Well done Tom you have analysed 5 magazine covers, 4 posters and 13 trailers.

Targets: when analysing the film trailers, try and always explain how the camera shot/sound/editing engages and attracts the target audience.

Consider the different codes used in the trailer.  For example, enimga codes, technical codes and verbal codes.

Verbal codes - the diegetic and non-diegetic sound and its effect on the audience

Technical codes - camera shots and editing and their effect on the audience

Enigma codes - puzzles teasing the audience and questions left answered

The Dark Knight Rises trailer

This trailer starts of with a digetic version of star-spangled banner, this is the American national anthem, this suggests the film is mostly set in the USA,there is also a panning extreme long shot showing Gotham city suggesting the film is mostly set in this location, The song itself however is a song about hope as can be heard in some of the lyrics, however in this context it suggests hope is fading as Alfred confronts Batman and suggests he is no longer safe. This idea that hope is fading is also added to by the fact that after the previous movie things have become more peaceful. However after the appearance of Bane the audience  knows that there is a lingering danger in the film, this adds menace to the atmosphere, especially as Catwomen tells Wayne that "a storm is coming". After this point we see the football stadium collapsing, this could be signifying the end of the American dream, as we now football is a classic american game which is closely linked to the American dream

There are multiple shots of Bane, suggesting he is the main antagonist in the movie, he is also seen taunting Batman on multiple occasions suggesting he has the upper hand and he can beat Batman, this might concern the audience because as they might know Batman is very rarely beaten by someone and because this is the last film in the trilogy they might believe Batman dies at the end, there are also some low angle shots of Bane, which backs up the idea that Bane has the power as this would make him appear more powerful in front of the audience. Bane appears to the audience as a mystery because we don't know his background and he is hidden behind a mask, this makes his character very mysterious to the audience.

In the trailer we have very few glimpses of the actual Batman in the costume, this adds mystery to the character and this adds to the lose of hope this trailer seems to have a theme of doing.

Thor: The Dark World trailer

At the start of this trailer we are shown a large doors opening from a birds eye view, this emphasises, power and it also gives the audience far more overview then the characters in the film. The main character appears silhouetted as we are unable to identify who this figure is, although people who saw the first film are likely to know that this is Thor. The narration is said by two characters in the film, and while one is mocking, and emphasises the abilities of Loki and his hatred for Thor, the other is very threatening and we are told what the threat is but not what it does, this adds mystery to the trailer because we don't know what the 'darkness' is.

There are also numerous extreme long shots, these act as establishing shots, and suggests to the audience that this film is an action film as one of the convention used in action films is the use of exotic locations and we see a couple of shots showing this. We also get a high angle shot of the love interest, this gives the audience the power of her, and this suggests to the audience she is vulnerable. The spaceships in use in the film suggests to the audience that this film is likely a Sci-fi action film, as we normally expect these kind of vehicles in a film like Star Wars, however the use of weapons like swords and Thor's hammer juxtaposes this Sci-fi film as the audience wouldn't expect such obsolete weapons to be used by people who can fly through space, and build such enourmous cities.

The use of slow motion near the climax of the trailer builds excitement because before we see the end of the scene the clip cuts, leaving the audience on a cliff-hangar, this would make the audience want to see the film. The main title for the film is written in gold and black, these colours emphasis the power and wealth of Thor, the background is also a lightning storm, which links to Thor's role as god of thunder. There is also a scene after the main title which helps add comic relief to the trailer which overall has a very down beat tone to it, it could also remind the audience of Indiana Jones.

The Hurt Locker trailer

The establishing shot in the trailer for The Hurt Locker is an establishing shot, which shows the audience that the film is based on a military base of some kind, this suggests to the audience that the film is likely going to be an action film because this is what we would expect from military films, also due to the release date of 2008, it is likely the film is based in Iraq or afghanistan where most people would be aware of the war, it also means the audience are aware of the background and why they are there. We are initially introduced to what appears to be the main characters, and they appear to the audience that they are not going to be the best of friends, this suggests a underlying conflict of interest, this could show that the main character is a rogue soldier, someone who doesn't like being told what to do, evidence for this is the way he is described as a 'Wildman' this description suggests he does what he wants when he wants.

Although the audience might initially believe they are just ordinary soldiers we are quickly shown they are specialists in bomb disposal, as the main character wears a massive suit which many people wouldn't have seen before, this changes the audiences view on what the film could be about, as there are very few films about specific jobs in the army, normally war films show just the ordinary soldier, this could show that this film is different from other films. The non-digetic music in the background helps build tension until we are shown the bomb in the car trunk. the fact that the location is in a hot desert in what appears to be a foreign land also suggests the film is an action film, because they are commonly used in action films. As the trailer continues we are slowly shown different aspects of the main character, this helps the audience get to know the character better, making the film more immersive so we feel sympathy for the main character.

