The manchurian candidate -Trailer analysis

The Manchurian candidate was a film created in 2004 it was based on the novel with the same name by Richard cannon. The 2004 film was directed by   Jonathon deem. The genre of the film is a psychological thriller. The audience is able to identify the genre through the unstable personal states of the characters. This is evident with the two main characters of Congressman Shaw and Captain Marco’s emotions changing as though someone is inside their heads. Giving the audience they are going to do events out of their control.  The target audience for the film trailer is aged around 30-45 and is mixed gender. This is firstly evident towards the characters involved, Congressman Shaw is looking to be at the age of 30-35 and captain Markow is looking to be slightly older. The genre of the film coincides with the age of 30-45 because it involves key elements that older people are more interested in. This is because it includes war, politics and the emotional state of a character. The gender of the film trailer appears to be mixed because even thou the two main characters are both male. The character who seems to be behind this sabotage to the characters emotional states of the two men is a woman. They have also broadcasted the name which is Meryl Streep a very popular female actress. The film trailer lasts for 2 minutes and 29 seconds. It also has a shot count of 121.  The transitions within the film trailer are mostly fades to black. Diegetic sound is used within the trailer as an information tool as it is used to tell the narrative to the audience. This is evident in the words of “somebody put an implant inside me and I got a good feeling they put one inside you too.” there is also another quote which says” flick of a switch and we can change the personality or adjust the character”. These quotes suggest that the two characters have been brain washed and they are under the control of an organisation of Manchurian global. This reveals that   the structure of the film will follow the two characters that have been brainwashed and will see a change in the emotional state of their characters throughout the film.

 The non-diegetic sound emphasizes the mystery to what has happened to the character. This is evident at the beginning of the film trailer, as there appears to be a very high pitched sound, which seems very unnatural. As thou emphasizing Captain Marcos mystery behind the nightmares which he appears to be having.  Towards the middle of the trailer there is a sound which sounds like a rattle snake. This sound appears to be at the point congressman Shaw meets Manchurian global. This initiates that there is danger appearing within the scene.   Towards the build-up of the end there is a sound which appears to be getting higher and faster as the shots speed up and then the sound stops as does the shots, leaving the title of Manchurian. What this does is the fact it interlinks with a convection of a film trailer to the fact it builds to a climax and ends.   Along with diegetic sound the trailer creates the sense of narrative by following the emotional state of captain Markow. As at the beginning of the trailer it seems his mind has been affected by the war and he appears to be delusional. As a quote from Congressman Shaw says “Get help Ben”.  However as the trailer goes on the audience are discovering that he is telling the truth about someone putting an implant inside of him and controlling him. This enables for the audience to understand that he isn’t crazy and reveals the people who may be behind the insertion of the implant. This reveals to the audience bits of information about the plot of the film.  However, it doesn’t release the information why they have done this and what will they benefit from creating that code of enigma. The trailer uses the titles of; “look closely, listen carefully, because everything is under control.”    These titles communicate to the audience the fact that the man is under control by the Manchurian Company; however you have to be aware otherwise you might not notice it.   The mood and expectations change throughout the film through the fact that that captain marcow may be crazy however throughout the trailer they release little bits of information, which makes the audience think that he might be on to something and telling the truth, already making them have sympathy towards  captain Markow. Throughout the   trailer there is a variety of close up shots on characters. This enables the audience to see the emotions of the characters being affected by the events which are enfolding.  This film trailer is very successful as a promotional device. This is evident due to the trailed including key facts like the man running for congress, the fact that the two characters of Shaw and marcow have been brainwashed. It does this at the same time with not revealing enough information that would ruin the film.                                      

1st group discussion

Our group went second out of the two groups within the video. We picked up some key aspects to what our final film plot will be. However due to my plot working towards the thriller genre and the rest of my groups plot subsiding towards the genre of horror. I will be joining another group to complete my main task of   Construction of a film trailer in a group. The group i will be working with will be Martelle, Ruth and Alex. As there film plots are more towards the genre of thriller.

