I Am Legend-Trailer Analysis

I Am Legend is a 2007 American post-apocolyptic horror film staring Will Smith. The film is set in New York, a city which already attracts viewers based around a virus in which has wiped out the whole population leaving Neville (Will Smith) the last human in New York. He must fight the mutants in order to find a cure.

The trailer opens with a montage of shots showing the extremely hectic surrounds and people rushing to get out. The diegetic sound at this point is a lady's dialogue stating "I'm not infected!" this is repeated many times in order to catch all attention. There are also many screams in the background implying people are scared and frightened. This positions the audience to see how the characters are reacting to the surroundings.

Shot reverse shot is used to show Neville (Will Smith) putting what looks like his family in a helicopter to escape the diseased location. His dialogue is used to involve the audience "Nothing happened the way it was supposed to happen..." this enables us to connect with the character and understand how he feels. The medium shot shows his body language looking emotional and affected, the blowing kisses implies he's loosing his loved ones. The dip to black creates a uneasy atmosphere as you're left wondering what will happen next. The soundtrack is quiet, low mellow music conforming to the type of emotions we have just witnessed.

An establishing shot is used to show the setting/ location of New York. The city and night looks very remarkable due to the lights and lit buildings. A cross cut is used to take us to a location where there are many people trying to escape the city and be cured. Men are dressed in military wear trying to protect others and themselves. Neville (Will Smith) becomes the narrative by his dialogue, he explains the virus and the reactions. This positions the audience to understand more about the film. "Im a survivor living in New York City", this explains he's alone and the determination in his voice enables us to feel he will do something about it.

An establishing shot is used to show the city looking abandoned, destroyed and derelict. The soundtrack is fairly calming music directing viewers to believe there is no life or soul. There is then an extreme close up of Neville (Will Smith) lying in bed, this shot shows how he looks lonely and emotional. He is given prevalence as the writers want the audience to sympathise with the character and connect with him. It positions you to relate to him and feel as if you were in his shoes.

A high angle panning shot is used to show the abandoned city completely deserted and forsaken. The soundtrack becomes more eerie and uneasy making a more tense atmosphere. There is a cross cut showing a medium shot of a gun in the foreground and Nevill (Will Smith) in the background/shallow depth of field. The gun connotes murder death and violence which leaves the viewers to suggest there is something out there in which needs to be killed.  A low angle shot is used to show both Neville and his dog on a treadmill. This indicated the protagonist is working out in order to get stronger and fitter. This outlook enables the audience to understand that they will be fighting something and they need to train in order to do so.

There is then a montage of shots with headings 'Monday- Exercise, Eat breakfast, recreation and noon. These all show what he gets up to on a daily basis and how he keeps himself busy. Shot reverse shot is used to show Neville talking to a mannequin in which he has placed at the checkout of a shop. This could be because he is so lonely he pretends to interact with 'fake' people. This makes the viewers feel sympathetic towards Neville as he is all by himself with no human contact other than his dog. The montage continues including 'Noon, Hunt, Gather, Wait and night'. We see shot reverse shot used when showing both Neville and his pet dog, the close up shots show their love and affection for each other as they are all each other has. By doing this it keeps the audience much more engaged and exited to see the film. The dip to black is effective with the soundtrack becoming quite as it creates a tense and scary atmosphere.

As the scene continues the header 'Survive' enters the frame, this leads viewers to feel something extreme and violent is about to occur. A high angle circling motion shot of Neville and his dog in the bath looks as if they are both scared and hiding from something. The scene then goes black seeing only Neville with a flash light. The close up shows his mood and emotions looking terrified. The diegetic sound of his breathing and the dogs winning also positions the audience to understand the terror and horror they are experiencing. The soundtrack also becomes much louder and fresh. A tracking shot is used following Neville running. The character is running extremely quickly implying he is running from something. His facial expressions also look petrified.

We then see many weird looking creatures break through a window.  The sound effects used create unusual, growling sounds which demonstrate they are not human. The dip to black introduces a bold heading 'I AM IMMUNE' this informs the viewers that Neville cannot be killed by these creatures and will do what ever it takes to remove them from the city. A medium shot is used to show huge explosions taking place in the surroundings. From this I understand Neville has placed booby traps in places to destroy the creatures.

