1. Writing about the trailer and poster Coursework year 10

2. Firstly! Your poster and trailer have to be of the same film- you have to talk about the idea of a campaign across two different types of media. Poster and trailer stills reflect consistency

3. What is the moderator looking for? Compare the impact of two promotional methods used by one film: The trailer and the film poster Approx 1000 words You need to show awareness of how producers seek to achieve synergy where a particular text can be seen to appear on different media platforms as a media-wide campaign You will need to COMPARE the ways the products promote the product

4. Key areas to write about * These are the key ones that you are being marked on but don’t forget the other two. For example how does media language create the representation.

5. Also: What are the typical codes and conventions of the media product? What devices and techniques have been used to produce them? How has the product been adapted to suit a particular platform? How would the product appeal to its audience? What audience might that be?

6. You will want to have a still of the poster annotated as well as stills from the trailer- Remember these need to be kept to a few key ones as you should be writing in essay format now. You will need to identify the two key areas: Representation Institution You will also need to show awareness of media language and audience

7. You will also want to include key stills from the trailer which reflect the key areas. Also you will want to identify key points that evidence a cross media campaign and sense of consistency Represents a sense of danger through the use of canted angle which suggests that something is wrong Key trailer convention Reinforcing patriarchal ideas of masculinity Subverting the male gaze?

8. The use of key stills will enable you to support the points that you are making

9. On the next slide is a student exemplar from the board and shows you the way that you could write about the films. The one area that it fell down on was that it did not talk enough about institution For something like Thor it is part of Marvel comics and it is important to understand that institutional context- what impact does this have on the audience and the representations that the trailer portrays?

10. Mark scheme- 20 marks

11. Batman ‘The Dark Knight’ Poster and Trailer analysis Batman The Dark Knight was released in 2008, and its action packed, enigma filled plot pulled in audiences around the globe. Marketing is the way the film sells itself through both posters and trailers. To appreciate the full marketing of this film, I will be looking at the main poster and trailer used to sell it. The genre of The Dark Knight poster is more of horror than action due to the denotation of The Joker’s white face looming out of the shadows. This connotes something hiding in the shadows, and the visceral reaction is fear, which is what horror films aim to give to the audience. The title, ‘The Dark Knight’ gives an enigma. Most people associate the word ‘knight’ with a knight in shining armour, but by putting the word ‘dark’ in front, a twist is put on to the title. This is because the villain is usually linked with the word ‘dark’. The title makes the audience question Batman’s role as the dark knight – is he a misunderstood hero or the villain? It could also be a play on words, as in dark night. People link dark nights with not being able to see, and with danger. The institutions of this film are ‘Warner Bros’, ‘DC comics’ and ‘Legendary Pictures’. These are big institution names specialising in blockbusters and sci-fi. These give the audience a clue as to what sort of film it will be. Fans of these institutions will be drawn to the film. On the poster they are inconspicuous, perhaps implying that the film is bigger than these well known institutions. The colours and lighting on this poster are dim, with a lot of black, white and some red. The low lighting and black makes The Joker’s white face stand out. White is often used to show the light side of things and the hero, but it is the main colour used for The Joker, who is the villain. This sends mixed signals to the audience, and creates an enigma. The red is the colour of blood, so this could connote violence. The main image on this poster is The Joker. His face is central and in close-up. He is holding a joker card with the Batman on. Although Batman’s stance is powerful, the card is held at a canted angle. All of this suggests a weaker character, one more in the background. This connotes that The Joker is in some way able to manipulate him. The Joker is represented as the villain as the thick, dark clown make-up he wears seems to be hiding his face, and therefore his character. This makes the audience wary of him because his character is unfathomable and unpredictable. The poster is riddled with enigmas such as ‘why is Batman in a joker card?’ ‘Is he trapped in some way?’ The stereotypical image of an all-powerful hero is twisted as The Joker appears strong and Batman weaker. In the trailer the institutions are displayed. Warner Bros, Legendary Pictures & DC Comics fade in through a black background. They are all in silver and appear important.

12. There are several taglines woven throughout the trailer, all in The Joker’s dialogue(this again suggests he is the main character). There is ‘why so serious?’, ‘Let’s put a smile on that face’ and ‘it’s all part of the plan’ said in cynical, threatening tones. The first two are said sarcastically, as a Joker is usually an image to make people laugh or smile, but in this film he has a terrifying image. The last tagline implies that The Joker has a plan of some sort. This creates an enigma, as the audience want to know what the ‘plan’ is. The main images in this trailer are of chaos and fire. Other main images are skyscrapers, connoting a city setting. One main shot shows Batman stood on a skyscraper alone. This highlights the vulnerable, human side of his personality. The main images move quickly and in a non-chronological order. This creates a disjointed feel. It is hard to determine who is the hero or villain in the trailer. Whilst Batman is seen to be fighting he is more in the background. He is not presented as the traditional hero the audience expects. Both Batman and Joker use the same weapons, and in one shot the diegetic dialogue from The Joker is heard, linking himself to Batman with the claim that they are both ‘outsiders’ and ‘freaks.’ Colours and lighting are dark and dim, adding to the mystery of shots. Batman himself is an enigma, always in the dark. The audience is given a feeling of uneasiness, and it creates a threatening atmosphere. More light is usually thrown on The Joker as there is usually fire around him, connoting chaos. The genre of this trailer is action. It is fast-paced and full of explosions and chaos. It makes the audience sit on the edge of their seats. I think that the trailer sells the film well. The action scenes get the adrenaline pumping and hook the audience. The trailer leaves viewers on a cliff-hanger as to whether Batman will save the day or The Joker will come out on top. Overall, I think the trailer is the most effective at promoting ‘The Dark Knight’. It outlines the plot more than the poster, and persuades the audience to go and see it through high-intensity action scenes and enigmas. The poster on the other hand, although creating enigmas, gives no clue to a plot line, and therefore can’t hold attention for as long as the trailer. 928 words