I interviewed 5 people who could potentially be part of my target audience. They all fit the demographic of Male and over 15.
Peter Rewko Age
52
Are you interested in Crime films?
Yes.
What would you expect in a Crime Film trailer?
I would expect a brief synopsis of the plot, flash-points of the movie (short clips). Text is very important for showcasing the Director's name, Actors and Producers. The text should grow from a point towards the camera. Deep voice-over.
What music would you expect in a Crime Film trailer?
Semi-Rock, Punk, Elements of Ballard.
Luke Clegg Age
17
Are you interested in Crime films?
Yes.
What would you expect in a Crime Film trailer?
Tension, gripping action and a clear story. No flashbacks, only text is presented as a watermark in the corner showing the name of the film. No voice over since that is childish, like the toy story trailer.
What music would you expect in a Crime Film trailer?
Rock/ Alternative. Maybe Jazz.
Pete Zabolotny Age
27
Are you interested in Crime films?
Fairly, If there is one on TV I would watch it to the end. What would you expect in a Crime Film trailer?
Quick clips, Explosions, Action. I would want to see the set up but not the actual heist since that would ruin the film. Character's background has to be in there too, but not the focus. Sleek text that appears very quickly. A voice-over would be useful to explain some of the story.
What music would you expect in a Crime Film trailer?
Slow music. Builds up to the action. Starts and Ends loud. Heavy guitars and pounding drums in the background.
Bob Koropisz Age
16
Are you interested in Crime films?
Yes
What would you expect in a Crime Film trailer?
Police chases, flashbacks, groups of criminals- at lest four criminals in the gang. It should show the story and set up, with the start of the heist- some action scenes interlaced. Text should appear on a black background in white text. Generic police radio chatter and a voice-over may seem cliche but are a must.
What music would you expect in a Crime Film trailer?
Fast, pulsing music with a slow build-up, but it depends on the scene.
Peter Los Age
45
Are you interested in Crime films?
No
What would you expect in a Crime Film trailer?
Lots of action that provide intrigue. No flashbacks or story- just action. Text should show Actors names and Directors- finish with the Film's name and just flash in. Maybe add a voice-over.
What music would you expect in a Crime Film trailer?
A Big band playing Dramatic instrumental music, speeding up until the end where it cuts out suddenly.
Twentieth Century Fox is an American film studio, distributor and one of the six major American film studios. Located in the Century City area of Los Angeles, just west of Beverly Hills, the studio used to be a subsidiary of News Corporation, but is now a subsidiary of 21st Century Fox.
Summit Entertainment
Summit Entertainment LLC (formerly Summit Entertainment LP) is an American film production company and distributor. It is a subsidiary of Lions Gate Entertainment, headquartered in Universal City, California with international offices in London. In September 2008, merger talks between Summit and Lions Gate Entertainment were the subject of media speculation, but no deal was finalised at that time. On February 1, 2009, it was announced that Lionsgate would acquire Summit, along with its library of six films and rights to the Twilight franchise, but two days later, these merger negotiations broke down due to concerns over changing content.On January 13, 2012, Lions Gate Entertainment acquired Summit for $412.5 million. Universal Studios Universal Studios Inc. (also known as Universal Pictures) is an American film studio, owned by Comcast through its wholly owned subsidiary NBCUniversal,and is one of Hollywood's "Big Six" film studios. Its production studios are at 100 Universal City Plaza Drive in Universal City, California. Distribution and other corporate offices are in New York City. Universal Studios is a member of the Motion Picture Association of America Columbia Pictures Industries Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. (CPII) is an American film production and distribution studio of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerateSony. It is one of the leading film studios in the world, a member of the so-called Big Six. It was one of the so-called Little Three among the eight major film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. Metro Goldwyn Mayer
MGM was formed in 1924 as a merge between Metro Pictures Corp., Goldwyn Pictures and Louis B. Mayer Productions. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is a leading entertainment company focused on the production and global distribution of film and television content. The company owns one of the world’s deepest libraries of premium film and television content. In addition, MGM has investments in domestic and international television channels and is the majority owner of and distributor for United Artists Media Group (UAMG). Paramount
Paramount Pictures International is responsible for marketing and distributing Paramount movies to audiences around the world, with offices in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. It is currently owned by Viacom (Video & Audio Communications)
Warner Bros
WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC. is a fully integrated, broad-based entertainment company and a global leader in the creation, production, distribution, licensing and marketing of all forms of entertainment and their related businesses. Warner Bros. Entertainment stands at the forefront of every aspect of the entertainment industry from feature films to television, home entertainment/DVD, animation, product and brand licensing and interactive entertainment. It is owned by Time Warner.
