Research - Film trailer, Eagle Eye

Eagle Eye is the third trailer I have chosen to analyse because it falls into the 'Action/Thriller' genre, which separates it from the other two (as the others had hints of comedy). This once again fits into the genre I would like to produce my trailer in.

The trailer begins quickly, getting the production company logos out of the way, then jumping in to quick shots of the main character using an ATM, with very dramatic 'drum beats' in the background every time the shot makes a key change. Something immediately goes wrong, as we see him unable to withdraw money, yet 2 seconds later he is able to withdraw large amounts of money, and the machine begins firing bills at him. It then quickly changes to the character going home to his apartment, where upon entering we see him surprised to find an array of weaponry on the inside, once again using quick cuts.

These quick cuts help build suspense and add 'sudden drama' to the trailer, keeping the viewer enticed, but at the same time giving us a small amount of story for the trailer to progress.

The trailer continues to show the main character being arrested and going through some interrogation as well as encounters with an unknown being. The shots appear to show a continuous scene but with small bits cut out, effectively showing all of the action and none of the boring stuff.

Research - Film trailer, RED

RED is an Action/Comedy film released in 2010 starring some of the oldest action film actors. I have chosen to analyse this film as it falls into the action genre that I would like to make my trailer in.

The trailer begins with very relaxing violin music playing, with a few shot cuts fitting to the beat of the music. A few seconds of dialogue then takes place between two key actors, before it all ending abruptly after an actor saying “I do take the odd contract on the side”. It quickly switches to a shot of said actor on a mounted turret firing upon a convoy of vehicles in a parking garage. This kind of effect is sudden and is unexpected by the viewer, so is perhaps used as an attempt to get the viewers attention.

The next segment in the trailer has some very chilled cheerful upbeat music, cutting between title slides and shots revealing all of the actors/characters in the trailer, as well as releasing small parts of their personality/character histories. This is used to give the viewer a closer bonding with the character, perhaps to help them understand what may happen in the next segment of the trailer.

The last segment has a different soundtrack again, but reveals more action shots such as fight scenes, gun fights, explosions etc. basically anything associated with an action film. The use of these quick shots can reveal a lot about what's in the film, keeping the viewer enticed and wanting more.