The text that appears on screen looks dirty and broken up but cracks, this gives the impression that the film takes place in a foreign country, it could also suggest to the audience that the country they are in is broken as white can often signify hope and peace, the red used on certain words in the text, draws attention to the word, this could be used to describe the main character, the red font the words are in makes it stand out, but it also could be to illustrate the danger the characters are in, as the audience would normally associate the colour red in war films with danger and death. Also appearing on screen are a number of reviews with the main emphasis on the action based words such as 'suspenceful and near-perfect', this encourages the audience to see the film, these appear to be very postive reviews and this is likely to persuade the audience that the film is worth seeing.

Year 13 A2 check list

These are my current research and planning targets for the 08/09/14

	Done?	Comment?
RESEARCH
Uploaded YouTube videos of 15 trailers – analysed Key Terms: genre conventions, mise-en-scene, camera shots, sound, editing, unique selling points (USP), target audience, verbal codes, technical codes, symbolic codes, enigma codes.	Almost. 7 more trailers	Add coments on Unique selling points, and coment on verbal codes, technical codes, symbolic codes and enigma codes, also comment on how this affects the trailer production
Posters analysed – 5 Picture, costumes, font, captions, text, colours, target audience, symbolic codes, enigma codes.	Done	Comment on target audience, symbolic codes and enigma codes.
Magazine Covers – analysed - 5 Key Terms:  font, layout, picture, target audience, verbal codes, technical codes, symbolic codes, enigma codes. Typography • What font styles are used? • What are the connotations of the font (what do they suggest)? Layout • What effect does this have? Why is the page laid out like this? Colour •What do the colours connote? Images • What shot types and angles were used? • What is the effect of the shot type and/or angle? • What effect does the mise-en-scene have? • Why were the props, costumes, locations, etc. used? • What do they signify? Mode of Address • How does the magazine ‘speak’ to its audience? • What language is used? • What impression do the fonts, colours, etc. have?	Done	Comment more on typography, more often, also comment on verbal codes, technical codes, symbolic codes, enigma codes.
Reflection of Year 12	Done?
Exemplars read and reviewed	Done

Guardians of the Galaxy trailer

The start of this trailer starts off mysteriously, building tension in the audience, suggesting the film is serious, we see the main protagonist, wearing what appears to be a leather jacket and this suggests he might be an explorer, the tense music quickly dies out as we see the hero we expected to see, turns out be a bit of rogue explorer, we are then surprised when he says his name is 'Star Lord' because the soldier doesn't know the name suggesting he is unkown to the rest of the galaxy, we can see this is a Sci-Fi film because of all the gadgets used such as the wrist device and the weapons look very foriegn compared to those used on Earth.

The trailer then introduces us to the rest of the team by using a prisoner check to give the audience an idea of the protagonists in this film and who they are and what there background is, we are shown the film is being released in the summer suggesting it might be a summer blockbuster. As the trailer progresses we see a number of action clips suggesting the film is an action Sci-Fi as we see spaceships, guns and aliens fighting one another, the music in the background adds a slight humour too the trailer which might make the audience think the film doesn't take itself seriously and it might suggest the film is also a comedy, which means it has a large influence on people.

Bad Neighbours trailer

This trailers first few sceonds suggest the film is a comedy with different shots of the baby dressed as different TV show character, we find this a very weird thing to do and it is also funny to watch. We are then shown some text on screen suggesting this is a married couple, we are then told that they haven't been out the house for a while, suggesting the couple aren't social.

We then see the change that occurs in there lives as we see a fraternity move in next ot them, the audience would be thinking this is where the trouble begins as we see them already messing about and making a mess of the local yard, we are then shown a clip were the couple awkwardly talk to the fraternity, this would be most appealing to a teenage audience because they would find the conversation very awkward and funny as they might understand why its so awkward.

As text appears on screen we are told that this film is by the smae people who did This is the End, which was a highly rated and funny film, this would make people want to see it if they enjoyed This is the End. The next few clips shows the betrayal of trust and the start of a war between the couple and the Fraternity, as we see the airbags being used to blast Seth Rogen into the ceiling and we see the couple flooding the house, by the end of the trailer we are shown the release date to be May 8th, the font they use for the text is kind of military looking suggesting the film doesn't take itself too seriously, but it also emphasises the war between two neighbours.

This Is The End trailer

In this trailer it starts of being a normal day with what appears to the audience to be the main protagonists in the film meeting up, suggesting they haven't seen each other for a while. As we progress we see a shot of the Hollywood sign suggesting the location of the film is LA, as this occurs on screen we are told that they are going to a party in the evening, this gives the audience an idea that the film might be a comedy.

