Film Magazine Codes and Conventions

Codes and Conventions

Film Magazine 

Comedy Trailer Analysis: The DUFF

Comedy Trailer Analysis

The DUFF

There is a quick shot of the distribution companies, which are the Lions Gate and CBS Films, they’re well known so the audience are likely to know about the film as they invest a lot on their promotion. This film has four trailers suggesting that they’re trying to encourage their target audience to watch it. It cuts to a long shot establishing the location which is a school building; there is a diegetic sound of a school bell that accompanies it, making it seem realistic. The audience can see that this is based in high school so the plot will feature the typical scenes of how the main protagonist will get through it. A long shot shows 3 characters that is making their way through the corridor, we can see that the protagonist is likely to be the one who is dressed casually as she stands out from her friends; she has no fashion sense suggesting that she will be targeted later on. There is high key lighting to emphasise that everything is going well because from the protagonist’s expression she looks happy. There is a voice over which sounds humorous suggesting that the genre is comedy, it states the release date in the beginning so it’s memorable for their target audience. The camera switches to the other two girls who are approaching them indicating that they’re antagonist, the character on the right seems bitchy. She invites that protagonist’s friends by giving them an invitation suggesting that the protagonist isn’t popular enough to join in however her friends stands by her, ripping her invitation and giving an half to the protagonist implying that they’re loyal friends.

The camera changes into a long shot of the party location, and then a caption appears implying that they’re going to introduce a new word which is the title of the film. As this film is targeted at teenagers this four letter word “Duff” may be included in their slang especially as its catchy and it’s relatable in a high school setting, engaging the audience. There is low key lighting to suggests that there is a party, the camera switches to a medium shot which introduces another characters which could suggests he’s the love interest as he’s good-looking. There is a shot reverse shot to show that they’re having a conversation, the male character calls her a “Duff” then she look at him with a confused expression as it’s a vocabulary that hasn’t been heard, to this the male character explains the acronym “Designated Ugly Fat Friend”, she seems very offended. There are a couple of scenes showing the examples of “Duff” in different friendship groups suggesting that she’s shouldn’t be offended. Then it cuts to a scene where the main protagonist walks toward the male character, picking his lunch and throws it at him suggesting that she’s angry at his comments. The scenes changes into a classroom as he explains to her that she’s should take it seriously, and then there is a long shot of the three friends walking out as the main protagonist confronts them about how they didn’t tell her that she was the “duff”. We can see that from the tone of the protagonist’s voice she’s annoyed at her friends because she trusted them, the friends also seems confused as it’s a new term. It cuts to another character which could be a teacher as he’s dressed formally the dialogue “Oh no I didn’t, yeah you did” to reply to the confused friends, this is done to make it humorous as he’s imitating a teenager. The non-diegetic music intensifies to suggest that at this moment the something going to change the protagonist’s character.

There is an extreme long shot revealing to the audience the whole surrounding of the location as its familiar to their target audience. We can see that the main protagonist is beginning to get closer; he conforms to the stereotypical male character because he’s masculine and showing off his muscles will attract the female audience to watch as he’s the ideal attractive guy. We see that the two characters have a deal together because the female protagonist doesn’t want to be labelled as a “Duff” this may lead to a relationship especially as they’re getting closer.

In the next few scenes there are medium shot of the bitchy female character as she walks down the corridor. The audience can see that the main protagonist is improving on herself because she changes her style of clothing, the female antagonist insults her by saying that “people like you don’t matter” this downgrades her as she implying that she has higher status than the main protagonist however the male character advises her to not listen. At the ending scene the female protagonist agrees that “she’s somebody duff and so is everybody” insulting the female antagonist which shows that she’s standing up for herself as she doesn’t care about her opinion on her. Finally there is a medium shot of the teachers of the school as they discuss on what’s occurring outside of their office which leave the audience wondering. Their conversation is witty to entertain the teenage audience as it includes jokes they know about. There is a voice over introducing the title; it’s bold and bright green which is a calming and refreshing colour and it ends with the release date.

