A Very British Gangster
Donal MacIntyre (2007)
A Very British Gangster is an all access film inside one of Britain’s most dangerous crime family. For the first time, a gang of contemporary criminals open their lives to reveal a brutal world and a community which relies upon gangsters for justice, rather than the police.
The director of the documentary, Donal MacIntyre, explained the reason for him making the documentary “I wanted the viewer to discover this world just as I did one nerve-wracking step at a time. I want those watching to touch, smell and breathe the grit of this gangster and his family from the inside out”.
The subject of the documentary is Dominic Noonan, a gangster who goes by the alias Mr LATTLAY FOTTFOY, which is an acronym of his motto – look after those that look after you, f**k off those that f**k off you. There is extensive use of a low angle shot when Noonan is on screen to connote his power and authority over the community. At various points in the documentary, there is archive footage of news stories on Noonan and his gang. This makes the audience realise that the events have actually happened and are not made up for dramatic effect. There are varied camera shots, most of which, however have the same connotation of Noonan being in control. When the gang are walking up the stairwell, the camera is positioned as if it is a CCTV camera watching where they are going and what they are doing. This portrays them as criminals who cannot be trusted.
The music playing whilst the gang are in the club is very urban and connotes that the city of Manchester is almost a character in Noonan’s story. However, MacIntyre’s voiceover has a calming effect on the situation and allows the audience to appreciate the dramatic circumstance.
When MacIntyre is interviewing Noonan, it takes place in an informal setting, which indicates the type of person that Noonan is. During the interview, Noonan swears at someone and threatens them for talking whilst he is answering a question, he then turns to MacIntyre and apologizes for the interruption and his language. This shows that even though he is known as a brutal gangster, he still has manners, and people may start to understand him more. There is a crane shot of the area that Noonan lives during the documentary to show that it is a typical northern community. Also in the documentary, similar to archive footage, there are photos of past events shown. The black and white pictures look as if they are police photos of a crime.
When Noonan is arrested whilst filming the documentary, MacIntyre is live on camera improvising as he goes along because the event wasn’t scripted. The handheld camera following MacIntyre as he runs downs the street provides a connection between the subject, director and audience.
Later, when MacIntyre is once again interviewing Noonan, the 180 degree rule is broken, and the visually stimulating camera movement draws the audience in to keep them watching. At first, the interview appears very formal. However, when the camera pans round, the audience realise that it is set in a pub. This editing cleverly displays the juxtaposition of Noonan’s life, and there is a sense of irony to the interview.
Super Size Me
Morgan Spurlock (2004)
The 2004 American documentary Super Size Me was directed by Morgan Spurlock, who also starred in the film. The documentary follows a 30 day period (February to March 2003) during which, Spurlock is only allowed to eat McDonalds. The film documents this lifestyles drastic effect on Spurlock’s physical and psychological well being. The stated factor for Spurlock’s investigation was the increasing spread of obesity throughout U.S Society, which the surgeon general has declared “epidemic”, and the corresponding lawsuit against McDonalds on behalf of 2 overweight girls, who, it was alleged, became obese as a result of eating McDonald’s food.
“That's when the light went on for me, and I said 'Well, if it's that good for me, realistically I should be able to eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner for thirty days straight with no side effects. I should be able to live the All American way of life of over eating and under exercising and be fine.' So that's what I did.”
The documentary film was nominated for an Academy Award for Documentary Feature. It is also the tenth highest grossing documentary film of all time.
The film starts with a shot of a group of children singing a song about 3 well known fast food chains (McDonalds, KFC and Pizza Hut). This immediately introduces the subject matter to the audience without being told to us directly. Also, it gives the impression that the children have been ‘brainwashed’ by fast food at such a young age. This will start to generate discussion amongst viewers. There is also a quote on screen from the founder of McDonalds which reinforces the subject matter.
