1. Movie Trailer Analysis Project

2. The Purpose of a Trailer
Let’s set up a scenario: You have directed a movie and you are giving instructions to the person who is editing the trailer for your movie. What guidance do you give that person? What do you tell him/her to do in order to put together an effective trailer?
(respond on page 129 of your film packet)

3. The Basics…
While both are important and ultimately have the same purpose (to entice potential viewers to see the movie), what’s the biggest fundamental differences between movie posters and movie trailers? (continue to respond on page 129)

4. Trailers (But Not Posters) Have…
Cinematography
Sound
Music (songs and score)
Dialogue
Narration
Sound effects
Acting
Editing
Pace, Feel, Tone, Energy
Ultimately (and obviously) it’s more like a movie than a poster
Trailers are much more important and impactful than a movie poster

5. Your Essay Assignment
Similar to the poster analysis, this will be a step-by-step process and be due on Thursday, Dec. 7th (or before)
You will be required to write a four (or more) paragraph analysis of your trailer.
See separate assignment sheet for details and information (there are specific things you must do in each paragraph).

6. Practice Reaction
The following have been judged as some of the most effective trailers in the past few years. We’ll watch and respond to them in different ways. Do this on pages 129, 130, 131, etc…

7. Practice Reaction
Today in class, let’s look at a few trailers. Put down your thoughts as you see the trailer a couple times.
For our first trailer:
Initial reaction
Discuss a few key film elements in the trailer. Highlight a memorable shot or aspect of the trailer.
Explain how effective you feel the trailer is as a whole.

8. The Social Network

9. Practice Reaction
For our next trailer (Wolf of Wall Street), respond to the following:
Your initial reaction
What do you feel is creator of this trailer was focusing on? What are you (the viewer) most supposed to remember after watching this trailer? Explain your point.
Explain how effective you feel the trailer is as a whole.

10. The Wolf of Wall Street

11. Practice Reaction
When you do your essay, you are going to focus on a variety of movie making aspects. Let’s do a practice paragraph for the following film focusing on this trailer’s use of music. While you watch, focus your attention on the music. Then write a paragraph in which you analyze how it’s used to help the overall effectiveness of the trailer. Refer to specifics to help support your point.
In effect, this would be one of your middle paragraphs of your essay if you were doing this trailer for your essay.

12. A Good Day to Die Hard

13. Practice Reaction
Same thing (practice paragraph) but this time focusing on the editing and how it incorporated into the trailer and how it helps the overall effectiveness.
Again, this would be one of your middle paragraphs of your essay if you were doing this trailer for your essay.

14. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

15. Prometheus

16. Mad Max Fury Road

17. Inception

18. Where The Wild Things Are

19. Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

20. Little Children

21. Requiem for a Dream

22. Wall- E

23. Resources www.nvhskeller.weebly.com www.movieinsider.com