Consolidation of Trailer Research

Over the past month (and a bit) I have been researching different trailers analysing various elements of them including iconography, sound, inter-titles and much more. This post has the consolidation of all my research so that it can be easily and quickly referred back to if needed.

What have I researched?

• 6 Trailers (of any genre).
• 5 Genre Specific Trailers (drama).
• 5 Sub-Genre Specific Trailers (tragedy).

This research has given me an insight into how various companies edit their trailers together and what content they decide to put in them. The first trailer I researched was Magic In The Moonlight directed by Woody Allen which came out this year. This allowed me to see how trailers where conventionally produced today. The rest of the trailers I chose where from various years (mainly in the 2000s), although by analysing some older trailers (e.g. Sunset Boulevard - 1950) I could see how the style of producing them had developed over time and how what used to be conventional is now out of date and ineffective. I found this incredibly interesting and it has taught me to base my trailers on conventions seen now, especially ones specific to my genre, however I will include some things that aren't so expected so that my target audience aren't bored.

Moodboard

Looking at each aspect individually, what have I learnt that will inform my product?






So, who really are my target audience?

As I've mentioned before broadly speaking I am aiming my trailer at teenagers and young adults. Obviously, it won't appeal to every teenager and young adult but I will use everything I've learnt to try and make it appeal to as much of them as I can. I will do this by aiming to make every aspect of my trailer the highest standard possible whilst appealing to my target audience  (e.g. by having relatable characters).

From the target audience questionnaire I did back in October it was clear to me that neither females or males preferred the genre. Therefore, I aim to make the trailer appealing to both genders by not having icons that suggest the trailer to be aimed at one gender more than the other (e.g. pink swirly writing would suggest a girly film).