Purpose: The purpose of this film trailer is to entertain the audience and to create the preferred reading of being horror and to create a sense of terror. Berberian Sound Studio creates the problem of having to work on something unwillingly after the situation becomes too twisted. The story becomes increasingly darker as the sound engineer is plunged into further despair; the fact that the protagonist is working on a film that requires crushing noises and screaming and that the protagonist considers this to be a horror film which he does not work with.
Form and Genre: It's introduced in a quite lengthy trailer. However, it keeps the story vague albeit, all the scenes being shown hence why it is non-linear. The genre is a mix of horror and thriller as the trailer shows quite disturbing situations and it tends to play sounds that a person would think is negative in some way i.e. screaming. Screaming is usually a signal for people to think 'danger'. The trailer is trying to promote the story of a man who has been somewhat ignorant of the events of the film he is working on. He does tend to try and stop what he is doing but he is continuously working on the films sounds despite the situation.
Location: Berberian Sound Studio does not move locales and only appears to be situated in just the sound studio the sound engineer was posted to. This may reflect some form of having no escape or the inability to move away from something. The locations tend to be in low-key lighting. The scenes tend to denote bland colours, cramped spaces and darkness. This may connote the dark genre the film has, reflecting the horror of Berberian Sound Studio. The genre being a horror, its preferred reading is to scare, create suspense and to create a sense of mystery. Practically all audio visual products that have been produced are made to have preferred reading (Stuart Hall 1980). The preferred reading (Hall 1980) of Berberian Sound Studio is to horrify and scare people because of its dark and sinister themes. Because of its vague and fearful theme, it creates a constant feeling of wanting to question the situations the film trailer is displaying.
Props: The props denoted are very in-keeping with it being a sound studio. The props being used are things such as recording, microphones and sound booths. This again is another device used to prevent the sound engineer from suspecting anything shady that might be happening. This also prevents the audience from thinking far too much into the sounds the engineer is recording. The gestures being performed seem to normal, average movements until towards the end of the trailer where the gestures become increasingly more violent and psychotic in nature.
Lighting: The main location of events seem to be in the sound studio which is apparent because of the film name. This is most likely because of the job the sound engineer was given and the fact that the studio lighting seem to be really dark and low-key. This reflects the enigma of feeling of being boxed in and having no escapes from what seems to be a nightmare. The darkness may also connote the feeling of being watched and some for of shady business, which seem quite evident with the display of the director and the actors. The costume worn by the actors are denoted to be quite simple business clothes, except for the voice actors, who seem to be wearing everyday clothes. This connotes that the business doesn't seem to be anything suspicious and is seemingly trying to avoid something dark, keeping the theme of horror very subtle.
Narrative: The narrative structure of this trailer is it begins with the equilibrium (
Tzvetan Todorov 1977), the disruption however does appear instantly but is progressive. The problem doesn't seem apparent throughout the trailer however, and the audience is left unknowing whether there is an existing problem or whether the narrative continues the problem till the end and is left unsolved. The protagonist is shown to be doing his normal work, engineering audio and nothing seems to be out of the ordinary. Seems to be a mix of Faust and Orpheus narrative styles (
Kate Domaille 2001).
Camera Shots: The trailer uses quite a lot of close-ups, to connote emotion from the main protagonist. There also two-shots/medium shots used which usually shows the protagonist and the film director and some of the other characters. It uses many extreme close-up shots as it may want the audience to focus on these things as a form of message.
Camera Movement: 45 seconds in, we see a tracking shot which is to create the effect that we are currently the character and we feel what he is feeling. The trailer features a lot of slow moving shots which could represent the passage of time and how slowly moving the movie feels like. Since we are behind the character, it almost feels like the intimidation is aimed towards the audience. The repeated use of extreme close-ups in the trailer seems to be like it is forcing the audience to see something that they may not like or the subject of the close-up could look more like a different thing to someone. An example would be at 30 seconds in, where the blender shows some sort of liquid and it may appear like blood because of how close-up the shot is and creating an unknown context.
