Name of film: Cloverfield
Year Released: 2008
Genre of Trailer: Horror (Scene Trailer)
My Mark after Viewing: 9/10
What happened in the trailer?
This trailer starts in New York at a leaving party for one of the characters. The party is shown through a handheld camera directed by one of the other guests. What starts out looking like a typical Hollywood movie instantly becomes a thriller when the power cuts out and people start rushing around the room. After checking the news and hearing a noise from outside, the gang go to the apartment rooftop and see that something is attacking the city. After running out on to the street, something is seen in the distance and people run in the opposite direction, all before the head of the Statue of Liberty flies down the road and stops in front of the camera. This is then intercut with the credits, before relapsing back to the opening footage of the man’s party and him saying, “Tonight’s gonna be the best night ever.”
This trailer starts in New York at a leaving party for one of the characters. The party is shown through a handheld camera directed by one of the other guests. What starts out looking like a typical Hollywood movie instantly becomes a thriller when the power cuts out and people start rushing around the room. After checking the news and hearing a noise from outside, the gang go to the apartment rooftop and see that something is attacking the city. After running out on to the street, something is seen in the distance and people run in the opposite direction, all before the head of the Statue of Liberty flies down the road and stops in front of the camera. This is then intercut with the credits, before relapsing back to the opening footage of the man’s party and him saying, “Tonight’s gonna be the best night ever.”
Which positive, clever or interesting aspects do you
think you could include in your own trailer? What generic features are
fulfilled well?
Due to the fact that the trailer is filmed entirely with a handheld camera, this gives the feeling that the action happening is very real and that this could happen to anyone. With the setting of a huge city like New York, it also ties in well with other Armageddon-style films in which the Earth is destroyed one city at a time. One of the major points of interest is the lack of music in the trailer. With just the dialogue and sound effects to entice the audience, they are more drawn in to the narrative. By only covering one scene, viewers get a taste for what the movie is like without being spoiled with any other big plot points in the film. One thing which is particularly impressive is how neither the audience, nor the characters, ever see what is attacking the city. This feature cleverly draws in the viewer and makes them interested in going to see the film to find out what the monsters might be. It is this combination of reality and surrealism which I hope to include in our trailer.
Due to the fact that the trailer is filmed entirely with a handheld camera, this gives the feeling that the action happening is very real and that this could happen to anyone. With the setting of a huge city like New York, it also ties in well with other Armageddon-style films in which the Earth is destroyed one city at a time. One of the major points of interest is the lack of music in the trailer. With just the dialogue and sound effects to entice the audience, they are more drawn in to the narrative. By only covering one scene, viewers get a taste for what the movie is like without being spoiled with any other big plot points in the film. One thing which is particularly impressive is how neither the audience, nor the characters, ever see what is attacking the city. This feature cleverly draws in the viewer and makes them interested in going to see the film to find out what the monsters might be. It is this combination of reality and surrealism which I hope to include in our trailer.
Which aspects of the trailer did you think were
unsuccessful, and would put off its target audience? How is it disappointing?
Although it uses key horror conventions, one of the major drawbacks of the film is that it doesn’t sell the horror aspect enough. In all, it feels more like an action film than a horror or thriller. With the addition of some body gore or a ‘jump’ to scare the audience, people might be more aware of what to expect from the film. There is also the issue that, like the Blair Witch Project, a lot of audiences find long handheld shots to be dizzying, and often amateur. Although the lack of music means the audience can be more drawn in to the scene, this does create an issue of pace in which they don’t get a big build up and then a shocking ending.
Although it uses key horror conventions, one of the major drawbacks of the film is that it doesn’t sell the horror aspect enough. In all, it feels more like an action film than a horror or thriller. With the addition of some body gore or a ‘jump’ to scare the audience, people might be more aware of what to expect from the film. There is also the issue that, like the Blair Witch Project, a lot of audiences find long handheld shots to be dizzying, and often amateur. Although the lack of music means the audience can be more drawn in to the scene, this does create an issue of pace in which they don’t get a big build up and then a shocking ending.
What was the trailer’s average score in class? Why did it
receive this mark?
The average score for this trailer was 8 out of 10. Overall, the class agreed that the idea of a scene trailer worked very well and drew the audience in. However, with this film in particular, many people felt that a better scene could have been chosen which included an impressive bit of body gore or fast-paced action to excite the audience and intrigue them to want to see the movie. On the positive side, the majority liked the handheld- style, but some found that 2 hours of it would be too much to handle.
The average score for this trailer was 8 out of 10. Overall, the class agreed that the idea of a scene trailer worked very well and drew the audience in. However, with this film in particular, many people felt that a better scene could have been chosen which included an impressive bit of body gore or fast-paced action to excite the audience and intrigue them to want to see the movie. On the positive side, the majority liked the handheld- style, but some found that 2 hours of it would be too much to handle.
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