The use of images in the film is helpful in conveying the message to the audience. For example, the map on the screen when Spurlock is describing facts about increasing rates of obesity, the audience don’t necessarily need to listen as the image is easy enough to read and interpret. It also has more of an effect as not only can you hear what he is saying i.e. statistics, you can see it changing in front of your eyes.
The voice over from Spurlock helps him to connect with the audience as he isn’t just reeling off a list of facts but he is talking to us as if he knows us. He also uses humour in some parts to engage the audience. Also, he is more relatable when he describes his childhood, along with the use of pictures. To make the facts he describes easier to understand i.e. 46 million people worldwide eat McDonalds per day, Spurlock makes comparisons i.e. this is more than the entire population of Spain.
The song Fat Bottomed Girls by Queen is played whilst various images are shown as a title sequence. This has connotations of Spurlock saying what he thinks without saying it outright. Later on in the documentary, there is an interview with a doctor. The interview is broken up throughout the documentary so that what is shown has relevance. Spurlock also uses vox pops in the documentary as the opinion of the public is vital to the film. He asks them simple questions like “How often do you eat fast food?” This shows that he isn’t only concerned about McDonalds, but all junk food.
March of the Penguins
Luc Jacquet (2005)
March of the Penguins, made in 2005, directed by Luc Jacquet, is the second highest grossing documentary film of all time. It is a French nature documentary film that depicts the yearly journey of the emperor penguins of Antarctica. The film won the 2005 Academy Award for Best Documentary feature. It was noted that, by the time of the 2006 Academy Awards, this documentary had out-grossed all 5 best picture nominees ($77 million vs. $75 million for Brokeback Mountain)
The significant thing to note about March of the Penguins is that it is a completely unconventional documentary, and is arguably more like a feature film. The entire film is made up of cleverly edited and structured shots, narrated by the Academy Award winning actor Morgan Freeman. The only time the audience see people in the film is in the credits. (7 minutes into the video below)
Breathtaking photography captures the beauty and devotion as they go on a journey to breed their young. The way the footage is shot and narrated makes the viewer feel as if they are there in the situation and part of the journey.Morgan Freeman is known for providing narration to films, and is famous for voice which people will recognise. Also, he is associated with playing characters with a calm demeanour. People will trust what he is saying because he has credibility. He has also narrated another Academy Award winning feature length documentary – They Long Way Home (1997).
Bowling for Columbine
Michael Moore (2002)
Bowling for Columbine is the 2002 documentary that brought international attention to Michael Moore as a rising filmmaker. The film explores what Moore suggests are the causes for the Columbine High School massacre and other acts of violence with guns. He focuses on the background and environment in which the massacre took place, and some common public opinion about the issue. In discussions with various interviewers, Moore has stated that in the documentary, he seeks to explain why the Columbine massacre occurred and why the United States has a high violent crime rate.
At the beginning of the documentary when Moore is introducing the film, there is use of actual footage, which the audience can relate to. He also uses humour to connect with the audience so that they are interested in what he has to say. When he goes into the bank to open “the account which gets you a free gun”, Moore is portraying how easy it is to get a gun in today’s society. He has an interview with the bank manager and questions whether offering a gun for a bank account is a good idea – echoing what the audience will be thinking. There is use of handheld camera when he is in the bank to give the audience the feeling of being there.
There is a video segment of an advert shown on TV for toy guns aimed at young children. The video is in black and white, connoting that the industry of guns has been around for a long time. Moore explains how he, himself, has won trophies for rifle shooting. He also makes reference to the well known actor Charlton Heston. There is also an interview with the police, which gives the film authenticity.
