I have chosen to analyse three trailers and within these trailers the topics I have decided to look at specifically are: the use of clips: speeds, breaks the use of voice-overs or not and what affect it creates, the music and sound effects used on the screen and how effectively they promote the film. The three trailers I have chosen to look at are, ‘James Bond, Die Another Day’ where James Bond teams up with another spy to defeat a common enemy. ‘ Spiderman’ a movie about ‘Peter Parker’ a boy who is bitten by a radioactive spider and gains spider ‘powers’.
Who then uses them to fight evil in the city. ‘Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’, is about Frodo being left a ring with evil magic and a group of friends from different races join together to help him destroy it. The clips in ‘Spiderman’ start off with a few quick clips of ‘Spiderman’ swinging around the city fighting thieves and rescuing people. These clips are effective here because they show part of the theme of the original series showing comparisons to it.
Then there is a bright flash and the clips start to slow down and we see ‘Peter Parker’, an ordinary kid going to high school with his friends and leading a normal life. This show that the writers are trying to tell us that this could have happened to anyone and that there was nothing special or weird about him before this happened. Then the speed of the clips starts to increase showing ‘Peter Parker’ bitten and mutating into ‘Spiderman’ and fighting evil. Bright flashes and explosions get brighter and faster with clips being shown of Peter in-between the explosions.
In the trailer it does not tell the audience what the experiments are for which makes them want to watch it to find out. Then it ends with the ending clip from the series ‘Spiderman’ swinging around the city showing that this is a movie that is closely based on the original. As in ‘Spiderman’ the clips in ‘Lord of the Rings’ start off slowly. Showing a peaceful middle earth with Gandalf’s wagon slowly riding through a quiet little town. But then the speed of the clips starts to go up with scenes of destruction taking over and people running around everywhere in a mad frenzy trying to escape.
It uses many of the same techniques as ‘Spiderman’ with bright flashes and flames showing the action genre of the film. It is easy to see how the two action films are portrayed using the same methods and techniques laid out in a similar way for similar films. The trailer helps to promote the film to all audiences, those who have read the book and to those who just want to watch it for the action and excitement. ‘James Bond’ is another action film similar to the other two, but it is different in many ways. ‘Bond’ is a genre in itself.
It doesn’t have to grab the attention of the viewer like ordinary films it already has it. Any ‘Bond’ film has the attention of everyone as soon as it is released. Yet it still has to be enticing but simply by confirming people’s expectations of a bond film. The opening clip of the trailer is of an apparent sea but it then turns into the bodies of women. One of the main things that are considered necessary in all ‘Bond’ films. As they are a typical part this helps to reassure the viewer that this is a true ‘Bond’ film.
Clips of Bond through a gun of ice, as it fires and the bullet explodes out of it. Firstly it sends a cold sudden shock down the audiences’ spine, awakening them and making them alert to everything from then on. This is good advertising because it also creates an eerie feeling of suspense again making the viewer watch everything from then on. As the gun fires the clips change to quick clips of exciting action scenes from throughout the film. Clips of action reassure the audience that this ‘Bond’ film will have just as much action and excitement as any other ‘Bond’ film.
The clips in the trailer have been joined in a way so that they drastic quick scene changes are rapid and fluent. They are separated with short black frames to give a definite end to each scene. Then the ice gun reappears and a silhouette of a woman blows the smoke away and it transforms into the title graphics. The director uses this to end the trailer because it gives a definite end, with the bullet being shot. And it symbolises the essence of ‘Bond’ with a woman blowing it away. The voices heard in the three trailers used are quiet different, creating different effects each suited for the individual trailer.
In ‘Lord of the Rings’ the main voice heard is of Gandalf talking virtually in a voice-over form, slow and descriptive. Talking of the evil and destruction that will take place if the mission fails. It creates a feeling f tension and suspense in the viewer saying what could happen yet not giving away the ending for those who have not read the book. It also has a few memorable line from the book such as “if you want him come and claim him! ” by Arwen. And “You shall not pass” by Gandalf.
This creates an impact into the viewer because it makes them wonder what these lines mean in the entire context of the film because that is not given only the lines themselves. In ‘Spiderman’ there isn’t a voice over. They use the voices of the characters on screen, which works well in the trailer. So it doesn’t tell the plot away but enhances what is seen on the screen. Very much American voices, appealing to that market. In contrast to ‘Lord of the Rings’ this trailer tries to explain what is being seen t that moment in the trailer whereas in the ‘Lord of the Rings’ it says what could happen.
