Analysis of a sixth trailer with links to Delirium- Split (2017)

Split is an American psychological horror thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan which stars James McAvoy in the lead role as Kevin with Anya Taylor-Joy and Becky Buckley as supporting roles.

Kevin as described in this trailer has an extremely severe form of dissociative identity disorder where he will display personality traits of different types of people of all different ages and backgrounds. He has 23 different personalities within his body, some of which are described shown in this trailer.

0.17- This is the first image we see of Kevin which is daunting as he seems focused. Adding to the fact that he is sitting in a car that does not belong to him which creates tension and disbelief for the audience. Immediately after that he attacks three girls in the back of the car and kidnaps them. This intense opening scene immediately unsettles the audience whilst contradicting Vladimir Propps narrative theory because the film has started with a disruption rather than a peaceful equilibrium.
This chain of events is something we are planning to include in our film because we believe it will foreshadow future events that will be even more shocking for our target audience.

0.25- The production company appears on the screen which is Universal; the oldest and most prestigiously famous production outlet still in use in the USA. It has been called '' The Entertainment capital of LA''. This information will be largely unknown to the audience but the prolific presence of Universal studio's In the making of critically acclaimed film will engage the audience when they see it appear. In addition to that James McAvoy is also a well known critically acclaimed actor. This use of star power will also entice the audience to watch the film.

From 0.27-0.39 There is non diaegtic music in the form of subtle bleeps which is done in conjunction with a tracking shot that follows a sewage line. This is very conventional music that is used in thrillers and horrors to build anticipation which leads a long shot of a corridor where one of the kidnapped girls is screaming where it is revealed that the girls have been locked in that room by one of Kevin's more sinister personalities. This long shot is shown from a succession of very fast paced cuts which adds to the build up of the trailer.

At 0.50 there is a point of view shot where one of the girls is looking through a gap in a door to see a person in high heels who Is believed to be a women so the girls scream for help. The person who opens the door is revealed to be Kevin in a very clever way, the cuts focus on the girls reactions first which is a match on action shot. This is so because it immediately shows Kevin who says'' don't worry, he is not allowed to touch you'' which conveys to the audience that Kevin has changed personalities in a very short space of time to an androgenistic male whilst shocking the young girls.

At 1.10 a picture appears that reads'' From the writer and director of: The sixth sense, Unbreakable, Signs, and The Visit. These were all highly successful films from M. night Shyamalan which will remind the audience of his superior ability in directing exceptional psychological thrillers which will motivate the audience to watch the film. From this example I will endeavour to use intertitles in this way to captivate our target audience. Moreover each film title in this shot has a sort of split in the font which would not only suggest they are linked in genre but also that this film will be of the same quality. This also serves to remind the audience about the plot of the film.

1.13-There is another fast cut focusing on Kevin who this time is in the form of Hedwig who claims he is 9 years old. This is a complete change from his last personality again suggesting the variety and severity of his disorder. If Kevin was described using todorov's narrative theory then Kevin would be an Anti-hero, villain , Donor, and hero all in one character which is very unusual. The sheer thought of all these personas will intrigue viewers because there has never been a film ever made like split. It is completely original and unconventional. This is a trait that we wanted to use in our film so that we would gain a potential mass audience if our plot was very original which connotes mystery for our viewers.

Throughout the trailer the subtle bleeps continually building anticipation. Along with that there is a heavy white noise effect from 2.01 onwards when the trailers dialogue hints towards Kevin having a 24th very dangerous personality which he calls ''The beast''. From this point the trailer becomes very chilling with the girls being picked off by Kevin and the police searching for him. This is the build up to the climax of the trailer as the music stops as these events unfold making the audience focus on these events much more.

At 2.20 the main film title appears with the splits in the font which again reinforces the sinister plot. We as a group will develop a font style similar to that so that we can convey a message to the audience regarding our films plot without necessarily needing the other conventions.

Analysis of a fifth trailer with links to Delirium- Flight (2012)

Flight is a 2012 American drama film directed by Robert Zemeckis. It features Denzel Washington in the lead role as a aeroplane pilot who appears to be suffering from alcoholism. It is for this reason that I picked the trailer; our film trailer features an alcoholic in the lead role so it will be intriguing to see if there are any similarities between conventions or narratives.

0.07- Denzel Washingtons pilot, opens a door to get into a building, He has a neutral facial expression and it is raining outside of the building. Seeing as this is shown so quickly, it creates pathetic fallacy which is how the weather affects the mood of a scene. This would make the audience believe that a disruption will occur later in the narrative according to Vladimir propps narrative theory. In our film we are going to use pathetic fallacy at a location called riverside park in St neots. Foggy conditions will be ideal because our protagonist is also an alcoholic and it will show the audience that our film will have a dark mood and theme throughout potential attracting a mass audience.

0.08- From this point onwards there is repetitive feel good music with a high tempo which directly contrasts with the last frame. This synchronous sound shows that there is equilibrium in the narrative and everything in the shot is in order.












