RESEARCH AND PLANNING - Trailer analysis ~ "1 hour photo"

In studying the trailer for the film "1 hour photo" it is clear that it contains a similar narrative to the one which we have constructed. The plot is similar, in that one of the main characters comes across at the start of the film as being perfectly normal, however as the plot unravels it becomes clear that there is something very wrong. Robin Williams portrayal of the main character Seymour Parrish was very convincing, winning him a Saturn award for best actor in 2003.

The way in which the trailer is composed greatly contributes to the effect it has on the audience. The music at the star of the trailer is an instant indicator of the genre of the films, and the way it is just played discreetly in the back ground means it does not detract from the plot. The captions which intermittently flicker up onto the screen are intended to disorientate, the images so far have only indicated that the man is alone and possibly slightly unusual, but there are none that have shown him as dangerous, although that captions are suggesting he is a stalker. The clever way in which the writing flashes onto the screen like the flash of a light switch could represent the spotlessly clean science-lab-style life which he leads. By the end of the trailer the images are flashing faster and faster onto the screen, possibly demonstrating to the audience the fast paced nature of the plot line. At the very end of the trailer the use of the camera flashes as a transition between shots is a clever reference to the narrative, making the ad unique and memorable. We may use this technique at thew very end of our teaser trailer as a way of placing the title on the screen. A flash of light would be an easy, effective and memorable way of making the name of the film stick in the audiences mind, we will test various effects on the editing suit and decide which gives the most effective overall impression once the trailer is finished.

To view the trailer for "1 hour photo", follow the link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjIBX5RrG4Q
Lucy :)