Conventions of a Teaser Trailer

After looking at some of the biggest teaser trailers for recent and upcoming films, the conventions for how they are put together are evident. The purpose of a teaser trailer over a theatrical trailer is that they are much shorter, usually lasting 30-60 seconds. This leaves the audience wanting to see more.

The Dark Knight Teaser Trailer


Just like most trailers they open with the production and distribution companies involved in making the film.

 The trailer is mostly sound clips from the film giving the viewer and an idea of what the film is. 

 As the words get increasingly faster paced and the tension builds, more of the iconic symbol for the film appears

 This continues until the point where we can see the whole of the Batarang

When we hear Alfred say, "Some men just want to watch the world burn" The Batarang is then being blown to pieces

This is when the Joker starts to add to the tension with his famous words

As it's a teaser trailer, not too much is to be given away and it is simply "The Dark Knight, Summer 2008"

Teaser trailers like to hide as much as possible and that's why most of this trailer focuses on the dialect of the film rather than the visual. 

Draft Plot Lines

Following the conventions I have found in my research, I have created two draft storyline in the Romantic Comedy style. I will continue to develop these story lines as I introduce another genre into the film.


Draft Plot Line 1

A couple break up (shortened version of the break up shown in trailer) and he is left incredibly broken hearted, and wishes he could change things. Through something magical his life does change and he is himself, in a different body, leading a different life. After realising he is now a new student at the school at which his ex-girlfriend attends he makes it his mission to win her over. 
They do become a couple, but how long will it take her to figure it out?

Draft Plot Line 2

An ugly nerdy girl has been moved from school to school because of various reason and in each has never been accepted. One night she gets a visit from her Fairy Godfather who makes her beautiful. She willingly accepts his help, despite being warned that her beauty will come with consequences.
At school on her first day she is instantly accepted by the most popular people in the sixth form. Only now, she a step up from them all as she has beauty but brains as well. She is fancied by the most popular boy in the year and a shy nerdy boy, however she rejects him to keep her reputation.
Because of the consequences, she ends up changing back to her original self in front of the shy nerdy boy, but will he tell?

Friends with Benefits - Research

I also looked at a more recent film, Friends With Benefits. It still retains conventions of a romantic comedy film even though the story line is completely different to The Princess Diaries.

The Conventions in the film trailer

Both of the central characters are seen to be broken up with for what we imagine as an audience isn't the first time. Thus following the convention of being unlucky in love.

The two characters meet and decide that their relationship is "just friends"

Inevitably, they fall out even though they just wanted to be friends. However, everybody around them can see that they are clearly in love

The Princess Driaries - Research

I began my research by looking at the films, The Princess Diaries. As this film is a romantic comedy it is important to use the conventions in the trailer so that it is evident to the audience what kind of film they are going to be watching.

The Conventions in the trailer

Pre Makeover - Ugle, nerdy, nobody notices her or wants to know her in school.

The boy that she likes who is the most popular boy in school, but knows she cannot have.

Her best friend, just like her. They only really have each other except her friend isn't special like herself and inevitably friendship is torn apart 

The transformation in her appearance

The boy she wanted, that she can now have because of her change in appearance and now being noticed by society.

Romantic Comedy Research

For my film trailer I had decided to create a Romantic Comedy. Before I began to expand on my original idea, I looked up the conventions of a Romantic Comedy.
During my research, I found blog surveys that had been carried out by the general public about the clichés in these films. A distinct pattern appeared from all the blogs;

• Frenemies Two people who for the majority of the film cannot stand each other, but then fall in love.
• Dilemma A person must choose between the career of a life time and the person they love.
• Full time job The woman who is completely engrossed in her career and bypasses everything how her future lover
• Just Friends The mix up when one person is in love, but can't chance it because they're "just friends"
• The infamous meeting scenario No romantic comedy can get away with not involving that scene, where the couple bump and fall into an 'almost kissing' position.
• Unlucky in love There is seemingly nothing wrong with the central character, but for whatever reason they are left or have fallen in love with the wrong person.

To challenge the conventions of a typical Romantic Comedy I am going to incorporate a different genre to give my film trailer a twist that's different. 

Brief

A promotion package for a new film, to include a trailer, together with two of the following three options:

• a website homepage for the film;
• a film magazine front cover, featuring the film;
• a poster for the film.

I have chosen to do a film magazine front cover and a poster for the film as my two ancillary tasks.