Camera Angles: Angles are quite scarce in this trailer and only 2 low angles are featured in the trailer: The first at 13 seconds and the second at 1 minute 15 seconds. Both these connote a sense of power and importance for the subject of the low angle. The protagonist is denoted in a low angle which connotes the importance of his role in the story but not necessarily strong. The second connotes a sense of danger and the unknown and the lighting further makes the connoted point evident.
Composition: The most notable feature of the composition of Berberian Sound Studio is the depth of field used in different parts of the trailer. At 12 seconds in, the protagonist is out of focus and the film trailer features a shallow depth of field. This connotes the protagonist is currently not important until the story/narrative chooses for him to be important. This links in to the fact that they used a low angle which technically means he is powerful in some way i.e. his importance to the story but the narrative clearly connotes that his importance is much later in to the trailer. The lighting denoted are also quite low key and this could connote that what is currently being done in the studio is quite shady but the protagonist currently has no knowledge of this and is currently unknowing of the fact that he may be put in danger. The low key lighting may also connote the emotions the protagonist is feeling throughout the entire experience of where he is working; despair, fear and terror. This is most likely because he is currently creating sounds that he thinks he is making for a horror film, but the director persuades him that it is not a horror film but a another form of film altogether. He ignorantly follows this persuasion and continues to fall in to despair, albeit not physically shown. 28 seconds in, the trailer uses a pull focus to show the change in
importance of the characters. However, it may also connote that the
other character is asserting dominance because the change in focus and
almost the size.
Intended Audience: The intended audience for Berberian Sound Studio is most likely for a mature audience above the age of 16. This is most likely the dark and violent themes it denotes throughout the film trailer. Gender doesn't seem to be a target for Berberian Sound Studio as it is a thriller and not necessarily a type of genre that has no gender target. Audiences with disposable income are able to watch this.
Editing: The trailer contains quite a lot of jump cuts. This is most likely to denote a series of ellipsis which in turn connotes that time in Berberian Sound Studio is short and every moment is important in some way. It has title graphics in the beginning and the end; the beginning title graphics denoted are the distributors and the producers and the title graphics at the end denote the title Berberian Sound Studio separately which is done to connote suspense and to name the film.
Sound: Considering that the film denotes a sound engineer, most of the sounds will be most likely be a Diegetic sound because the sounds being made are part of the narrative. Diegetic sounds such as cutting the watermelon, blender creating a flowing sound and the snapping of something. Non-diegetic sounds include the music in the background and the sounds that are usually too quiet to be heard, for example: when the protagonist turns the equipment on.
Reference:
Berberian Sound Studio (2012) Film Trailer, Directed by Peter Strickland, UK, Warp Films, Available at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKG63WoOFGI [Last Accessed: 10/09/14]
Purpose: The purpose of The Imitation Game is to entertain and to create the preferred reading of a social-realistic movie in which a mathematician is a part of a organization trying to crack the code of the Enigma, an encryption machine being used by the Germans in the war. The main character is a logician and a mathematician, whom with the help of other code-breakers, try and crack the messages of the Enigma 'during the darkest days of World War II'.
The trailer is direct to the point of what the problem is. It directs the audiences' attention to the situation at hand, which is the Enigma machine.
Form and Genre: It's form is a film trailer, which means it is non-linear. This is because the trailer is not meant to make sense but it is meant to interest the audience enough to watch the film rather than to tell a whole story. The genre seems to be a social-realistic film which tackles the issue/problem of what could have possibly happened during WWII.
Location: The preferred reading (
Hall 1980) of The Imitation Game seems to be social-realism and it touches on the subject of being involved in the times of war. The multiple locale used in the trailer creates the evidence of war such as the torn buildings with the military forces posted around. The enigma is literally the Enigma machine; a machine that is used by the Germans to send encrypted messages that no one could crack unless one had an enigma machine. This connotes the problem is almost seemingly impossible to crack and is trying to create a heavy sense of despair. The code breaker, and the well known actor Benedict Cumberbatch is the main icon of this film, next to Keira Knightley.
