LO1 - Analysis of a film trailer - Locke

Locke (Steven Knight)

A). The purpose for this video is to advertise and promote the film Locke
B). This trailer is presented in a non-linear format using clips from the film.
C/D). This trailer doesn't show off much from the films. the majority of shots are close up's of the Character Ivan Locke's face, this is showing how the film is centred entirely around him and how we will be seeing the story from his perspective, it also lets the audience know that this is a film with a strong focus on acting rather than direction, the casting of Tom Hardy gives the film a bankable name and will draw in a wider audience. The way that Tom Hardy is dressed is very stereotypical of a British father, this denotes to the audience that he is a family man which also connotes that the dramas in the film might be based very strongly around the themes of family because of how the trailer focuses on it. The lighting in this trailer come from the street lamps and other cars on the motor way, this gives 2 different effects: it ground the film in reality by using such a recognisable sense of light which most people will have encountered before, however it also gives the film an avantgarde style with the lights rolling around the characters face giving a unique sense of style and cinematography. The low key lighting also helps to show off the tone of the film, with the dulled and less flashy colour palette and art style, letting the audience know that this film is a slow burn and won't be full of action and violence. The text that appears in the trailer doesn't offer any exposition but instead is praise for the film from various sources. this is used to sell the film and help give people a positive opinion of it. The music in the background of the trailer in constantly raising in volume and tempo, building up tension and letting the audience know that this film is a drama and doesn't want to be boring. The editing in the trailer starts off less harsh, by using fades it makes the trailer feel like a leisurely drive at night, with the fades also giving the audience the feeling of passing under streetlights and in and out of the dark. however as the tension builds up and the trailer starts to show more of the drama in the film, there begins to be more cuts and the editing starts to feel less smooth, this makes the audience feel more on edge and the situation of the protagonist feel less comfortable. The use of close shots throughout the trailer show, make the audience feel almost uncomfortably close to the character played by Tom Hardy, almost as though they too are affected by the problems of the film.

E). This trailer could not be conventional for a genre, because of how it only has loose attachments to some genres and is mostly a completely unique film, and is unconventional for the trailers for those genres
F). The film was rated a 15 by the BBFC and the trailer was made available to all ages, which allowed for a wider distribution across different platforms. The film will be aimed more towards a male audience because of the strong focus on the male lead and the implications of violence made by the trailer. Since it would have been showed at the cinema it will aimed at people in the A/B social grade because they will have more spending power to afford to be able to go out.