Inception (Total Film): Magazine Cover Analysis

The title for the magazine is effective as it links to the film. This draws the attention of the audience as it is not the regular title for the magazine. Positioning it in the same place as other issues, however, ensures the established audience keeps buying it. 

The slogan above the title, "the mind-blowing issue", is effective as it attracts people. It sounds exciting and dramatic which is something that draws attention. The bold red colour stands out from the other colours on the cover. This helps in attracting the audience. 

The main image is bold and central on the cover. This makes the magazine stand out to the audience. The facial expression of the character is intriguing as he looked confused and worried - this makes the audience wonder why he looks like that and so will buy the magazine and go and see the film. There are no secondary images on the cover, which adds more effect to the main image as there is nothing to distract from it. 

The blue in the background connotes sadness and coldness. The shadow effect around the character makes the cover look mysterious and makes the audience wonder how it relates to the film plot. The contrast between the blues and silvers and the reds make the film seem intense. The red draws attention to certain parts of the cover - mainly important and stand-out information.

The film title on the cover is simple and bold. The silver colour contrasts well with the blue background, which attracts the audience's eye. The gradient effect on the letters create the illusion of metal. This effect is used for most of the other language used on the cover, which creates a continuity throughout the cover. 

Back to the Future (1985): Poster Analysis

The main image for this film poster is effective as it shows exactly what the film will be about. The way that the character, who is assumed to be the main character, is looking at his watch suggests that time is going to have a heavy influence in the film. The fire on the floor suggests the film is going to have some action sequences in it, this entices the audience as it is exciting. The boy in the image is seen to be a teenager - something that is relatable to the target audience of the film. The boy's facial expression suggests that he is shocked or surprised, enticing the audience as they are wondering what he is shocked about. 

The slogan, "he was never in time for his classes... he wasn't in time for his dinner... then one day... he wasn't in his time at all", suggests further that time will play a big role in the plot of the film. The way that it is smaller to the side of the poster is interesting as it doesn't take away from the main image, which attracts the audience. The title, "Back to the Future", also hints at time periods within the film. 

The bright colour for the fire and coming from the car, in contrast to the darker blue, is effective as it attracts the audience and highlights parts of the image that seem important. The title is in a matching fiery colour, which draws the audience attention to it. This means the audiences can look at the poster and then directly be attracted to the title of the film. 

The font for the title is effective as it is eye-catching and bold. It makes it look like its moving in each direction as it is slanted slightly. This hints at speed in the film, which the audience can assume, involves the car in the main image and the fire trails on the floor. The positioning of the title in the top left-hand corner of the poster means that, although it draws the attention of the audience, it doesn't take away from the dramatic main image. 

Star Wars Episode IV - A New Hope (1977): Trailer Analysis

The trailer opens with text reading "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...". This is iconic for Star Wars, and highlights the yet-to-be franchise of the first film in 1977. The establishing shot of fighter space shuttles following the test is effective in instantly introducing the film's concept. This shows the equilibrium of interspace travel and tense relations throughout the galaxy. The fast paced editing, and tense orchestral music shows the upbeat and adventurous nature of the film. The music features many bass notes, suggesting that something dangerous might happen. The cuts to inside the shuttle begins introducing some of the characters, for example, the audience get a glimpse of R2-D2 and C3PO, who are considered to be pivotal characters throughout the franchise. The use of laser guns and robotic-looking characters suggests that the film is in the future. This acts as a form of escapism for the audience at the time as it is completely different from their reality. 

The disruption begins when the long shot and then, after a shot-reverse-shot, close-ups of Darth Vader. As well as other characters, he is shown to be one of the main characters in the film. The low, fearful music suggests that he is the villain of the film. His black clothing, in contrast to the white clothing of Princess Leia during the shot-reverse-shot, also suggest that he is of a dark nature, where Princess Leia is the opposite. It shows her to be fighting against Darth Vader, which suggests that she is one of the heroes in the film. The use of the phrase "not like your planet" is effective as it presents the escapism of the film as a selling point. 

During the recognition phase, when they try to go and rescue Princess Leia, the audience are introduced to even more of the main characters in the film. During the recognition and repair phases, where they try to defeat Vader, the music gets even more intense and adds to the suspense felt by the audience. This encourages them to go and see the film as they will want to know what happens after watching the trailer on the edge of their seats. The continued placement of the title, with the video playing inside the letters, is effective as it ensures that the audience knows exactly what the film is and remembers the name. The use of the phrase "light-years ahead of its time" is effective as it plays on the space theme and further encourages the feeling of escapism for the audience. 