0.20- The main production company appears on the screen which is Paramount Pictures. Paramount Pictures is also a subsidiary of the American media conglomerate Viacom. In our case, our production company is called Mortem Productions.
 Along with that particular frame there is also a sound bridge of the distinctive bleeps that are heard on life support machines shown at 0.23. This is a significant sound motif as everything was in order in the previous shot of the plane safely travelling upwards into the stratosphere which indicates a disruption according to Vladimir Propp's narrative theory. As well as that, because there was a denotation of a plane one would simply conclude that the plane had crashed if life support machines were heard in the next shot. To further support the disruption, the upbeat positive music abruptly stopped playing suggesting things are no longer in order.

In our film Delirium, we plan to use denotations to convey our ideas of alcoholism and how psychological deterioration can result from that or some other occurrence in our narrative which directly correlates to some of the conventions used in Flight.

Then after around 30 seconds of intense cuts the upbeat feel good music returns at 1.00. At this point there is a also a voiceover of a man congratulating the pilot for his efforts. This shows that the pilot successfully landed the plane against all odds. This is also supported by a news report at 1.08 when the reporter says '' Captain Whitaker is a real American hero''. However at 1.18
there is a quick jumpcut consisting of a non-diegetic white noise effect which shows the chaos that ensued in the aftermath of the plane crash. A voiceover is heard at that moment that announces to the audience the pilots alcoholism when a man says ''we found traces of alcohol in your system, that could be life in prison''. This is a form of juxtaposition where he was represented as a hero but is now represented as an anti-hero if explained using todorovs narrative theory.

At 1.22 an intertitle appears in Bold ''From academy award winning director Robert Zemeckis''. This is important because it will entice viewers to watch the film using star power whereby their success will encourage people to watch the film as there will be an expectation that this film will be of the same calibre. I will endeavour to use intertitles as effectively as possible in my trailer however I do acknowledge that my group and myself do not possess star power. At 1.30 there is another example of star power with ''from the director of Cast Away and Forest Gump''. This is important because it reinforces the idea that the film will be of a high standard. Both films won academy awards which again suggests the success of them.


























At 2.05 there is an extreme close up shot of Denzel Washington pouring whiskey and other liquour down a sink with a voiceover which says '' I drank the night before the crash''. I personally feel that this is relatable to our film because our protagonists alcohol addiction causes multiple disruptions in our narrative which is also shown in flight.

It is clear from the Flight trailer that there are many similarities and differences in conventions between itself and my initial ideas regarding delirium which I will note. In particular I will make use of intertitles, synchronous sound, pathetic fallacy and will keep in mind the effect each sequence of my trailer will have on my target audience.

Analysis of a fourth trailer- The Departed (2006)

The departed is a 2006 American crime drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written  by William Monahan. The lead roles are Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, and Mark Wahlberg. Alec Baldwin is also a key supporting actor.


0.24- The production company Warner Bros appears on screen. It operates under the conglomerate Sony which has produced hundreds of highly successful film titles since it's conception.

0.38- The screen shows the words ''A Martin Scorsese picture''. This will attract viewers who are fans of his previous work (The wolf of wall street 2013, Shutter island 2010). Both of those films feature Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead roles which shows that he is a versatile actor that can adapt to Scorsese's vision in each film. This is significant as he also has a lead role in this film.












From 0.28 there is a sudden rush of upbeat music along with the dialogue. This synchronous sound shows the audience that this particular scene is very important for the narrative. In the next few seconds of that scene a police officer (Alec Baldwin) tells a group of police officers who the target of their investigation is (Jack Nicholson). Then there is a fast cut to him with his henchman and of US banknotes. This connotes that he is the villain of the film and that he has powerful resources. In that particular shot of Nicholson he is in the centre of the shot with his men behind him. This use of composition connotes his importance and strength.

1.12- There is a phrase that appears on screen ''Loyalty is a lie'' with the word loyalty in a blue font. This distinctive use of colour shows that betrayal is a key concept in the narrative and that the key characters should trust nobody.

1.20- Another inter-title appears on the screen which says ''Sacrifice is a test''. The word sacrifice is also highlighted in blue which shows that Nicholson's character Costello knows that the police are corrupt and he is testing whether his new gang member Leonardo DiCaprio can be trusted.
















This idea that Costello knows he has a police officer in his ranks is further supported by the following words from Costello at 1.21 when Costello says to Matt Damon's character ''I gotta cop in my crew'' in a conversation over the phone. Also at 1.51 there is non-diegetic asynchronous music that is played over the action. While simultaneously there are multiple cuts of police cars and men preparing weapons. Whilst these cuts are taking place the music says'' smoke is on the horizon. This along with the cuts indicates to the audience that a climax will occur that involves violence.

The events of this trailer have various denotations of extreme violence such as a man falling out of a window from a high story building, attempted stabbings, various beatings and brutal fights
which are all shown in a montage of high pace. This is standard iconography of crime drama's. Nicholson's character has been represented as a clear archetype that is portrayed as being at the top of an organised criminal subculture which connotes his influence on the narrative and the audience. The violence that he has used is the represented version of Scorsese's modes of address to the audience.

