Research - Comparing Thriller Trailers

Skyfall (2012)

·      Fast cutting

·      Music pace speeds up near end of trailer

·      Accumulation of action shots near end of trailer (Explosions)

·      Brief story line

·      Narration form enemy

·      Focus mainly upon one male dominant character (hero)

The Dark Knight (2008)

·      Narration of trailer by enemy/ villain

·      Music pace speeds up during trailer

·      Accumulation of action shots near end of trailer

·      Story line given

·      Emphasis on hero and villain characters

·      Focuses just as much upon the villain as hero

Inception (2010)

·      Change clip to the beat of the music

·      Narration from one of the characters taken out of context

·      Fast paced changes of clips

·      Music stays the same tempo but becomes more intense

·      Detailed story line

·      Funny dialogue at end of trailer

·      Focus mainly upon one Male dominant character (hero)

Similarities

·      One of the biggest similarities I found between the trailers is that that in the thrillers they often use the ‘villain’ to narrate the trailers where they take a piece of dialogue that they say during the film and overly in on the trailer. This is only really used within thrillers as normally in horror films the ‘enemy’ is eluded around a mystery where as in thrillers it creates a tense and diverse atmosphere like the villain is talking directly to you.

·      It is also common for at the start of a horror film for the music to be quieter and slower paced when there is someone narrating and then near the end of the trailer the pace and volume builds are up to create the tension and fitting in with the non dialogue shots of explosions. All the trailers I viewed had this quality, which I think, makes it distinctively a thriller. 

Differences

·      All these trailers had a large amount of similar codes and convections however most thrillers are mainly centered on the dominant male hero, however The Dark Knight focuses just as much upon the Joker (villain) as Batman (hero). This is unique for films but due to so much popularity the Joker received and Heath Ledgers incredible portal of the Joker. This was defiantly what made ‘The Dark Knight’ trailer so unique and captivating.