Gestures: For a film trailer, it doesn't seem to have much obvious or uncommon use of gestures. At 1:03, a character throws something at the protagonist and it clearly shows his anger towards the protagonist. The gestures that were done in the trailer were clearly to connote the emotion that the characters were feeling.
Costumes: The costumes used goes along with the genre of war and drama. They seem to be wearing costumes from the 1940's which is from the time of the war. The military obviously wearing military fatigues and the logicians and the code breakers having suits and even suspenders on the males and the females wearing cardigans and even wearing the hats that were usually worn during the 1940's. This creates verisimilitude of the current time period, which seems to be the 20th Century in which World War II was currently happening.
Prop: The main prop and even the main problem is the Enigma machine. Having a problem right in the center and being the main focus of the story could denote some form of enigma in each of the characters involved.
Lighting: The lighting denoted seems to quite ironic in some of the scenes, because the current time period clearly denotes that the current situation is grim and is in need of a solution. It may connote the emotion of the people and what they are in need to feel, as in the bright colours that are denoted mostly throughout the film trailer could denote happiness, joy, peace but the current situation is darker than how it appears.
Narrative: It seems like the narrative of the trailer begins with some sort of problem (
Todorov 1977) as it doesn't seem like anything has been resolved. The trailer features only a sort of disruption throughout and it doesn't show whether there was an equilibrium or not because of how the trailer is non-linear. There is also the fact that if there was a known equilibrium, there wouldn't be any point to watching the film. The Imitation Game narrative structure involve some form of Achilles. The main character is tasked with having to solve a problem that will lead to victory or what could cost them their people's lives.
The main character is shown being questioned during the beginning,
which may show that whatever happened has been in the past. Throughout
the film trailer, it is shown that he is working on the Enigma machine's code
breaking but is never truly show of whether they did break it or not.
This adds to the sense of mystery and vague story line the trailer
already has.
It goes on the events of WWII which was a dark historical event and it
may be trying to remind the people of how dark it was. It is quite
dramatic and some sections seem to have some form thriller or action.
The
trailer begins calm with the soft piano music in the background, which
could connote the bleak times that the war is currently putting the
people through. It may also try to connote the time and location,
considering music that existed during WWII was mostly classical music.
Camera Shots: The trailer starts with a two-shot which features the protagonist and another character and it then cuts into medium close-up shots. The two-shot introduces the location and the characters in the frame and when it switches to medium close-ups, it connotes the emotion that each of the character is feeling. The over the shoulder shots used when cutting between the characters speaking create a sense of personal being as if the audience was being in the position of the interrogator and the protagonist.
Camera Movement: A tracking shot is used when the camera follows the train, which could possibly denote that the main protagonist is currently on a train to somewhere. To which he is then shown to be walking towards a gate. A tracking shot is used to present the main subject which is the Enigma machine.
Camera Angles: The high angle at 15 seconds where it displays the train and the surrounding forest is meant to denote the scene where locomotives were still in use. This connotes that the setting of the story is when technology was not yet highly advanced yet and the story is set in the 19th to 20th century. The high angle which shows the forestry could also connote the feeling of isolation and being placed in a remote area. 50 seconds in, it denotes the protagonist in a high angle, which connotes the feeling of unimportance because he may not be helping in the work of fixing the enigma. This may also further explain his importance to the story as he was the one being interviewed in the beginning of the film trailer. Another high angle is used 56 seconds in which denotes and woman handing a man a document. This may connote that the woman is subordinate to the man who seems to be in charge. This links in to the theory of how 'men act and women appear' (
John Berger 1972). 1 minute and 6 seconds in, it denotes the main character and a board filled with documents, presumably what is linked in with the current problem the protagonist is currently experiencing. The low angle denoted could connote the size of the problem the protagonist currently has to handle, seemingly on his own.
