'Daybreakers' Teaser Trailer Deconstruction

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uueB1m9u8XA&playnext=1&list=PLAE119EAEF7456971

For sound 'Daybreakers' uses a mixture of over-voicing and dialogue to explain the complex narrative. The loud crashing sound bridges create a dramatic and ominous ambience which is heightened by the song used in the second half of the trailer "Running Up That Hill" by Placebo (great song) which has a sinister feel and a low regular drum beat which could echo that of a heart and gives a fast rhythm to the editing of the trailer.

The futuristic look of the film with eerie blue lighting, the advanced weopons, slick glass buildings and the narrative's technology are show mostly through long shots or close ups to emphasise the diegesis of the film and it's angle on science which bases the fantasy of the narrative in realism.

The trailer builds to a climax with straight cut edits getting quicker and illustrating the action and war nature of the plot which is the hook for the story, the idea of humans rebelling against the politically powerful hierarchy of vampires is somewhat unique.

The audience is positioned, conventionally, on the side of the humans and brief glimpses of their pain increases our sympathy for them and the hope that they will survive. Deeper questions of humanity are raised, suggesting that the narrative is heavily character based and more complex than just a war, this is highlighted by frequent use of close ups on faces.

We really liked the muddled sequence of shots and different location which teases the audience into wondering at this futuristic and challenging world of the film. Despite the complex narrative the vampire element is obviously portrayed, with iconic imagery such as neck-biting, pale skin, fangs, almost constant darkness and oddly coloured eyes.

I felt this trailer was particularly effective as it set up the main narrative and enigmas of the film yet retained a great deal of mystery by not revealing too many details. It also had a compelling rhythm and the annchorage "The Battle Between Immortality And Humanity Is On" followed by the title, which is both seen and heard, has an epic, large scale feel to it which often attrats people to see a film at the cinema rather than waiting for DVD because it looks better on that scale.

Related Links:

Web Homepage: http://www.daybreakersmovie.com/site/
http://www.apocalypticmovies.com/daybreakers-viral-website-helps-capture-humans/
http://www.capturehumans.com/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0433362/
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/daybreakers/
http://www.daybreakersmovie.net/

'The Woman in Black' Teaser deconstruction

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSHEYVGaWok

'The Woman in Black' teaser trailer trades on its antiquity, highlighted through the protagonists old fashioned suit with a high white collar and mainl black or grey jackets. The age of the gothic horror novel from which this film is adapted gives the story a mythological quality. As one of the oldest and best known ghost stories it creates fear alone through its notoriety, possibly being the root/ inspiration of many modern tales.

The shot of the room with rich purple walls, old, ornate furniture and gloomy low key lighting are all striking features of a gothic horror location. The opening establishing shot and zoom of the house displays the grey, bleak weather which sets up the intial atmosphere of the trailer. Also the overgrown garden and old, grey stone building are typical depictions of a haunted house in horror films, displaying the wealth and yet the isolation and overlooked quality of the location. Numerous mid shots frame the main protagonist in darkened, greyed corridors, all of which aim at creating clarity of genre.

One such shot is a profile of the protagonsits centred in an almost black screen. As a hand reaches out from behind him for his shoulder the non-diegetic sound brings in a loud, low quivering noise which builds to a crash as the scene cuts to black. Throughout the trailer the use of low droning notes builds tension and an unnerving atmosphere. These notes grow in volume from the opening shot fading out in the shot of the main room when a picture drum is spun. The diegetic fast paced clicking noise of the drum is intensified during the close up and a high pitched piercing note of non-diegetic sound grows to a climax as an eye suddenly appears through the spinning drum. A sound bridge crash is synchronous with a flash of the same shot in negative. This emphasises the striking moment and aims at creating a jump in the audience. The sound in the trailer creates an atmosphere of dread, unnerving the audience.

Numerous fade transitions are used, particularly for bringing the white, cracked anchorage over the screen, either a shot or a plain black board. The white text may also remain at the forefront of the screen as the image behind it fades to black. This is effective in switching the focus of the screen to the words. The typography of the anchorage is also a convention of horror films, making the genre instantly recognisable, as well as branding the film, and the white on black makes it stand out for the audience. The poignant use of 'chilling' in the first shot is very apt as it surmises the feeling created by the trailer. A single black slide, following a dramatic mid shot of the protagonist backing away from the camera in fear, has only one name written on it 'Daniel Radcliffe' this emphasises that one of the main hooks of the trailer is the famous actor in the main role. This slide follows one of the only shots where Radcliffe's face is centred and in a degree of light.

