Here is the first of my four evaluation questions.

1. Evaluation Question 1
1) In what ways does your
media product use, develop or
challenge forms and
conventions of real media
products?
Megan Smith A2 Media Studies

3. FOR MY COURSEWORK I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO
CHOSE TO MAKE EITHER A TEASER FILM TRAILER,
OR A THEATRICAL FILM TRAILER.
Here are the codes and conventions for both…

4. CODES AND CONVENTIONS FOR A TEASER TRAILER
Either a short sequence of clips, or just one clip.
It should be between 30-60 seconds.
The pace is usually fast, or starts of slow and it picks up speed. This causes
tension for the audience.
It gives you an inclination to what the film is about, but it won’t give all of the
general story line away. Teaser trailers are usually left on a cliff-hanger. This
makes the audience want more of the film! (Hence the word ‘teaser’, because of
the lack in film footage)
Often made when the film is still in production, just to give an audience a little
something to hold on to; until the actual film trailer and film comes out. E.g.
this was very effective during the hunger games.
May contain scenes that doesn’t actually feature in the film. As the film is still in
progress, this scene may have been cut when editing the footage and making it
coherent with the rest of the film.
Only really used with Hollywood or large budgeted films, because they have a
larger support, more money and promotion behind them.
Usually released a while before the theatrical trailer. (Again taking in to account the
name ‘teaser’)

5. Why Do Trailers Exist?
- To advertise a future film
- To attract audiences to a film
Must be achieved in 2 ½ minutes or less!
Most trailers are aimed at the lower age classification, than the film; E.g. Trailers 12 but Film is
15. This is to attract a larger audience, for example a parent may be watching a film at the
cinema with their child, a film with a higher classification may be advertised, through the
trailer, at a lower age, so that the adult can watch it, without it affecting the child.
Who Makes Trailers?
· Director and producer of the film collaborate with the marketing and advertising team to
create the trailer idea.
· Trailer directors use techniques from the film
What goes in to the Trailer?
· Name of the film (Title)
· Shots from the film Linear/Non-linear (min 10) different shots
· Narrative of the Trailer
· Music – from the theme of the film
· Production Company
· Stars & Directors
· Endorsements:
- Positive critical quotes
- Film Festival
- Famous Actors
- Credits
CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF A THEATRICAL
FILM TRAILER

6. CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF A FILM TRAILER
CONTINUED…
· Certification – age
· Directed
· Voice Overs
· Launch Date – text, strapline (key quote)
· Selection shots
· Drawn from most important, funny or exciting parts of the film.
· Trailer must portray the key events without producing spoilers.
· Not in chronological order
ACT 1 – lays out story
ACT 2 – Drives the story, usually ending in a dramatic climax
ACT 3 – Montage of key moments from the film – grip audience

7. FOR MY COURSEWORK I HAD THE
OPPORTUNITY TO CHOSE TO MAKE EITHER A
TEASER FILM TRAILER, OR A THEATRICAL FILM
TRAILER.
A decision was made that ‘Fleeting Youth’ should be a
theatrical film trailer. One of the reasons for this is because
‘Fleeting Youth’ is an independent film, it is unusual for an
independent film to have a teaser trailer. Also, it was
important that we gave the audience a general story line,
so that it made relative sense, this would only be achieved
with a theatrical trailer.

8. A DECISION WAS ALSO MADE THAT OUR
TRAILER WOULD BE A SOCIAL REALISM FILM

9. CODES AND CONVENTIONS FOR A SOCIAL
REALISM FILM TRAILER

10. DOES MY TRAILER CHALLENGE OR FOLLOW
THESE CONVENTIONS THAT I HAVE CHOSEN?
Theatrical Film Trailer conventions–
I believe that the ‘Fleeting Youth’ trailer mainly follows these conventions.
- ‘Fleeting Youth’ advertises this future film, as I believe that it attracts audiences. I can infer
this from the previous audience feedback that we have had.
- The film classification has been lowered on the trailer to a 12, when the film is a 15. So that
it attracts a large range of audience.
- A narrative features in ‘Fleeting Youth’ as it helps the audience to gain the knowledge of
the general story line.
- The music that was used fits the theme of the film trailer, as they are all bands. We used
‘Boys Don’t Cry’ by The Cure. This song is classed as a ‘classic’ and is well known from
the post-punk era. This fits the theme as the band in the trailer is influenced by artists of
this era. Local bands from the area that I live in were also used, this helps to promote them
as well, which interlinks with the struggle of the band in the film trailer.
- Film festival recognition also features as part of the endorsement, as it does in mot
independent films theatrical film trailers.
Time - 1Min 43 Second
- This is the time we set out for our theatrical film trailer because it’s enough time to give a
general storyline, but not give to much away. In away it challenges the codes and
conventions of a theatrical film trailer, because they are usually 2 Min 30 Sec. However, the
convention clearly lies out that it is between 1 – 2 Min 30 Sec.

11. DOES MY TRAILER CHALLENGE OR FOLLOW
THESE CONVENTIONS THAT I HAVE CHOSEN?
CONTINUED…
- Characters are established early on so that the story line can
flourish, which is necessary in a theatrical trailer.
- I believe that my trailer follows the codes and conventions of a
theatrical trailer, as it gives a general story line, but doesn’t give too
much away. Which leaves the audience in want of more, so that they
can

12. DOES MY FILM TRAILER CHALLENGE OR
FOLLOW THESE CONVENTIONS THAT I HAVE
CHOSEN?
CONTINUED…
Social Realism Film Trailer conventions –
- Social realism trailers pose a question or challenge the conformities in society,
they challenge the status quo. I believe that my trailer does this, as it questions
whether your teenage years are the best years of your life.
- This is achieved through its social realism conventions and use of filming, mis-en-
scene, and so on.
- It was difficult to think of something original as there are many similarities between
many social realism films. Therefore, it was decided that the film trailer should
focus around the teenage/young adult social group and what the keen interests of
my generation was, one of these was music.
- We used an improvised Script , which is very common in social realism films, and
proved to be very successful.
- Quite obviously, we didn’t use professional actors or the professional filming,
editing and production, that Hollywood use, which also puts ‘Fleeting Youth’ in the
social realism conventions and independent category.

13. FOLLOWING THESE IDEAS AND CONVENTIONS
‘Fleeting Youth’ film trailer title ‘Juno’ film trailer title
‘Fleeting Youth’ was inspired by and shared ideas and conventions similar to that of other
social realism films, such as ‘Juno’:
This lets people gain an idea of what to expect and realise that this has been inspired
by and is a social realism film in its own right. They are both vibrant and light hearted,
which is what I set out to achieve.

14. FILM POSTER
Conventions of a social realism film poster –
- Follows the codes and conventions of a film poster.
- Usually light, vibrant colours are used, to show the
eventual light hearted-ness in the film genre.
- Stands out against other film posters, such as Hollywood
film posters, as social realism films are usually
independent.
- It’s also important to give the audience a inclination of
what the story line is and to have connections with it’s
film trailer and film magazine front cover, if it is main
featured.

16. - I believe that my film poster follows these
conventions, as it has vibrant colours featuring
on it.
- Also it follows the conventions of film posters
generally.
- It also gives the audience an inclination of what
the story line is and to have connections with
it’s film trailer and film magazine front cover, if it
is main featured.

17. FILM MAGAZINE
FRONT COVER

18. Not many social realisms get a main feature on a film
magazine. I wanted to change this convention, as I think
that social realism and independent films should get
enough recognition.
My film magazine front cover, follows magazine front cover
conventions and I’m really pleased with my final edition, as
I worked really hard on getting it to look professional.