The trailer is longer than modern trailers, however, it makes sure it doesn't give everything about the story away. The audience are still left asking many questions, for example, do they survive and do they defeat Darth Vader in the end. These enigmas encourage the audience to go and see the film as it will allow them to answer their questions and find out exactly what happens in the end. 

Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest (2006): Trailer Analysis

The trailer begins with an eerie chant sounding over the production titles. This hints at the mysterious nature of the film, and also mentions the inclusion of pirates in the film. The equilibrium for the film is shown through this - it shows pirates and their scary, ominous lives. The rain at the beginning shows pathetic fallacy, which hints at the dangerous nature of the film. The close up of Davy Jones suggests that he will be one of the characters that the audience should focus on. It also helps to introduce him to the audience and show them just what the film may entail. The music is quiet and mysterious here and only gets more intense after the disruption begins. 

The disruption begins when there is a close-up of Jack Sparrow's hand. This suggests that something bad might happen to him, and that he might be involved with the pirates at the beginning. The frequent close-ups of Jack Sparrow shows the audience that he is the main character as he is given prevalence throughout the trailer. The orchestral music throughout the trailer is tense and loud - predominantly using drum beats - and gets louder as the trailer goes on. This creates a sense of panic in the audience and encourages them to go and see the film in order to see what happens. 

The recognition phase shows that he is in danger and that he needs to give his soul over to Davy Jones. This is shown through the fighting and danger that Jack Sparrow ends up in throughout the trailer. The repair phase is alluded to very briefly with the opening of the chest, in the middle of the fast-paced montage. Joined with the title, this seems important to the plot of the film, however, it doesn't show the audience much about it - leaving them to wonder what it is and how it will be used. The audience are also left wondering if they escape and how. These enigmas aim to attract the target audience to watch the film and find out what happens.

This film is the second film in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and so it would have already had a captive audience to appeal to. Unique selling points for the film would have been returning actors from the first film, such as Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom, but also the fact that it is a Disney film. This would attract the captive audience and encourage them to go and see the film. The fact that it is a Disney film will also attract a captive audience as many people will go to see a film just because it was made by Disney. The unique selling points attract both captive audiences to watch the film, in order to find out what happens at the end. 

Cloverfield (2008): Trailer Analysis

The trailer begins with some text on a black background. The use of the phrase "formerly known as 'Central Park'" suggests that the film is in the future. It also hints at it's location in New York City. This begins the equilibrium phase. The use of the shaky camera suggests that the film is similar to a documentary, filmed on a regular phone or camera. This allows the audience to step into the shoes of a civilian watching the events occur. The rewinding at the beginning of the trailer suggests that someone is watching the footage filmed. This could suggest that the events occurred in the audience's time but are being watched in the future, as well as suggesting that it all happens in the future. This makes the audience wonder who is watching it and what happened to the person who filmed it. The monochrome cuts and fades increase the tension and highlight the thriller/horror genre of the film. There is no music, as it is footage that someone has filmed. This gives the trailer a sense of reality and is effective in showing the audience exactly what happened in the person's eyes. The equilibrium shows a group of teenagers/young adults having a party. This is relatable to the target audience and introduces the type of character that filmed it. 

The disruption begins when there is a long shot of an explosion. This then cuts to another location, where there is a closer shot of another explosion. This creates a sense of chaos that is a complete contrast to the party at the beginning. The panning shot when the people run to get out of the way highlights this chaos and this creates a fear and panic in the audience. The monochrome cuts continue throughout the trailer, to further highlight the intensity of the film. The medium shot of the head of the Statue of Liberty confirms the chaos and fear in the film. This encourages the audience to watch the film as they will want to know what happened and why the head of the Statue of Liberty has been discarded in the street. 

The recognition phase begins when the boy filming turns the camera around to explain what he saw. The rewinding effect on the camera continues here and allows the audience to see what happened. The frequent cuts between him and the city show the audience just how he sees the situation and allows them to be introduced to him, possibly as the main character.

The repair phase begins when there is a montage of fast paced clips of various injuries and explosions and crashes. This creates a sense of panic in the audience. The sound is slightly muted to create a more chaotic effect on the audience. In this phase, horror motifs, such as screeching and booms, begin to play to highlight the intensity of the film and the situation. The fade to blacks increase the intensity of the fighting and action scenes. This makes the audience want to see the film as they want to see what is causing the damage and who will win. The use of the phrase "run run run run" suggests the panic and chaos that the characters are in and how the whole city feels. At this point, filming from a point of view, allows the audience to further enhance their empathy for the characters and allows them to step into the situation and live in the film. The use of the phrase "people are going to want to know how it all went down" suggests that the purpose of them filming the events were for distribution and to show people, possibly in the future. This makes the audience wonder when it was filmed and why someone might be watching it - it might be happening again or someone may have just found it. 