We see a weird creature through a close up, it has sharp teeth and claws meaning it could attack anything in its presence. The creature conforms to the horror genre as its an unnatural creation which looks creepy and frightening. It also makes viewers and the audience jump when it aggressively enters the scene. Through Neville's dialogue he aggressively shouts "NO NO NO" repeating it many times. It cross cuts to him picking up his loving dog in which looks injured. The dog looks weak and fragile making the audience sympathies with Neville and feel emotional.  Another cross cut is used showing the audience a framed picture of a little girl and puppy. From viewing this is leads me to believe Neville's daughter was killed by the virus and now his dog has been bitten too and unfortunately won't be able to recover. It then shows a extreme side profile close up of Neville with tears streaming down his face. This suggests he's lost everything and feels very emotional about the events. For the audience, having connected with Neville throughout the trailer it becomes very heartbreaking and sad for viewers watching.
A montage of shots shows explosions and violent scenes. The soundtrack is very fast pace as you can feel the trailer coming to a close. Neville's dialogue shouts "I can help you! I can fix this!" this implies he has found the cure in which he can use to help the creatures and bring back life to New York. The title of the film fades in letting the viewers know the title and think about what they have experienced.

The trailer ends with a close up shot of Neville (Will Smith) looking directly at the camera with a evil sinister looking creature scream into his ear. We understand from prior to this moment that Neville is immune and cannot catch the virus, however he is still presented as strong and brave due to the circumstances. The trailer ends on a cliff hanger and the audience are unaware of what will happen next, whether he will cure the creatures or the creatures will kill him there and then. I feel this trailer is very successful in giving viewers sneak peaks and makes me want to go and see the film.

The Shallows-Trailer Analysis

The Shallows is a 2016 American horror/thriller film staring Blake Lively. The film is based around the characters strength and determination in which she requires to avoid a shark attack.

The trailer opens with an establishing shot of a beautiful looking beach in Australia with clear blue seas and white sand. In the center of the beach you can see a character making her way into the sea. The soundtrack of really low mellow music creates an uneasy, tense atmosphere. The clear blue seas connote happiness are relaxation, however, the darker tones demonstrate a more evil surrounding. We then see a low angle shot panning upwards showing the surfer from underwater to a behind shot. This enables us to feel her setting and feel as if we are in the water to. The characters costume is a bikini and surfer top implying she enjoys the water and does a lot of surfing and sporty activities. The use of the surf board quite clearly shows the film will be based around water and surfing. The slow motion shot of the character gliding through the water effectively puts the audience in suspense and feel quite weary about the environment.

We then cross cut to an establishing shot of hundreds of birds flying across the ocean. The slow pace and low mellow soundtrack continues throughout shots to keep the uneasy and freaky atmosphere. The birds connote nature and life which could lead the audience the think of more natural habitats living in these types of environments. Throughout the trailer there are cross cuts to different scenes and a montage of shots. This keeps the viewers engaged and interested in the film. There is then a low angle shot of our character about the enter a wave. The low angle shot makes the wave look powerful and superior compared to the surfer. As she dives under the wave, the soundtrack becomes louder and more tense due to the quiet peaceful surroundings. It subverts the idea of being underwater in the world of no sound and oxygen. The deep low angle shot watching the character rise to the surface looks as if something is watching her and waiting for her. This creates more anxiousness and unease to the audience.


 Once the character breaks through the surface the trailer fades to black creating an effect of changing situation or introducing something important. We then see an establishing shot showing our original character along with two other surfers. The soundtrack fades in volume, however, still produces mellow/stressful tones. We begin to here diegetic sounds of waves and paddling through water. The other surfers are introduced through their dialogue "Hey! You should come over here?" this implies they are friendly characters wanting to engage with the main character. There is then a close up shot of the girl responding "I'm good here, thank you". Through a close up she looks fairly jaded and unsure about the boys making the atmosphere even more disturbed.

