10/09/11 - Research - Thriller trailers

I have decided to research into various different trailers that have been placed within the 'thriller' genre. The information I collect could then be used for ideas when we create our own film trailer. The movies that I have chosen to look at are fairly recent, having been released in 2010, and underneath the film title, I have included a brief summary of each film.

The films are:

• The American
  Alone among assassins, Jack is a master craftsman. When a job in Sweden ends more harshly than expected for this American abroad, he vows to his contact Pavel that his next assignment will be his last. Jack reports to the Italian countryside, where he holes up in a small town and relishes being away from death for a spell. The assignment, as specified by a Belgian woman, Mathilde, is in the offing as a weapon is constructed. Surprising himself, Jack seeks out the friendship of local priest Father Benedetto and pursues romance with local woman Clara. But by stepping out of the shadows, Jack may be tempting fate.
• Abandoned
  Mary Walsh delivers boyfriend Kevin to a hospital for routine outpatient surgery. But when Mary returns to take him home, he's mysteriously vanished. An administrator can find no record of him, and a police search turns up nothing. Increasingly frantic, Mary's taken to staff psychiatrist Dr. Bensley, who pronounces her unstable. Now she must not only find her missing boyfriend, but prove her own sanity as well. When a stranger informs her he knows Kevin's whereabouts and demands a $10 million ransom, she has one hour to comply... and her boyfriend's life hangs in the balance. Forced to embezzle the money from the bank where she works, Mary soon discovers the shocking truth behind the disappearance. Now time is running out and she must take matters into her own hands to save herself.
• Buried
  Waking groggy in pitch darkness, Paul Conroy, an American truck driver working in Iraq in 2006, slowly realizes he is trapped inside a wooden coffin, buried alive. With his cigarette lighter, he can see the trap he is in, and he quickly realizes that there's not enough air for him to live long. He finds within the coffin a working cellphone, which allows him contact with the outside world. But the outside world proves not to be very helpful at finding a man buried in a box in the middle of the Iraqi desert. Paul must rely on his best resource--himself.

The American
The trailer uses many different tactics to ensure that tension and suspense is created. The sound is loud, increasing in volume throughout. The clips are of various lengths, but towards the end of the trailer, shorter video clips are shown to add to the tension.

 Another thing the trailer does is use light and shadows to its advantage, as within the first few seconds of the trailer, you can only see the silhouette of the man in the car, as the light at the end of the tunnel becomes incredibly bright.

Additionally, the trailer uses a colour filter on a few of the clips to indicate the change in atmosphere. Here we can see a red filter that adds to the feeling of passion and urgency shown in the clip. The blue filter is used when the actor suddenly realises that someone outside is watching him, to show a hostile atmosphere.

There are a range of shots that are also used, as we are given many long shots, as well as close ups. The long shots create a sense of time passing, reinforced by the lack of sound, while the close ups signify an urgency.

Abandoned
Like the previous trailer, sound is used a lot here to create suspense and tension, which would ensure the watchers interest.

Throughout the trailer, effects like a quick cut into black are used. Many different camera angles are used, which becomes very noticeable as during one shot, the camera will move to a different place a few times before the next clip is shown. Close ups are also used here to indicate a sense of urgency.

At one particular moment in the trailer, the same medium long shot is used, but the situation changes. The people around the main woman begin to move quickly around her, as she stays in the same position. This continues until she is left on her own, showing the passing of time, ending when the clip blurs into the next one.

The colours used are mostly dark and dull, except for when bright lights are used, creating a contrast between the hospital and the outside world. The hospital wards are quiet and empty, highlighting her isolation, while the outside world is busy and full of life.

Shadows are also used here, as you can see her outline as she stands in front of a wall, and the shadow created from someone holding a gun up. The use of shadows adds to the tension and suspense created in the clip.

Buried
Unlike the other trailers, the sound does not escalate throughout the movie, but is used in a subtle way. Most of the sound is created by the actor - his breathing, him moving around frantically inside the coffin - but there is also a sound like a quiet bell, ringing in the background of the entire trailer. Short clips create suspense and tension because they cut to a black screen immediately, and all you can hear are his screams.

Throughout the clip, the screen shows bits of text, explaining the actors situation, and gaining the attention of the viewer, who becomes eager to understand what he is experiencing. The unusual predicament that he has found himself in ensures we stay interested.

The camera uses many different shots, never staying on one particular shot for a long period of time. Close ups, mid shots and long shots are used, and a long shot can be seen when the camera moves up away from the coffin, so that we get a clear shot of the amount space he has.

Lighting is used effectively, as darkness surrounds him, while his face is often lit up, exposing his wounds and bloodied face. The colours used are very dark, adding to the trailer, as it adds to the sense of danger, as well as adding to the feeling that there isn't much room in the coffin, and that the actor truly is buried six feet underground.

All three of these trailers use very useful tactics to ensure that the watcher is interested in the film, and that suspense and tension is created so that the likelihood of someone going to pay to see the film is more of a possibility. It is clear that a lot of planning has gone into all of them, and so when creating our own film trailer, it would be a good idea to use different aspects from certain 'thriller' trailers.

For example:

• The cuts are often quick, with sound effects accompanying them, building suspense.
• Black screens are used frequently as well, leaving the audience anticipating something dangerous or scary as the audio continues to play in the background.
• Text is often used to provide the audience with valuable information, such as what the situation in the film is, or reviews from magazines and websites.
• Except for the natural light provided from outside, the trailers have a dark colour scheme, using dismal colours and shadows created from artificial light to make scenes seem sinister, or characters appear menacing.
• The cuts are usually straight into another clip or onto a black screen. Occasionally fades or a blurring effect are used to show confusion or lack of energy.
• Sound can add to the feeling of danger and suspense, if used effectively. In the first two trailers for 'The American' and 'Abandoned', the sound grew in volume into the trailer reached the point when what was being shown was incredibly significant. For example, in another trailer this could be when someone was being kidnapped or shot. In 'Buried', the sound was almost non-existant, but the sound of a quiet bell playing constantly added a sinister element to the trailer.