Identity Trailer Analysis

Identity - Trailer Analysis

•Mystery/Thriller/Horror film focusing on several different characters who are all trapped at a motel

•Genre is suggested at first with the use of a non-diegetic repetitive, scary melody

•Audience can identify the film’s genre through the use of conventional methods; (e.g. music, establishment of scenarios/issues for the characters to face, weather, death, mystery/code of enigma)

•It targets its audience by:•Creating a story most of which remains unclear•Attempting to reflect most of its target ages with the variety of characters•Adding tension and mystery which draws its audience in

•Trailer lasts 2 minutes and 26 seconds, making it a full typical film trailer by showing enough content to generate income

•Approximately 14-15 types of shots used, most of these are close ups/medium close-ups in order to express the fear and drama

•Use of simple cutting, fading and blurring

•Diegetic sound consists of dialogue that establishes the film and its events, including a narration from the main character which creates a third person aspect of the film as if it were a story, meanwhile screams and shouting add to create horror and terror whilst the trailer leaves it unexplained

•Non-diegetic sounds create tension, suspense and suggests a horrific theme, such as the music used throughout. The increase of pitch and volume at 1.09 onwards creates the climax of the trailer where everything starts going wrong for the characters, as they should in this particular type of genre

•Despite the variety of personalities, the characters are all represented as quite vulnerable due to the circumstances they’re in

•By using the third person story-telling perspective for the beginning of the trailer, the narrative and plot is established through the order of chronological events that are revealed to the audience and once these are set, the trailer then completes its purpose by leaving many unanswered questions. It shows that there’s a mystery to be solved but it’s up to the target consumer to find that out

•It creates its code of enigma by using carefully set questions, mostly asked through the characters, such as the disappearing bodies and the connection as to why they are all there, why they are being killed and were they set up

•The titles used make statements, which is conventional in order to sell the story that the film creates, and in doing so push the story of the trailer along so as to fit as much information in as necessary

•Using the diegetic/non-diegetic sounds, fast cutting pace, mysteries and suspense, setting and weather, the mood is easily sub-consciously established in the audiences mind, whilst we expect the film to have plot twists, deaths and frightening moments

•Common shots used in trailers include close-ups and medium shots to show character reactions to certain events in a film, along with the odd selection of long/wide shots in order to set a location

•The mise-en-scene is created by the story’s setting and plot occurrences which then needs the mise-en-scene to revolve around it and appear to make the story as authentic as possible

•A trailer is a film’s biggest selling point, it’s a method of advertisement that is very effective because it is a successful visual collection of footage that gives you more insight to the film than a poster or word of mouth

•This then makes film trailers more or less successful in targeting their audience because of what it can achieve through the use of filming, plot and editing, if these are used correctly they can target the right audience by representing the right genre

•Codes and conventions that have been used;•Fast cutting pace•Suspense through diegetic dialogue•Code of enigma•A narrative to establish the film•Suspense through non-diegetic music•Titles making statements•An unidentifiable threat•Problems that the characters must solve throughout the film•A sense of vulnerability for the characters•Production company logos