Analysing film trailers

Taken

Camera:

• Towards the start of the trailer, we see the use of an establishing shot where we can see the location of the film; Paris. By using an establishing shot it engages the audience as we would be questioning why the film is set in France when the characters live in America. Establishing shots are very common within trailers and film as setting the scene is a very important aspect.

• Again, at the start of the trailer, we see the use of many cut shots. The cut shots are very significant as they are all shots of each family member. This highlights to the audience that the family may be a key part to the plot of the film.
• Throughout the whole trailer, medium close up shots are used when the characters are on the screen. The medium/medium close up shots allow us to see the emotion on the face of the characters. This further implying that this is a very emotive film, due to it being about a whole family in distress due to the capture of their daughter.

Sound:

• For the first thirty seconds of the trailer, the music is very upbeat and happy, this linking in with what we can see on the screen, a birthday party. However, when we see the shot of the plane taking off the music straight away turns more serious. The music would turn serious as that plane journey turns out to be a significant part of the film.
• As we see in many trailers, the use of diegetic sound through the narrative is a key part in all trailers. The spoken narrative is used in a trailer as it gives the audience a clear understanding of what the film is about.
• Right at the end of the trailer, the use of non diegetic sound is used; the sound of heavy breathing. Again this gives the audience an idea as to what the film is about. Heavy breathing clearly highlights that this film has action in.
• The heavy breathing at the end of the trailer is a genre clue, along with the multiple camera shots of the guns, car chases and fight scenes. Genre clues are key in a trailer as it is important that the audience are fully aware of the genre of the film.

Mise-en-scene

• The mise-en-scene throughout this film is very minimal. One key thing I picked up on was the costumes; the costumes of the characters are clothes you would expect to see in reality. This may highlight how things such as what happens in this film happens within society today. The normality of the film, for example the costumes and overall location highlight this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZ02_Uzf7So