As the soundtrack increases in volume and becomes quicker in speed we see a low angle panning shot from underneath the water moving towards the surfer extremely quickly.  As the scene fades to black we hear a aggressive bite sound in shot which would be diegetic sound. We are then shown a close up shot of the main character eating an apple. This immediately fills viewers with relief and throws them away from dangerous, life threatening ideas.  This scene creates humor as you feel ready to jump in your seats as the aggressive soundtrack and type of shot leads you on to think something different.

As the soundtrack leaves the scene we begin to hear seagulls and waves crashing onto the beach constructing a less tense and fearful atmosphere. There is a montage of shots including, a view of the ocean, a long shot of a boy playing football, the character chalking her board, un-clipping her bag and pushing the surfboard into the sand. There is a close up shot of the characters ID badge, introducing her name and occupation. The diegetic sound in shot is the skype ringtone suggesting she is trying to communicate with someone. Through a medium shot we see her sitting on the beach looking out to sea, this keeps the relaxed and peaceful atmosphere. There is a cross cut to a different location and introduces a character we have not met prior.

 Through shot reverse shot we understand that the main character is video communicating with her sister, "Mum was right", her dialogue demonstrates they shared the same parents. As her dialogue becomes the narrative we see a montage of shots showing the environment but also close ups of her emotions. Suddenly, a random sound effect a music drop enters the shot, as it goes silent viewers are left on edge. At 1:14, a louder sound effect drops and the character is dragged off her board into the ocean. Through a medium shot you can see her being dragged further and further down with the background turning into a red colour. This implies she has been attacked and blood is transferring

from her body into the water. There is an extreme close up of the main character showing her petrified facial expressions as she realises the experience she is about to endure. We then see a medium shot of the character struggling to reach the surface, the sea has turned a horrible red colour due to the blood. As she comes above the surface the non-diegetic sound of ringing connotes horror and fright. We then begin to hear deep breaths from the character suggesting she is tired, worn out and scared. There is a low angle shot of the character swimming as fast as she can to something in which she can protect herself from the shark with. As she reaches the rock there is a close up shot showing her grabbing it with her hands. The close up shows the muscles in her hands and the pure determination in which she has to try and save herself. One she has got on top of the rock there is a circling panning shot showing her watching out to sea and the emotions portrayed by her facial expressions. As she sees people in the distance she yells through her dialogue "SHARK!!!!!" this informs the viewers that it is a shark attack and that she is in serious danger.

We then see a long shot of the two surfers in the water, however, the shark jumps out of the ocean and attacks the surfer on the left. The soundtrack becomes more tense due to the environment. We are then shown the main character in a close up looking terrified and distraught. There is then a montage of shots of the remaining surfer trying to get to the rock, but unfortunately, the shark is just too quick. The scene then fades to black giving viewers time to take in the events in which have just occurred.

A close up shot shows the main character (played by Blake Lively) mending her leg, the diegetic sounds of her voice and heavy breathing implies she is in a lot of pain. We see in the shot there has been a bite taken out of her leg. We then see a low angle panning shot of the main character pulling herself up, the low angle makes her look powerful and superior. This helps portray her as brave and heroic. There is an establishing shot showing the main character stranded in the middle of the ocean, her dialogue is used effectively to demonstrate to the audience what she is thinking/feeling, "I'm not dying here". This successfully shows women as brave and heroic subverting to the stereotype of gender.

There is a montage of shots showing the viewers her ideas and plans of how she can save herself, we see her watching a floating signal and the shark circling the rock. "30/40 yards, it takes him approximately 32 seconds", this shows the viewers shes an intelligent female who becomes a very brave and strong women.  There is a birds eye view showing the shark circling the rock, the audience are able to view the size and terror of the shark. Its power creates waves which crash onto the protagonist.

A montage is used using close ups showing the main character (Blake Lively) prepare to enter the water. A low angle shows her diving into the sea followed by a close up of the aggressive terrifying looking shark. This positions the audience to sypathise with the character as we are unsure of what the outcome will be. She is given prevalence throughout as the writers want you to connect with her the most. As she reaches the satellite she falls, entering the water and coming face to face with the shark. The soundtrack is fast pace freaky music, making the atmosphere far more tense. The sound effects of slashing implies she has tried to stab the shark, although, as its so massive it may not be enough. We see the character shoot a gun with a big explosion aimed at the shark, the diegetic sound demonstrates the power of the gun as well as the colours created. The scene dips to black, informing viewers of the title as well as the soundtrack fading out.

