Codes & Conventions of Film Trailers A2 Advanced Portfolio Media Coursework 2017

1. MollyChapman 3032

2. An advertisement or commercial for a feature film that will be
exhibited in the future at a cinema
Originally trailers would have been shown at the end of a
feature film screening however, audiences tended to leave
after the film ended so trailers are now shown before a film
begins
They are becoming increasingly popular on the web – of an
approximate 10 billion videos watched online annually, film
trailers rank #3 after news and user-created videos

3. First part of trailer – production logo is
shown
Production company's reputation can
benefit the trailer, for example, if an
individual has seen aWarnerBros film and
recognizes the logo, they are more likely
to watch the new film
Creates an idea of the type of film the
trailer is selling e.g. if it’s a DreamWorks
logo, its likely to have a high budget &
adhere to the reputation of being family
friendly

4. Film title is in every trailer, generally at
the end – more likely to remember the
name after watching it
Font, colour and backdrop gives viewer
a good clue as to the genre of the film
e.g.We’re the Millers look more
comedic & light hearted – due to bright
colours & friendly font used
Whereas,The Conjuring is evidently
horror, exemplified by the dark
background and ominous white font
They are unique fonts & designs that
differ from other distributed
trailer/films

5. Online promotions of film film
production evolved
New convention – to add website URLs,
twitter hashtags or accounts to follows
Popularity of sites such asTwitter,
Instagram,YouTube and Facebook –
spread the word & gain interest of
many people
Reaches global scale meaning there’s a
wider audience for films
Allows audiences to engage with a film
by sharing their thoughts online and
interact with actors from the film

6. Shown towards the end of a trailer – provides guideline for target
audience age
It is important – rating reflect the content of a film
E.g. there can be moderate to higher levels of violence, sexual scenes &
bad language – helps audiences choose what film to watch depending
on their interests

7. For some films – focal selling point
may be the actors
Famous/well known actors may
attract audiences who are familiar
with their previous work
Characters have capability of
engaging audiences emotions
(create connection and relations) –
more likely to enjoy a film
In trailers, the most well known
actors are displayed to attract a
wider audience

8. It is vital to utilize sound that reflects the genre of the trailer
(narrative) e.g. hearing a Sam Smith song is likely to
misguide the audience of the genre of a film
Voice narration is equally important in trailers – helps to
understand the plot & characters. It can either be external
meaning = added on top of footage or sections of dialogue
from the actual film
Parallel mood music = provokes emotion in the audience

9. The official full trailer for a film
typically lasts between 1.5
minutes and 2.5 minutes
Horror films tend to have 20
and 30 second teaser trailers
which are to emphasize the
thrill & action – don’t always
show the title of a film, making
an audience more eager for the
release

10. Actors/directors/producers names
– audience can see films that are
produced by people they either
are/are not fans of
Directors likeTarantino and Burton
have unique filming styles
Clever way of attracting a large
audience – ‘endorsed by Tarantino’ so
not directed by him but he agreed
to have his name in the trailer
because he enjoyed it

11. Release dates are shown at the end, like the film title so
audiences remember it
Revealed some time before the movie is released in
cinemas – to ensure as many people see it before it is
released to the general public