Later in the film, the song Happiness is a Warm Gun plays during a video montage in which various clips are played, for example:
-People buying guns
-People firing guns at fairgrounds and shooting ranges
-Carey McWilliams, a blind gun enthusiast
-The suicide of American politician, Budd Dwyer
The nest line spoken, “this is a great place to raise your children”, is ironic considering the footage previously shown.There are various vox pops in the film to show the public’s reaction to what happened. The archive footage shown is edited with actual footage in an attempt to get a certain message across to the audience. There is another montage of images/videos in the documentary. This time, they are shown whilst What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong is played. For majority of the montage, the audience can only hear the song playing whilst captions appear on screen. The section of video ends with handheld camera footage of the second World Trade Centre plane crash, with the audio consisting solely of the hysterical reactions of the witnesses, recorded by the microphone on the camera. Although there are parts of the montage that will be too old for a lot of people to relate to, there has been audio used on the 9/11 section as it is an event that everyone watching the video can relate to, especially the emotions that can be heard.
Monday, 19 October 2009
Friday, 16 October 2009
Codes and Conventions of Documentaries
Although most documentaries vary in one way or another, it is usually quite easy to recognise the different techniques that are typical for the style of filmmaking.
The opening 5 minutes of a documentary should, if made well, have the viewer hooked already. A powerful opening will make the audience interested and keep them watching, even if they are not so keen on the subject matter. This is because the central question/subject matter would be introduced and people could start forming their own opinion on the film. The audience are likely to have some idea of what the subject matter of the documentary is because of the channel it is shown on. For example, you wouldn’t expect to see a documentary about football on E4, you would expect something focused on celebrity gossip, music or film to be shown.
The music in a documentary can have some effect on how the audience perceives and responds to the film. However, it is important to note that the music should not overpower any of the spoken words in a documentary. This is so that the narrator/presenter is represented as the voice of authority and so that we take what they say as fact. Most documentary filmmakers will address the camera, and therefore the audience, directly. This makes us feel like they are only talking to us, so we are more likely to keep watching what happens.
It is common in documentaries to use archive footage of actual events. Whether this will be effective or not depends on how relevant the footage is to the documentary. If it is pointless archive footage that doesn’t have anything to do with the main subject of the film, it will appear that the filmmaker has been careless when researching the information. Reconstructions can also be used to create a specific impact on the audience, especially if archive footage isn’t available. They are mainly used in documentaries to construct step by step detailing of a crime.
In more recent documentaries, because of the improvements in technology, the filmmaker is able to display graphics, captions, facts and statistics on the screen. Documentaries are designed to shock people into realising the filmmakers point of view. Therefore the titles and information shown on screen will be dramatic/ poignant.
Depending on the subject matter of the documentary, the camera may be handheld to make the viewer feel included in the situation. The camera may also be placed as if it is covert/hidden to make us feel like we are watching something as it naturally happens.
Within the documentary, the narrator/presenter will have to show someone else’s point of view. This can be done in 2 ways. Firstly, a formal interview could be shown. This will give a professional point of view of the situation. The setting of this interview will be an indication of its authenticity e.g. office. Another method of portraying other opinions is through the use of vox pops (voice of the people). These are informal ‘interviews’ with people from the public. They are literally done by going to a public place and asking a random selection of people for their opinion.
The opening 5 minutes of a documentary should, if made well, have the viewer hooked already. A powerful opening will make the audience interested and keep them watching, even if they are not so keen on the subject matter. This is because the central question/subject matter would be introduced and people could start forming their own opinion on the film. The audience are likely to have some idea of what the subject matter of the documentary is because of the channel it is shown on. For example, you wouldn’t expect to see a documentary about football on E4, you would expect something focused on celebrity gossip, music or film to be shown.
The music in a documentary can have some effect on how the audience perceives and responds to the film. However, it is important to note that the music should not overpower any of the spoken words in a documentary. This is so that the narrator/presenter is represented as the voice of authority and so that we take what they say as fact. Most documentary filmmakers will address the camera, and therefore the audience, directly. This makes us feel like they are only talking to us, so we are more likely to keep watching what happens.
