Storyboarding- breaking down the trailer

Before we get started in re-creating the trailer, we need to find out the different pieces of film needed and the times of each clip. The storyboard below shows a break down of screen shots of the trailer, indicating when the location changes and what the characters are doing etc.

Blair Witch Project Trailer

The Blair Witch Project is a very conventional trailer due to many reasons. Its genre is made clear to the viewers through the use of a atmospheric sound track.

We thought that the trailer for The Blair Witch Project would be a good trailer to try and copy. The pieces of footage could easily be filmed using the cameras provided at school and the locations surrounding the area in which we live. The footage that we get can be edited using the program Final Cut Express. The sound in the trailer would also be easy to replicate as the majority could be reconstructed using Sound Track Pro program. The titles could also be easily re-created.

Codes and Conventions of film trailers

There are many conventions to film trailers. Most film trailers include most of these conventions in order to be successful. Some of the most recognisable conventions are shown below:

• Consistant one liners- helps the audience engage with the characters
• Range of dramatic camera angles and movement
• Titles which introduce events/ characters/ information about the film
• Music to create an atmosphere or help tell a story
• Montage editing- so the viewer gets a taste of the whole
• Voice overs to tell the story
• Stars of the film showcased to appeal to a wider audience

Types and purpose of film trailers

The purpose of a film trailer is for the production company to try and sell/ promote their film to an audience. It is a very important feature in the marketing stages of film production.

There are 3 types of film trailers. A teaser, a theatrical and a TV spot.

A teaser trailer is a very short trailer (30-60 seconds long) which is usually released a long time before the actual film is due to be released to tease the audience. They are only usually made for big budget productions. The film Paranormal Activity made excellent use of teaser trailers and made huge profits from the film.

A theatrical trailer is a much longer trailer (2-4 minutes long) and offer the viewer a much bigger insight into the film. They usually outline the story/ concept of the film and can be viewed on TV, online, internet or even in cinemas before films of a similar rating/ genre. They often include voice overs which introduce the film to the audience.

A TV spot is a trailer which is a short cut of a trailer which is shown on TV. Producers have to pay for this and air time is very expensive. They are designed to make a big impact on an audience in a short space of time.

Top 5 film trailers 5

This trailer accompanies one of my favourite films. I really like how the producer has used a variety of shots and camera angles to show the characters in different situations. The inclusion of very famous actors/ actresses (Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler) also makes the film appeal to a large target audience as people who are fans of those will want to see the film along with others. The trailer is conventional in terms that it includes titles throughout briefly describing the story. A variety of shots are cut together with quite fast paced editing making the film appear action packed and exciting.

Top 5 film trailers 4

I chose this trailer as being one of my favourites as I really like the way that the producers have bought together both animation and live action. The trailer starts completely in animations, which moves onto live action when the rabbit travels away. The interactions between the characters is also really quite charming which would appeal to a wide target audience of both children, families and adults alike. The range of high angle shots show the rabbit to be less important/ looked upon by the man which changes throughout the film as he gains the mans friendship. The sound track is very up beat and happy which again makes it more appealing to its target audience. The story line to the film is very original and fun combining animals with people. The film is about the adventures of the easter bunny, for which reason the film was released around easter time making it more appropriate and enabling the production company to gain more profits. This is a convention of a trailer as many films are released at certain times e.g. Horror films around Halloween.

Top 5 film trailers 3

This is one of my favourite trailers to one of my favourite films. I really like the way it has a voice over from the main character as it makes it much more unique and helps the audience engage with the character more. The comedy element really appeals to the audience as it makes them want to go an see the whole film. The trailer features many recognisable aspects that were used in the original film, such as the voice over which also helps the viewer engage with the character. As it is a follow up to a previous film, people are already aware of what the character is like. The trailer is effective as it features a variety of different shots and camera angles, with a range of locations, connoting that it is a larger budget film, which is more likely to appeal to a larger audience. The sound track consists of well known songs, rather than a specially made soundtrack which makes it more unique but also is more appealing to the films target audience.

Top 5 film trailers- Number 2

This trailer has a really unique twist. It features footage from the film along with footage showing the reaction of the cinema audience. This means that it very much subverts the conventional film trailer. This is effective in the way in which you can decide whether or not you want to go and see the film based on the reactions of those watching it. It also helps build up an atmosphere of the film being really scary. The text on the screen also narrates the trailer in a similar way in which the actual film is narrated. The way in which the trailer has been edited also links in with its genre as there are lots of cuts suggesting that it is a horror which. The sound track of the trailer is however conventional as it features lots of loud sounds and incidental music which helps build up the spooky atmosphere.

My top 5 film trailers- Number 1

This has to be my favourite film trailer at the moment. This trailer really appeals to me as I am already a huge fan of the previous Pirates of the Caribbean films. I believe that this trailer is really unique as the actual trailer is introduced by the main character in his costume. This helps the reader engage in the trailer as it feels like they are being spoken to directly. This is very much a subvertion of a conventional film trailer. I also like how the music is really recognizable from its use in the other films. The trailer has also been put together using quite fast editing making it look exciting which matches the genre of the film in being action adventure. It does however still have some conventional features such as the fact that it introduces the characters and the storyline so the viewer knows what the film is about. The shots and clips from the film have been chosen to include lots of action and important and humorous lines from the characters to help make the viewer want to go and see the film.

Introduction to preliminary task

This year we are required to make film trailers so for our preliminary task, we have to find a well-known film trailer and recreate it as closely as possible. Here on this blog will be my progress throughout this project.