Write an analysis of the trailers for ‘Men in Black’, ‘Unbreakable’ and ‘The Little Mermaid’, focus particularly on the target audience and genre of each trailer. A trailer is a collection of the most significant scenes of a film put together as part of a ‘teaser campaign’ to attract a particular audience. There are many factors used in trailers that make it suitable for the target audience and also depict the genre of the film.
There are different types of trailers used to entice audiences. Some trailers tell you a brief summary of the film, whereas others just show scenes without a voiceover to support it as part of a teaser campaign. The significant scenes normally include powerful scenes that show the genre of the film without saying so. The styles of trailer used are normally related to the genre. The three film trailers that will be examined, are, ‘Men in Black’, ‘Unbreakable’ and ‘The Little Mermaid’. They are all very different films that all have different genres and attract different audiences.
‘Unbreakable’ is a supernatural thriller. There are two main things that show this. One of these is the text that appears on the screen that reads “from the makers of The Sixth Sense.” This film was a thriller which implies that so is Unbreakable’. This is also proved through the short dramatic scenes and the suspense it creates by not giving too much away. It is aimed at fifteen year olds and over. There is no music in this or any fast moving clips which means the trailer and film is designed for a mature audience.
However, ‘The Little Mermaid’ is an animated adventure. It is targeted at children aged between two to twelve years old. The first thing that proves this is when the trailer starts and the graphics are animated similar to cartoons. The fast moving clips that show a variety of angles help keep the child entertained along with the lively music. It is necessary to keep young children entertained by using colour, bold graphics, lively scenes and music
‘Men in Black’ is a sci-fi comedy action. This is shown when the voice of Tommy Lee Jones (main character in film) says “we are here to monitor extra terrestrial activity on Earth.” This is the first clue that implies the film is science fiction. The part of the genre to do with comedy is show to us through the short clips throughout the trailer. The film is aimed at twelve to sixteen year olds. This is because it uses young humour that the target audience can relate to. Also the creatures in the film could appear quite frightening to an audience of younger than twelve.
The three films seem to contrast greatly, one is an animated adventure, and the other a sci-fi mixed with comedy whereas the last is a supernatural thriller. All three trailers tell us the names of the films but at certain intervals in the trailers. The trailer for ‘The Little Mermaid’ tells us the name of the trailer right at the beginning of the trailer with a very dramatic climax of singing and music in the background. This is probably to do with the target audience. Children have a short concentration span and so it is important to tell them the name of the film right at the beginning of the trailer so they know what it is about. The added climax also helps keep the attention of the children.
In the trailer for ‘Men in Black’ the title of the film is the last piece of information given through the voiceover. This is because it does not really play significant part in the film. The film is about science fiction not men in black suits. In the trailer for ‘Unbreakable’ the name of the film is given right at the end of the trailer. It is just shown on the screen with no voice over. This ties in with the type of film it is. Because it is a supernatural thriller and the idea of keeping the audience in suspense, right through the trailer you are made to feel very curious about what the film is called and so are kept in suspense right through the trailer.
Two of the film trailers use a voiceover. These are ‘Men in Black’ and ‘The Little Mermaid’. There is no voiceover used in ‘Unbreakable’. This is to do with the genre of the film. Because the film is a thriller and has a supernatural theme, the whole trailer seems to follow this idea. Therefore without having a voiceover it makes it sound eerie and because voiceovers are typical of film trailers, it could also be implying that this is a not so typical film.
The voice over in the ‘Men in Black’ trailer is only used near the end. It tells you the famous actors that are in the movie “starring Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith” and gives you information about other films made by the same makers of ‘Men in Black’. It then tells you the name of the film and the slogan “protecting the Earth from the scum of the Universe”. The voiceover is only used to give you extra information about the film such as who’s in the film and info on the director. The clips that are used from the film are the most significant ones that are put together to give the audience a quick summary of the film.
