Techniques used in film trailers

Glassland trailer

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIBFovVF0cM

Glassland is a drama film based in Dublin, Ireland. It looks into the social issue of addiction, as well as more serious criminal activity, human trafficking. These issues are suggested within the trailer and provide context of the characters lives and relationships within the film.

Long shot

Long shots are used to establish the setting; it also allows you to see the characters and the complexity of the dilemma.

The shot of the door opening is the first shot, long shot, that the audience sees. It sets the scene in what seems to be a grand house that may be abandoned This feeling is created by the dark lighting within the building, while the only light in the shot is coming from outside the door and creeping through the windows.

There are not any long shots throughout the trailer, apart from the beginning one. This is to establish the setting to the viewer but, then other shots, such as two shot and mid shot, are used to create pace and action within the trailer. This is to gain the audiences interest. Constantly showing long shots would slow the pace down and possibly lose the audiences attention; therefore, they would not want to go and watch the actual film.

Close up shot

Close up shots are used in trailers to quickly highlight the emotion of the characters. It allows the audience to make connections with these characters and therefore watch the film. This is because they want to know why they feel this way. The emotion on a characters face gives links to the narrative as the audience can see what they are feeling. This means that they portray the character and what is happening to the viewer so they can feel involved in the storyline. The audience can quickly establish a relationship between themselves and the characters and therefore make them want to watch the film to see why they connect in that way.

Two shot

Two shot clips have been used to suggest the relationship between the characters in the film. They are shown in the trailer so the audience can establish a connection between the characters and understand the relationships that might be looked at or established within the film. This would therefore make them want to go and see it as they can understand what is happening.

Mid shot

This mid shot has been used to highlight the character in the car. However, it also allows the audience to see the surroundings and identify with the fact that he is driving past houses. He is almost a silhouette which creates a dark and tense atmosphere. This also adds to the overall mood of the trailer.

Fade/cut to black

Fade to blacks are used within film trailers to suggest a shift in time. Time has moved on from one clip seen to another; this helps the audience understand the time difference within the scenes. This is so the viewer doesn’t think they happen continuously.

However, in this trailer, it particularly cuts straight to black, rather than fading to black. This is to fit with the fast pace portrayal of the drama. Cut to black has been used to create a sense of urgency within the different periods, rather than a calm transition between time.

Over the shoulder shot

In this trailer, over the shoulder shot has been used several times. It is used to show both characters within a scene, to suggest a sense of conversation. This trailer has used it to highlight the conversations taking place. It allows the audience to see what the character sees, but without it being a point of view shot.

Over the shoulder shot is used so the audience feels like they are a part of the conversation, rather than being a by stander listening in.

Short shots/quick cuts

Using short shots adds pace and speed to the trailer. The sudden movements are gripping and they keep the audience interested in the trailer, right up until the end.

In this clip, it highlights how quick cuts work effectively in increasing the pace and action of the trailer. After every different clip the next clip is always the main character stood in the same place; the only exception is that the camera is moving in from a long shot to a close up. These short shots are used to highlight the main points in the film and constantly link them back to the main character. This implies to the viewer that the main character is involved in every aspect of the narrative. The audience sees clips of each stage of the film which creates interest, making them want to see it. This is so they can piece all of the clips from this part, and the rest of the trailer, together.

Transitions

Music

The music change enhances the dramatic stressed points within the trailer. Stopping the music when the character gets back into the car suggests that what he has done is poignant and with reason. There is also no music so the audience realises the change in scene and pays more attention to this part of the trailer. This is so it suggests to the audience that it is a pivotal part in the film, which is implied to be the main narrative. To only have the diegetic music of the door shutting, makes it more realistic and brings the film ‘back down to earth,’ allowing the audience to connect with the characters as people, rather than as fictional characters in a film. The intense build up music to the cut of the car door opening is very juxtaposed in the way that the tension increases, then is cut down to a simplistic everyday action of getting in the car. After this clip, a mechanic like juddering of non-diegetic music plays which suggests the characters are getting back to reality, within the context of the film.