventional for a drama as many usual for it the consist of many different feelings and emotions. 


Thursday, 11 June 2015

'Stick it' trailer analysis



‘Stick it’ trailer analysis

Camera shots:
The first camera shot used within this section is a close up of the protagonist to let the audience see who the protagonist is and suggests we are going to learn about this persons life and her feelings.

An establishing shot showing a gymnasium is used which juxtaposes the shots used previously of the protagonist on a bike as the sports change stereotypically to a very girly sport. The establishing shot allows for the gym to be seen in full which enables the audience to make this comparison. It also sets the scene for the film and gives extra information about the protagonist. 

A point of view shot is used along with a three shot and two shot with these people staring at the camera in disgust. This emphasises the fact everyone is looking at Hayley (the protagonist) like this which allows he audience to be in her shoes and gives a realistic view on her feelings and experience. Immediately after this a close up is used so the audience can further see Hayley's feelings in the situation. The shot shows her sighing which connotes the fact she is fed up and does not want to be where she is.

A birds eye view shot is used to show Hayley doing gymnastics moves. This camera shot is used after shots of girls being horrible to her about gymnastics. This connotes to the audience a sense of determination from the protagonist as the birds eye view enables them to see her practising the same or similar moves everyday as seen in the change of clothes in this shot. It shows she is taking negativity to prove others wrong which gives a lot of information about the protagonist and the drama film.

A pan shot is used along with editing to show Hayley and then the big gymnasium where she is supposedly going to compete. The diegetic sound through dialogue of her coach just before the shot saying ‘this could be your last chance to turn your life around’ suggests this is a big thing for Hayley. The pan shot shows a close up of her face which enables us to see she is fearful. It then allows us to see the gym which is what she is looking up at. The view enables us to see how scary and how big of an event it is which adds to our knowledge of the fear of the protagonist. 

Editing and sound:

At the beginning of the trailer editing techniques such as special effects have been used between each frame along with the non diegetic sound of a narrative from the main protagonist, Hayley, which says 'everyday I break the law, of gravity, and sometimes other laws get broken in the process.' Sound and editing have been used together here to exaggerate the shots and create a dramatic first impression of the film which gives a background of the protagonists daily life and also gives context to the film. The drama that is immediately portrayed persuades the audience to watch the film which is a main purpose of the trailer. 

The narrative continues with a black screen edited in, between the shots. The non diegetic sound used through dialogue of Hayley saying 'I got sent back to a world, I thought I had escaped forever' is said at the same time as the black screen appearing which connotes the fact that she feels like the world of gymnastics (which is further shown in the trailer), is complete darkness for her. The words 'world' and 'escaped' suggests it is a dramatic sport that she dislikes a lot however it is difficult to get away from. Immediately after this an establishing shot showing a gymnasium is used to set the scene and give context to the 'world' she is talking about and also gives the subject of the film.

In this part of the trailer editing is used as when she falls the colour of the shot changes to black and white. This emphasises the fact she has fallen and could symbolise to the audience that she has falls in her life that will be shown in the film, but is determined to get over them. This is a conventional aspect of a drama genre. Non-diegetic sound is used here; as she is tumbling there is music which builds tension as if something bad is going to happen before she falls. Immediately after this, diegetic sound is used in dialogue when the coach says ‘are you going to hurt yourself?’ and Hayley replies ‘probably.’ This sound and the editing used before emphasises the fact that hurting yourself in gymnastics is a normal, thing that happens regularly which gives the audience a lot of background and information about the film.

The length of the frames near the end of the trailer are cut together to be shorter showing this is a climatic point of the film. Alongside this, diegetic sound of cheering, clapping and laughing is used to give a positive, happy vibe towards the audience. Non-diegetic sound is also used here as music contributes to the positive atmosphere of the shots. There is also special effects editing used at this point highlighting the fact everyone is happy as it shows a lot of movement and bright colours emphasising the fact there is a lot is going on.

Frames of text captions are edited into the trailer, especially near the end to give the audience extra information on the film. For example at the very end there is a text caption saying Stick it’ which reminds the audience of the film name after they have watched the trailer as by this point they are then encouraged to watch it and it also gives a brand identity to the film. In addition to this, non diegetic sound is used to exaggerate the movement of the text, attracting the audiences attention ensuring they read it. 


Mise-en-scene:

The beginning frames of the trailer consist of the protagonist on a bike, wearing a hoody, jeans and carrying a rucksack. This mise-en-scene of clothing is seen as stereotypically male, suggesting Hayley is not a girly character. The other characters shown in this first part are boys which also connotes she hangs around with boys. Juxtaposing this, a contrasting scene is put after these shots of a gymnastics academy which shows how different biking and gymnastics are, highlighting the fact gymnastics is not an activity Hayley would be interested in. 

In other shots such as this, Hayley stands out as her clothing is baggy and darker colours which juxtaposes to the gymnasts who wear leotards that are much more vibrant colours such as pink. This also makes the gymnasts look more ‘girly’ compared to Hayley which makes her stand out in the environment she is in. 

Wednesday, 10 June 2015

'The Fault in our Stars' trailer analysis




‘The Fault in our Stars’ trailer analysis

Camera shots:

The trailer begins with an establishing shot of the sky with stars to relate with the title of the film, 'The fault in our stars,' and to set the scene. It could be symbolising the life of the protagonists and connotes mystery as to what the characters and their lives are like, which is key for a drama genre. It makes the audience wonder what the 'fault in our stars' is. 