The trailer ends with the shark bashing into the satellite and the main character falling into the ocean. The dip to black leaves the trailer on a cliff hanger and keeps the audience engaged and excited to see the film.

The Revenant-Trailer Analysis

The Revenant opens with a eerie mysterious soundtrack conforming to the genre of the film, drama/thriller. The establishing shot showing the sun through the clouds and mist suggests there is an uneasy atmosphere. As the soundtrack drops there is a low angle shot of a huntsman running through a forest. His clothing suggests he's a huntsman as he has weapons and armory. There is then a montage of shots showing characters running and violently attacking each other. The use of a panoramic panning shot shows the audience the location/setting and the characters escaping the fighting. The diegetic sounds of gun shooting and arrow flying  implies the film is based around a war type environment.

As the trailer fades to black we are shown a foggy mysterious looking location with a boat floating towards us. The darkness connotes death, scare and fright. The camera pans into a close up of our main character portrayed by Leonardo Dicaprio to show his emotions. So far he's been given prevalence implying the writer/directer wants us to communicate with him the most. We are then taken into a forest type environment with damp, wet conditions. We see many other people walking through the forest by a montage of shots.

Shot reverse shot is used to show two characters in conversation. It's effective as it entitles the audience to understand their communications and interpretations. The non diegetic sound it used throughout as a voice over giving viewers information and ideas about the film. We then see a close up shot of the character about to shoot, however, as the soundtrack becomes higher in pitch and more suspicious the camera pans focusing on something in the background. There is a medium shot of a aggressive bear coming towards the camera, we see through it's body language that it is travelling fast and violently. The screen fades to black for a few seconds leaving the viewers questioning what will happen. It then flashes to the same scene, the bear has attacked the character and through a mix of close ups and medium shot's we see the bear aggressively trying to kill the character. The diegetic sound of a gun shot leads you to believe he's killed the bear, however, the fade to black makes you feel uneasy about the situation.

The trailer uses 'Inspired by true events' to make the audience  feel connected to the trailer and want to go see it. Being based around a true story makes the film appear more serious and legitimate. I feel this is a way of keeping the audience engaged and excited.

From the dip to black, we have a extreme close up shot of the character lying on the floor. You can see blood all over his face and cuts/bruises. He appears to look alive due to his eyes being open. The extreme close up helps demonstrate his emotions and feelings. As the screen fades to black again, it looks as if we are taken back in time when our character is with his son and the happier times. It then goes back to the current situation of being attacked by the bear. We are shown through a montage of shots him being helped by people, through a unknown dialogue "He must be cared for" we know that he will not be left and will most likely;y get better.

As the screen fades to black we see a long shot of someone stabbing someone or something. Personally this has left me a little confused due to not knowing what is being killed and by whom. Other viewers may think they are finishing of the bear? Although, I am a little undecided. We then see someone trying suffocate out protagonist which could be who was in the previous shot. "Go away!" this introduces someone trying to help our main character and not let him suffer, The character who came to help is shown trying to get the gun and attack the other character through match on action. We then see him get smashed up against a tree leaving the audience unsure about the rest of his duration in the film. There is a close up shot of the protagonist looking uneasy and stressed about the whole situation.

Through a montage of shots and fade to black's we see someone trying to drag the protagonist away and what looks like bury them alive. Through the shots we can see a lot of frustration and determination in the character to get away. Through a low angle shot we see a superior looking character ask "He was buried right?" implying the action was planned. This then becomes the narrative as we see the protagonist dragging himself out of the pit he was left to die in. We see him looking sad and worried through close up shots, his dialogue "All I had was my boy..." makes us sympathies with the protagonist and want him to fight back. There is a close up of him with what looks like his son shaking due to his emotions.