A unique selling point for the film is possibly the way that it is filmed. The shaky, documentary-style filming is intriguing as it is not like any other film - it allows the audience to feel like they are a part of the situation and feel like they can relate to the characters, as it creates a sense of reality. 

Split (2016): Trailer Analysis

The trailer begins by showing the equilibrium phase of the girl's life. The long shots show her shopping with, who the audience can assume is, her family and friends. There is a predominant focus on this girl, suggesting that she is the main character in the film. The close ups of the girl in the car show her happy life before the disruption occurs. The music during this time is quiet and mysterious and conveys a sense of childhood through the use of the more unusual instruments. 

The disruption occurs when she notices her father has disappeared. The wing-mirror shot is effective as it allows the audience to be placed in the girl's shoes and empathise with the fear she feels. The close ups following this shot show the girl to be afraid and scared. At this point, the trailer is quite slow paced and shows the girl's realisation, increasing the tension of the trailer. 

The recognition phase begins when she realises that a man, who is obviously mentally unstable, has gotten into the car and is kidnapping the girls. At this point, the music changes to a more fearful and tense sequence. This ensures the audience know what type of film it is and foreshadows that something dangerous might happen to the girls. The music then gets very quiet with occasional horror motifs. This heightens the tension and increases the fear in the audience. The twitchy cuts throughout the trailer also hint at the genre of the film and increase the intensity felt by the audience. The different costumes and close ups for each of his personalities introduces the audience to the characters that will be featured in the film and allows them to get an insight into the genre and plot of the film. This is effective as it makes the audience want to go and see it due to the unusual and intriguing nature of the plot.

An attempt to repair happens when the girls try to play his personalities against each other in order to escape. This part of the trailer includes fast paced cuts between scenes which increases the tension and fear in the audience. The horror screeching motifs also highlight this tension and hints at the genre and what might happen to the girls. 

The trailer leaves the audience asking many questions. For example, who (or what) is 'the beast', do the girls escape and what are the other personalities like. These enigmas entice the audience and encourages them to go and see the film as they will want to find out what happens to the characters and how the film ends. 

Unique selling points for the film are mentioned in the trailer. For example, James McAvoy, who plays the man with the personalities, is a very popular actor and this encourages the audience to see the film. Another example is M. Night Shyamalan, the director and writer of the film - he is a very popular director, producer and writer and has worked on many other famous horror films. 

Feed (2017): Trailer Analysis

The trailer begins with a scene of a boy talking about his sister. The equilibrium phase shows the story to be about a pair of twins who do everything together. There are medium shots of the two as younger children to show the audience their past lives. There are many fade to blacks during this sequence which adds tension and intensity to the trailer and makes it seem more dramatic. The cuts are quite fast paced which also adds to the tension. The music is quite calm at first and continues like this until the disruption. Tom Felton's character is portrayed as fun and exciting and is relatable and likeable to the audience. The phrase "how am I ever going to be away from you?" foreshadows his death.

The disruption begins when they get into a car crash. This scene is in slow-motion which makes it seem even more traumatic to the audience. The darkness and hospital equipment noises suggests that he has died and creates a dramatic and traumatising feeling for the audience. This makes the audience empathise with the girl and feel sad at her loss. The slow motion close-up of the girl falling is effective as it shows just what losing her brother has done to her. It also foreshadows how she loses herself in the guilt and hallucinations she is living with. 

The recognition phase shows her to be struggling with losing her brother and to repair it, she feeds the guilt she feels. In the close-ups of her throughout the rest of the trailer , you can see her eyes and body slowly deteriorating and her life withering away. The music becomes scary and intense as her brother continues to 'haunt' her in her imagination. The phrases "I have to be with you" "I promised" makes the audience worried about what she might do. The music gets more intense and a lot more dramatic during this stage and it increases the tension felt in the audience - encouraging them to watch the film as they would be sat on the edge of their seats waiting to see what happens.

The audience aren't directly shown a repair stage but it is alluded that she tries to get to her brother and that she continues to "feed the guilt" she feels for his death. This creates enigmas for the audience, for example, they want to know if she actually gets better or if it haunts her forever. This would encourage an audience to go and see it as they would want to see what happens to her. The clicking noises right at the end increase the fear and tension in the trailer, and also encourage the audience to see the film as it, again, hints at the thriller nature of the film. 

The film portrays the idea of mental illness, trauma and guilt effectively through the main character. Her character is shown to be very close with her brother and, once he is gone, guilty and distraught about his death. These feelings are highlighted throughout the trailer and expresses the destruction that death can cause. 

