Analysis of Easy A trailer (Teen angst)

Analysis of Easy A trailer

Easy A is a teen angst film, directed by Will Gluck, and released on 22nd October 2010 (UK). Its target audience is teenagers of both genders, but primarily aimed at girls.

The beginning of the Easy A trailer starts with the main character, Olive, setting up a camera and recording herself telling a story, which continues throughout the entirety of the trailer. As the perspective (while focusing on Olive) is that of the camera, it makes the audience feel as though they are connecting with her instantly - even though we don't know anything about her at that point - and therefore engages the audience as we want to know more about her. The diegetic sound is of her talking and explaining the idea behind the trailer, this idea then continues on using voice-overs throughout the trailer alongside some cheerful music. The cheerful music makes it seem quite innocent which is a contrast to what happens later on in the trailer, this is also representative of the teen angst genre; it usually starts off very cheerful and upbeat but a conflict follows which creates various problems.

There is then a montage of various clips from a school, which is very stereotypical of a teen angst film as school is heavily associated with teenagers as they spend a majority of their time there or doing things associated with it. This makes it relatable to the target audience and alongside the direct address aids in making them feel close to the main character.

After this montage various conversations unfold, the first between Olive and another character who asks about Olive, unaware of the fact that they have been numerous classes together. This makes the character seem quite unintelligent, which is a staple of teen angst films, another example of this is in the trailer for Mean Girls where one of the girls is implied to be unintelligent as she gets hit in the face by a basketball after attempting to catch it. Another conversation is between Olive and a boy who asks her to go out with him, Olive then mentions that he recently told her he was gay. This is also stereotypical of teenage life, as many teenagers are in relationships. This further develops into them pretending to be going out with each other, and then pretending to have sex by making various noises and jumping on the bed. This is quite comedic as the boy explains he wants to do it to become more popular, and the scenes themselves are also quite funny. This may attract an audience as many people will find it funny, and will therefore want to watch the film if they have enjoyed the trailer.

Analysis of Wonder Woman trailer (Action)

Analysis of Wonder Woman trailer

The beginning of the trailer for Wonder Woman (WW) begins with a short montage of various clips, all demonstrating staples to the action genre including: explosions, combat and loud music. These clearly demonstrate the genre as being action, due to them being staples of the genre (as I mentioned). The loud music eventually settles down after the title of the film is shown, but a little while later, once a backstory for the main character is set, it begins again - as do the explosions and combat. This shows that while there is a story, the main reason that people watch action films (for the action) is highly prevalent throughout the film. This is very similar to the trailer for Overdrive; the trailer begins with a bit of action, it later begins to explain the basic idea of the main characters and story which is followed by a lot of action.

There is also a bit of comedy in the trailer, where the man is introducing Diana to someone, and she begins to proclaim she is "Diana, Princess of..." before she is cut off by the man who says her name is "Diana Prince". This comedy may attract an audience as it shows that whilst the film is meant to be serious, it is not always serious throughout the film which may prevent it from becoming too boring for some people.

The main character is Diana (Wonder Woman), this is an extreme counter-type as in nearly all cases, men take the lead role in action films due to their target audience mainly being adult males and therefore being a more relatable character. Diana is also a counter-type as she is shown to be strong and independent whereas woman are stereotypically shown to be the opposite and in action films take the role of the one who needs to be saved. The fact that the main character is not a man will likely attract a larger female audience as it shows woman are just as capable as men.

As I previously mentioned, the music slows down after the beginning montage but later picks up again, this could be a reflection of the film showing that the start of the film begins quite calm but a conflict arises in which Diana is needed and it results in a lot of action.

Analysis of Shoot 'em Up poster (Thriller/Action)

Analysis of Shoot 'em Up poster

The poster for Shoot 'em Up makes use of conventions of the action genre, an example of this is the fact that two of the people are carrying guns, due to the fact that these are key conventions of the action genre it will convince people to watch the film as it shows it isn't completely different. There is also one woman in the background, as she is in the background and not wearing clothes suitable for fighting, it can be assumed that she is in need of saving by the man in the foreground as is the case in a lot action films - such as Spectre. The man in the background is likely a sidekick to the man in the front, as it can be implied he is less important due to him being in the background.

The text and background image are at an angle, this implies that something that is not stereotypical of an action film happens, in a lot of action films it is usually a lot of guns and other weapons, but due to the disorientation of it, it could suggest that the film is different. The disorientation could also refer to the fact the the film is full of action.

The colours surrounding the characters are very dark, this is stereotypical of an action film as action films aren't about happiness like comedies are, they are about conflict and a threat to a group of individuals. The background aids in emphasising this as it is quite bright which helps to contrast the characters and make them, stand out more. The background itself looks to be of a small alleyway/street, alleyways are - a lot of the time - associated with danger and danger is also a key convention of action films.