It is common in documentaries to use archive footage of actual events. Whether this will be effective or not depends on how relevant the footage is to the documentary. If it is pointless archive footage that doesn’t have anything to do with the main subject of the film, it will appear that the filmmaker has been careless when researching the information. Reconstructions can also be used to create a specific impact on the audience, especially if archive footage isn’t available. They are mainly used in documentaries to construct step by step detailing of a crime.
In more recent documentaries, because of the improvements in technology, the filmmaker is able to display graphics, captions, facts and statistics on the screen. Documentaries are designed to shock people into realising the filmmakers point of view. Therefore the titles and information shown on screen will be dramatic/ poignant.
Depending on the subject matter of the documentary, the camera may be handheld to make the viewer feel included in the situation. The camera may also be placed as if it is covert/hidden to make us feel like we are watching something as it naturally happens.
Within the documentary, the narrator/presenter will have to show someone else’s point of view. This can be done in 2 ways. Firstly, a formal interview could be shown. This will give a professional point of view of the situation. The setting of this interview will be an indication of its authenticity e.g. office. Another method of portraying other opinions is through the use of vox pops (voice of the people). These are informal ‘interviews’ with people from the public. They are literally done by going to a public place and asking a random selection of people for their opinion.
History of Documentaries
A documentary film is visual expression that is based on the attempt to document reality. Documentaries are continually evolving and are without clear boundaries. As a new generation of audience develops, the filmmakers adapt to the style that suits the audience.
Pare Lorentz defines a documentary film as “a factual film which is dramatic”. Others further state that a documentary stands out from other types of non-fiction films for providing an opinion, and a specific message, along with the facts its presents.
The filmmaker John Grierson used the term documentary in 1926, to refer to any non-fiction film medium, including travelogues and instructional films. The earliest “moving pictures” were, by definition, documentaries. They were single shot moments captured on film: a train entering a station, a boat docking or factory workers leaving work. Whilst researching the history of documentary film, I found it interesting that the first moving pictures (e.g. Auguste Lumiere – Workers Leaving the Factory – 1895) have influenced modern day entertainment. When we watch programmes like Big Brother, we are watching nothing more than people in a house. There are no special effects – we are ultimately behind a camera watching what happens in a given situation.
Documentaries have progressed over the years due to number of reasons. Firstly, the demand from the audience changes as time goes by. Also, different talking points in society develop with time i.e. what was relevant in the 1950’s way of life may not be so significant now and vice versa. The opinion of the filmmaker will have an impact on the documentary because it is most likely to be shown from their point of view. Improvements in technology have meant that documentary films can be edited to appeal to a wider audience. Each decade brought with it lighter and more advanced camera equipment, as well as film stock which could be used in a wider variety of lighting conditions. This made films easier to create. This may also give filmmakers more choice for the subject matter of the film, in the sense that they may be able to film/research something that would have been impossible 10 years ago. Also, the documentary format and style will ultimately depend on the filmmakers vision/idea, so it could be argued that there is no definitive template for a documentary.
Pare Lorentz defines a documentary film as “a factual film which is dramatic”. Others further state that a documentary stands out from other types of non-fiction films for providing an opinion, and a specific message, along with the facts its presents.
The filmmaker John Grierson used the term documentary in 1926, to refer to any non-fiction film medium, including travelogues and instructional films. The earliest “moving pictures” were, by definition, documentaries. They were single shot moments captured on film: a train entering a station, a boat docking or factory workers leaving work. Whilst researching the history of documentary film, I found it interesting that the first moving pictures (e.g. Auguste Lumiere – Workers Leaving the Factory – 1895) have influenced modern day entertainment. When we watch programmes like Big Brother, we are watching nothing more than people in a house. There are no special effects – we are ultimately behind a camera watching what happens in a given situation.