Iron Man 2 (Empire): Magazine Cover Analysis

The front cover image for this magazine is effective as it is bold and dramatic and stands out to the audience.

The use of the dark background in comparison to the bright title and light in his suit in the image creates an eye-catching contrast for the image. The lightning surrounding the title is effective as it represents one of his powers and the destruction that might be seen in the film. The overall title effect links the magazine to the film and creates a unique feature for Empire magazine. The bright white is effective in attracting an audience as it almost looks as though it is an actual light in the magazine. 

The red and gold are the classic Iron Man colours, and this attracts an established audience to the magazine. The bold head-on pose of the character shows determination and hints at the nature of the film. Having the main character in the middle of the cover makes the film look striking and exciting. It makes people want to pick up the magazine as the image is so vivid and eye-catching. 

The title of the film is not as reflective as the magazine title, but the font and colour make it stand out as bold and strong - similar to the character in the film. The slogan beneath the title, "New Suit. New Enemies. Same Attitude.", shows that although it is the same character, the film is going to be very different. This slogan entices people as they want to see who the new enemies are and what the new suit is like. The use of the language in the top left-hand corner, "All hail the King of 2010" expresses just how big they expected the film to be when it came out. This shows their feature on the film as exclusive - something that will also entice the audience to read it. 

The use of secondary images at the bottom show the extra features in the magazine without taking away from the main image. The emphasis is very much on the Iron Man 2 film feature, as it has a pre-existing audience to attract, but the secondary features also entice a larger audience to view the magazine. 

Brave (2012): Poster Analysis

The main colour on the poster is the bright orange used for the character's hair. This immediately draws the audiences attention and suggests to the audience that she is the main character in the film. The colour connotes fire and passion, something that might describe the nature of the girl. Ginger hair is commonly seen in Scotland and the Celtic patterns on the title link to this heritage. 

The colour blue is also prominent in the poster. This colour connotes calmness, which contrasts the fiery nature of her hair. This could suggest that she, in some way, disrupts the calm nature around her. 

The use of the language "Disney . PIXAR" at the top of the poster shows who is releasing the film. These two well-established companies are globally popular and famous for their animated films.  As it is a Disney film, it suggests that the film will be family friendly. The use of the bow and arrow and the pose and facial expression of the girl suggest that the film, although family friendly, also includes aspects of action-adventure films. 

From the props, costume and title, it is clear to see that the film is set in quite a traditional setting, possibly in Scotland due to the Celtic patterns. The setting of the poster also hints that nature is going to play a big role in the film. 

The slogan "Change your fate. June 22" implies that the film is going to be about changing fates in some way. This slogan is directed at the audience and encourages them to go and see the film. The slogan is at the end of the row of glowing blue dots. This leads the audiences' eyes from the title and main character down to the date of release. The blue dots suggest something magical might happen, and this entices the audience further to go and see the film.

The bear in the background of the poster suggests that it is going to be an important part of the film. The bear is mysterious to the audience and makes them wonder what role it will play in the film. The fact that it is almost hidden behind the title suggests that, despite the scary appearance, the bear is not considered brave. This makes the audience wonder what is going to happen and encourages them to go and see the film.

X+Y (2015): Trailer Analysis

The trailer begins with a medium shot of a teacher and a young boy sat on a bench. This begins the equilibrium phase of the trailer. The young boy is shown to grow up and is seen as strange and people treat him differently. There are lots of close-ups of him as a teenagers which cut back and forth to him as a child. This shows the boy's life to the audience and makes them empathise with his story. It also suggests that he is the main character in the film. The music is hopeful throughout, making the audience feel calm and relaxed watching the trailer. They are later shown that the boy is autistic and that he is unbelievably clever.

The disruption begins when the boy gets a place on the United Kingdom Maths Squad and is able to show people who he is. He finally begins to see that he is special in the recognition phase, where he is in Taiwan and sees that his gift is celebrated and that no one is bringing him down about it, like people have done his whole life. The traumatic right-angled shot of the car crash from the child's perspective also pulls at the audiences heart strings as it explains how tough their lives have been. The music at this point is emotional and adds to the effect on the audience. 

During the repair phase, he puts his all into his learning and into being who he is. He is shown to have opened up with the help of his teacher, his mother and the girl he meets in Taiwan. These are the only characters the audience meets in any detail and it encouraged them to want to see what happens to them all in the end. The music here gets louder and more encouraging and makes the audience hope for everything to work out. At the end, it says "I will slip you some of the answers". This hints at the comedic nature of the film in addition to the dramatic nature already established in the trailer. 

