*Codes and conventions of film trailers

* Production company

An obvious convention for almost all films in all genres is the production company logo appearing right at the start of the trailer. This may be because audiences bring their own opinions of the companies to the film and will want to watch a film based on that. My examples of this are from the films The Danish Girl, Frozen and You're Next. This wide variety of genre proves that films do conform to this convention.

*Logos It is also evident that production companies can often change to fit the genre of the film. This may be because the producers want the logo to match the colour palette of the film. These examples are from Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows part 1, Suicide Squad and The Dark Knight. Comic-book based films seem more willing to use this method, this could be because there is often a small section of the trailer shown before the logos appear and they want them to match the mood that has been set.

* Close Ups

Lots of close ups are used on mostly one character to let the audience know that they are the main character and the film will be focusing on them. This may get the audiences attention, especially if they are very famous celebrities because that way people will already have opinions and views on them. My examples are from Macbeth, Concussion, Goosebumps and Southpaw

* Establishing Shots

Establishing shots are often used at the start of film trailers to let the audience know where the film is set. This shot could also establish the mood of the film by showing the weather. My examples are from Skyfall, The Devil Wears Prada and Divergent.

*TextSome films, mainly either arthouse or festival films, will feature their awards and success in the inter title text used. They will have done this to show the audience that the film has done well even before it has been fully released in cinemas. The Babadook is an example of this, as is A Ballerina's Tale.

*Text

The inter title text may also include sentences that help explain the dialogue. These types of sentences often appear in the middle of the trailer. They may also include reviews from magazines.

*Film Title

The title of the film is often shown right at the end of the trailer so that the audience feel like something has been revealed to them. The released information is often followed by this; if they don't have a specific day "coming this summer" will often be feature.

*Voice over

In most film trailers, there is no voice over included but instead dialogue from the film has been used to explain the film to the audience. This may be because the producers want the audience to remember parts of the film that they like and this will make them want to go and watch it.

*Editing

In terms of editing, a lot of fade to blacks are used so that the trailer can transition from one part of the film to the other smoothly, so that it makes sense to the audience. The film also starts out at a normal pace to explain the narrative and then speeds up to create tension, especially in horror films. A lot of slow zoom outs are also used to reveal something to the audience. This example is from The Gift.

*Billing Block

Right at the very end of the trailer, the billing block is featured. This will include information like the actors involved, the production companies logo and social networking information. This may make the audience want to Hashtag the film or type a status about it or find out more online. It may also include information on what format it is available in e.g. 2D, 3D, iMax 3D. My examples are from Thor, Harry Potter and Gangster Squad.