Composition: Depth of field is already noticeable in the interview in the beginning of the trailer. A deep depth of field is denoted, to connote the change the importance of the characters, according to the narrative. However, 10 seconds in, it uses a shallow depth of field to truly show the importance of the character, which we come to realize as the protagonist. Throughout the trailer, it features natural lighting instead of any artificial form of lighting. This is to create verisimilitude and to connote that everything that is happening feels like reality for the audience.
Intended Audience: The intended audience for The Imitation Game is most likely for audiences above the age of 13 because of themes that may require some knowledge in the World Wars and it has very dramatic scenes. Because this is a feature film, an audience with disposable income are able to watch this film.
Editing: In the beginning of the trailer, a shot reverse shot, changing from the protagonist to another character. Before this though they use a wide shot to establish the location and what is happening. This is to connote some form of tension between the characters talking. An action match is used when a character throws a mug at the protagonist as it changes shots while the action is being performed i.e. the mug hitting the machine.
Sound: The opening scene features diegetic sound where the rooms is almost silent and only the voices of the characters can be heard. Non-diegetic sounds can also be heard like the progressive orchestral intensity orchestral. This is to connote suspense through the use of fast and sudden music. The sound of the enigma machine could be considered non-diegetic because it might not be able to make the loud sound that it made unless made post-production.
Reference:
The Imitation Game (2014) Film Trailer, Directed by Morten Tyldum, UK/USA, Black Bear Productions, Available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHeUNxBvmMg [Last Accessed: 12/09/14]
Purpose: The purpose of The Equalizer is to entertain the audience and is a story of a man (Denzel Washington) who is quite skilled as he was a former black-ops commander and eliminates threats against people who have been afflicted by others in any way. An example of this would be that a woman is robbed at his workplace and he takes up the task of eliminating the robber and returning the stolen items to the woman. This links to the theory of 'men act and women appear' (
John Berger 1972) He takes up the obligation of protecting people from whatever is affecting them in any negative way. This is to create a preferred reading (
Hall 1980) of some sort of a protector of the people, but a guardian with a slightly unknown past, which further creates interest with the audience.
Form and Genre: The video is in the form of a trailer and it begins off quite slow paced. As soon as dangers arise, the music intensifies until it drops into silence. The effect works quite well with what the main character is doing; he is effectively ending something. The trailer genre is an action-based crime thriller with a lot of gunfight and well choreographed fights.
Location: The locations used in the trailer are also evidence of verisimilitude
because it still reflects the world, albeit some scenes are quite
ludicrous in the real world such as the single man take down against a group of armed gangsters.
Gestures: The film features quite a few gestures that reflects the main characters nature. 23 seconds in, the protagonist has his hands behind his back which could connote discipline and the fact that he is living a peaceful life because he has no need to put his hands out. 1 minute 16 seconds in, the man denoted holding the knife, sort of moves his hand around which may be a common action/gesture when holding on to something to get a better grip. This connotes that he is getting ready to attack or is just in fear of what might happen as the protagonist just walks in. It may also connote that something the protagonist does is something that doesn't necessarily happen normally and the antagonists have no idea how to deal with their problem, which in this case appears to be the protagonist. This also links in to the man who is holding the gun at 1:17; he moves the gun up from what may be his holster at his side and brings the gun above his waist height. This also could connote the fact that he may also be in fear of the protagonist and may want to counteract against it somehow. 1:18 in, the protagonist is denoted to be pressing his watch to start a timer and this theme may recur in the film but in the film trailer, it is only displayed twice which is at 1:18 and 2:25 where the beep is heard when the timer is started. This may connote that the protagonist is clearly confident in his skill and is just timing how quickly he can perform the act.
Costume: The costumes that are denoted are quite common, in the sense that people
wear the clothes in everyday life such as jumpers and jeans. This gives
the story some verisimilitude. However, the gang that is involved seem to be wearing business suits and the gang members wearing things such as chains and gold accessories. This is most likely a stereotype, because gangs members in media tend to be denoted in ways that not many people would appear i.e. tattoos, lax attitude which could easily turn into anger, business suits and carrying guns and/or any form of concealable weapon.