The film is unique as it explores autism in a positive but accurate way. It also explores the effects of traumatic experiences later on in a person's life. These unique features make the audience want to go and see the film as it makes them empathise with the story and want to see how it ends. 

The audience are left asking many questions which will also entice them to go and see the film. For example, does he get into university, does he do something extraordinary with his life and what happens between him and the girl from Taiwan. These enigmas entice the audience as watching the film will give them the answers they are looking for and show them what happens in the end. 

Gifted (2017): Trailer Analysis

The trailer begins with an establishing birds-eye view shot of the house. At this point, during the equilibrium phase, it shows the audience the setting of the film, but it also shows that the main character may not be the richest person in the world, as the house is not overly big and fancy. This gives the audience a slight insight into the lives of the characters. The music is calm and relaxing and suggests that the film is going to be a family drama. When it cuts inside the house, there is a shot reverse shot of close ups of the two characters, which, the audience can assume, means that they are the main characters. At first, the man (her uncle) is represented as a loving father-figure to the young girl and cares a lot about her, especially her education - this is evident from the mention of him homeschooling the young girl before she goes to school. 

The disruption phase comes when she goes to school and they realise that the young girl is gifted. The music after this realisation gets upbeat and hopeful, suggesting that the girl's life is about to change for the better. The audience get introduced to a new character - the girl's mother - when she is offered the chance to go to an elite school. The audience can assume that her mother is dead from the way the man speaks about her and about his niece's life. The more important narrative scenes are broken up by montages of clips showing the man and the young girl together as a family. This pulls on the audiences heartstrings and further suggests that the film is an emotional family drama.

Another disruption is the young girl's grandmother turning up and wanting to encourage her gift by gaining full custody and sending her to an intense school. This makes the audience dislike her as she is seen to be interrupting their lives and trying to take the girl away. The music gets very tense and emotional at this point before getting slightly more intense during the court case. The fade to blacks at first make the film seem dramatic, however, later in the trailer, it causes and increases the tension and suspense. The music then gets more upbeat after he says "I'm raising her how I believe Diane would've wanted". This gives the audience hope about him gaining custody of the young girl. There are cuts between the court case and shots of the young girl enjoying herself as a child, which increases the audience hope for him to get custody and entices them to go and see it to see what happens. 

Chris Evans' character is represented as a loving and caring father-figure to his niece. He is shown to have loved his sister dearly and shows this love through raising her daughter as if she were his own. The love and care that he and the girl feel towards each other is evident through when the young girl says "he wanted me before I was smart". This pulls at the audience's heart strings and entices them to go and see the film. 

The audience are left asking many questions after the trailer. For example, what happened to the young girl's mother and who gains custody at the end of the film. These enigmas encourage the audience to go and see the film as they will answer their questions and find out what happens at the end.

Interstellar (2014): Trailer Analysis

The trailer begins with a medium shot of Matthew McConaughey entering a room. The trailer primarily focuses on his character, so the audience can assume he is the main character in the film. During the equilibrium phase, he is said to be a trained pilot and engineer. This makes the audience wonder what the film will be about and what his role will be in it. There are some long shots of the surroundings that he lives in and, with the use of language "ran out of food", this shows the world to be struggling and slowly dying. 

The recognition phase begins alongside the disruption phase where it says "nothing in our solar system can help us". This suggests that there is a plan to save the world and this hope intrigues the audience as they want to see if they succeed. There is orchestral music playing throughout the trailer which heightens tensions and emotion as it gets louder and quieter in different moments. There are fade to blacks throughout which makes the trailer seem even more dramatic. 

The characters attempt to repair the devastation on Earth by going in to space to "perfect interstellar travel". There is a major contrast between the shots of the farming land and the high-tech equipment in space, which further shows the devastation occurring on Earth. 

Matthew McConaughey is shown to be a unique selling point, as well as director, producer and writer, Christopher Nolan. McConaughey's character is represented as the typical loving father trying to make the world better for his children. This is shown through language such as "I'm coming back" and "I'll love you forever". He is a well-known and popular actor and so will entice the audience to go and see it. Christopher Nolan is an award-winning director, producer and writer, and so will also be a selling point for the film. 

The trailer leaves the audience asking any questions. For example, does he make it back from space, what made Earth so devastated in the first place and where/what happened to the children's mother. These enigmas entice the audience to go and see the film as they will get their questions answered and see what happens in the end. 

