Film Trailer Conventions

                                                 
                                                         Conventions of film trailers

Conventions are methods and techniques that are always/mostly used in film trailers. They are the same type of methods and techniques used over a variety of films to make them what they are. Basic conventions are the release date of the film and the actual name of the film as they are required in the trailer to make the audience fully aware and clearly aware of what the film is called and when they can see it in cinemas. Other conventions that are in most films are effects such as a variety of camera angles, music that goes with the genre of the trailer, the pace of switching between different shots, these are all different effects used to make the trailer look relevant to its genre, and obviously to make it appealing to the audience so that they will go too see it in cinemas.



"The Tormented" is a horror film about teenagers that bullied an "unpopular" boy to death, however this boy then comes back from the death to avenge his death and get back at them. The conventions of this trailer is obviously the name of the film and the release date at the bottom of the screen throughout the trailer to give the audience the details of when they can catch it in cinemas and the actual name of the name. The film also has music that goes well with the whole party theme near the start of the trailer. This is so the young target audience that watch this trailer can relate to the party theme and convince them that this is there type of film and so they go to watch it. The trailer also contains murders, blood, and gory stuff, these, all being the main conventions and themes of the genre horror, so it is vital that these conventions are imported into this trailer, as without these conventions, a horror movie isnt really a horror movie. These conventions are seen in most, if not every horror trailer. Conventions such as "naughty" scenes involving sexual stuff and sex itself are surprisingly convetions used in horror films, as teenagers can relate to this, and sex is usually a distraction from what the "reality" is in horror films which is sooner or later the girl and boy will be murdered by someone, as this is how horror movies usually go. The climax at the end is built up by a fast pace of changing camera shots, this is effective as it shows lots of deaths and crying scenes, along with a depressing music track to go with the shots, this portrays to the audience that this film probably does not have a happy ending, and will probably end the same way many horror films do end, and thats with murders.. and lots of them.



"The sweeney" is an action film about lots of cases, criminals and chasing scenes. The conventions of this film is having big muscular men in the film as action films need these type of actors in it as they are better suited for the type of drama that takes place in the actual movie, this is the case with the majority, if not all action movies. Throughout the entire trailer the pace of the switching of camera angles is very quick, as action movies generally tend to be very high intensity, fast paced films and there is always something going on. Another convention used in this trailer that most action trailers have is cars and establishing shots of the whole setting, cars are a very popular convention used in action films as there are always chasing scenes involving the villains and heros in the film. The establishing shot is also used alot in action films as they show the audience the whole location of where all this action will take place, as the actors will be going all around the location that is shown to them into the trailer. The music used in the film isnt the kind of loud, epic music youd expect to hear as usually this music would be used to create an "Adrenaline rush" and send shivers down the spines of the audience when they watch the trailer. Instead, quiet and dull music is used to kind of create a bit suspence and keep the audience wondering why all this fighting, chasing and shooting is going on in the trailer.



Star wars is a sci-fi film that is non-fictional. You can see that this film is a popular film, as it is made by one of the collosal film industries, which is 20th century fox. Conventions of this film are the release date being shown right at the beginning of the trailer, this is common in most films as the trailers need to make the audience aware of when the film is out in cinemas so that they go watch it. In the trailer there are a variety of camera shots used to show that this film has a variety of different things going on in the film to show that there will always be something going on in the film, to signify "continuous" action going on throughout the movie and to show that there will be many different points of views in the film. Like many films, the trailer has many shots at the end in a short space of time, as the film builds up to a climax. The funny thing is the climax actually does build up to something, with star wars it builds up to the first time Darth Vader is in the star wars film (from the first film) so the audience will be stunned by the end result of the climax.