Norms and Conventions of Film Trailers

Production Information

Trailers begin in almost every single instance with the production information and age restrictions, the company logos can instantly make a viewer decide if they want to view the film or not. This can even mean a decision on whether they will enjoy the trailer/film before even watching it, this is because big companies often have higher budgets and usually higher quality productions so audiences once they see who made it will make up their mind whether it will be good or not. Reputations are massive in the film industry and production companies such as Universal and 20th Century fox have built huge ones with their worldwide audiences and can ultimately be a deciding factor in someone going to watch a film.

Production logos can be a genuine indication of the genre of the film you are about to watch, this is because many companies will concentrate and stick to one genre they create their productions on there is however companies that will have a structure of different subsidiaries that produce their own genres such as Sony. Columbia pictures, Tri-Star and Sony classics are all part of Sony’s movie structure and produce their own films but are given the finance by Sony and concentrate on their own style and genre.

Production logos are generally used to show those that were responsible for producing the film, they are usually only on for a matter of seconds as they are not part of the actual film sequence instead just to promote the company. The designs are often imaginative and creative in order to catch the viewer's’ attention so they can easily be recognised later on and promote the company helping them to gain more money and customers. Lower budget film company’s logos are often plain and not as effective because of the limited resources available unlike mega companies.

Plot Summary

The plot of a film has to be well structured and interesting if it is to be successful, trailers are similar and this is why they show the most interesting parts of the film to make sure they grab the viewer and keep them engaged for the whole length. I have a couple of screenshots that show the sort of action elements trailers will show. Taken 2 is a great example from the very beginning they show action flashbacks from the film before and then moving into fast paced action with explosions gunshots and car chases.

Cast, Credit, Studio Info

Studio information is vital to a film’s success and also the growth of a company, if they are not shown in the right way or creatively made then they will not attract viewers and they will not receive the promotion they would want. They are shown throughout the film rather than at the beginning or the end because this is when people are most likely to not be fully concentrated, as the film gathers pace the viewer will become more involved. Massive companies like Sony have built a huge reputation so their studio is instantly recognized and they can create films with a massive budget and special effects and the stars involved will be of a high standard.

Cast and credit is used to showcase the actors that are involved in the film and those who helped in the production of the film are credited for their work. The cast is usually well recognized and viewers will not need prompting to who they are but the names are usually still put in to those who may not be film fanatics can see if they want to view the movie based on actors reputations. Audiences may dislike a certain actor and if they see they are in a film this may put them off from going to watch it. Actors are sometimes like production companies in the respect of genres, they may only star in certain genres such as Liam Neeson who is well known for his high octane action thrillers like The Grey, Taken and Star Wars.

Title of Each Movie

The title screens of films are used to showcase the name of their film in a much more effective way than just text; they use different effects and often link to the plot of the film. They are not over complicated however even with the mass of effects and resources available, this is because simplicity is effective if they are full of useless shapes and affects the viewer will not really understand the meaning behind it or even bother looking at it. The most important part is that they remember the name if they do then it can spread through word and mouth or social networking sites which can allow promotion of the company and the film itself.

Stars Appearances

Major actors are often showed as many times as possible in film trailers because of the reputation and the positives that this can bring to the film. Actors such as Liam Neeson, Bruce Willis and Will Smith are huge and have fan bases that will follow their work closely and no about upcoming releases just like music stars. The financial positives are massive the audience actors can bring in make a huge profit so making sure they are showcased well and frequently is important. they are also a major part of the marketing campaign as they on posters for the films, social networking sites and film premieres, an example I have used is the new film Taken 2 and the frequency and the way Liam Neeson is shown throughout the trailer.

Liam Neeson is used many times throughout the trailer of Taken 2 because of his huge reputation as a massively successful actor; this means there will be a huge audience that follow his work. The screenshots all show certain codes and conventions of action/thriller films, there are an image of Liam Neeson with a handgun in his hand looking menacing and it enforces  fear within the audience. The screenshots all show Liam Neeson looking strong anger expressed on his face and this appeals to males who love action and fighting, the film director has seen this and threw in loads of fast cuts and action.

Music/Voiceover

Voice overs and music are used to narrate the scenes and give the audience a better understanding of what’s going on and also to help set the tone and pace of what is happening on screen. The music is usually in relation to how intense a scene is if there is romance then it’s likely the music will be softer and much slower than that if it was an action movie where it would be loud and fast to emphasise what is happening. Voice overs as said before are used to narrate what is happening in the scene, it can be used to compact chunks of information that would be too hard to understand or too long to show in the scene. Action films often use it to make sure the emphasis is on the action appearing on screen and not reading text.