Lighting: It denotes quite a lot of fade-in and fade-outs which may represent the time he has been away from combat from the characters previous experiences. The trailer denotes quite a lot of dark colours and low-key lighting during scenes of dangerous encounters such as the fight scene with the gang members in a room; this could connote the dark themes and the hidden past the characters have. The close ups that are done during the trailer are there to denote the emotions of the characters, and this can show very heavy emotions and can also be used to foreshadow the events that will take place later.
This is most likely to connote the obligation of the protagonist and why he does what he does. The trailer uses a series of short cuts which could further reflect the skills the protagonist acquired and the ability to work under such a quick time. This could further connote his way of life, the fact that he literally equalizes the right and wrong of the world.
Narrative: The narrative of The Equalizer doesn't just focus on one disruption but multiple disruptions. Multiple solutions and situations given are shown but are not truly a resolution until the main disruptions appears. The restoration of the new equilibrium doesn't appear on the trailer for obvious reasons and it ends abrupt with an unknown ending where the main protagonist just walks away. It doesn't seem like the narrative begins with a real equilibrium but a more quasi-equilibrium in where the character is trying to live as normally as he can.
This narrative would be a mix of Candide and Circe. The story does follow a man who is following an obligation and it seems like he is unstoppable. He is also chasing down the perpetrators which creates an almost Circe feel of cat and mouse but in this case, justice is chasing crime.
Camera Shots and Movement: The camera work for The Equalizer uses quite a lot medium to full close ups, an extreme close up (i.e. @8 seconds in), tracking shots and panning shots. The most notable ones used in the trailer was the close ups. The close ups denoted were most likely used to connote the feelings of the characters but it also created a mirror to the protagonist. The subject about the mirror, it almost tries to reflect what would people do to protect others, not necessarily kill, but a person would naturally want to help someone. Close-ups tend to be focused on objects which could connote a single change would affect someone's life in a big way such as the time when the protagonists' colleague gets her ring stolen 45 seconds in.
Camera Angles: It uses a mix of high angles and low angles. High angles seem to be used purely to show an entire area and to set the location. It doesn't necessarily connote too much detail but it does connote the sense of only being a small part of the crowd but the main protagonist doesn't aim to stand out from the crowd but to stay hidden and be some sort of guardian. An example of a low angle is at 1:45 where the protagonist is shown from a low angle and quickly climbing up to a medium close up. This connotes his power over others. He is shown to be able to go against all odds and doesn't seem to be phased by most things.
Composition: It doesn't change its depth of field too much in the trailer but there is a deep depth of field and a over the shoulder shot. This is to connote that we are currently in the characters position which gives us the feeling of 'what would I do?'. The change in focus makes it seem more threatening because the deep depth of field creates the effect of the audience feeling unimportant to the current situation.
Intended Audience: The intended audience for The Equalizer is most likely for 16 and above because of violent themes and themes unsuitable for younger ages. The gender the movie is being aimed at is most likely men because of the movie being action based. The location is most likely international considering the budget for the movie. People with disposable income are able to watch films like this because they can afford to use money compared to others.
Editing: Action match is used to denote the protagonist dancing in one shot to another. This is to connote that he is going through his life as peacefully as possible and the fact that he is able to do these actions unlike before. Slow motion is denoted during the fight with the gangsters which could connote that the amount of training from the original profession the protagonist had, the movements of the antagonists are slow and he is able to deal with them easily. It may also connote the fact compared to the protagonists' daily life, when he is killing his enemies, time seems to go slower.
Sound: Non-diegetic sound can already be heard right from beginning when the music picks up quickly. This is to create suspense and with the clips going nearly in time with the beat, it creates a sort of atmosphere of expertise and almost a flair. A diegetic sound could be the watch when the protagonist starts the stopwatch. Another diegetic sound would be the punching sound when he punches one of the gangsters during the fight. Most of the sounds that can't be heard well during recording will most likely be added post-production.