Documentaries have progressed over the years due to number of reasons. Firstly, the demand from the audience changes as time goes by. Also, different talking points in society develop with time i.e. what was relevant in the 1950’s way of life may not be so significant now and vice versa. The opinion of the filmmaker will have an impact on the documentary because it is most likely to be shown from their point of view. Improvements in technology have meant that documentary films can be edited to appeal to a wider audience. Each decade brought with it lighter and more advanced camera equipment, as well as film stock which could be used in a wider variety of lighting conditions. This made films easier to create. This may also give filmmakers more choice for the subject matter of the film, in the sense that they may be able to film/research something that would have been impossible 10 years ago. Also, the documentary format and style will ultimately depend on the filmmakers vision/idea, so it could be argued that there is no definitive template for a documentary.
Specification for Documentary
If I decide to do a documentary for my final project, there will be certain things I need to consider. The film would need to be an extract from a documentary programme lasting about 5 minutes. I would also need to think about completing:
- A double-page spread from a listings magazine focused on the documentary
- A newspaper advertisement for the documentary
- A double-page spread from a listings magazine focused on the documentary
- A newspaper advertisement for the documentary
Sunday, 11 October 2009
Film Trailers
Film trailers or film previews are advertisements for feature films that are soon to be released. The term ‘trailer’ comes from them having originally been shown at the end of a film. This soon changed, however, as people tended to leave the cinema after the feature film had ended. Although film trailers are popular in the cinemas, they are now even more popular on the internet because of youtube.com and other video hosting websites. Of around 10 billion videos watched online annually, film trailers ranked third after news and user created videos.
A perfect example of a film trailer being popular on the internet is the trailer for The Twilight Saga: New Moon, which is to be released on the 20th November 2009. It has already had around 20 million views on youtube.com. Also, when the trailer was released in cinemas on August 12th 2009 before showings of Bandslam, a lot of Twilight fans went to the film just for the trailer and then left the cinemas.
The first trailer for New Moon that was shown before Bandslam is 1 minute 48 seconds. The opening shot is an aerial shot over a stretch over water – this could be considered as an establishing shot showing where the film will be set. It also gives the impression of surveillance and authority. The first shot of any characters is a two shot of Edward and Bella (Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart), the two main characters in the series. They are in the centre of the shot together, indicating that the plot of the film will revolve around their relationship. In the next few shots, parts of Bella’s birthday celebration are shown. Also, if people are not aware of what the main plotline of the Twilight series is, there are various hints within the trailer e.g. Bella saying “You guys don’t even eat”, and Edwards ‘brother’ Jasper running towards Bella when she gets a paper cut and her blood is spilt. At the beginning of the trailer, Bella and Edward are shown mainly in two shots emphasising their close relationship. However, when Edward reveals he is leaving, they are shown in separate shots to reflect them breaking up. Bella is left alone to defend herself. At the end of the trailer, there is part of another big action sequence from the film shown. As Bella runs toward her friend, Jacob, she tells him to run away. Instead, to defend her, he leaps into the air, and in doing so, transforms into a werewolf. This suggests that in the film, the audience will learn more about his character than we did in the first one. Also, he is the last character shown on screen before the release date. This indicates that he will be and enigmatic character who is crucial to the plot of the film.
The next trailer has more of a plot to it than the first one and introduces a new set of characters – The Volturi. For this reason, among others, the trailer is longer than the first one (2 minutes 28 seconds). It is a longer trailer because the first one was intended to create a buzz about the film, and this one is designed to show more of what is going to happen. This also means that there will be more footage of the action sequences. As the first one was released earlier in the year, they didn’t want to give too much away, but as the release date of the film is next month, they want to make sure the trailer is fresh in people’s minds. The voiceover by Edward provides some explanation for what is happening on screen. There is a clear indication to people who are not aware of the film series of the major theme in the plot when Bella comments “vampires have rules?” There are some similar shots from the first trailer. The character of Jacob is also a lot more present in this trailer and is close to Bella when Edward leaves. There is also a voiceover from Bella, which makes us believe that Edward has left her and she has no one else to turn to. The arrangement and editing of the shots reveal the outline of the plot without giving too much of the film away. The editing also creates suspense and puts the audience on the edge of their seats. The final shots of the trailer appear to be where the story comes together, but it is unclear whether good or evil succeed. The music also builds up at the end to create a tense atmosphere.