The Regulatory body for Film trailers is the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC)
It is an independent non governmental body which has classified cinema films since it was set up in 1912. It was set up by the film industry as an independent body to bring a degree of uniformity to the classification of film nationally. The film trailer is planned for an 18 audience which means that no theme is prohibited at 18. Adults are free to choose their own entertainment provided the material is not illegal or potentially harmful, so it is possible some themes tackled at 18 may be offensive even to some adult viewers.
However the trailer should be shown on TV or before videos online, therefore the trailer must be appropriate for younger audiences to maximise potential screen time. The lower potential age rating is 15. This means that at 15 violence may be strong however it should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable. This is important as in most Bank Heist trailers they depict scenes of violence.
As it is a heist film it runs the risk of showing dangerous behaviour or things teens might copy.
The BBFC consider the risk of potential harm to impressionable teenagers. For example, dangerous behaviour such as hanging, suicide and self-harming should not dwell on detail which could be copied. Whether the depiction of easily accessible weapons is acceptable will depend on factors such as realism, context and setting. The self harm and aspect will not feature in the trailer, however the accessibility of weapons may be a subject we need to be careful with.
Although the film would be an 18, the trailer would need to have a 15 rating given by the BBFC in order to allow it to shown to younger audiences.
Most movie trailers will start with a Corporate Logo with backing music. This song usually does not change, it may fade in and out, or even stop completely if a scene is reliant on sound (for example an explosion). This is a similar trend throughout more action packed genres. Some trailers provide a voiceover or written text that will start to show the films story. The clips shown are almost always not in order, cutting to highlight of the film that will interest the viewer, before moving back to a clip of exposition. This adds tension as the music builds up to points of impact. Some films show graphics layered on with reviews or quotes from critics from newspapers or websites praising the film. At the end of most trailers there is a billing block, showing the actors name, directors name, producers and various companies that have contributed to the making of the film.
POINT BREAK TRAILER (1991)
The trailer starts with a green screen from the Motion Picture Association of America approving the trailer for all audiences. This reassures the viewer that the trailer is ok to view wherever they are. This is a legal requirement in the UK to allow trailers to be shown on TV. It then fades out then fades in to the 20th Century Fox logo. This acts like a second seal of approval as 20th Century Fox will loose money the film that is produced is bad. It then cuts to a shot of a wave whilst narration starts. Then a shot of the character speaking, continuing the narration. Everything is calm, the music and the tone of voice. This changes very quickly as a shot of a bank robbery, with faster music and shouting. One of the criminals announces "We are the Ex-Presidents", Providing some exposition. It then returns to the shot of the waves, and people surfing and the calm tone of voice narrating. This is repeated two more times, showing the juxtaposed scenes side by side, enforcing the violence of the bank robbery and the calmness of the surfing. It is then cuts to a logo for LARGO entertainment, a black screen with the text going through an orange to yellow gradient, much like a sunset, before showing the hero's perspective as his story is revealed. The Hero (Keanu Reeves) is told the t the Ex-Presidents are surfers, another important theme in the film. It is at this point where the narration ends. There is another moment of juxtaposition as the hero is in a civilised conversation, then cuts to a shot of him shooting behind cover. The music then peaks as Patrick Swayze's name is shown in the same style as the LARGO entertainment's feature. A clip of Patrick Swayze begins, and his voice carries over into the next clip of Keanu Reeves ducking for cover from a gunman. The narration is stopped by a clip of a woman talking "They will take you to the edge-and past it", and Reeves shooting out of a window. Then Keanu Reeves' name