Looper analysis

The genre of the film is a science fiction and action film .The audience is able to identify the genre through the opening shots of the trailer. This is evident in the conversation between the older man and the younger man as the older man says “I don’t want to talk about time travel.” This is telling that the film is going to involve time travel; therefore it is going to be a science fiction film. A couple of shots over the two men start fighting and shooting at one and other this instantly tells me the film is going to involve a lot of action. As these shots were right at the beginning of the trailer it sets the mood for the entire film and it gives the audience expectations about the film.
The target audience for the trailer is 16-30 predominantly male. The reason for this is down to the characters involved within the trailer. As even thou Bruce Willis is above the age of 30, he has been a key figure in action films over the last decade or so, therefore the audience is able to relate to the character.  The main character is seemingly around the age of 30 as is the women. The reason why the age goes down to sixteen is because am at the age of 17 I was very attracted by this film trailer and why wouldn’t I be? This film trailer has fighting, shooting, flashy cars, time travel everything to attract a teenage boy. The trailer is predominantly male as most o the characters are male. The film trailer lasts for 2 minutes and 30 seconds. There are around 86 shots within the trailer.Diegetic sound used in the trailer is either used as a voice over or a conversation between to characters. These two factors both explain the narrative for the audience. This is firstly evident in the conversation between the older man and the younger man. AS the younger man says “so you are me in 30 years “and then he says “We both know how this is going to end so why don’t you just die”. These quotes first explain that these two are the same people. They also explain that it isn’t a good thing he is here and the younger man wants him to die. This sets the tone for the trailer that there is going to be a lot of conflict between the two characters. This next piece of dialogue from the voice over of the film reveals the plot of the film this is evident in the words, ““In the future time travel is outlawed, used only in secret and by the largest criminal organisations. When they need someone gone, and want to erase any trace of the target ever existing, they use specialised assassins like me, called loopers.” This gives the audience information about the film and reveals the plot by telling us what loopers do.  Diegetic sound is used set the mood of the trailer and the mood of the characters. There is a strange sound at the begging as the sound goes da da da in quick succession when the camera cuts to a close up on one of the main characters. This sound is giving the sense that someone is getting caught off guard. As thou the character is very confused. When the shots begin to speed up, the trailer uses a sound with a fast tempo this gives the sense that someone is trying to track someone down very quickly.  There is also a ticking sound throughout the trailer as though someone is working against the clock.
The trailer represents the two main characters as one being a young man but the other one being an old man. Evan thou they are the same person within the trailer., they represent the older man as very wise and smart. This is very stereotypical towards the older generation of 50 plus.  They also represent the younger man asking gthe older man questions within the first shot this is evident in the words “Do you know what is going to happen”. This shows someone younger looking for help from some one older, this is like a student asking his teacher.

The narrative for the film trailer shows the audience being able to understand the implications for the younger man because the man from the future is there. The audience is put through the journey of how the older man is causing all this disruption not only to himself but him in the past and how he was a target who escaped. This reveals a little bit about the plot that the man has escaped. It creates the sense of enigma through the fact that we don’t know why he has escaped or why he is back in the past. The titles they use are the words “The only thing to fear is fear yourself. This communicates to the audience by telling that you should fear the man from the future for the younger man. The mise-en-scene is constructed through a variety of long shots and establishing shots. This is firstly evident in the long shot of the diner setting the shot for the first interaction between the main characters. There is also an establishing shot of a city which looks like it is going to be set in the future. The film trailer involves many codes and conventions. This is evident in the voice over being used to tell the story with the younger man describing what loopers are. The films title of loopers doesn’t appear till the end, The trailer builds to a climax as it Has a close up on a watch which looks like time is about to stop. The stars of the film are being showcased in the first couple of shots evident with the older man and the younger man.

Second plot draft

It begins with four friends all around the age of 18, two boys and two girls. The four characters are walking up a mountain. Harry and jenny the couple of the group are far behind while Stacy has raced to the front trying to get to the top of the mountain first. She suddenly discovers a bag. She tells her friends about the bag and Jake (the selfish one) takes the bag of her. She then realises the selfishness of Jake instantly tells him that maybe we should put the bag back as someone could be looking for it. Jake refuses and looks inside the bag, he then notices a camera. He slowly shows it off to his friends before placing it in his back pocket. Stacy tells him to put it back with little force as even she new he wouldn’t put it back.

Jake and harry leave the girls and go back to jakes house. Within there house they start to fiddle round with the camera but nothing seems to be on it. Apart from the initials MIT followed by the words product cyber board.

The film cuts to the night time were Jake is just getting ready for bed. He then hears a crackling noise coming from the camera. He instantly walks over and looks at the camera were there appears to be a video playing. The next shot sees Jake looking at the camera becoming more intrigued as time passes on. Jake suddenly looks up puts the camera down and walks over to his window were steps out and jumps; he lays there dead on the floor.

Two weeks pass……. harry jakes best friend has wandered into jakes room during the wake of his best friend. He starts to look round jakes room then notices the camera. As he stats to analyse the camera a voice beckons for harry without noticing he slips the camera in his coat pocket.