'they're partying like theres no tomorrow, and they might be right' comes on to the screen, suggesting this film is an apocalypse movie but the 'and they might be right' suggests the film is a comedy because it adds humour to the sentence, as we see a number of clips showing comic gags, the audience should realise the filmdoesn't take itself too seriously. We also see text on screen saying the film was written by the same people who made Pineapple express and Superbad, this tells the audience that the film is not only a comedy but a very good one as both those previous films were very successful and funny.

As we progress through the trailer we see a montage of action clips and comedy clips, this makes the audience excited, as the film itself looks funny, as well as a few clips, we are then shown the film is coming out in the summer which suggests it might be looking to draw large audiences which would normally be on holiday right now, they seem to be aiming for a teenage audience as they probably have swear words and violence in the film, we are also shown the actors in the film as ones that would normally appeal to a teenage audience such as Seth Rogen and James Franco.

12 years a Slave trailer

This trailer starts with somber piano music, which immerses the audience into the emotions that comes from slavery, we get a brief establishing shot which shows an old farmhouse and cotton fields, suggesting the film is set in the US. We are then given what appears to be a flashback to the slaves previous life as a wealthy family man, this makes sad as we can now see what horrific crimes were commited to get him there and this makes as emotionally attached to the character.

The credits comes onto screen, stating there is a famous acclaimed director Steve Mcqueen, this could show the audience the film is likely well made and should draw in larger audiences as the director clearly knows he can win awards, it also stats later that the film is based on a true story, this suggests the film is more of a drama genre than any other because true stories normally involve far more speech and dialog then for example action films, they also tend to be drama's because they have far more emotion involved.

We are introduced to what appears to be the movies antagonist, who appears to be very religious as he can be heard saying a verse from the bible, and is seen holding one in his hand, he is then heard saying that the slaves are property and not actual humans, this makes as dislike the antagonist even more as we would not treat other humans like this. But what we do see is a non-sterotypical white man actually standing up to the slave owner, this would surprise the audience because we wouldn't expect white men to argue against slavery.

Near the end of the trailer more somber music comes on, this makes the audience think about the atrocities taking place on screen, as we see more beatings and brutality taking place against the slaves, and as the trailer draws to a close they show us shots of each of the major actors in the film, this would interest the audience because there are a lot of major actors in the film such as Brad Pitt and Benedict Cumberbatch, this would make the audience feel like the film has a large budget as they were able to get so many big name actors.

Fast & Furious 6 trailer

This trailer starts with a great establishing shot of what appears to be some unknown exotic location, although it looks a lot like the Mediterranean, it quickly introduces our main character, having a normal day, with smooth music playing and long cuts in the editing. However this quickly changes when we are introduced to the job our protagonist has to do, it appears from the opening few seconds that this is likely to be an action film as they would normally involve exotic locations and dangerous missions, this is confirmed by the number of stunts shown in the trailer, which would look very appealing to the male audience.

The music that starts at 1:13 is non-digetic, it also helps build the idea that these racers are living dangerously and living life in the fast lane, as we see a montage of racing action sequences and stunts, which also includes a tank, this all draws the audience in and the big reveal at the end of the trailer where we see the cars racing after an aircraft and bring it down in a ball of flames, all adds to the excitement and shows the contrast between the start of the trailer and the end. The film title at the end appears to look metal like we would see on a car and the release date is shown to be Memorial day, which means we would expect large audience on a public holiday.

Avatar trailer

This trailer starts off by giving the audience some background on the protagonist Jake Sully, this is shown by using an extreme close up of the protagonist this adds personality to the character and we see his emotion as well as this it is a very personal introduction introduction. This cuts to the establishing shot of an alien planet, this suggests to the audience that this is a Sci-Fi movie because they will often take place on far out exotic planets. The music in the background is non-digetic sound, it brings hope to the trailer as we are shown the planet and the activities going on. We are also shown a series of different characters who we don't get to fully know but the audience would be interested to find out more about them.

We are soon shown the release date which at the time of release was only a few months away, giving the audience less time between trailer and movie release this would build excitement around the films release, as well as this we get a sharp change in tone of the trailer as there is now far more tense and menacing sound playing, this suggests a threat has emerged. This slowly builds up the tension until we start seeing explosions, gunfights and impressive Sci-Fi vehicles which all suggests this movie has a lot of action in it, we also see in some of the information coming onto the screen that James Cameron is the director this would make fans of films like Alien and Titanic excited because they were highly acclaimed Sci-Fi films and clearly shows he knows what he is doing.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol trailer analysis

This trailer starts with a narration of the movies background and shows clips of the event, suggesting the protagonists have been framed with a terror bombing. As the narrator talks we are shown clips of an unidentified man walking about, this makes the audience wonder who this mystery man is?, Although it is soon revealed that the man is Tom Cruise, which would be a great reveal if the audience didn't know this was Mission Impossible.