appears in the same font and motion as LARGO and Patrick Swayze, with the loud spike of music on a black screen with the sans serif orange/yellow gradient text. Narration starts again as Reeves is seen walking with a surfboard, a clip of girls walking past, then the scene of which the narration takes place, this adds comedic effect as Reeves is defending himself from a Police Chief, correcting him on the "correct terminology" for girls or "babes". A cut to Reeves and another officer stood on desks pretending to surf and imitating stunts. This also adds comedic relief as Reeves is supposed to be a serious undercover cop. A wave crashing down the then reveals the film's name POINT BREAK in the same animation, font and colouring of the previous 3 texts. The music fades as Patrick Swayze says goodbye friend ("Audios Amigos") before jumping out of a plane. As he falls a long note is played, similar to most horror films in order to increase tension. The music then gets faster and louder as more clips are shown a mixture of action and romance scenes. Chase scenes and guns seems to be the theme, until the music stops and a cut to Reeves and Swayze, "100% pure adrenaline", and they high-five and something explodes. The POINT BREAK title is revealed once more in the same style as all of the previous text intermissions. After a clip of Reeves and the Police Chief appears, "Does anyone have anything interesting to say?" "I caught my first tube today...sir" Reeves replies. The end credits featuring the directors name, actors, title and producers. This is done in the same font as the LARGO entertainment logo, with the orange to yellow gradient representing a sunset. This is continues showing the Music, story, screenplay and logos for 20th Century Fox. It ends with "COMING SOON TO A THEATRE NEAR YOU".
TOY STORY TRAILER (1995)
The Toy Story trailer starts off with a green screen by the Motion Picture Association of America approving the trailer to be viewed by all audiences. This is a legal requirement as without it the trailer would not have been able to be shown on TV. After the animated Walt Disney Pictures castle logo appears for 3 seconds. The PIXAR Animation Studios appears after. In the background there is an upbeat song that plays throughout the entire trailer. As the PIXAR logo appears the sound for the next clip starts. With the audio continuing it shows Woody addressing a toy soldier. This is a medium close up and over the shoulder view from the soldier'/s perspective. It then cuts to a medium shot as the soldier jumps off a desk. This establishes the space between Woody and the soldier. Once the soldier is off frame it cuts to a long shot to show him land on an open drawer.In this long shot we can see the bucket of soldiers and other little green soldiers stood near it. This also allows the viewer to understand the space around the room. A low angle long shot of the green soldier appears for a second as he says "Recon Plan...". The rest of his sentence "...Charlie" is carried on in the next cut. It is the same long shot showing the bucket of soldiers. This time it shows many soldiers jumping out of the bucket to the ground. Another fast cut to a long shot showing a door being opened by a soldier. A medium long show shows two soldiers jumping off a banister, followed by a pan down to reveal the soldiers parachutes opening. It then cuts to a medium close up of a green soldier with binoculars saying "It's a...". The next shot is a Medium close up of Woody, Although it is animated, the movement of the camera is similar to a tracking shot as the camera is moved further away from Woody to reveal Buzz. This draws attention to Buzz as the camera moves up his body and rests at a Medium close up of Buzz. During this camera movement a graphic appears that zooms in then fades out. It reads WALT DISNEY PICTURES PRESENTS. This is read also by a narrator who goes on to say "A totally new animated motion picture event". A close up of Buzz's control panel on his arm follows as Buzz taps his arm. Then a medium close up of Buzz as he tries to communicate to "Star Command". After comes a POV shot from Buzz's perspective, showing his face reflecting off his visor. This allows the audience to see the room Buzz is in as the camera pans from left to right. The narration continues with "The story of two toys...". This voice over continues into the shot of Woody before the dolly shot as he starts to duck under the bed. A close up follows as Buzz looking around as he says "There seems to be no signs of intelligent life anywhere." Then the