Shutter island trailer reviewWhat is the genre of the film?

The films genre is a psychological thriller/ horror

The genre of the film is established by words used in the trailer: “mental hospital” “criminally insane” “its like their scared of something”. It also shows the genre by the scenes it choses to use, below are some examples.

How is the audience able to identify the genre of the film?

These screenshots suggest all is not as it seems and theres some form of mystery in the film.

Suggests someone he loved died in a fire

Something he needs to watch out for

Possibly the same person?

How does the trailer target an audience?

• The trailer targets an audience through the use of actors, either by appealing to fans of Leonardo Dicaprio or reflecting the audience through the actors age and gender.

These shots show that while the gender and age is varied it mostly revolves around males in their late twenty's suggesting a target audience that is mostly male between the ages of 17-37

How long does the trailer last?The trailer lasts for 2 minutes 23 seconds

How many shots are used? Approximately 105 shots are used throughout the trailer

What transitions are used?The trailer uses fade outs black outs and whiteouts to cut between scenes it also uses a flicker to cut but this effect was too fast for me to take evidence of.

How is diegetic and non diegetic sound used?

Diegetic sound and non diegetic used to inform the audience of the story via diegetic dialogue and non diegetic dialogue that is edited to overlap scenes

“All I know is it’s a mental hospital” this mans speech is non diegetic and overlaps the two scenes

This mans speech is diegetic and this medium shot shows him as he speaks to the other

Representation of characters relationships/ friendships?

Friendships and characters relationships are shown through their interactions with one another.They both appear to be quite relaxed and their open body language suggests they know each other quite well

They both look to each other for support while the others have arms folded or in pockets suggesting none of these characters are comfortable around each other, by surrounding the two inspectors it appears the islands guards hold more power and are of a higher status on the island, the way the two are blocked off by the man who has his back to the camera suggests he is n charge

The gun here is symbolic of the inspectors handing over power to the guards

What does the trailer reveal about the plot?The trailer reveals there is a mental asylum someone has been sent to, to investigate a disappearance , as the trailer progresses and the cuts speed up we gain a sense of unease and that there is some form of conspiracy on the island.

How does the trailer establish mood and expectations? It establishes a disturbing mood and “horror” expectation by focusing on the gruesome inmates.

What type of camera shots and angles are used most commonly?

Screenshots of extreme close up’s, close up’s, medium shot’s, long shot’s, and extreme long shot’s are used throughout the trailer with close up’s and medium shots being the most commonly used.

How is mise-en-scene constructed?Mise-en-scene is constructed through the use of establishing shots, the inmates outfits/straight jackets and the guards uniform. This informs us of their roles throughout the film and of their importance. We also can roughly guess what age they are by the way they dress, e.g. the inmate who is missing is wearing quite an out fashioned suit suggesting she is in her late forties/fifties.

Shows the island

Shows an establishing shot of the institution

Shows roles of the characters. Left is the security guard and the two on the right are inspectors, this can be seen because they fit the stereotypical appearance.

The women here is dressed all in white suggesting she is a nurse who looks after patients in the institute

Why do the film studio use the trailer to market its product?

The film studio uses the trailer to market its product because it intrigues the audience and informs them,. As a result this draws them in and engages them without giving away the entire plot.

How successful is the trailer in targeting an audience? The trailer is very effective in targeting an audience, it targets a wide range of audience members because of the diversity of the film. It features a whodunit mystery while also showing conventions of a horror and psychological film with some aspects of action and thriller. Because it broadcasts all of these points it appeals to a much wider range of audience.

Make a list of ten codes and conventions you have identified

• the film revolves around one main character• There is some form of conflict• Trailer reveals some story but not all of it.• The trailer shows clips throughout the entire story. • The main character has to overcome some kind of obstacle.• The story is mostly based around his interactions with others.• Its meant to raise questions for the viewer.• Intertitles are used to advertise actors and the company.• Music is used to add suspense• Music and cuts synchronise to add a more fluid effect of transition

How effective are film trailers as a promotional device for films?

They are very effective as they form the first most used form of film advertising and are capable of capturing the audiences interest in ways that a conventional poster or website cant, they also inform in the fastest possible way and there are more ways of advertising a trailer such as television, internet and cinema.