Objective:
To identify the codes and conventions commonly used in teaser trailers which promote films within the genres of thriller and action.
Case Study:
Shutter Island (2010) Directed by Martin Scorsese
This trailer is captivating from the start, where the use of chilling non-diegetic music is slowly brought in with the image of a steam boat appearing from the mist. The mist itself con-notates ideas of coldness and creates an Erie feel, therefore setting the scene in the first camera shot for the rest of the trailer, making it obvious to the audience that the film is going to be from the thriller genre and have a plot with enigma. The first dialogue heard in the trailer, is the memorable voice of Hollywood star, Leonardo DiCaprio, this is to broaden the target audience as much as possible as for those people who may not be particularly interested in thrillers, they may simply be attracted to watch due to the fact it has Leonardo DiCaprio as lead character. This famous name also is vital in advertising and promotion of the film as the film will get lots of publicity from magazine and television interviews of DiCaprio, that will not add to the costs of producing the film and therefore maximize profit as well as awareness, being advertised on both magazine, trailer and Internet levels.
The marketing, which used an above the line marketing scheme in a platform release of the film was actually postponed from October 2009 and pushed forward to February 2010, due to a lack of funding for the marketing which required a $50-$60 million marketing budget for such a large motion picture. This shows that the producers had confidence in the film being a success and spent a lot of time on their trailer and promotion. Another reason for postponing the release of Shutter Island was due to the fact that Leonardo DiCaprio was unable to market and promote the film internationally during the months leading up to October and so they waited to release it until he was available for interviews and marketing campaigns, reinforcing this idea that big Hollywood names are important when creating a successful blockbuster.
The non-diegetic music increases in pitch and pace throughout the trailer along with the sharp hits of the increasing beats on particularly tense moments and shots is used throughout to keep and build tension. The camera movements themselves are actually very slow in the first minute of the trailer. For example the pans across the grounds and of the letters falling to floor as well as the movements of Leonardo himself and the other characters. This then begins to speed up as the shots also become more jumpy and in an irregular sequence after the shot of the gates being locked, indicating DiCaprio has been locked in, with the patients. This is to build tension and show that the sequence of action events are about to take place. The titles that have also been added in between shots are set on very dark backgrounds of what looks like ink or some form of thick liquid, in some cases may be blood or dirt, this use of black connotates the idea of darkness and cold, representing the feel of the film which is also reflected in the dark and gloomy shots of the grounds and the rooms and cells themselves.
From the first few lines of speech we also learn what 'Shutter Island' is, " a mental hospital" which helps to set the scene and allow the narrative to begin to flow, allowing the audience to begin to relate to whats about to be shown to them. The edits between the shots get faster and more jumpy, again reinforcing this concept of Thriller genre. The frames are also dark and the music becomes more shrill as the shots become more unsettling and it sounds almost like screaming in the background, which helps to create the sense of unpleasantness that a mental hospital would have. We then see DiCaprio's Court Marshall's badge in a close up shot which firmly establishes character, status and immediately allows the viewer to create an assumption that he is the 'good guy' as Marshall's and police men are stereotyped to fight crime and 'save the day' in most thriller films. The use of the word Marshall and also the badge and clothes of the characters themselves also gives a clear indication of time period, allowing the viewer to immediately recognise that the film is set in the past due to props, dress codes, accent and speech as well as language used. However the only criticism i would have of this is that a specific year or decade is not immediately evident as the film could be anywhere between the late 1890's to the early 1940's, however a date may not have been set in stone on purpose to keep a sense of mystery and to keep the enigma flowing.
Throughout the sequences there are a lot of frames of large iron gates and small enclosed cell hallways. This again is to reinforce setting and makes the viewer feel uneasy, as if they themselves are trapped in the mental hospital with the criminally insane patients which looks much like a prison. The patients that are shown in the trailer are very pale, gaunt less and the sky rooms and surrounding areas of forest, cliffs and the sky itself are all very grey and cold looking to keep the enigma and make the island look unwelcoming. As the camera movements become more sharp and jumpy with flashing lights and unusual camera angles to create a sense of confusion and uncertainty, the music becomes more shrill as we learn the plot of the story and discover that there is a secret being hidden from DiCaprio not just about the missing patient but also about Shutter Island itself. They create this idea that DiCaprio, who at the beginning had status and power becomes alone, helpless and the victim in the plot. This adds to the enigma and makes the viewer curious at to what the conspiracy with the mental hospital is and to why DiCaprio is suddenly starting to show signs of insanity himself.
I think that this trailer is really successful in establishing the genre of thriller, as well as providing enough information to interest the viewers but revealing that there are still many secrets left uncovered, keeping the viewers on the edge of their seats, making the marketing campaign and advertising very successful as, i myself went to watch this film purely based on the trailer. It is also successful because it is fast moving, creating a sense of panic and showing that the film contains action sequences as well as psychological aspects. The use of a famous Hollywood star like DiCaprio also dramatically improves the films quality as it automatically attracts a large target audience before advertising has even taken place, based purely on Leonardo DiCaprio's enormous and thriving fan base.
The final line is also very important as it will be the last thing that the viewers here and therefore the last thing they remember. In this trailer it is the words "you'll never leave this island" and a close up of DiCaprio hanging by one hand off of a cliff, shot from floor level looking at his hand slipping. This is to keep the suspense and the enigma and to subconsciously encourage people to want to go and watch the film to find out whether DiCaprio dies at the end. The film internationally has produced a $293,796,367 profit on box office sales alone, making it Martin Scorsese's highest-grossing film worldwide, therefore proving the excellence of their trailer and how it created suspense and mystery. This is also the fourth time that director Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio have worked on a film together, previously working on: Gangs of New York in 2002, The Aviator in 2004 and The Departed in 2006, which have all also been very successful, showing that these two big names in Hollywood were enough to get the film its status and the build up of enigma it required to be a success.
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