'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.