previous POV shot from Buzz's perspective appears again, as wood sticks his head into frame to say "Hello". This is followed by Buzz's reaction, shown by a medium close up as Buzz jumps back. Woody's reaction is shown in the next medium shot as he jumps back. "Heading for a showdown" the narrator continues over a tilted long shot showing the rest of the toys moving towards the camera. An over the shoulder shot shows Buzz's arm pointing his laser at Woody's head as he introduces himself. It then cuts to a long shot of Buzz and Woody as Woody establishes his territory to Buzz. An over the shoulder shot of Woody follows for a second as Buzz tackles him to the ground. Then a close up of Woody as he hits the ground. A low angle shot of Buzz shows him walking out of frame. After it is a long shot of Buzz addressing the other toys. A short high angle shot of toy binoculars looking scared appears when Buzz says "I come in peace". The setting changes to a darker room as an over the shoulder shot from Buzz's perspective shows Woody yelling at Buzz "You are a child's play thing!". The view is then switched to over Woody's shoulder to give Buzz's reply of "You are a sad, strange little man". A low angle shot shows Buzz falling from a car sun-roof towards the camera. Another low angle shot follows as we See Woody lying down as Buzz lands. The narrator carries on at this point saying "And playing by their own rules". After this an over the shoulder medium close up shot of Woody shows, as he shouts "Draw". Then a long shot of Woody and an Etch a Sketch appears as they both turn. A close up of the Etch a Sketch shows a pistol being Drawn very quickly. The next shot is a medium close up of Woody clutching his chest saying "Got me again". After this, an over the shoulder shot of Mr Potato Head shows the other main characters in a circle as Rex says "I don't like confrontations". Another over the shoulder shot of Buzz shows Woody pointing behind Buzz shouting "Buzz look an alien!" Buzz then looks behind him as Woody laughs. A close up of Mr Potato Head shows him holding his arm as other characters stand around him. A medium close up of Buzz show him pushing a tool box and blue crate as he narrates "You're mocking me aren't you?". A low angle shot under the table Buzz was on shows the toolbox and crate fall.A high angle shot shows Woody's reaction, then a long shot shows the toolbox and crate fall on Woody. This shot also shows a desk and a chair, suggesting the environment. An extreme close up of Buzz's chest shows him pushing a button, followed by a long shot of Buzz and Woody stood together as Buzz's wings extend. You can also see other characters at the bottom of the frame watching as the camera is above them. After is an over the shoulder shot of Buzz in order to show the crowds reaction, then a close up of the Piggy Bank as he says "Woah, impressive wing-span". A cut to Woody's reaction as he folds his arms and looks to the side. Another cut to Mr Potato Head shows him removing his mouth then moving it behind him. This is a nod to the older views who may have to watch the film with younger people (kids, siblings). The next shot shows Woody defending face, saying that Buzz "can not fly". This is followed by a long shot of the crowd then to a medium close up of Buzz and Woody arguing weather Buzz can or can not fly. The next shot a a low angle very long shot, showing Buzz leaping from a bedpost off frame. It then shows in another low angle shot, him bouncing off a ball. Narration starts in the next clip with "This Holiday Season the Adventure takes off" as Buzz flies from left to right and another clip of Woody looking upset. Next a low angle shot of a car as Buzz lands on it, followed by another low angle shot to show Buzz on a toy roller coaster track. The next is a continuous shot from Buzz's POV going around the track and half way around a loop. The next is a long shot of Buzz completing the loop as the narrator continues "When toys come to life". A low angle shot show Buzz coming off the track and flying through the air. A Medium shot of the crowd shows their reaction as they follow Buzz through the air. The next shot shows Buzz in the air then fades to the Toy Story logo. The narrator also reads the title. The logo is broken by Buzz who falls through it followed by a zoom towards the bed and therefore the crowd. A shot of long shot Woody looking up and watch Buzz fall is followed by an over the shoulder shot of Woody as Buzz says "Can" followed by cheering and a Black screen with the text COMING TO THEATERS THANKSGIVING.
