Codes and Conventions of a Film Trailer

The codes and conventions of a film trailer follow similar conventions though they will differentiate depending on the genre of the film and the target audience of the particular film trailer. The film trailer I will be analysing for examples is Sherlock Holmes (2009)

 Most film trailers tend to start off with an image or animation of the production companies logo, in this case the Warner bros logo (Seen below). This is used as an advertising tool for the producers whilst allowing the audience to know how big a budget the film will be and, if they know of the producers other work, what style the film will be in. The film trailer will also either bring up close up shots of major actors and/or bring up their names in near the start of the trailer so people know who is in the film giving them a better idea as to whether they will like it. This can also help market the film as people are more likely to see a film if it has a well-known actor in it. 

 The majority of a film trailer consists of often very short cuts of footage not necessarily in the right order. These short pieces of footage give an audience an idea of what the plot of the movie is whilst not giving spoilers due to the clips being short and in a random order. These clips also introduce plot some ideas of plot and who some characters in the movie are. They also set the scene and contain numerous establishing shots of landmarks an audience may know to establish a definite location. (Example below of close up shots introducing characters and establishing shot of London)

 In between the clips is text on a black background usually in a font that suits the film trailer it is being made for (e.g. a horror film may have red, blood covered text in its trailer). This text is used to either explain the plot of the film along of the clips shown or list the actors who are starring in the film. The text adds a dramatic feel to the trailer and helps the trailer stick in people’s minds. At the end of a trailer is generally the release date which is similarly presented on a black background like the rest of the text in the trailer.

 A film trailer will be different depending on the genre of film it is portraying.  For example, action trailers will be fast paced with lots of short, quick cuts to emphasise a lot is going to happen in the movie. A horror movie trailer may be slower and have fewer cuts to build up the tension that is what makes a horror movie.
 Some film trailers will have voice overs done either by one of the characters and or in the past a voice not related to the film. They act as a narrator for what is happening in the trailer and what an audience can expect to see in the film.
  Film Trailers are often seen alongside other media products of a similar genre to the trailer. By doing this the film trailer is more likely to be shown to people who would be interested in watching the film and get as large an audience as possible to see the film.
Codes and Conventions of the genre that the film trailer is will be used in most film trailers to let fans of that genre know that they will like the film. When an audience sees the codes and conventions of a genre they recognise they think that they are more likely to go and see the film. People enjoy recognising and knowing what will happen during a film so by keeping codes and conventions the same the makers of the film can often be sure of a positive response to their work.

 To sum up, the codes and conventions of film trailers follow a similar pattern but will alter depending on the genre of the film. Almost all film trailers will have text describing the plot, and will introduce the plot and main characters within the trailer. The genre decides how the above is put together so the film trailer gets across the effect that the overall film is meant to have on an audience.

Pictures Below