Here are some of the teaser trailers that I have looked at whilst researching; I tried to find at least one for each genre of film. I have posted notes underneath each trailer and have bolded the notes that are typical to what a teaser trailer is supposed to be like.
The Da Vinci code
- revealed nothing of the story line
- showed no actors or characters
- it showed the date of release
- named leading cast and director and co
- lasted 2:03 minutes
'Mystery Detective'
The music that starts off this trailer instantly creates a kind of eerie, religious feel to it. It made me think of old churches and myths which is quite relevant to the film. This then combines with the fact that viewers don't really know what is going on, they are being shown an aerial shot of cracks in the floor. It creates an ambiguous vibe. The next very strong indicator of it's genre, is the script on the cave walls. The fact that viewers appear to be looking through caves creates a mysterious, 'anything can happen' feel which is associated with this genre of film. The old-fashioned script on the walls creates a feeling of age and secrecy. The voice over on the trailer has quite a male, deep voiced, foreboding sound which when combined with the words being spoken increases the old secretive feel to the scene and adds a little extra threat to it. When the camera zooms out and the painting of the Mona Lisa is revealed to viewers, the idea that the film has something to solve; something to find is strongly emphasised to the audience It then carries on by breaking up the painting into many different pieces and forming words using the pieces, building up to the big title which is created in the same way just a bit more dramatic. The lead actors are then listed indicating that they are trying to help sell the film through their celebrity. In terms of transitions, there isn't any. The whole trailer is made up of one long continuous shot.
The Banned Spider-man Trailer
- created a small story line not featured in the film, just for the purpose of the trailer
- showed rough release date (month, year)
- didn't name actors or directors
- showed main character and no other leads
- lasted 1:52 minutes
'Action'
The genre of this film is made very obvious by the plot of the teaser trailer. It shows a gang of men robbing a bank, using guns , sliding down ropes and trying to make a getaway in a helicopter. The helicopter was then pulled backward through the air into a huge spider web strung between the two towers. From this viewers can conclude that the film advertised wasn't a horror or a romance. The music used is quite rocky with electric guitars and drums used heavily. This emphasises the action genre effect by making it sound fast paced and full of energy. The lines spoken by the actors were all very stereotyped sayings 'Go, Go, Go' and 'Clear!' all make the film sound like it is full of action. The iconography of the spider web and costume are very well used, creating an excitement about the film so that even if viewers didn't realize what was being shown, they knew instantly from that. The font used on the title at the end is very solid, but curved slightly perhaps showing the softness of the superhero, showing that it isn't a hardcore action film. The transitions were all very quick, nothing fancy until the cross dissolve in the last shot of the towers. This shows how fast paced the movie is supposed to be; how 'action' packed it is. They used close ups and POV shots of the CCTV screens which i thought was effective and helped make it seem more realistic. A lot of high and low angles were used at various points in the trailer making the figures seem in charge and powerful, until the end when it has the opposite effect.
Paranormal Activity 2
- short, only 1:08 minutes
- didn't show any kind of storyline
- didn't show any actors/directors
- doesn't state when it is to be released
- 'hooks' viewers enough to get them wanting to see the film - ideal teaser
- lives up to genre - 'Horror/Suspense'
The flickers of the TV screen and the thumping of heavy footsteps at the beginning of the trailer were quite useful in establishing the genre of the film. Although those features on their own don't necessarily say 'horror/suspense' to viewers, they immediately draw attention, so that viewers are concentrating fully when the body is thrown at the camera. The black screen at the beginning and the low key lighting in the room are strong indicators of the genre as well as the obvious violence and shock involved in the camera being hit. The utter silence of the trailer excusing the ambient noises of the scene helps create an atmosphere of suspense. This is broken only by the sound of wind edited over the scene which emphasises the silence of it - as if thetas the only thing to be heard. The text used is plain and unadorned, its purpose being only to talk to the audience; the title is the only part with meaning - the text glows slightly on the black background making it seem literally 'Paranormal'. The fact that the film is set in an average family home; in a normal house, is what makes the trailer effectively scary because it is familiar to viewers, its something they could imagine happening to them. A section of the trailer shows an audience watching the film and reacting to it - this is also something recognisable to the audience, something they could relate to, making it seem scarier again. The shots that show the house with nothing unusual happening seem longer in length than the ones with the paranormal. They did this I think to create tension and so that they don't give away to much of what happens. The transitions used are mostly the television flickers with the buzz of the static. This creates a big brother kind of effect, of catching someone else which emphasises the established genre and makes it seem scarier to the audience.
Twilight
- short, only 59 seconds
- shows the date of release
- doesn't give away main plot
- popular book, shows a 'tease' of what viewers wanted
'Fantasy Romance'
The soundtrack is the first thing that suggests to viewers the genre of the film. It is quite a gentle tune which creates a feeling of anticipation with its spacey vibes. The use of piano encourages viewers to think it a romantic genre as it is quite soft and not scary like it would be for horror or rocky for action. In regards to what is actually shown in the trailer, the plot isn't given away at all. They show enough to interest viewers and tell them the USP (unique selling point) of the film. They tell viewers that the lead character and his family/friends are different from other people and that the lead girl is getting too close for her own good - the action of the film isn't revealed at all. The four seconds between 14 and 18 seconds shows viewers the fantasy side of the genre as it is all fast paced, short shots and weird happenings. During that section the music changes and almost seems more suited to a horror film with distorted screams and sharp sounds of movement - it emphasises the 'fantasy' genre. The text used is very specific to the genre - it is in an old fashioned sort of font and as viewers watch it flashes with light that moves through the letters. The lines actually shown encourage viewers to think of romance as 'forever' is a stereotyped romantic notion; fantasy being introduced as well by what is described. That then fades out into a person flying through the air - if it wasn't obvious to viewers what the genre was by then, it would be now. The shots showing a romantic or deep scene tended to be longer and more tension filled. The ones showing the fantasy side of the film - things that show it isn't an average love story - tended to be shorter, faster and used flashes for transitions. The music changed a lot throughout the trailer but stayed eerie and almost sinister continuously; when fast action scenes are shown, bell like music and screams are used quickly at each transition.
American Wedding
- 1:45 minutes
- Doesn't show date of release
- only shows what is already suggested in the title, entire story not revealed
- shows genre strongly, without giving away all jokes
- shows main characters
'Comedy'
Apart from showing an obvious scene in the trailer for this film, the main plot of the story isn't revealed to viewers. It cuts to a few 'comedic' shots afterwards, in medium shots, where some of the main characters say a funny line - this tells the audience what the genre is. It starts off not being very obvious what the film or the genre is. The voice over hints at the genre to the viewers because of the way the lines are being spoken; like they are imitating a presenter in a really exaggerated theatrical way. The marriage proposal scene is then shown, cutting the best lines into it - this instantly tells viewers firstly the genre because of the fact that it gets people laughing and secondly, reputation should proceed the film, so that viewers should have guessed the sequence of films it is from. The text used doesn't really do anything to indicate the genre as it isn't necessary - viewers already know, so it is pretty simple, fitting in with the wedding vibe - looking like a script for invitations. The sound track is quite bouncy and uplifting, keeping up with the high spirits of the film and scenes shown. The entire trailer is focused on this one scene with only a couple of very short shots seen in a different part of the film. This however still doesn't give anything away. The stamped 'American Wedding' sign at the end is recognisable to the film and the previous ones before it, designed to carry that reputation onto the film advertised. The transitions used are mainly quick fades , the focus being mainly on the scene.
Other Film Genres include:
- Adventure
- Crime
- War
- Drama
- Epics
- Musicals
- Sci-Fi
- Western
