Generic Conventions And Iconography Report

Generic Conventions And Iconography Report

Trailer Analysis-Media Language

For my media language analysis I have chosen the film 'The Perfect Stranger' the film is a brilliant crime thriller which has a strong narrative structure that has a mystery towards the end where the film has a epic twist. The trailer for this film is 2 minutes and 29 seconds and it shows many different events that take place in the film and has its all different narrative structures. The trailer is exactly what me and my group would like to do for our trailer because it’s a perfect thriller that we would like to do. The transitions that are used are match on action were the scenes cut from one event to another. By doing this the film is broken down to help understand the narrative and genre of the film before watching it. There is about 59 clips in the trailer and each clip is about four seconds each and some last about six seconds the longest.

There is one logo used and that says 'Revolution Studio'. Revolution studio is an American film company that was founded in 2000 by Joe Roth. This the company that made the perfect stranger so the trailer shows this before any part of the film begins. As the trailer begins there’s a text saying 'Everyone has secrets' the trailer continues on to the middle where all the scenes are a montage showing a lot of different events. Once we know that the film is about a reporter than the text appears saying 'The only way to know the truth is to play the victim’, every secrets, leads to another. 'This spring trust no one. The texts help outline the narrative of the film. The end of the trailer shows the protagonists name 'Academy award winner Halle Berry. Bruce Willis, Glovanni Ribisi. Then the text appears saying Perfect Stranger which is the films name.

The trailer has an echo effect which causes a tension to build up the thriller genre. The trailer has a little drop in the sound that makes it seem more effective. There’s a smooth non diagetic sound that causes the trailer to be a mystery and even though the film is a circular it gets the audience thinking and makes them apart of the film. This effect is given to the audience because the film has an epic twist to it which is not that easy to establish. The trailer doesn’t contain any voice over but it does have an echo over to another clip that still causes an enigma and a suspension.

There is not many graphics and sfx that are used in pro-production in this film but there is a lot of cross fade where they have added like for example the quotes 'every secret' this helps the trailer transfer from the film and gives an outline of the narrative to help the audience understand. There is a like a cross over from one scene to another and the colour changes to black and white which gives a detail that the clip is important.

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Shining Poster

Narrative Analysis

What is the narrative structure of the whole film (why was it chosen)

The narrative structure of the film is Linear where it goes in order on how the events take place and it builds the tension through the middle and continues to the end. The reason this was chosen is because its an action and thriller. By filming an action thriller like this helps explain the events without any confusion. This film is all about how the protagonist solves the situation and goes through many different events.

What is the narrative point of view (why was it used)

The narrative structure of taken is restricted its all about how the protagonist goes through each event and as the film continues we discover and understand every new event with them its a film that keeps the audience feeling as part of the film. The reason this was chosen is because if the narrative structure was circular then the audience would know the ending before and it the film finishes and it will just make every event predictable and the ending of the film would not be as epic as it was,and it would not be as enjoyable.

Which narrative events were chosen for the trailer.

The narrative structure chosen for the trailer is also a Linear. This was chosen to outline the narrative events of the film and show how each event took place and what order it happened in. This also makes the audience feel as part of the film and keeps them interested. The taken trailer is all about the protagonist and how he is on a search to find his daughter in paris and how he has to get her back from a group of gangsters who have kidnaped her. The trailer also shows an epic ending but its not the same as the film itself. By doing this it still causes an enigma for the audience.

Genre Analysis

                               



For my genre analysis i have chosen to do the film The Last House On The Left. The genre of this film is an horror,thriller and drama.The film was directed by Dennis Iliadis and was written by Adam Alleca and Carl Ellsworth. The film is a remake of the 1972 version. The trailer has to identify the three genres so its broken up into three different parts.The trailer identifies the genre of drama straight away the trailer shows the family driving down a long country road it has a non-diegetic sound playing through it and it shows an establishing shot of the town telling us that it is an isolated area with no one around. By showing this tells us that the genre is horror as well because many conventional horrors are based in lonely isolated places. The trailer also tells us that they going away for a holiday as the dad says 'are we there yet,its the last house on the left' saying the films name and also giving us an idea that they don't have any houses near by.

The beginning of the trailer the editing is quite slow and the transition used are mostly dissolved they are slow and soft which shows that there is a calm and clear atmosphere. As the trailer continues it starts taking us into the thriller genre where the tension builds up. The trailer starts cutting from one scene to another. The genre is established for a younger audience,it shows the young girl mary and her friend and a young boy spending time together,but then the non-diegetic music starts to pump up as soon as three older people walk into the scene. Match on action showing them getting dragged and kidnapped into the woods. The trailer is linear showing everything in order. So it gets dark and starts raining which brings back the horror genre because in the rain nothing can be heard.

Near the end of the trailer it brings back the drama genre because it shows a caption on ''what would you do'' but then it straight away goes into thriller because the group of people that assaulted the girls end up in the girl's(mary) house after shooting her,but she appears to be alive and makes her way home too. "taken by trees-sweet child o mine" is the soundtrack used when the scenes starts to cut from one to other showing the parents taking revenge. Once the trailer comes to the end it shows the films name and then continues back into the trailer where the man is lying on a table with his head in a microwave, this keeps us wanting more.


After watching the trailer it shows how the three genres are used throughout and how they don't seem to be done at the same time. The trailer is very interesting it uses soundtracks to help with the scenes. The establishing shot helps show the scene(town) and also the films genre which is horror,thriller and a drama.