Reference:
The Equalizer (2014) Film Trailer, Directed by Antoine Fuqua, USA, Columbia Pictures, Available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3V0cchHy60 [Last Accessed: 12/09/14]
Purpose: The purpose of Felony is to create a interesting point of entertainment and it features 3 detectives who gets caught up in an incident that leaves a child in a coma. One is guilty of the crime, one is trying to cover up the truth and the last one is trying to expose it. Guilt is one thing that appears truly apparent in the trailer.
Form and Genre: The video that is featured is in the form of a film trailer because of the almost non-linear style of production. It begins in a shocking tone when the officer is shot but only takes a
bruised shot. Having celebrated, he becomes a little intoxicated and
decides to drive home, not expecting what was going to happen next when
he accidentally crashes into a child who falls into a coma. At first he
tries to cover his mistake and his colleague tries to cover it up as
well. However, the officer begins to feel guilty and begins to regret
his decisions and whilst this is happening, another officer, begins
investigating on this done-everything-right officer. The genre of the film/trailer is thriller and crime and is clearly presented by the costumes and props used along with the recurring theme of investigation
Gestures: The gestures performed keep to the theme of crime and mystery where it involves officers. An example would be 3 seconds in when the protagonist walks towards a corner and he holds his gun up but unfortunately for him, he is shot and falls back from the force. 34 seconds in, he moves his side mirror out to try and hide the fact that he had caused the incident. This however, clearly adds more regret to whatever the protagonist had done.
Location: The trailer denotes quite a lot of close-ups and long shots. This is maybe trying to convey what the protagonist is feeling and the longing regret he is feeling. The long shots may also connote the feeling of being watched bye someone. Changes locales frequently, from the road of the incident, to the hospital and to the office of work. Having different locales could portray how the character cannot decide whether to expose himself as the perpetrator or to hide the truth whilst being in constant threat of being found out. It could also mean that he's trying to escape the truth of the incident and may just want to leave it all behind; a broken past. This is to create a preferred reading
(Stuart Hall 1980) of a man who wants to escape his own wrongdoing and people may be able to relate to that of wanting to run away from something but what they will most likely regret later on.
Lighting: The trailer denotes a mix of low key and high key lighting, this may connote the battle of morality within the protagonist; this may also be a message to the audience to note that the character they're are witnessing, is human. The colours used are quite bland and tend to be quite dark which could represent how dark the reality and the impact of the incident, which in turn could represent the consequences that came with drink driving.
Costume and Props: In the beginning scene denoted, the protagonist is wearing a police outfit/Kevlar vest and holding a gun. This representation further connotes the difference in gender power in that males are stronger than females. After the opening scene, throughout the trailer, the costumes they wear become a mix of casual outwear such as jeans, shirts, and they even feature business suits that detectives or officers may wear off duty. At one point, they have the cliche 'evidence disc' which is inserted into the laptop. This is to connote that there are many forms of information and the truth cannot be hidden for too long.
Narrative: The narrative is a clear mix of Orpheus and Circe but rather than being innocent, he is clearly shown to be the perpetrator and is constantly in a loss for what the protagonist had done. He's constantly going on a journey but is losing something along the way. Circe is displayed because he is being chased by his own profession. He is unable to do anything because of the fear of something happening to him. However, he is still conflicted on what should do, whether to reveal what had happened or to keep whatever happened, in the dark.
Camera Shots: The camera work is quite the same with other trailers where close-ups are used to denote emotion and to create some form of sympathetic link with the protagonist, however, the narrative of trailer further incites emotion because of the situation the main character is placed in.3 seconds in, it features a medium shot to try and fully denote the character. It uses several close ups to show emotion felt by the protagonist and the other characters. Due to the incident, people are denoted to be feeling some sort of emotion i.e. sadness, fear. The characters and protagonist is also shown to be happy 8 seconds in to the trailer. This connotes that the protagonist had a good nature and is clearly not a law breaker (considering he is an officer) before the incident.