The trailer than cuts to an action sequence which shows this movie is aimed at a mostly male audience as we see everything from cars, guns, gadgets and chase scenes, this suggests the director knows what genre he wanted the film to be with most clichés covered by the trailer, the movie does little to give away what the mission is or what the plot is but the biggest draw for this movie is usually the action sequences. The music used throughout this action sequence helps build pace and it also has a cool factor about it that makes the trailer very appealing and well made.

The trailer also shows off the epic stunt at the end of the trailer, this would make the audience very excited as it also leaves us on a cliffhanger as we don't know whether he makes it or not. The music in the small segment at the end is based on the classic Mission Impossible score and this will excite the audience as this classic movie song is well known and people will know this is a Mission Impossible film.

The Wolf of Wall street trailer analysis

The trailer for The Wolf of Wall Street starts with a rapidly beating non-digetic sound, it starts of showing several establishing shots which lead the audience to know that the film is mostly set in New York on Wall Street, with the iconic skyline and the Bronze Bull on Wall Street, it also starts with narration like most film trailers, which starts of with our main character, the audience doesn't know whether this guy is good or bad until we are revealed that he is after money, which makes us think he is not a good guy. As the trailer continues we have cuts to the credits for the film which include Academy Award winners and Oscar winners plus nominees including Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio, this makes the audience excited because with so many big names directing and acting in the film it is likely it had a big budget and is well made.

The rhythm of the beats are interrupted by actual clips from the film, which lets the audience see what the acting is like, the clips also contain a lot of comic relief, which might make the audience believe that the film is a comedy because of the number of jokes shown in the clip, this would attract fans of comedy films, this is especially true with the clip between 1:17-1:30, it would be very funny to much of the audience  and would make them want to see the film.

The trailer is very fast pace and it only gives glimpses of certain scenes this might be to keep up with the beat of the non-digetic sound in the background. The film seems to be mostly aimed at the male audience because they show a lot of clips with parties, fast cars, yachts and guns, which are mostly seen as male dominated.

The final few seconds of the trailer drops the beat and shows a much slower paced clip, and then, it shows us that the movie is based on a true book by the main character in the film, it also doesn't show a release date instead it shows coming soon at the end, which leaves the audience wanting to see the film, but it does show it has a website which helps people to find more clips and possibly a release date.

Fury trailer analysis

The trailer for Fury begins with the silhouettes  of soldiers and tanks rolling across a field, this makes the audience tense as they don't know who they are or where they are, however this quickly changes to a close up of Brad Pitt's face this could show that he is the main protagonist of the film, it also suggests he might be the leader as he appears first and he has strips on his shoulder indicating rank and authority. As the movie progresses we see clips of fighting, and other characters that look like they are central to the film, in the clips we hear Brad Pitt narrating an introduction to the audience, this helps add tension as non-digetic sound is played, we get a feeling of desperation, as the soldiers look tired and worn out. The narration also gives the audience the idea that Brad Pitt is an experienced soldier and it also gives the audience the location the film is based in is Germany.

The trailer is repeatedly broken up by information coming onto screen, this provides the audience with who directed the film and what other films he has directed, this could catch the audiences attention because they might have enjoyed the previous films, which were highly acclaimed, eventually they show when the movie is expected to be released, although it is not an exact date.

The trailer rarely shows much action but there are plenty of hints at it, especially during the middle segment the fighting seen indicates the genre the film is as action, due to the large amount of explosions and gunfights, they don't give away any digetic sound during the sequence, this could be because they want to persuade people to see the film, and they are also trying to make sure they have enough narration so the audience knows what the film is about.

The film also hints that it could also be about a soldier coming of age as they introduce a young kid to the tank, this suggests to the audience the horrors of war, when we have to use teenagers in war, it also suggests the movie is about a boy becoming an experienced warrior through a single battle, when his mates need him most, because this is an action film there s normally a love inerest involved which there is a brief glimpse at making the audience wonder who this women is? and why has he fallen in love with her?

The ending of the trailer gives the audience a thrill as the non-digetic sound sound matches the tank fire, this suggests perhaps an final showdown and makes the audience excited about the film as it leaves them on a cliffhanger, will they win?, but before we find out the film title fades in using the smoke from an explosion.

Skyfall Magazine cover

Inception magazine cover

Star Trek magazine cover

American Gangster magazine cover

Captain America magazine cover

I am Legend movie poster

12 Years A Slave poster analysis

Tron movie poster

Cloverfield movie poster