Action Poster Analysis: Transformers: Age Of Extinction

Action Poster Analysis

Transformers: Age Of Extinction 

Action Poster Analysis: 22 Jump Street

Action Poster Analysis

22 Jump Street

Action Poster Analysis: Maze Runner

Action Poster Analysis

Maze Runner

Action Trailer Analysis: Police Story: Lockdown

Action Trailer Analysis

Police Story: Lockdown 

The trailer begins beings with an introduction of tense music to build up suspense, as there is a long shot of the main protagonist. The location is at a train tracks which is a convention of an action movie as it’s based in an isolated area where there’s no other public to help. The audience is not able to see the protagonists face to make them curious then the antagonist appears with a shovel out of nowhere and aims it at the protagonist however he swiftly avoids getting hit, the camera shot switches into a long shot as there is a fight scene. Normally action film includes fight scene in the beginning of the trailer to have an impact on the audience, there is fast pace editing and diegetic sound of hitting to give a realistic effect. There are stunts are included to make it exciting for the viewer, it’s a unique selling point especially as Jackie Chan is known for doing fight scene and stunts. The two characters are tracked as they make their way to the metal rusty roof as they have a fight then there is a bide eyes view of them as they disappear through the hole when the fades into the distribution company, at this point the build up of the non diegetic music stops to give it a dramatic effect.

There is an establishing shot from a high angle to set the location, there is low key lighting so the audience know that it’s night time which is a convention of action movies because fights usually take place at night and in a busy street. Then shots changes to a medium shot of the protagonist, his expression suggests that he’s looking out for someone, as he’s cautious. The camera pans to a logo which suggests that it’s a bar this is a common in an action genre as the antagonist is always located at the bar. There is a medium shot of two male antagonists however the one in the background is distorted, implying that the one in the foreground is the focus as he’s the leader, in an action genre the antagonist always has their followers, He pulls out a gun as the shot changes to a high angle because he shoots at the chandelier, the camera pans down to show the breakage, There are diegetic sounds of people screaming and panicking, the antagonist always attack large crowded areas which is a convention of an action, causing mass murder.

There is a medium shot to show the protagonist arriving then there are couples of shots showing the people trying to escape, there is a use of quick shots to make the audience feel the effect of panic. The camera switches to the protagonist as he’s being attacked, there are use of weapons such as using the sword or gunshots to make the fights realistic. The non-diegetic builds up and it’s distorted to create suspense because the viewers won’t know what’s happening. There are close up shots of the door closing then the long shot shows large amount of police force that are armed suggesting that the protagonist could be teamed up with them. The fast editing makes the audience curious as each scene flashes through so it has an impact, there is a high angle shot showing people trapped in implying that they’re vulnerable. The first dialogue “Hey Supercop” reveals that the protagonist is in fact a undercover police because in the next medium shot we can see him hiding as he investigates, the low key lighting suggests mystery as they audience wants to know what he’s seen. There is a long shot that shows the antagonist who has captured his daughter; this is a cliché in an action movie as the villain usually kidnaps a significant person to get revenge.

The close up of the protagonist shows his wounds as he’s trapped in the chairs, there are close up of his hand strapped. We can see that the protagonist is planning, he asks, “what do you want?” to this the antagonist replies “I just got it” this implies that he got what he wanted which may foreshadow future events. In the next scene there explosions, this is a convention of an action movie, as the audiences don’t know whether the protagonist survives or not. In the

It includes reviews from popular websites to let the audience know that those who have seen it has given good comments so it gives an insight on what to expect. The non-diegetic music makes the actions and stunt scenes dramatic by exaggerating it so it can leave an impact on the viewers. There are car chasing and explosion scenes that the camera tracks to create realism; these scenes are normally located in abandoned or empty spaces. The slow motion used on the fighting scene allows the audience to see the impact in more detail. The end of the trailer has credits of the popular Jackie Chan, which could be used as a promotional method for the film as his name is big and bold to capture the audience’s attention. Finally action trailers normally end with a dramatic cliffhanger, the daughter is held a gunpoint as the antagonist tells the protagonist to kill himself however it ends with a close up of the gun this is done to encourage and intrigue the viewers.