Camera Movement: The trailer denotes many tracking shots. This connotes the fact that the protagonist has a looming feeling of regret and the fact that he is being investigated on due to his link to the incident. The trailer features mostly tracking shots, if not still shots. This further connotes that the more he leaves the situation alone, or trying to forcibly running away from his crime.
Camera Angles: The high angle 40 seconds in denotes the technical 'antagonist' from the perspective of the protagonist; the man who is currently investigating him. This may connote that the investigator is of a higher power and may not stop for anything to prove that the protagonist is the felon.
Composition: The overall lighting denoted throughout the trailer is pretty low-key and with natural lighting, albeit the natural lighting make the colours of the trailer slightly dark. This connotes the themes that are based on human morals and the choice of whether it is right or wrong of what the protagonist is doing.
Intended Audience: The audience the film is being aimed at is most likely for a general audience and the age seems to be dependent on whether people can understand the situation or not so therefore it would be most likely above 13 years of age. The low budget that it meant that it took nearly a full year before being released in the country it was filmed in, Australia.
Editing: An action shot is denoted in the beginning of the trailer. This is to connote the danger of being an officer on duty. It shows him moving towards a gunner and in the process gets shot; he is shown to being shot and is shown in another shot to be falling from the shot. Several title graphics fade in from black which, if pieced together 'Life can turn in a moment'. This literally connotes the fact that anything can happen and there are huge consequences even to the smallest of events.
Sound: An example of a diegetic sound is in the beginning where the officers take down the door and forcibly opening it, resulting in a wooden cracking noise. This may connote that they are literally trying to break down the case. Another diegetic sound would be the gunshot when the protagonist gets shot. A non-diegetic sound would be music that starts right after when the title graphics 'LIFE' fades in.
Reference:
Felony (2014) Film Trailer, Directed by Matthew Saville, Australia, Benayaro Pictures, Available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtzscvA-FJI [Last Accessed: 13/09/14]
Purpose: The purpose of Now You See Me is to create a preferred reading of a movie involving illusionists, the Interpol and the FBI; this is to entertain the audience. The story is centered on 4 magicians who are all clearly talented and are summoned by an anonymous character. Time passes and the 4 magicians are now known as the Four Horsemen and features magic shows that appear to steal money from banks. This grabs the interest of the FBI and Interpol and begin to investigate the reality of these magic shows. This is maybe to create a preferred reading of mystery and a hint of crime (
Hall 1980).
Form and Genre: The trailer begins with narration and the audience currently have no idea of what the concept of the movie is. Very quick cuts are used which may reflect the way magicians are known to do, by misguiding the attention of others to perform sleight of hand and tricks. The cuts also go along with the music and when the scene of the investigators appear, the music becomes more serious and in-keeping of the theme of mystery and crime. The trailer has a recurring theme of mystery, the concepts being used by the so called magicians can be constantly questioned but it does not give away any hints to what they are doing. The beginning display can be considered breaking the fourth wall as it seems to directed at the audience. The non-linearity connotes the effect that magicians can be inconsistent in their acts as well.
Location: The most notable location in the trailer would have been Las Vegas due to the brightness and the lights. Most of the locales denoted in the trailer is mostly within buildings but due to the luxurious and large aesthetics, it connotes that the people involved may be involved in something large scaled. And example would be the first act they show in the trailer where the stage is circular and people are sat around.
Gestures: Gestures that are done are usually notably done by the magicians i.e. the card flick to reveal a different card. They denote the usual hand flairs and flourishes that magicians/illusionists have; for example, in the scene where a magician turns the card in his hand from a Jack of Spades to an Ace of Hearts.
Props: The props used in the scenes were very focused on magicians with things such as the stereotypical cards. For magicians/illusionist, they are technically able to create illusions with the environment, which could connote that everything was theoretically an illusion. Considering that the film trailer features magic/illusions,
Lighting: Lighting throughout the film trailer being denoted is extremely bright. Most likely due to the locales denoted. An example of a brightly lit locale is Las Vegas. This is most likely to connote the illusionists' attitude as to stay positive at all times. It also connotes that they can clearly see what the outcome of what they are doing compared to the people blindly chasing them.
