Codes and Conventions of a Film Trailer

Codes and Conventions of a media text Film trailers each have a variety of different codes and conventions depending on their genre however they still have common conventions used throughout. On average, film trailers last about 2:30 minutes and a substantial amount of codes and conventions are required in order to fit a 1:30 hour movie into such a little time. Cinematography, such as camera angles/shots within a film trailers needs to show enough about the trailer for the audience to get a decent understanding of what is happening but at the same time not giving too much away. To do this, shots such as close-ups are required in order to state who the protagonist(s) is/are. This allows the audience to get to know them as well as the actor. Alongside this they close-ups also allow the audience to see the facial expression and emotion of the character which helps create the scene, if that be a particularly scary scene or a more joyful one. On top of close-ups there is also a variety of establishing shots as well. This states the setting of the movie, creating a better understanding of where and what the movie is about. A good example of these two cinematography techniques is the 127 Hours trailers, featuring close-up shots at the beginning to introduce the character followed by establishing shots to show where he is. 









 If there is more than one character within the trailer, camera angles such as a two shot are then used to either show the relationship between the characters or a conversation. This is also sometimes backed up by an over-the-shoulder shot. On top of camera angles and shots, movement also plays a big factor in film trailers depending on the genre. Within an action movie you would see faster paced camera movement in order to replicate the disorientating and hectic storyline within the movie. Other genres such as dramas depending more on slow moving cameras shots, this allows the audience to take in more of what is going on within the movie and example of this is in the Shawshank Redemption when Andy is being announced his prison sentence. When portraying a more documentary feel to a film trailer, handicam is often used, this is where the camera is being held in a hand rather than being supported by some form of equipment (i.e tripod.) An example of this technique would be the film Cloverfield where an alien attack is being recorded on camera by one of the main characters.

Due to it only being a film trailer a lot of editing techniques such as transitions and montage editing are used. This is to jump from one part of the story to another, allowing the audience to understand different aspects and moments within the movie. As well as montage editing there is also continuity editing in trailers which shows a progression throughout the trailer but shows more of one moment rather than bits of a few moments. This is a great way to attract the audience depending on the section of the film used within the trailer. Often within a trailer you will see jump cuts, which allows the trailer to move from one scene to another giving more information for the audience to dwell on.

Mise-en Scene consists of the props used, the setting and the costumes as well. These are good at portraying or enhanced the emotive the film is going for. Shawshank Redemption uses rather dull colours to portray to poor lifestyle of the prison as well as the costumes to show they are all inmates and convicts. It is a very useful technique due to the connotations and denotations of certain mise-en scene aspects. For example, within a romantic movie there will possibly be some roses in the background or given to one of the characters. The denotation of this is that it is a rose, a flower however the connotation of this is that it is seen as a romantic aspect and this particular code has become a convention of the romantic genre. Other props such as knives can replicate horror or thriller; guns are associated with action etc. As well as props used other background equipment such as posters can also show more information about a character. For example, dark band posters or even negative images can show a different side to a character and therefore create a different atmosphere around them. This can also work in creating stereotypes of a character such as an Xbox and television to show a typical modern teenage boy.

The soundtrack is a major convention within a film trailer as it can create a mood surrounding what is happening within the film. 127 Hours begins with a rather fast paced song along with the voiceover of the main character, it appears to be a rather positive mood before slowing down and really showing what the movie is really like. Genres such as horror would feature more eerie music to create tension. The volume of a soundtrack can differ depending on the genre, for example the music would appear quieter in a horror film in order to enhance other sounds within the trailer where as an action movie the music will be much louder to create that more frantic and exploding action-packed theme. Depending on the target audience, the soundtrack featured could be more mainstream if aiming at a younger audience. Not only does this promotes the music but also attracts the audience due to it being popular at that time. This is a use of synergy by the conglomerates; Sony Pictures would use music from Sony Music which will promote both the movie and the music.

Overall, these conventions will become useful in creating my media product. I wish to create a drama movie showing character emotion as well as a ‘gripping storyline.’ In order to do this I will have to use mostly close-up shots to show the facial expressions of the character. My film trailer will probably consists of mostly jump cuts to show a progression of the character and what he begins and ends like. However as always I would not want to give too much information away.