Initial Research into How Trailers Work - Jessica

Analysing Media Language codes in the trailer for ‘The Exorcist’

http://youtu.be/YDGw1MTEe9k

1.       What is the overall message of the trailer?

The overall message for any trailer is basically that this film is good. And that everyone should go and see this film. Beyond anything more specific, that is what all trailers are trying to convey to the audience. There is also a need to inform people about what type of film it is. Therefore it shows that there is a daughter in the film that is possessed and it gives a dark and gloomy atmosphere so that the horror genre can be identified as there are many fans of this genre who will choose a film just because it is in their chosen genre.

2.       Formal signs telling me that it is a trailer.

The main thing that indicates that this is a trailer is that the name of the film comes up early and logos / idents of different companies appear. There is also a voiceover which continues throughout multiple shots and this is not a conventional feature to be in an actual film therefore indicates that this is a trailer, this is also the case for non-diegetic music that plays behind the voiceover and when the voice over is not present. Although this often appears in film openings, it is not as consistently present or as dominant. The fact that one piece of music plays over the whole thing also indicates that this is a trailer. Also jump cuts and freeze frames indicate that this is a trailer as they are used to highlight certain parts in the film to make them stand out to the audience and make them want to watch the film. Of course, context (when it is played in a cinema showing) will often tell audiences that they are watching a trailer without these formal features, but they are still important to establish what is being watched. Once the audience identify it as a trailer they will know that they are watching what is effectively an advert for a film.

3.       Signs that create a sense of the narrative.

             Bed shaking
             A torch in a dark room
             Says “she is the devil itself”
             Doors break and walls crack
             Clear character roles (hero, villain, victim etc)
             Clear sense of disruption and what the disruption is
             Obvious what needs to happen to reach resolution

4.       What indicates what genre the film is.

             Screaming
             Darkness
             Use of words such as demon, devil and possession in dialogue
             Spooky non-diegetic music