The Only Living Boy in New York (2017): Trailer Analysis

The trailer begins with two establishing, birds-eye view shots of New York City. This tells the audience that this is where the film will be set. The equilibrium shows the audience that the boy, who is assumed to be the main character, has a big family and has quite different views, especially to his father. This is a typical representation of a poor father-son relationship, and this foreshadows that something might possibly happen between them in the film. The audience also sees his interactions with his friend who he has feelings for, and a new neighbour. The neighbour is seen as a typical wise, older man who is giving the boy advice on his life. During this, mysterious sounding music plays, suggesting that his family life isn't all that it seems. 

This is disrupted when he sees his father with someone who isn't his mother. To repair this, he attempts to follow her and find out who she is. The music changes to a more upbeat soundtrack, which hints at the increase in tension in the film. There are lots of fades between scenes at this point, which increases the tension and shows the film to be dramatic. The relationship that occurs between the boy and the woman is focused on in the film, and the audience can see that these two are the main characters in the film. 

The costumes and the parties suggest that the family are wealthy, and this contrasts how you originally see the boy, further suggesting his differing views to his family. The music changes again after the boy kisses the woman at a party. This music is more dramatic and thoughtful, further showing the dramatic nature of the film. After this, there are lots of frequent cuts, making the pace faster and increasing the tension between the characters in the trailer. 

The audience are left asking many questions after watching the trailer. For example, who does the boy end up with - his friend or the woman - and what happens to his relationship with his father. The audience also only get to see a few of the characters in detail, and would probably be wondering who the other people in his life are. These enigmas make the audience want to go and watch the film as it will answer these questions and they will be able to see what happens. 

Baby Driver (2017): Trailer Analysis

The trailer begins with the inside of a record player. These emphasise the role of music within the film and hints that music is significant to the character. The audience quickly see the equilibrium phase, which shows the main character as a driver of a get-away car. There are close-ups of the boy, whom the audience can assume is the main character, as well as the girl, whom the audience can also see plays a vital role in the film. The action music that plays during the driving scenes suggest the action and dangerous nature of the film. The music mixed with the police sirens at the beginning foreshadows the nature of the film. 

The audience learn quite a lot about the boy, for example, about his accident as a child and inferences about his life now. Although there are shots of other characters throughout, they aren't shown as important in comparison as the boy is given prevalence in the trailer. Towards the end of the trailer, "Baby" is repeated by different characters. This gives him further prevalence within the trailer, and further hints at him being the main character.

The equilibrium is disrupted when he says "one more job and I'm done". This entices the audience as they are unsure of exactly who the people he works for are. During the disruption phase, there are a lot of cuts to different action scenes, creating a fast pace for the trailer. The recognition phase begins when he realises that his life and the lives of his loved ones are in danger. In the repair phase, at an attempt to fix this, he decides to "go West" with his girlfriend. There are even more fast paced action scenes that further connote the danger that he is in. 

The audience are left asking many questions about the film after watching the trailer. For example, the audience are left wondering if he actually makes it West and gets away from the bad people, but also wondering if he loses his girlfriend or if they stay together and alive. These enigmas make the audience want to go and see the film as they will want answers to them and will want to know what happens in the end.

Ansel Elgort is the main character in the film, and is shown to be a unique selling point, as he is a popular and well-known actor. He is given prevalence throughout as well as having his name on its own in the credits part of the trailer. This makes the audience want to see the film as they might like him as an actor and want to see his latest film. 

Kick-Ass (Empire): Magazine Cover Analysis

 

The title of the film stands out on this cover as it is the brightest colour on the page. The lime green helps to draw the eyes of the audience. This bright colour contrasts the rest of the cover as it is quite dark and gloomy. This, as well as the magazine title written in blood, suggests the film is going to be dangerous.

The colour red connotes danger and blood. This colour is used to highlight certain words and phrases, as well as the main magazine title. The green used is bright and exciting and entices people to pick it up and have a look.

The use of the image of the main character in the forefront of the cover is effective as the audience can see who the character is and get an idea of the story line - shown through his superhero-looking costume and the blood on his face. The pose also suggests that it is an action film. The drawings of the characters behind also suggest that these characters are equally as important to the storyline

Having the title written as if it were in blood makes the magazine different as it is trying to create an effect to match the nature of the film. This is something unique to Empire Magazine as it does this on other covers. It is effective as the audience are drawn to it being different, yet having parts of the title covered, shows that it is quite popular and not the main thing the audience are drawn to - the magazine makes sure the film title is the most important and visible part of the cover.

The Dark Knight (2008): Poster Analysis

The main image for this poster is effective as it shows the main character against a dramatic background - hinting at what might be to come in the film. The fire in the shape of a bat is symbolic of his character and the fact that it is burning the building hints at the destruction in the film. Having a darker colour scheme is interesting as it doesn't draw the eye of the audience as a brightly coloured poster might. However, the dark colours in contrast to the fiery orange and red increases the dramatic look of the poster.