Action Trailer Analysis: The Maze Runner

Action Trailer Analysis

The Maze Runner

The trailer begins with a green screen; it shows that the film is rated so parental guidance is suggested. This is always shown at the start of the trailer to establish their target audience; the text shows the approval of the age range. The film is targeted at teenagers and it also already has an established fan base because it’s based on the bestselling novel.

There first scene introduces a frightened boy inside an elevator by using a medium shot, there is low-key lighting suggesting that he’s going to end up in a mysterious location. There is a voiceover “can you tell me something about yourself?” “Where you are.. came from?” this is used to make the audience curious about the main character as the question aren’t replied instead the screen fades showing the boy struggling to stand up, showing how vulnerable he is. There is a close up of the wired elevator which shows that it’s speeding up as he’s going to arrive to the location, the camera returns back to the boy who falls on the floor and there is red light that connotes danger. He dressed in dirty clothing and has dirt on his face implying that something may have happened to him before he was put in the elevator. There is diegetic sound of the elevator speeding up as the non-diegetic sound increases to create a tension, which then stops as the screen fades black. There is a voiceover “can you tell me your name?” to this the boy replies, “I can’t remember anything.” The camera is in a low angles shot to suggest that he’s weak then the camera shows the boy’s perspective, which shows a door opening, and other characters are introduced. It switches back to the main protagonist as he covers him eyes from the bright lighting then the other boy jumps in, we can see the terrified expression of the protagonist as he’s cornered. There is diegetic noise of the elevator squeak when the new character enters the elevator to give it a realistic effect.  There is shot reverse shot used as the boy speaks to the main protagonist as he calls him by his nickname, this scene is accompanied by an intense music, the main protagonist is then taken up by him collar showing that the boy is more dominant suggesting that he’s a leader. 

The next scene is a medium shot of the boy as he looks on curiously, the camera pans 180 mid shot around him, which also reveals the maze implying that they’re trapped; there is non-diegetic sound, which increases as the location is being revealed. The camera then zooms out into a long shot that shows how insignificant the main protagonist looks compared to the maze suggesting that the plot is going to be him solving how to get out of the maze. There diegetic music stops then there is a voice over “where is this place” revealing that it’s the main protagonists voice then the screen turns black then a medium over the shoulder shot presents another character that answers his question “welcome to the glade.” The distribution company shows that they’re promoting the film however there is a dramatic tense music to create suspense.

There is a long shot showing the characters working hard to build on the empty land suggesting that they must work as a team to survive, there is a voice over of the main protagonist “ who put us here?” then the same man replies “ we don’t know”. The audience may not know much about the protagonist at this point because only his appearance is revealed so it may be harder for them to sympathies with the character but in the other hand it’s makes them curious as they want to know what’s happening. The dramatic non-diegetic sound is still on going to create a tense atmosphere and in the beginning there is high key lighting used to show the setting. The main protagonist goes to see the entrance of the maze showing his curiosity “what’s through there” then it shows the inside of the maze from his perspective, there is low key lighting creating an enigma as the location is unknown giving it an eerie feel. The camera switches to a long shot showing the leader pushing him indicating that it’s restricted then the rest of the boys come along, the audience can see the frustration on the protagonists face as he aggressively shouts “you can’t keep me here” to this the man shouts “I can’t let you leave” this indicates that he’s the one who takes care of the group. He then asks “why won’t you tell me what’s in there” the audience could emphasis to this as nothing is being revealed as the group are being secretive. The camera then goes into a medium shot of the leader showing his annoyed face then a loud screech from the maze is heard, the camera zoom into to the protagonist face as his previous question is answered. 

