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.