Immediately after this camera shot, there is a birds eye view of the main protagonist, Hazel, implying she is lying under the stars just shown and looking at them. It is late at night whilst she is here which suggests she is in deep thought about something in her life which the audience then is intrigued in. 

There is an extreme close up of Hazel's eyes used later on in the trailer to portray the same idea. Eyes show the emotions of a person, therefore we see further into her feelings which is conventional for the genre of drama. This shot shows her closing her eyes which implies the characters feelings of giving up, or loss of hope. 

The rest of the trailer consists of mostly two shots consisting of Hazel and Gus, the two protagonists, showing they are the main characters and suggesting they have strong feelings for each other and there is a story developed about them and their feelings and the struggles they face.


Sound:

The first part of the trailer consists of a non diegetic sound of a narration from Hazel which immediately gives the audience an insight of the main characters life and feelings by what she is saying. After she says 'this is the truth,' the sound of voices changes to diegetic sounds within the film. Hazel says 'I believe we have a choice in this world, about how to tell sad stories. You can sugar coat it.. I like that version as much as the next girl does, its just not the truth.' The language used in this narrative shows the audience how this is going to be an emotional film and will show the characters true feelings. 

At this point in the trailer, the diegetic sound through the use of dialogue of Hazels mum saying 'have fun, go make some friends' and then the following shot showing a new character which further shows him introducing himself by saying 'I'm Augustus Waters,' suggests he is going to be a key person in Hazel's life and another main character in the film. This shows how the two protagonist characters are going to have a developing friendship/relationship throughout the film. After this, diegetic sound of dialogue is used again as Hazel introduces herself; therefore both of the main characters have been introduced to the audience. 

Diegetic sound is also used when Gus asks Hazel 'What's your story' and she replies 'I was diagnosed when I was 13' and Gus interrupts saying 'no your real story.' This dialogue suggests the film is not just about cancer, but about the protagonists lives and their feelings. 
The non diegetic sound of music of 'what you wanted' by one republic is used and interlinks with the dialogue in order to be effective. The music builds up tension when needed, but is also positive and inspiring at points to show the protagonists fighting through their illnesses.


Editing:

The frames at the start of the trailer are edited and cut together at an average speed, fading from one frame to the next which portrays a reflective prospective. Nearer the end of the trailer, the cuts of each shot are faster and shorter which shows a climax of the narrative.

When there is a diegetic sound of Hazel saying 'Gus, I'm a grenade', this turns into non-diegetic sound as the narrative voice of 'one day I'm going to blow up and I'm going to obliterate everything in my wake.' Whilst this is being said they shots have been edited into slow motion suggesting it is a look into the future to show her 'blowing up.'

Another editing technique used is text captions on black screens between frames in the trailer. These have been edited into the trailer to give extra information about the film to the audience. The font and colours use give the film a house style and brand identity.  

There are many shot reverse shots used with Hazel and Gus suggesting there is a strong connection between the two characters. These shots are used early on in the trailer to foreshadow the fact there is going to be a relationship or friendship between the two characters later on. When the characters know each other and spend more time together, two shots are used instead to portray them as a couple.

Mise-en-scene:

The clothing of the protagonist Hazel is a T-shirt, denim jacket, converse and she is carrying an oxygen tube. This conveys the fact she is young and ill which makes the audience empathise with her. The other main character Gus wears a T-shirt and jeans which shows his youth too.

At the beginning of the trailer there is a use of warm low key lighting which contributes to portraying the protagonists’ love story. It conveys a heart-warming atmosphere to the audience. Contrasting to this, other shots such as when Hazel is being rushed to hospital use colder low key lighting to portray tension and a dramatic atmosphere which makes it more realistic and emotional for the audience again making them empathise with the protagonist. Other shots when Hazel and Gus are out together use high key lighting to create a happy and positive atmosphere. This shows they are happy when they are with each other and are having a good time. 

There are a few shots within the trailer that show Hazel crying which suggests the film is very emotional and portrays the fact that she being a young girl with cancer is very difficult to live with. However this is juxtaposed with shots showing Hazel laughing and looking very happy which shows the audience how you can have a good, normal life and be happy despite having an illness. This conveys that there is also a lot of happiness in the film even though it is very emotional; this is conventional for a drama genre.

When the protagonists are out for dinner in a restaurant, the mise-en-scene connotes romance. Hazel is wearing a sophisticated dress and Gus is wearing a suit and tie. They both look mature which matches the atmosphere of the restaurant which is sophisticated and romantic. This gives the audience an idea of their love story.

Tuesday, 9 June 2015

Drama genre analysis

Drama film is a genre that relies on the emotional and relational development of realistic characters. While Drama film relies heavily on this kind of development, dramatic themes play a large role in the plot as well. Often, these dramatic themes are taken from intense, real life issues. Whether heroes or heroines are facing a conflict from the outside or a conflict within themselves, Drama film aims to tell an honest story of human struggles.


http://thescriptlab.com/screenplay/genre/drama


Dramas are serious, plot-driven presentations, portraying realistic characters, settings, life situations, and stories involving intense character development and interaction. Usually, they are not focused on special-effects, comedy, or action, Dramatic films are probably the largest film genre, with many subsets.


http://www.filmsite.org/genres.html


A movie or television production with characteristics (as conflict) of a serious play; broadly :  a play, movie, or television production with a serious tone or subject.


http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drama