The editing is fast paced as more information about the maze is being told to the main protagonist, there is a long shot which allows the audience to see the size of the maze as the camera pans up. In the next few scene we can see young teen characters, they are wearing dirty clothing and look exhausted. The voiceover explains that when the maze doors open the “runners” has to find the escape route suggesting that they have been trying to escape for a while, they runner look older and experienced. There is non-diegetic music that keeps increasing and creating tension. There is a high angle shot used to show the group’s own model of the maze which indicates that they have an escape plan. The shots keeps flickering revealing different scene, this may cause the audience to panic because the non-diegetic gets loud, as there is a long two shot of the runners trying to make it back however there is a high angle shot of the maze door closing this leaves the audience curious; they have to watch the film to know whether they survived, as they next dialogue says “no one has ever survived a night in the maze” implying how dangerous it is as there is quick scenes of the runner dragging the injured character as the maze door is about to close. The protagonist is discovering more about the maze as the scene switches to the perspective from inside them maze until it’s fully closed. The screen goes dark as a mechanical creature steps into shot, there is diegetic sound that matches to make it seem realistic. There is low-key lighting so the audience can’t see the creature clearly which may make the audience worry about the runners that are trapped inside then the boy reveals the name of the creature “Griever”. In the next scene there is a long shot showing a character being pulled as the boy screams, the non-diegetic sound is intense suggesting that it gets harder for them to survive.

There scene fades into a dark screen then the text appears, this informs the audience that it’s based off a best selling novel to grab their attention. In the next few scene we can see that the group are frustrated as there is a voice over “we don’t belong here” this tells the audience that they’re going to fight for their freedom as they light the fire inferring that they will revolt against those who built the maze and escape. There is a long shot showing that they have all gathered in front of the maze as they hold their weapons. The voice over suggests that the main protagonist is different than others due to his curiosity inferring that it will be him that is able to help save the group and there is quick close up of new material they have found due to the protagonist.

There is a non diegetic heroic music as the group run toward the elevator for the arrival of the new character which turns out to be a female, this is the only female who has appeared so far showing the audience that she may be a great help and the love interest of the main protagonist. They find it unusual as they just stare at her because she’s unconscious, then the camera zooms as she gasps and shots “Thomas” who reveals to the audience the protagonists name. The leader has a problem with Thomas as he talks about how due to his appearance everything has changed which reveals caring side of the leader as they may face more problems. Thomas and the female character interact “we were sent for a reason” inferring their importance to the group. The light changes into low key light showing that it’s night time however the medium shots of the groups face shows that they’re frightened and scared because the maze doors aren’t closing. We can see the panic in their faces as the non-diegetic music builds up “they’re here“ indicating the entrance of the antagonist, this may have been foreshadowed by they leader as changes causes more damage.  In the next few scenes it shows the deaths of the insignificant characters to which Thomas suggests that they must leave to be able to survive as the creatures may return during the night, they all seem desperate. The music builds up again as the main characters decides to go in whilst the maze doors are closing, there are close up shot of him trying hard to get through the gap then the intense music stops. There are action moments of the significant characters, it shows them fighting and running, the editing is super fast to keep the audience at the edge of their seats.

Action Trailer Analysis:The Prince

Action Trailer Analysis

The Prince

The green screen informs the audience that this film is rated and is aimed at an older audience as it involves violence, drug content and strong language. The camera cuts to an extreme low angle shot, establishing the location which is in a city, the scene fades introducing a middle age man who is having a conversation. The non-diegetic music is already intense grabbing the audience’s attention. There is a flashback, a long shot shows a women getting inside a car then the camera angle changes to a low angle shot to suggest that she’s vulnerable then the car explodes. There is diegetic sound of the explosion making the scene realistic. This scene may suggest to the audience that the man is investigating her death. Once there car explodes there is quick shot of the news headline covering this event, the colour scheme is black and white indicating innocence and evil. In this case the woman was innocent whereas the one who planned this event is evil, the suspected killer is revealed. There are quick shot of the production and distribution companies to inform the audience about the different companies involved with this film.