The slogan, "welcome to a world without rules", adds to the dramatic nature of the background image. It hints at the action and dramatic genre of the film. The capitalised, bold font also suggests action in the film. The full-stop creates an abrupt ending to the slogan, further hinting at the destruction shown in the main image.

Addition of the actors involved at the bottom of the poster is typical. The use of larger font for the surnames possibly shows that the actors are well known and will encourage the audience to go and see the film.

The title at the bottom is effective as it is simple but still gets the information across in an aesthetically pleasing way. The film is a part of a franchise and so the use of the bat behind the title lets the audience know this. As the franchise already has a captive audience, this will entice the audience and encourage them to go and see it. The release information at the bottom is typical of a film poster and helps to entice the audience as it allows the audience to see when the film is out and who is involved in it.

The poster leaves the audience asking questions about the film, further encouraging them to go and see it. For example, they are left wondering what happened to the building and whose fault it was. We are also left wondering what made the setting "a world without rules" and will it ever get fixed.

The Girl on the Train (2016): Trailer Analysis

The trailer begins with a close-up of a woman (Emily Blunt), who the audience can assume is the main character. This makes her seem important to the film as she is the first thing the audience see and the first character the audience are able to make judgement on. The equilibrium phase of the narrative shows the perfect life of the couple, with a particular focus on the woman. In this short moment, there are a lot of medium shots of the woman showing parts of her life so the audience are able to see her as a character to focus on. 

The equilibrium is quickly disrupted by the news that the woman went missing. From this point on, the trailer is fast paced with very frequent cuts.  This creates a sense of fear and confusion in the audience and entices them to keep watching and go and see the film. Throughout the trailer there is upbeat but futuristic music playing alongside a single piano note. This creates a scary and intense feeling for the audience. This highlights the fact that the film is a thriller. 

The recognition and repair phases show that the woman at the beginning try to help find the missing woman - and also show her to be more involved in the woman going missing than originally thought. This begins a montage of clips that cut very fast between them. This speeds up the pace even more and adds to the fear and tension already building in the trailer. The music gets even more intense and louder throughout the trailer until it finally cuts out at the end and is replaced by screaming sounds. This plays whilst a close-up of Emily Blunt's character cuts to a medium shot of the missing woman and then back to a long shot of Emily Blunt's character at the train station. This scares the audience as it is unexpected at the end of the trailer. 

The audience are left asking many questions after the trailer is finished. For example, the audience don't know what actually happened to the woman, or if she was actually killed and the audience are left wondering why the is woman 'afraid of herself' if she didn't kill her. These questions will encourage the audience to go and see the film as they will want to find out what happens and how the film ends.  

Elysium (2013): Trailer Analysis

The trailer begins with an establishing shot of Elysium. This begins the equilibrium phase of the narrative, where it shows Elysium to be perfect and blessed whilst Earth is left to be devastated. The use of the language "the year 2154" helps to set the scene for the audiences and to intrigue them as this hasn't happened yet. The futuristic, mysterious music and the intense boom sounds throughout increase the fear and tension within the trailer and tell the audience that it is going to be a sci-fi, action film. There are a lot of fade to blacks in the trailer, further highlighting the tension the audience should feel. The close-up of Matt Damon highlights his character as one of importance, and tells the audience that the film will possibly be about him. 

The disruption phase begins when the character decides to increase his abilities using robotic technology. The recognition and repair phases begin when he decides to break into Elysium. Before this, the trailer was quite fast paced with frequent cuts, however, it begins to slow down and, with the quieter music and muted sound effects, creates a slow motion effect. This helps to highlight the fighting and action the audience see in the trailer. 

The audience are left asking many questions at the end of the trailer. For example, they are wondering who Matt Damon's character is. The trailer doesn't look into many characters, apart from Matt Damon's. The audience find out that he is one of the poorer people forced to live on Earth. Matt Damon is considered a unique selling point, among others, as he is mentioned and focused on throughout the trailer - this will encourage the audience to go and see the film as he is a popular and well-known actor. The audience are also left wondering if he actually gets to Elysium, and why he wanted to get there in the first place.

The representation of his character contrasts the privileged in Elysium. These people are represented as the elite who are able to live in a perfect world. 'Elysium' in mythology is where heroes were sent by the Gods after death, and the film highlights this perfectly with the beauty in Elysium and the destruction of Earth. 

