Evaluation: Question 1

In what ways does your media product use, develop, or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Codes and Conventions of a Teaser Trailer

 Codes and conventions of a teaser trailer

A teaser trailer is usually between 30 seconds and a minute and a half long. It shows you a basic outline of what the film could be about, giving the audience a brief insight leaving them wanting more. A teaser trailer is often made while the film or TV show is still in production or being edited. It may also contain scenes that are not actually in the final product, as some scenes may be cut when editing.
Most teaser trailers are released up to a year and a half before the film comes out, hence why they are called teaser trailers. Most contain either once short sequence of clips or just one clip in them, and they tend to focus on the characters in the film or show rather than the plot. The pace of a teaser trailer is usually fast, or speeds up as the trailer progresses.


Teaser Trailers make you aware of a new film that is still being edited or produced. Some Teaser Trailer, such as Trainspotting  (1996) show just the first ideas of what they want to produce for the real film- and not necessarily what they will produce when it comes to that stage, as they may decide in the editing that they don't want to include that particular scene which we have already seen.

Conventions of a Film Opening

Most commonly, the predominant aim of a film opening is to immediately captivate and hook the audience in. The opening will give the audience a sense of the narrative and will present the characters and a basics of the story plot. The audience will usually be able to instantly identify and recognise the genre of the film - based on location, lighting, music etc.

Most film openings are around 2 minutes long and introduce the pre-plot/ beginning narrative - Giving the audience a sense of what the film will be like. 

At the start of the film, the key credits will appear, such as the film director, the main actors and the name of the film. Again, this is done to hook the audience as often one will decide whether to watch a film based on the actors in it/the production company, or director.

In most film openings the key character's are introduced along side a theme song or parallel non-diegetic music, indicating the genre of the film.

Often, the key credits are presented on top of a series of establishing shots, which set the scene and give the audience a sense of the locations - again indicating the genre of the film.

The opening sequence usual ends with the start of the narrative, commonly the pace will change from calm to a spark of action, hooking the audience, however this depends on the genre.

One common convention of a film opening is the use of a non-diegetic voice over, this can give the audience background knowledge to a story line, it can help the audience to identify and connect with the character and it adds to the narrative. Additionally, it is a common technique for the film opening to start at the end of the story, and then for it to take the audience back in time to the beginning, supposedly before everything changed and went wrong. Throughout the rest of the film it will usually be frequent foreshadow of the upcoming events, that the audience knows to be coming. This will usually hook the audience as they will want to find out what happened for the character to end up in that situation.

Another common start, is to begin with a flashback to when the protagonist was a child. Usually, this is the most pivotal point in their life, where it has shaped them and creates the story that the film will tell. For example, when Harry Potter's parents have just been killed by Voldemort in 'The Order of the Phoenix', when Matt Murdock, from 'Daredevil', is blinded, or when Clark Kent is born in 'Man of Steel'.

Conventions of a Theatrical Trailer

Theatrical Trailers:

-Most theatrical trailers last around two to three minutes and contain key moments from the film but do not give away any crucial plot lines or details.




-A film trailer will usually begin with the film    production's logo, as the company's reputation can influence a viewers opinion on whether they want to see the film or not. The logo is also used to make the audience aware of what type/genre film it is. This is usually done to attract and entice the audience.









-The title of the film is not usual presented on screen until the end of  until the end of the trailer, which is usually followed by a release date. This is usually done to built anticipation and excitement, and so that the title will be remembered. The graphological features of the title, such as the colour, font, and backdrop, often indicate the genre and type of film it will be. For example, the comedy film title 'Guys With Kids' is bright, bold and colourful to emphasise its comedic qualities, whereas the horror movie title 'Insidious' is dark, sharp and red, which connotes evil, death, blood and horror.




-The names of the main actors are often presented on screen to the audience very early on in the trailer, as this lets them know who they expect to see in the film. This is an important aspect as often a viewer will decide whether or not to watch the film depending on who the actors in it are.

-An important aspect of a theatrical trailer is the introduction of the characters, as a vital part of a film is to get the audience to connect with and like the main characters.

-Editors usually include short clips from different parts in the film - this is done to give the audience a sense of the story line, while keeping it fragmented enough to not reveal too much. Often as the trailer cuts from clip to clip each one transitions with a fade to black, this helps its continuity and ensures it flows.




-A popular sound choice found in trailers is a voice over, this clearly expresses the basic plot line to the audience and gives them an insight into what the whole film will consist of. It immediately creates an introduction to the protagonist and allows the audience to get a feel of what the film will be like, whether that is comedic, thrilling, emotional etc.




-Commonly the name of the director or producer and their most successful film title will appear onscreen  and read for example 'from the director of...[insert successful film title]'

-The most common camera framing found in trailers are close ups, to explore intense emotion, long shots to highlight action, and extreme long shots to present the location. The close ups and long shots help to build the tension and excitement and would portray the most action packed/emotional clips. The extreme long shots would add to the narrative.