The non-diegetic music changes from intense to a normal paced sound suggesting that nothing unexpected is going to happen. The medium shots pans right on a new male character who could be the protagonist; it then shows him having a conversation online with a female character who is his daughter however their communication is cuts when someone is yelling to her. We can see the confusion in his face and reveals that someone is planning something against him. There is a long shot of him leaving a voicemail to his daughter Beth. There is low key lighting to suggest the mystery then a long shot shows a plane landing which implies that he’s gone to look for her, the colour of the sky is red hinting the dangers. The audience can see that the plot of this film is to try and figure out what has happened to his daughter. He tries to investigate by approaching a bartender about his daughter however her whereabouts isn’t revealed. The non-diegetic music begins to speed up as the scene gets intense, we see that he’s gone to get some guns and informs a man (his partner) that he has to rescue his daughter.  Then a medium shows the same man from the introduction indicating that he’s the villain who has kidnapped the main protagonist (The Prince) daughter. He is informed that Prince has arrived implying that there is going to be a lot of action as Prince tries to save his daughter. The daughter is captured by the antagonist and is used as a bait to capture her father. 

In the next few scenes there are car scenes where the protagonist is being attacked; there are shattered glasses to make it more effective. The pace of the music and editing is faster creating a tense effect. The audience are finally know more about the main protagonist as he’s not just a mechanic. The audience also know that the protagonist had caused the car explosion so the antagonist is just getting revenge of that. This makes the audience sympathise with the antagonist as it’s natural for us to seek revenge if someone took somebody close to you. The cast names appear informing the audience about who is involved in the film. There are couple of intense fight scenes giving the audience an insight on what is featured in the film. The film includes all the codes and convention of an action film e.g. fight scenes, guns. 

Action Trailer Analysis: Lucy

Action Trailer Analysis

Lucy

The trailer begins with a green screen; it shows that the film is rated so parental guidance is suggested. This is always shown at the start of the trailer to establish their target audience; the text shows the approval of all age range. The distribution company is “Universal” suggest to the audience that it’s a good quality film as it’s a well know film company. There is a non-diegetic sound which is continuous as there is an extreme close up of the main protagonist eyes then it zooms out showing that she’s regaining conscience, she look like she’s in pain as there is a wound on her lip. The non-diegetic high pitch vocal as she has flashbacks about the day before, there is a mid-shot showing that she was partying; this is stereotypical as she’s a young adult. It switches to a long shot of her on the bed, half undressed this could suggest that due to the alcohol she could have been taken advantage of or kidnapped as she isn’t familiar with the room then she’s gets thrown her clothes then there is a close up of medical equipment which suggests to the audience that they may have removed something. There is a close-up of her wound wrapped up as there is a voice over “what did you do to my stomach” which reveals to the audience that it was done without her consent implying that she got kidnapped because her voice seems like she’s confused in the situation she’s in.

She’s out the room suddenly the non-diegetic sound intensifies, the medium shot shows that she encounters someone as we can see the fear on her face. The camera changes to a low medium shot of her being dragged by 2 men; this implies that she may encounter the antagonist. There is a close of a man, his appearance suggests that he’s a villain then a close up of the protagonist is shown as she begins to breakdown “what’s going on?” this subverts the stereotypical female protagonist because normally they’re independent and strong. The screen fades white then the next scene shows her being escorted to the lift by the bodyguards, we can see the panic on her face as the door closes suggests that something bad is going to happen to her. The audience begins to sympathies with the protagonist, as she’s unable to escape from the high security suggesting that she’s a valuable person.

