Analysing 3 trailers

Max Cochrane

Trailer 1: Breaking Bad season 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhesaQXLuRY

The genre is clearly shown as a drama through the contents of the trailer, there is a lot of emotion and powerful short moments within the trailer such as the main character discovering he has cancer. Throughout the trailer there is no sign of any horror, survival or comedy conventions used and the tension in the trailer grows as it goes on.

The main character Walter White is represented as a 50 year old married man with a son who is struggling in his life to support his family at the moment as we are shown from different clips of him working two different jobs, one as a chemistry teacher and the other at a car wash. He eventually out of desperation turns to a life of crime to make sure he leaves his family with enough money once he passes away from his cancer.

The audience is told from the trailer that the series is set in New Mexico when Walter is recording himself on camera confessing to crimes and apologising to his family which is another emotional powerful scene going with the drama genre conventions. Throughout the trailer and learning details about Walter it makes the audience start to feel sorry for him creating an emotional and gripping connection between viewers and the protagonist making people want to see it and witness how these powerful events unfold themselves. The emotion of the trailer is also increased throughout the trailer these 3 shots of dialogue come up giving small details.

These give details about the plot so he audience can understand while not going into too much detail so audiences won't find the story predictable. The first one of these comes very early in the trailer letting the audience find out the protagonists name soon. after about two thirds of the trailer when the third one of these shots are shown the non diegetic sound over the trailer changes into a more dramatic tense and fast pace as well as the cuts of the shots used, more action is seen as well as things such as car explosions and people pulling out guns all quick cuts to add excitement to the trailer before finally ending with Walter with a shot from a scene used early in the trailer of him smiling at his birthday party. I would expect to see this trailer after watershed hours on a more grown up channel during the adverts due to the content within the trailer would be considered more inappropriate for younger audiences.

Trailer 2: Skins series 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QF0L-xparmI

The trailer features all main characters from the season, the entire trailer features all of them in a party of what looks like a comedown from the same party that was featured in the season 1 trailer. There is no sense or sign of happiness or joy throughout the entire trailer from the atmosphere within the house being that of almost a comedown, the house itself dimly lit and literally breaking around them, the non-diegetic soundtrack of a low humming and the characters facial expressions of upset, confusion and distress, and also their attires all very dark and not a lot of clothing.

All of these elements of the trailer from the falling apart house to the dark clothing choices helps to set the dark and unpleasant tone creating the immediate sense of tragedy and that this is a drama series. All characters are shown to be sweating and tired from the party we can assume, this dramatic change from the season 1 trailer of them at the start of it full of energy and buzzing with life and happiness with this trailer being a representation showing how it then all ended up.

Most of the main characters shown are show to be more alone and so represented as possibly isolated from the rest of the party. Also one character Cassie is shown outside in the rain but is wearing a white dress presenting her as more pure and innocent but also far more alone than the others. With so much emotion in the trailer the genre is clearly that of drama.

Cassie is not the only one shown to be completely cut off as Tony is also shown in to be alone in a grimy bathtub and looks presumably dead. This adds tension to the trailer as viewers of the series would know that Tony was hit by a bus in the last episode of the first season and his fate remaining unknown but the way that he is shown in the trailer at the very end with the music hitting its highest note adds to the powerful clip that we are then only shown Tony for a few seconds right before the trailer ends gripping the audience.

Trailer 3: Peaky Blinders series 2https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_62ZKR9rK0

The genre of the series is also drama and the trailer features only a few characters including two new characters however most of the trailer shows the main protagonist not even performing dramatic or eye-catching actions. The whole trailer has very little dialogue but within it there is enough small details that it manages to give an general idea of what is happening and the general plot so viewers are not completely lost with what seems to be going on. Starting with a slow motion shot of the protagonist walking with a slow pace non diegetic soundtrack to set the tone.

The tension in the trailer is increased through the use of non-diegetic sound becoming more fast pace at the same time as shots of action being shown such as explosions and fighting gripping the audience and gaining their attention creating a more serious sense.

The more the trailer goes on the more fast pace and the aggression levels and tension build until the end where the non diegetic soundtrack starts to slow down with one final line from the protagonist and then a slow motion shot of him walking very similar to the slow motion shot of him walking at the start to end the trailer with the slow place non diegetic soundtrack starting again. These powerful sets of shots manage to excite the audience causing them to wish to see this series for its action, characters and storyline.