Little Miss Sunshine (2006): Trailer Analysis

The trailer begins with the equilibrium phase of the narrative, showing a normal family in their home. There are close-up and medium shots of each character which allows the audience to see each of the characters predominantly involved in the film. The disruption begins when the little girl gets a place in the finals of a beauty pageant. After this, during the recognition and repair phases, there are many long shots of the van driving, cutting to medium shots of the characters inside the van. Upbeat music starts playing which suggests to the audience that it will be an upbeat and cheerful film. The sliding cuts throughout also help to indicate the comedic genre of the film. The yellow van is significant in the film, and the audience can see this from the continued shots of it. The music becomes more dramatic and hopeful during the montage of clips towards the end, suggesting that the film is of the dramatic genre. 

The audience are left asking many questions that will encourage them to go and see the film. For example, does she get to California in the end and does she win the competition? These questions allow the audience to think about what could happen and then go and compare it to the actual film. 

The actors help to create a unique selling point for the film. Popular actors, such as Steve Carrell, star in the film and encourage the audience to go and see the film. The actors all have different characters that the audience can relate to and want to watch. Other things that might entice the audience to watch the film are the heart-warming storyline and family journey, both of which are cliches of dramatic films. 

Shutter Island (2010): Trailer Analysis

The trailer begins with an establishing shot of the two men on a boat, and then a long shot of the island as they arrive. The equilibrium is quickly stated, with the two men being federal marshals and visiting the island where they keep dangerous and mentally unstable criminals. This is only mentioned once or twice in the trailer, and the audience only get glimpses of who the criminals are, which intrigues people as they want to learn more about the people living on the scary island. The music, at this point, is relatively calm with horror motifs sounding throughout. This increases the tension and anticipation within the trailer.

The disruption phase begins when the audience learn of the prisoner escaping. The music gets more intense with the introduction of ticking and stormy sounds. There are a lot of fade to blacks throughout the trailer and more intense cuts with flashes to increase the tension. These also act as genre indicators as they are typically used in horror films. 

The recognition phase comes when the two men realise something is wrong with the island and try to repair it by finding the missing patient and leaving the island. This is shown to be difficult as they change clothes half way through the trailer - into white clothes that closely resemble the patients'. The addition of screaming noises adds to the fear and tension that the trailer hopes to invoke in the audience. The more intense cuts also increase the fear that the audience feels but also encourages them to go and see the film to see what happens. 

We are left asking many questions after the trailer. For example, the change of clothes makes the audience wonder what happened to them and if they became patients - the images at the end of DiCaprio losing his mind also hint at this. The audience are also left wondering if they ever get out and if they find the girl, but also wonder how they went from investigating the island to being treated as patients.

Leonardo DiCaprio is recognised as a unique selling point for the film, as well as Martin Scorsese. There are a lot of close-up shots during the trailer of DiCaprio, to entice the audience as he is a well-known and popular actor. Scorsese is a celebrated director and producer and this will also entice the audience as he is well-known for directing very famous films. 

Despicable Me 3 (2017): Trailer Analysis

The trailer for Despicable Me 3 begins with medium and long shots that encapture the suburban life that Gru has been living since giving up evil. The dreamy, emotional music portray a touching narrative that appeals to families. The slow pace adds to the music to show the normality of his new life. This suburban family life is shown at the equilibrium stage of the narrative.

This is disrupted early on, with the introduction of his twin brother. When he meets his brother there is a bird's-eye view of the two. The slow-motion highlight the difference in clothing and attitudes between the brothers - Gru is emotionally unintelligent, wearing all black and grey, where Dru is stereotypically effeminate, wearing all white. The more upbeat music at this point, also helps to highlight the differences in the brothers' lifestyles. The long shots and close ups of the private island that Dru lives on shows a great contrast between their lives as it is much different from the shots of the suburban life at the beginning.

The realisation stage comes when Gru sees the extravagance of his brother's life. He realises that his own life has been dull since he gave up evil for a family life. He tries to repair this by going on one last heist with his brother. Towards the end of the trailer, the pace gets faster to show the more exciting life he is living on the last heist. We are left asking many questions, for example, how will the balance in Gru's life be restored, and what does the final heist entail? These enigmas entice the audience to go and see the film.

Throughout the trailer there is limited but key dialogue to ensure that the story isn't given away. The music is also stopped when jokes are made as a genre indicator - to highlight the comedy aspect of the film.

Steve Carell is shown as a unique selling point to the film, as he is the main name highlighted in the trailer. The Despicable Me films are part of a franchise, and so already have a captive audience. The captive audience is targeted through use of the same actors and characters, for example, the continued use of the minions to, again, highlight the comedy and family nature of the film.