The door opens revealing another location, which may belong to the antagonist because from a long shot we can see a figure sitting down. The bodyguards throws her into the room, there is a voice over suggesting that they received the new package as it was placed in her lower stomach which shows why she’s valuable. There is a close up of the package which shows a blue substance which implies that it may be drugs, there is a mid-shot which and entrance of another character who explains to her about what happened so the audience know what event occurred before she regained her conscience in the beginning of the trailer.  They reveal a new mission to her where she has to transport something that is unknown to the audience; there is a close up of her passport showing that she’s going to America then the screen goes black as they put cloth over her head, this allows the audience to see from her perspective as we’re clueless to what’s happening. Then an extreme close up of her eyes showing that she’s awake, there is low key lighting with red and blue tint which connotes danger and evil. We are able to see from her perspective however there is limited vision as we can see some parts though the holes in the cloth, then a close up of lips showing that she’s nervous.

Suddenly the cloth is removed, we can see that she’s trapped then a close up of the man looking at her lustfully, then camera pans down show the man’s hand trying to pull her shirt however a medium shot shows her pushing however it’s not effective. This shows that she’s not a damsel in distress as she fights from getting taken advantage of.  The close up of the same man trying to pull on the shirt seems annoyed then the camera zooms out, he punches her. There is a tense music that accompanies the scene and it’s effective in creating suspense, the screen goes black implying that it could be from the protagonists perspective as she could be unconscious from the punch. In the next few scenes we can see the man violently abusing her by kicking her, this conforms the main villain because in the beginning they’re move dominant. The close up of her face shows the audience that she’s is in intense pain then the camera zooms in showing the effect of the kick inside of her, which triggers her fits as she begins to shake as everything has changes.

The intense music enters which accompanies the scene of an extreme close up of her however this time something has changed because her eye color changes into different patterns and colors every time she blink revealing her super powers to the audience. The camera pans up 90 degrees right to show the protagonist sitting upright, we can see that the kick has changed her because she was beaten badly but she seems alright now, her stare suggest that she has no emotion. Then there is a diegetic noise of the door opening; a close up of the protagonist eyes diverting to the doors implying that she’s waiting. A long shows a man enter but her body language suggests that she has confidence, she lure the man by smirking at his, the man seems to want to take advantage of her as he gets closer nevertheless she attacks him, she then quickly grabs the gun and shoots. There is a long shot to show that she’s still in Taipei then a long shot shows her asking the taxi drive whether they spoke English however she shoots one driver who replies no, this shows the audience her confidence as she’s not vulnerable. She asks to be taken to the hospital and barges in to remove the bag of drugs inside of her.

There is a long shot of buildings suggesting that she arrived in America, the camera withes to a medium shot that shows her driving as there is a voice over an older man, which gives statistics “human use only use 10 percent of brains capacity” this links to the main protagonist who uses more which makes her the heroine of this film. The camera tracks the back of the protagonists van show her dodging a car that would of hit her if it wasn’t for her new ability. As the older man continues to talk about “brain capacity” it flashes back to the main protagonist. The non-diegetic music builds up to emphasis the tension. The old man and the protagonist get in contact, we discover both of the names Professor Norman and Lucy. The audience will know get to know the main protagonist in detail. The audience can see the difference of her character now that she’s tough and powerful. The audience finds that professor Norman’s finding on the human brain is on the right track implying that she could be a good use.

There are couple of shots which shows off her knowledge and powers which will make the audience curious about how she will used it, the special effect is very effective as it makes it realistic which allows the audience to enter that setting. There are various shot, which includes stunts and action implying that it’s a good quality film. There are various camera shots used to emphasis every action so it can have an impact on the audience. This trailer includes majority of the codes and convention of an action trailer, as there are explosions, use of weapons and it’s set in exotic places. There are mostly diegetic sound used for gun and explosion to make it realistic as possible. The audience finds that due to her powers it’s taking away everything that makes her human which may make the audience sympathizes. Finally there are titles of the casts which is large in bold and stands out from the background.