Research Into Similar Products: Further research into film trailers

I have already began looking into film trailers and have picked some of the main features of the film trailers i have looked at. However the features of a film trailer may be dependent on what type of genre the film is. The genre may affect certain aspects of a film trailer. For example a dark and sinister soundtrack would be used for a thriller to help the audience understand the type of film it is.

Some of the genres I am interested in are action, thriller, drama, and horror. By doing one of these genres i should research into trailers of these specific genre types. Over time i will narrow it down and decide the genre for my trailer.

Action Trailer:

Big Game (2015) - Samuel L. Jackson
Release: 16 April 2015
Director: Jalmari Helander
Budget of $10,000,000
Box office: 7.5 million USD

A young teenager camping in the woods helps rescue the President of the United States when Air Force One is shot down near his campsite. .... With the terrorists closing in to capture their own "Big Game" prize, the unlikely duo must team up to escape their hunters.

Thriller Trailer:

Split (2017) - James McAvoy
Release: 26 January 2017
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Budget of 9,000,000
Box office: 278.5 million USD

Split is a 2016 American psychological horror-thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan and starring James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Betty Buckley. The film follows a man with 23 different personalities who kidnaps and imprisons three teenage girls in an isolated underground facility.

Drama Trailer: 

Thank You for Your Service (2017) - Miles Teller 

Initial release: 27 October 2017 (USA)

Director: Jason Hall

Budget:  $20,000,000

Box office: 9.5 million USD

Sgt. Adam Schumann tries to readjust to civilian life after returning home from the war in Iraq. Fellow soldier Tausolo Aeiti must deal with the aftermath of a bombing that left him with a traumatic brain injury. Will Waller searches for normalcy after surviving several explosions, while Michael Emory must deal with the effects of a sniper's bullet to the head. With memories of the battlefield still lingering, the soldiers soon begin their long journey to physical and emotional rehabilitation.

Horror Trailer 

Happy Death Day (2017) - Jessica Rothe 

Initial release: 12 October 2017

Director: Christopher B. Landon

Budget: 4.8 million USD

Tree Gelbman is a blissfully self-centered collegian who wakes up on her birthday in the bed of a student named Carter. As the morning goes on, Tree gets the eerie feeling that she's experienced the events of this day before. When a masked killer suddenly takes her life in a brutal attack, she once again magically wakes up in Carter's dorm room unharmed. Now, the frightened young woman must relive the same day over and over until she figures out who murdered her.

Research into Similar Products: Initial Ideas

For our A2 coursework we had the option to create either the following:

• Music Video 
• Film Trailer 
• Short film 
• Regional Magazine 

 I have already decided what I want to create for my A2 coursework. Doing a film trailer means i could look at various different genres I am interested in it. gives me the chance to study different types of camera shots and how I can implement them into my work. I am interested in either comedy, drama, thriller or horror. Below are some film trailers that I believe show a wide variety of different genres that appeal to me. each film trailer, depending on the genre, use different types of camera shots and angles. For example in an Action Movie there may be an over the shoulder shot or the camera would follow a specific character. This would create a sense of leadership about this characters. Hero or foe.

Each of these film trailers have different types of genres, especially the ones I particularly want to focus on. However from viewing the trailers there is a clear overlap of genres, within a few of them. Although each film is vastly different and have different budgets there are various similarities between the four trailers:

- Each trailer has a soundtrack which is suitable for that specific genre of film which is parallel to the synopsis of the film. For example IT uses a very light soundtrack to begin with. This doesn't create much suspense until it stops to allow the characters to speak which concluded with the balloon exploding. The music preceding this was eerie and created tension suitable for the genre, however the Friends with Benefits trailer has an upbeat soundtrack which also uses the song. 'Closing Time' by  Semisonic, which fits with the film's comedic genre. The use of a well known song may make people more inclined to watch the film as it may be a song they have heard before and one that they are able  to relate to it.

- Two of the trailers have a narrative which describes the basis for the movie without giving too much away. This allows the audience to decide whether they would like to watch the film or not. It gives more information to the audience about the plot line of the film leaving the rest to the imagination of the audience. Narratives give the audience a deeper understanding of the film's story line therefore engaging the audience more and drawing them in to view the film.

- Text is used especially in the films title. It is also used to show critics quotes to demonstrate how good the film is, or to give information about the narrative or taglines. For example, to draw the audience in, IT uses "From Stephen king's terrifying novel" any horror enthusiast will feel they would have to watch the film themselves to gain this experience.

From just looking at these trailers I have understood basic features of a good trailer and these are ones I have found to be rather effective. I may of not covered all of the features, but will be able to do this when I look into more trailers over the coming weeks and months.

A-level Media Studies

Hello, my name is Adam Tooley and i am currently studying A2 media at St Thomas Aquinas. This course will consist of coursework that this blog will show my progress and present my final piece of coursework on which can either be:

• A Film Trailer 
• A Regional Magazine
• A Music Video 
• Or a Short Film 

I will work on my coursework Independently which will accompanied by and exam which will completed at A-level.