The protagonist is presented looking rough and broken, due to the events in which we have already seen. The setting is presented as cold and painful as you can see his breath in the air and the snowy conditions. We are then shown the protagonist with pure determination as he's travelling through these conditions to fight back. His voice becomes the narrative as his dialogue describes "How far I have come to find them" implying he has traveled extremely far to find the people who killed his son and tried to kill him.

At this point the trailer introduces the names 'Leonardo Dicaprio' and 'Tom Hardy' this is effective when selling the trailer as people want to see films with famous actors in and ones in which people like and enjoy.

We are shown the rest of the trailer thorough a montage of shots including cross cuts, shot reverse shot, match on action and different sound effects. There are scenes including violence, fighting, setting descriptions and different conversations. There are close up shots used a lot when showing the protagonist as his emotions are important for our understanding as well as him having prevalence. There are many different weapons used including, guns, axe, arrows and swords.

As the trailer comes to an end, there is an extreme close up shot with the protagonist leaving you sympathizing with him and engaging with his prevalence. There is then a fast pace tracking shot of a horse running and falling off a cliff. The rider is likely to be the protagonist as we were just left thinking about him. The high angle shot makes the character look powerless and in danger. The soundtrack at this point is very fast pace leading you to think something serious will occur, as the horse falls the soundtrack draws to a close leaving viewers conscious about the ending and wanting to see what happens.

War Of The Worlds-Trailer Analysis

War of the worlds is a 2005 science fiction directed by Steven Spielberg.

The trailer opens with a close up shot, showing the main character Tom Cruise interacting with the audience. Through his dialogue we understand he is talking to Dakota Fanning and reassuring her of the surroundings, "you're not going to", implying what we are about to see is a scary/unnatural atmosphere. Through a close up the young character follows his orders showing the male dominance in shot. From the very beginning we understand he is looking after her. The soundtrack sounds quite mysterious and eerie conforming to the sci-fi genre and idea of robots/alien.  Sixteen seconds into the trailer, the cinema release date flashes on screen selling the film to viewers. This already makes the audience think about the date and question whether they would go see the film.

We then see a montage of shots showing different areas of New York. The city is shown to be very busy including cars travelling fast and pedestrians walking about. The diegetic sound of a train horn illustrates that its a very hectic environment conforming to the idea of New York. As the montage becomes quicker and more effective, there is a slow motion over the shoulder shot of the main character turning around showing the audience his emotions. He looks extremely worried and scared suggesting something serious is about to occur. The soundtrack suddenly drops to a close up of Dakota Fanning crying presenting the horror and scare to the audience. Through the protagonist's dialogue "RACHEL!" and drop in soundtrack it creates a jumpy atmosphere to the viewers and makes you feel more engrossed in the film. Sound effects created are screams of people who are being attacked by the robots/aliens. This makes the film appear more scary and unique.

When we are first introduced to the robots/aliens we are shown through a low angle shot making them look powerful and superior. The soundtrack is fast pace helping show their authority. In the shot the diegetic sound is of people's screams demonstrating the objects are evil and destroying planet earth.

There is then a montage of shots showing buildings getting destroyed, people getting injured and over all the world being demolished. There is a long shot of an enormous explosion grabbing your attention due to the strong and striking colours. We see a close up of both characters looking emotional and afraid. A close up of an axe implies violent and aggressive behaviour. The low angle shot of the character with the robot/alien behind her creates suspense and fear from viewers and actors. This is an effective end to the trailer as the audience are left unsure of what will happen and how it will end. I feel the trailer for War Of The Worlds is effective as it doesn't give away too many spoilers and excites the audience due to the different shot's and sounds it uses.

Love Rosie-Trailer Analysis

The trailer opens with an establishing panning shot of a sunrise over a residential area. The soundtrack of the 1975, an alternative English rock band implies there will be teenage characters and a fun story line. We are then introduced to our main characters, Rosie and Alex, through a close up shot we see Rosie wrapped in a blanket and looking 'rough'. This conforms the idea of teenagers staying up late and going out drinking. Through her dialogue "i'm so embarrassed" it demonstrates shes been out and took it a little too far. To confirm our interpretations through Alex's dialogue "Which part?" the audience are able to connect with the story line and understand out initial thoughts are correct. 