Another mode of address in the film is that the police will always thwart criminals no matter their position in a power structure. Vladimir Propps narrative theory explains that after a disruption, equilibrium will be restored in some way which will be shown to viewers who watch the film. This provides a theoretical explanation for Scorsese's ideas.

Analysis of a third trailer- Inception (2010)

Inception is a science fiction heist thriller film directed, Produced and written by Christopher Nolan who also directed the highly successful film The Dark Knight (2008). It's plot consists of a man who is tasked with the impossible: planting an idea from his subconscious into somebody else's mind covertly. 

0.06
- The production companies for the film are shown: Legendary Pictures, Syncopy, and Warner Bros. These are all highly successful production companies with some of the most critically acclaimed work in the film industry.

1.33- The words '' your mind'' followed by ''is the scene of the crime'' at 1.43 is shown. This is a key phrase in the trailer as it is essential for the narrative to make sense for viewers. The 10 second gap is filled with fast cuts filled with an exploding vehicle in a panning shot, a heated argument between Cobb and Arthur in a wide two shot, as well as an emotional few seconds between Cobb and his deranged wife Mal. These events between the two phrases show they are significant points in the film. The argument between Cobb and Arthur is the result of a disruption in the equilibrium of the constructed narrative.

2.11- The masthead title 'INCEPTION' appears on the screen with each letter in the form of a maze. This is enigma code to show the audience that the task of inception has multiple paths to being completed but only one is correct. It also hints at the idea of the different levels of the sub-conscious that are described in the film. These levels are constructed in various different scenes that loosely interpret what our dreams are like.
















Inceptions trailer is intensely dramatic because it is a science fiction epic. It features heavy pulses of non diegetic music at important moments in the trailer, which indicates their significance to the audience. For example at 0.35 seconds a projection of a huge train is seen smashing through traffic. whilst a pulse is in effect. This shows that the film is partly action as well as science fiction. This would appeal to a mass audience as action is a very popular film genre.
















At 2.20 a summary of the lead cast, director, producers and camera crew appears on screen.

Analysis of a second trailer- The girl with the dragon tattoo (2011)

The girl with a dragon tattoo is a Swedish-American psychological thriller film based on the best selling novel by Stieg Larrson and features Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara in the lead roles. Craig plays a disgraced reporter and Mara plays an ingenious but troubled hacker.

0.08- Columbia pictures logo appears which is the production company for the film that is owned by the conglomerate Sony:

3.27- The words 'A David Fincher Film' are shown on the screen. This will attract viewers of his previous work (Se7en, Fight Club, Zodiac) to watch the film as his other films have all been critically acclaimed blockbusters in the thriller genre.

3.30- The words ' Daniel Craig appear on the screen. He is very well known for Layer Cake (2004), Casino Royale (2006), and Quantum of solace (2008). Therefore fans of his work will be enticed to watch this film.

 3.33    - The words 'Rooney Mara' are shown on the screen. she contended fiercely for the role of Lisbeth Salander against other Hollywood actresses displaying her excellent acting ability.

At 0.19 seconds there is a quick flash of cuts where two men are discussing Salander, to which one man remarks ''she is different in every way''. This shows the audience very quickly that one of the lead roles is an unorthodox female with an unconventional personality. This will naturally intrigue the films potential mass audience as she is not a typical female archetype. As well as that remark, her dress and hairstyle support this view as she is wearing a Gothic style outfit and has a Mohawk.

Due to this portrayal of her, she may be seen as potentially vulnerable. In terms of Vladimir Propp's narrative theory she would be the heroine. Whereas Blomkvist would be the hero. Henrik Vanger is an interesting character for Propp's theory. At the beginning of the film he is the donor to Blomkvist this is shown when he says ''someone in the family murdered Harriet''. But towards the end of the film he becomes the anti hero; he claimed to be assisting Salander and Blomkvist but has been hindering them throughout the film without their knowledge.














At 0.33 seconds there is a two shot of Blomkvist and Berger talking about his accountability. At that point Berger says ''accountability isn't dead yet'' and Blomkvist replies ''mine is''. This hints to the audience that his is been criticised in some way. There are other various hints to the plot: for example at 2.53 Blomkvist says ''rape, torture ,murder''. This is said as a voiceover while Salander is walking briskly through an evidence room. This connotes that the two leads are investigating a conspiracy of the murder of 'Harriet' but also different violent events that are connected intrinsically with her murder.

At 0.55 seconds there is an establishing shot of a huge white mansion, this is accompanied by a voiceover that tells the audience that the mansion is at the centre of the narrative. This is so because a member of family in that mansion murdered 'Harriet'. From start to finish the film features very slow repetitions of non diagetic music that is played alongside fast cuts of key scenes. This effect connotes the tension of the two leads investigation.