Trailers consist of a series of selected shots from the advertised film. The main purpose of a trailer is to attract an audience to the film, for this reason, the shots that are used are likely to be more the most exciting or poignant parts of the film. However, the clever editing will mean that there are no spoilers in the trailer so that there is still reason to watch the full film. The shots that are shown are not necessarily in chronological order in order to keep the audience guessing, and also to make the film more interesting if they watch it. In most cinemas, the time limit for a trailer is two and a half minutes. Each studio/distributor is allowed to go over this time limit once a year, if they feel it necessary for a particular film.
Most trailers have a three act structure similar to a feature length film. They start with a beginning that lays out the basis of the story. The middle drives the story further and usually ends with a dramatic climax. The final part of the trailer features a strong piece of signature music. The final part often consists of a visual montage of powerful and emotional moments of the film and may also contain images of the cast if there are A –List stars that could help sell the film.
For some trailers, ‘special shoot’ footage may be used, which is material that has only been created for promotional purposes, and doesn’t actually appear in the film. One of the most famous examples of this is the 1960 trailer for Psycho, which featured director Alfred Hitchcock giving the audience a guided tour of Bates Motel after the events of the film, finally arriving at the infamous shower. At this point, Hitchcock throws the shower curtain back to reveal Janet Leigh with the equally infamous scream.
Voice over narration may be used briefly to set up the premise of the film and provide necessary explanation e.g. Star Wars. Music helps sets the tone and mood of a trailer. Usually the music in a trailer is not from the film itself. Although it is necessary in a trailer, the music could be, for example, a popular song that people can recognise and remember, or a piece of specially composed music.
There are 3 main songs used in the trailer for Fame. The first song is a remix of Irene Cara’s version of Fame, performed by Naturi Naughton, who also stars in the film. The version of the song in the trailer is more up to date that the original, but still has all the same lyrics. This suggests that the same will happen with the film – Even though the style has changed, it will stay true to the original. The song then fades into Black and Gold by Sam Sparro. This song explores religion/reality and our own existence/purpose, which, in some respect the characters in the film experience. The final song in the films trailer is Hold Your Dream performed by the cast of the film (led by Naturi Naughton). It is performed at the end of the film, and gives the a clear message from the film/story.
One of the most famous Hollywood trailer composers is John Beal who, in the course of a 30 year career, created original music for over 2,000 film trailers, including 40 of the top-grossing films of all time, such as Titanic, Ghost and Forrest Gump.
A perfect example of a film trailer being popular on the internet is the trailer for The Twilight Saga: New Moon, which is to be released on the 20th November 2009. It has already had around 20 million views on youtube.com. Also, when the trailer was released in cinemas on August 12th 2009 before showings of Bandslam, a lot of Twilight fans went to the film just for the trailer and then left the cinemas.
The first trailer for New Moon that was shown before Bandslam is 1 minute 48 seconds. The opening shot is an aerial shot over a stretch over water – this could be considered as an establishing shot showing where the film will be set. It also gives the impression of surveillance and authority. The first shot of any characters is a two shot of Edward and Bella (Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart), the two main characters in the series. They are in the centre of the shot together, indicating that the plot of the film will revolve around their relationship. In the next few shots, parts of Bella’s birthday celebration are shown. Also, if people are not aware of what the main plotline of the Twilight series is, there are various hints within the trailer e.g. Bella saying “You guys don’t even eat”, and Edwards ‘brother’ Jasper running towards Bella when she gets a paper cut and her blood is spilt. At the beginning of the trailer, Bella and Edward are shown mainly in two shots emphasising their close relationship. However, when Edward reveals he is leaving, they are shown in separate shots to reflect them breaking up. Bella is left alone to defend herself. At the end of the trailer, there is part of another big action sequence from the film shown. As Bella runs toward her friend, Jacob, she tells him to run away. Instead, to defend her, he leaps into the air, and in doing so, transforms into a werewolf. This suggests that in the film, the audience will learn more about his character than we did in the first one. Also, he is the last character shown on screen before the release date. This indicates that he will be and enigmatic character who is crucial to the plot of the film.