We are then taken to a club, with flashing lights and screams in the background. The shot reverse shot shows the two characters dancing and drinking. This keeps the audience engaged as it looks fun and exciting. There is then an extreme close up shot of the two characters kissing, you are able to see their emotions and intimacy. However, this may leave the audience confused due to the fact we thought they may be just friends?. There is then a flash, used in editing bringing the audience back to the present of Rosie lying in bed. We have been shown what had happened on their night out. 

There is then a medium shot of two friends bouncing on toy balls. Our thoughts from this is that its when Rosie and Alex first met. Through the characters dialogue and body movements we understand they are becoming friends, "Hi"(waving hand gestures). We understand through the trailer that they are meant to be 'just friends', "I know boy/girl friendships can be quite complicated sometimes, but i'm always here if you need to talk". Through Alex's dialogue he tells the audience that him and Rosie are just friends and not loving relationship would come from it. There is a montage of shots showing the two looking like friends and close ups of them looking intimate and about to kiss. 

"What a Bimbo", this demonstrates that Alex doesn't want Rosie looking at other guys especially good looking one's. We see the character Gregg through a long shot showing off his body language and impressive looking body! We then see a montage of shots showing Rosie kissing Gregg and going to the school dance, this leaves the audience thinking will they ever get together? By doing this in the trailer it keeps the audience interested and want to go watch the film. 

There is then an over the shoulder shot of a red haired lady looking at Rosie. Rosie looks embarrassed and sipping through her straw as she has nothing to say. There is a sound effect of loud sipping sounds to introduce humor to the scene. 

There is then an establishing shot of a beach with the two looking out to the distance. "It's a dead end", "What flee the country?", this implies the two friends have plans to leave and start fresh somewhere else. This conforms the idea of best friends sticking together and wanting to travel the world. 

There is then a close up of a pregnancy test box, the audience immediately assume she's pregnant with Gregg's baby. There is a shallow depth of field creating more tension and the character isn't really visible in shot. We are then shown a two shot of Rosie and her new born baby. This makes the audience think, where's Alex? and did he leave without Rosie?. 

We are then shown a montage of Alex and Rosie hugging and showing feelings and emotions through close ups, long shots and high angles. "My best friends moving to Boston" this positions the audience to understand Alex is leaving without Rosie and will they ever be together? "keep in touch, ok?" this makes the audience feel emotional and the prevalence on Rosie makes us sympathies with her. 

The establishing shot of America automatically makes you think of Alex and where he is living, in the back of your mind we think what about Rosie? "Thanks for the book Alex" through Rosie's dialogue we see that they are still in touch and talk to each other regularly. 

A close up shot of Rosie, is used to show her looking sad and hurt when she finds out Alex is engaged. You can see her eyes welling up and looking red around the edges. We then see her, guessing at the wedding through a close up crying and standing alone. In the background you can see Alex and his wife dancing not taking any notice of his best friend. 

"Sometimes, you don't see the best thing that's ever happened to you is right under your nose", this implies Rosie is talking about Alex and that they aren't just best friends, it's a lot more than that. The trailer ends with an over the shoulder shot of Alex looking at Rosie in a way that created emotions and affection. The last quote "You look way too hot now Rosie" is when it ends leaving the audience to think that something will happen between the two. Alex and Rosie have prevalence as the directors what you to sympathies with them and hopefully engage in the trailer. 

Overall, Love Rosie is about two friends who have always been deeply in love with each other but didn't know it. The trailer demonstrates this effectively without giving too much away. This trailer makes me want to go and see the film as it keeps the audience engaged throughout. 

AS Coursework Reflection

Looking back at my AS coursework, I know I have many targets and areas in which need improvements to make my A2 coursework even more successful. My analysis included appropriate and impressive terminology covering the key technical areas such as Mise en scène, camera angles, sound and editing. This year I hope to include even more in which will make more detailed responses. Throughout our AS year, we learnt about various technologies and new technologies used today in media products. We have been able to develop our skills using these technologies. All these technologies were used throughout research, planing, evaluation and the production of our opening two minutes.