Joanne Perry

A2 Media Studies

Deconstruct a film trailer: Bride Wars - 6 Main Things Every Trailer Should Make Clear

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyXg2harjys

The use of institution through the 20th Century Fox, recognisable establishment at the beginning of the trailer indicates that it is a mainstream film, immediately appealing to a larger audience due to the large budget in which the film has. This is recognised throughout the entire trailer with the use of institution and other greater elements such as new technologies recognised within the editing and camera quality throughout the film trailer. This establishes the professional standard of the film which most mainstream films aim to represent. However, some mainstream films aim to subvert this in films such as Paranormal Activity which contains do-it-yourself camera work, filmed mainly with a handheld camcorder, along with a cast of unfamiliar names. However, the use of viral mar-keting ensured the film to be a success along with the recognition of the way in which Paranormal Activity had subverted regular conventions but still fol-lows regular Hollywood hegemony due to being dis-tributed by Paramount Pictures, representing their in-stitution note. Moreover, the trailer for Bride Wars fol-lows the regulated, mainstream conventions, includ-ing institution, immediately portraying its professional, Hollywood, conventional standard to appeal to a mass audience.

Bride Wars is categorised as a ‘chick flick’ film which is immediately established within the trailer due to the use of strong female leads and recognisable female appeals, in this case, a wedding dress directly behind the first woman within the picture. This rep-

resents that the target audience is female due to wed-ding dresses being strictly for females and a specific occasion in which females are always represented to strive for (a wedding). This also hints to the audience the narrative of the film as the woman discusses a wedding and distinctively speaks about two brides.

An establishing shot is used of the Plaza Hotel to indi-cate that this is where, what the audience presume to be a wedding, will occur, as the woman’s voiceover continues. The music is upbeat and represents to the

audience that the film will also be an escapism, feel good film for the consumers. The characterisation of the two girls is further established to the audience that they are best friends as there is a flashback to when the two girls were younger and dressed up in wedding dresses and tuxedo’s. This allows the stereotype of ‘girls dream of their wedding day their whole life’ to be followed in order to make the film easy to understand through the use of ‘dumbing down’ the audience by fol-lowing stereotypes.

The narrative of the film is indicated as the two best friends are at a wedding together within the trailer and both catch the bridal bouquet at the same time. This therefore allows the audience to question whether they will both get married and to who. This question therefore presents the storyline of the two girls competing against each other for the best wedding.

The genre of the film is finally established as a ro-mantic comedy as the music changes within the background with a female voice singing, again indi-cating the female target audience. Both of the girls are proposed to within the film trailer and further want their wedding to be at the Plaza hotel in New York City in June, which was stated previously in the trailer whilst they were at a different wedding, com-paring it to how theirs would be.

Another establishing shot is used to represent the Plaza hotel, however represented the outside of the hotel and therefore the setting for the film. The setting for the film was previously established in a crane shot at the beginning, of New York City however the main featured setting of the film repre-sents the Plaza hotel as this is where they both want their weddings to take place and therefore in-dicates that this is an important, vital setting within the movie where the audience is expecting to see something big arise within this setting, conven-tionally, towards the end of the film.

The music stops within the trailer and changes pace and to a lower, deeper pitch, indicating that things are going to change within the film which occurs when the brides are told that their weddings have been booked on the same day, represented through various over the shoulder shots within this scene to represent how each person is feeling about this sce-nario. Their expressions show disappointment and annoyance therefore allowing the audience to notice the change of heart within the film as further over the shoulder shots represent the brides talking to each other about someone needing to change the

date, but both of them refusing.

A voiceover of the grooms are represented above the music to indicate that they are still persistent within the film, despite them having smaller roles than the lead females. Institution is again used as the musics pace increases, indicating trouble is go-ing to arise. The institution represents two famous actress’ names, ensuring that the audience want to see the film due to the familiarity of the two actress’ which consumers like as it represents, in their opin-

ion, that the film will be good and successful due to the actresses within it.

The fast paced editing techniques through transitions are used show the girls sabotaging each other throughout the trailer and follow the same fast pace of the music for a more dramatic effect which the audience will engage in and want to see more. The trailer ends with a date indicating when the film will be released in cinemas to ensure that consumers watch the film and ensure that it is successful, following regular mainstream film conventions.

The trailer represents the film is of a naturalistic style which is a style regularly used by large con-glomerates and is the most successful and common film style to appeal to mass audiences. We can tell this due to the professional nature the film represents as well as presenting the film as a ‘glossy version of everyday’ which is present within this trailer due to the extravagance of their wedding venue, their wedding dress, being set in one of the most famous cities in the world etc. This reflects the way in which this film follows stereotypical Hollywood hegemony. Not everybody is

so fortunate to have this ‘dream’ wedding and therefore it is an escapism for audiences to watch the glossy lives of others and forget about their own.