An extreme close up on the protagonist's face, half in darkness, high highlighted by stark lighting shows his significance and draws focus to his eye which moves very slightly implying watchfulness, which creates tension for the audience. Close up and establishing shots are also conventions of a teaser trailer.

Towards the end of the trailer soft, high notes, reminiscent of a music box, are played slowly with a low droning undertone introduced as the name of the film fades onto a black screen. This is extremely effective at creating an eerie atmosphere. Ambience and music are particularly crucial to horror films in order to create fear in the audience. The effective use of no speech is very striking and creates a serene picture of growing dread. This also puts emphasis onto the other sounds used which start off quietly and build to a climax which is a convention of trailers. The limited number of shots and short length, only 5 scenes from the film arer revealed in 47 seconds, aligns this sequence with teaser trailers. The final screen has the words "In cinemas soon" leaving the audience with a sense of mystery and intrigue.

I felt that this teaser trailer was brilliant for not revealing too much, yet creating a memorable ambience and enough enigmas to tempt consumers to go and see the film upon its release. Its simplicity created an unnerving sense of mystery that was highly appealing.

Related Links:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1596365/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Woman_in_Black

'I am Number Four' Teaser Deconstruction

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz7xv8BvUF4

'I am Number 4' is a film adaptation of a brilliant fantasy novel. The film has been classified as an action, sci-fi, thriller which comes across strongly in the trailer. Despite being one of the shortest teaser trailers that we looked at, it is 32 seconds long, I felt that it was very effective. The anchorage used 'This Year' creates a sense of anticipation, drama and hype to attract audiences. Also, the board at the end of the trailer advertises a link to the film's web homepage and the film's release date keeping with the conventions of a teaser trailer. The use of white text on black creates darkness for the film, makes the text stand out and appear more dramatic.

Teaser trailers commonly use close ups and long shots to familiarise the audience with the setting and the protagonist/s. This trailer opens with an establishing shot of a seemingly idyllic location. Throughout this trailer over-voiced dialogue from the film is used. These lines create mystery and introduce the audience to the enigmas of the film. These quotes pique the interest of the audience and highlight the theme of identity and secrets as motifs within the film. This dialogue also helps to create a seamless straight cut edit between two unrelated scenes.

Over the shoulder shots introduce the audience to the central protagonists and the fact that there are lots of close ups on the two characters/actors and no others in the sequence, highlight their importance and indicate that one of the hooks of this film is its attractive, young cast which would appeal to a particular demographic.

The special effects and superpowers clearly shown in close ups emphasise the genre and is another hook appealing to a niche sci-fi audience. These powers are also further enigmas and creates fascination. The music bursts in synchronously with the flash of light, there having been just diegetic noise and dialogue until this point. This adds power to the moment and rhythm to the following shots.

In the following shots impressive stunts create drama and excitement and allude to the action sub-genre. The fade transition used creates a moment where both shots are layered over one another allowing the movements to appear fluid or for moments to echo one another in motion or compisition. The slow motion of the jump heightens the sense of awe at his agility and strength. Another burst in drum beat (probably a sound bridge) helps to draw focus to that moment and emphasise how different this character is to humans, for example through his power.

The low key lighting and close up and the female protagonist's face implies a romantic edge to the film. This is backed up by the lyrics of the song 'Rolling in the Deep' by Adele, which is synchronous with the editing of the trailer. However, it also connotes to conflict and sorrow and its volume is lowered considerably during this moment to create intimacy and contrast with the following action. The music's beat is modern and fast paced, the pace of music increases after this moment and build to a crescendo. The pace of editing does like-wise, as disjointed shots of panic and action are shown. The building pace of editing is a convention of teaser trailers.

The introduction of louder diegetic noise such as the police sirens and Sarah's screams add to the tension built during these clips and the enticing drama for the audience.

Hints of other moments within the film are briefly shown and the final image the audience sees is that of the main protagonist, whose voice is also the last thing we hear. "I am Number 4" is said synchronously with the appearance of the title. This is to make the title stick in the mind of the audience by using more than one sense. The logo behind the title, although an integral part of the plot, also aims at creating a brand/recogniseable icon for the film (for a series) on which to trade for promotional reasons.

In total this films shows clips/images from 11 different scenes, none lasting more than 3 seconds. This is enough to create an ambience of the genre and the films tone which are both significant for teaser trailers. Also this is enough to 'tease' a large audience demographic into anticipating the films release.