The next shot sees harry filming objects in school with the very camera he removed from jakes room. Stacy notices harry and walks towards him grabbing the attention of the camera. She asks harry how he is and explains these past two weeks have been hard. Her condolences are stopped short when noticing the camera.  She is just about to question James on the camera when she suddenly sees the initials on the side. She grabs the camera of him and takes it to a computer were she researches the initials of product cyber bored MIT. She discovers the news the camera has been missing for several weeks. She also comes across a warning that the camera is a deadly weapon and will cause a possible threat against anyone’s health around the camera; As Stacy tries to tell Harry this he instantly tells her it’s properly a hoax trying to get the camera back. The bell rings and he quickly grabs the camera of her as he walks to lesson.

The seen sees Harry getting ready for PE as everyone starts to run out to the field he notices a crackling noise coming from his bag. The sound appears to be coming from the camera. Harry pulls it out and he is instantly attracted by a video. He starts to become intrigued by the video he suddenly looks up with the same face as Jake he grabs his belt hangs it to the pipe on the ceiling with a chair below and drops, dead. 

One day after the death Sees jenny Harris’s girlfriend crying by the area of the death. There she sits alone in the changing room nothing but a bag slightly open with a camera peeking through. Suddenly we are being familiarised by the crackling sound coming from the bag. Jenny tries to open the bag but is distracted by a phone call. It is Stacy. As jenny is on the phone the crackling sound gets so loud she can’t her on the phone. Stacy asks her what the sound is jenny replays by I can’t her you there’s something loud coming from the bag I think it’s coming from a camera. Stacy slowly questions a camera but then her brain remembers the information about the missing camera. Jenny drops her phone as her eye come instinct into a video within the camera, the phone still on Stacy suddenly hears a scream from the other end of the line. She instantly drops her phone and runs to the school changing rooms were there her face drops pale with bloodless and shocked, she walks slowly to the body on the floor instantly her eyes switch to the camera she grabs it and try’s to break it but it doesn’t break. Screaming and yelling at it due to the death of her best friend, she then sees in the corner of her eye her friends chest start to slowly pump and then she consciously put’s the camera in the bin. Her friend appears to be fine she said she just fainted and didn’t know what was happening

1 week later we are seen with the janitor cleaning out the bins he then comes across a video camera and places it in his pocket……..

First plot draft

Genre  - Horror

target audiance-16-20


The wests

The film starts with a boy in his car around the age of 17 and his name is tom. He is beeping the horn to what seems to be his girlfriend’s house that also appears to be around the age of 17 her name is Jane. He has a quiet song on the radio and he appears to be tired, so starts to fall asleep. You are then brought to his dream were there appears to be a man digging, the boy is then met by a lady behind him who grabs his throat and slice it with a knife. Jane knocks on the windows as the boy didn’t respond she opens the door and pushes him up were she sees, the slice in the boy’s throat. (She then appears to scream)

Jane is at her breakfast miserable and broken hearted. Within her outer view there appears to be a news report telling you about the west’s who were found to be missing after reportedly been given not guilty in there trail. Jane appears to be in her classroom tired and starts to drift off to sleep. She is then confronted by a man digging and women who has a knife in her hand. She tells Jane that they are called the wests and she tries to slice her throat. Jane puts her hand in front of the knife and wakes by the school bell. She drowns the bell out by her own scream frightening her classroom. As she grabs her books she notices her hand hurting in which there appears to be a bad cut...

Jane is in her bead unwilling to sleep too frightened by her dream, and the death of her boyfriend. She then researches the names of the wests on the internet and the discovering something shocking. In which the wests were accused of killing teenagers from the abergavennny area. The teens were reportedly due to have cut marks across there necks and were buried in a cemetery. She then falls asleep within her dream she appears to be in the outside of abergavenny  and there appears to be a group of people surrounding a man and women were a man goes behind both the people and with a nice and before slicing the throat the women says the words. I will have revenge and I will kill not you but you’re children.

Jane is awoken by the sound of music playing on her computer. She then hears screams from another bedroom were she looks on to see her sister with a slash across her throat...

A day later sat in the house on tired due to lack of a and subsequently falls asleep doing to she awakes in the cemetery confronted by the man and the women but she pushes the women out of the way and grabs her knife .She then stabs the man she then and turns her attention to the women she stabs her in the chest. She then awakes subsequently by her self covered in blood.

A week goes by and she has had no dream and there has been no reported case of teens being killed in their sleep. As she awakes from the night before she washes her face and on the right side of her she seas a figure, looming again the figure disappears she suddenly dries her face and looks up in the mirror were she suddenly sees the women behind her in the reflection with a knife to her throat screaming and then it ends there ……………….

The happening analysis presentation

What is a film trailer and what is its purpose?

A film trailer is a commercial or advitisment for  a new film about to be released. It is used as a promotional device only giving away enough information for the audiance to want to see the film. It mostly gives the information  away to a specific target audiance for example horror,action,drama or even a comedy and also the age type for that target audiance.