Costumes: The costumes that they wear are very business like and almost casual, which in this case are tuxedos and dresses; this is most likely connoting how they have evolved from being solo magic acts to a team put together to create the largest magic acts. This leads on to the theme of teamwork and being able to put on an act that everyone can enjoy whilst hiding the true fact behind the acts. The constant appearance of money and it being distributed/dropped around after the magic acts seems to be a recurring theme. It could connote the greed displayed by people who are rich and to those who are without much money and require assistance in that matter. A scene that is evident of this is the first act when they enter a bank to steal a huge sum of money, they shoot out all the notes out to the audience.
Narrative: Now You See Me doesn't seem to have any specific movie structure but it can be considered an Orpheus or Circe. This is most likely because of the fact that the people who are doing the illusions and tricks are not necessarily doing it for evil but are being chased by the authorities. It can be partly Orpheus because they are on a journey of loss but aren't exactly losing anything themselves but are delving in to what other people had lost.
It begins with an equilibrium because there doesn't seem to be an apparent problem unless illusion is the problem. The only disruption seems to be the authorities chasing down the illusionists but to no avail. In this trailers case, the ones causing the apparent disruptions are the magicians towards people who are the ones who caused the original disruption. Now You See Me also ends in a very abrupt cliff hanger and it is vague throughout the entire trailer which doesn't help. This technique can allow people to want to watch it because they are most likely puzzled and want to know what actually happens.
Camera Shots: The trailer denotes the use of close ups, medium close ups and crowd shots. These shots connote the importance of awareness because magicians are known to distract people to be able to perform their tricks. Crowd shots also connote the feeling of being an audience to the film itself, creating some form of similitude. Crowd shots can be seen practically through the entire trailer.
Camera Movement: The trailer denotes tracking shots and an arc shot. The movements connote the eccentricity of the illusionists and the fact that it seems that they have made it big and are now part of the 'dream'.
Camera Angles: A high angle is denoted when the 4 magicians are arrested and put into interrogation rooms. This connotes the temporary power the investigators have until the magicians are released. Not only is it temporary, but it also means that the illusionists are the ones who have power over the investigators. A low angle is used when one of the main investigators takes a call and a spin shot(?) shows the surroundings. This may connote and pink to the fact that magicians tend to attract crowds and being in a show done in a well known locale. Not only that but a crowd is an illusionists' greatest tool when performing because they are able to manipulate the crowd in to believing they're acts are the real thing.
Composition: The lighting denoted in the trailer is mostly low key lighting. This is to connote that everything being done isn't necessarily everything and the illusionists are keeping the audience in the dark. They also use a pull focus when one of the main characters does card switch trick. This is to connote that whatever the illusionists do, the audience will most likely focus on it which is another thing that illusionists use, where they redirect people's attention.
Intended Audience: Now You See Me has no targeted audience because of the theme of magic and illusion. Ages seem to be dependent in the fact that even younger kids could watch it to enjoy the illusions and whereas the older audience can go along to figure out the mysteries of the acts and the truth behind them.
Editing: The opening denotes a montage which shows the characters performing and may be used to introduce characters in some way.
During this, fade ins are used extremely often to connote the passage of time and to create an ellipsis. During the bank robbery, it cross cuts from the stage to the bank they main characters had just apparently robbed.
Sound: Non-diegetic sound is heard throughout the entirety of the trailer, mainly upbeat music. An example of a diegetic sound would be the door being broken down by the FBI when they enter the place the main characters are staying at. The fact that the sound was so audible, it would connote that the FBI is seemingly using everything in their power to prevent these 'troublemakers' from doing anything.
Reference:
Now You See Me (2013), Directed by Louis Leterrier, USA/France, Summit Entertainment, Available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzJNYYkkhzc [Last Accessed: 16/09/14]