The next trailer has more of a plot to it than the first one and introduces a new set of characters – The Volturi. For this reason, among others, the trailer is longer than the first one (2 minutes 28 seconds). It is a longer trailer because the first one was intended to create a buzz about the film, and this one is designed to show more of what is going to happen. This also means that there will be more footage of the action sequences. As the first one was released earlier in the year, they didn’t want to give too much away, but as the release date of the film is next month, they want to make sure the trailer is fresh in people’s minds. The voiceover by Edward provides some explanation for what is happening on screen. There is a clear indication to people who are not aware of the film series of the major theme in the plot when Bella comments “vampires have rules?” There are some similar shots from the first trailer. The character of Jacob is also a lot more present in this trailer and is close to Bella when Edward leaves. There is also a voiceover from Bella, which makes us believe that Edward has left her and she has no one else to turn to. The arrangement and editing of the shots reveal the outline of the plot without giving too much of the film away. The editing also creates suspense and puts the audience on the edge of their seats. The final shots of the trailer appear to be where the story comes together, but it is unclear whether good or evil succeed. The music also builds up at the end to create a tense atmosphere.
Trailers consist of a series of selected shots from the advertised film. The main purpose of a trailer is to attract an audience to the film, for this reason, the shots that are used are likely to be more the most exciting or poignant parts of the film. However, the clever editing will mean that there are no spoilers in the trailer so that there is still reason to watch the full film. The shots that are shown are not necessarily in chronological order in order to keep the audience guessing, and also to make the film more interesting if they watch it. In most cinemas, the time limit for a trailer is two and a half minutes. Each studio/distributor is allowed to go over this time limit once a year, if they feel it necessary for a particular film.
Most trailers have a three act structure similar to a feature length film. They start with a beginning that lays out the basis of the story. The middle drives the story further and usually ends with a dramatic climax. The final part of the trailer features a strong piece of signature music. The final part often consists of a visual montage of powerful and emotional moments of the film and may also contain images of the cast if there are A –List stars that could help sell the film.
For some trailers, ‘special shoot’ footage may be used, which is material that has only been created for promotional purposes, and doesn’t actually appear in the film. One of the most famous examples of this is the 1960 trailer for Psycho, which featured director Alfred Hitchcock giving the audience a guided tour of Bates Motel after the events of the film, finally arriving at the infamous shower. At this point, Hitchcock throws the shower curtain back to reveal Janet Leigh with the equally infamous scream.
Voice over narration may be used briefly to set up the premise of the film and provide necessary explanation e.g. Star Wars. Music helps sets the tone and mood of a trailer. Usually the music in a trailer is not from the film itself. Although it is necessary in a trailer, the music could be, for example, a popular song that people can recognise and remember, or a piece of specially composed music.
There are 3 main songs used in the trailer for Fame. The first song is a remix of Irene Cara’s version of Fame, performed by Naturi Naughton, who also stars in the film. The version of the song in the trailer is more up to date that the original, but still has all the same lyrics. This suggests that the same will happen with the film – Even though the style has changed, it will stay true to the original. The song then fades into Black and Gold by Sam Sparro. This song explores religion/reality and our own existence/purpose, which, in some respect the characters in the film experience. The final song in the films trailer is Hold Your Dream performed by the cast of the film (led by Naturi Naughton). It is performed at the end of the film, and gives the a clear message from the film/story.
One of the most famous Hollywood trailer composers is John Beal who, in the course of a 30 year career, created original music for over 2,000 film trailers, including 40 of the top-grossing films of all time, such as Titanic, Ghost and Forrest Gump.
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