TRAILER Analysis - The Wolf of Wall Street

Directed by Martin Scorsese

The Wolf of Wall Street is a comedy, drama based on a true story of Jordan Belfort (played by Leonardo DiCaprio). It was released on the 17th January 2014 (UK). Starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

The trailer begins with an opening credit stating how it has been approved for appropriate audiences; being aged 18+ as this is the age certificate the film was given. It then continues to open with a loud, upbeat, non diegetic sound of a drum. This non diegetic sound continues as we are shown establishing shots, setting the location which seems to be New York. The jumping between these establishing shots is fast paced, parallel to the fast paced soundtrack. The quick cutting between shots are important in trailers as the aim is to show small clips just so we get an insight into where it is and what its about. The fast paced camera movement continues, as the camera pans down to the entrance of a building. 

The camera cuts into the building where we are presented the first character, Leonardo DiCaprio. The non diegetic soundtrack here is still upbeat and creates an intense atmosphere, as if someone is on a mission. Along with this, we hear a non diegetic voice saying "My name is Jordan Belfort, the year i turned 26, I made $49 million.....". Having this voice alongside the character is possibly introducing us to him as the film itself is based on this specific character and it is common that the main character is played by a well known actor. Where the voice has used figures shows how he is wealthy and clearly a powerful business man. This is evident also through the clothing of the character, where he is dressed in a suit, again connoting the business man look.  The non diegetic voice continues as the character walks down the corridor. In regards to editing, match on action is used where the mid shot is tracking him as he walks and the editing technique is used when the camera cuts behind him as he walks through the door.

Following on from this, the producer displays how the film is 'From academy award winning director Martin Scorsese'; this significantly stands out withe the bold black font on a light coloured background. This kind of information is important for films to display as it is a huge selling point, as if the director is hugely successful, it is likely that the film will follow in that way and be a huge success. Therefore making viewers want to watch the film.

The upbeat, non diegetic music is in sync with the characters actions, immediately creating a connection between his actions. From the title, they cut to a long shot of a sports car as it approaches the grand building. The long shot allows us to have a clear view of what is going on as well as the kind of setting and location of the film. From here, they cut to a medium shot of actor, Leonardo DiCaprio and an accomplice. Again the shot allows us to see the setting clearly and shows us enough to notice that they are wealthy business men. The fast-paced cutting between shots continue along with the upbeat, non diegetic music. Soon after, DiCaprio is in a different location walking down a grand set of stairs, still dressed in his smart clothing, continuing to portray his authoritative character.

Another significant element of a trailer is displaying the actors/actresses who are starring in the film. In this trailer, they have done this using a bold font on a light background, making it stand out. This is a huge selling point, as famous actors have a fanbase and it is likely that these fans will watch every film that they are starring in; and buy showing this in the trailer, it is likely that they will want to watch the film. They then cut to a mid-shot of Leonardo DiCaprio, where he is looking directly at the camera, creating a connection between him and the audience. Here, his diegetic voices says "Is all this legal, absolutely not"; this shows the bad business side to his character as he is committing illegal actions to gain his wealth. Through the two shot, we are introduced to female character who is being covered in money. This would relate to the illegal actions made by the previous character. By doing this, it suggests how the female character is being used for there bad actions, showing the power and dominance the male characters have over her. Soon after, a mid-shot reveals another female character, who is shown wearing a pink dress and making direct eye contact with the male character. The clothing of the young girl, in a short pink dress and high heels gives a slight negative representation of her; where she is sitting on the floor in a way that may be seen as seductive to the male character and sexual. The negative representation of the female characters continues throughout the trailer where they are all dressed in underwear and are involved in sexual thing when with the male characters.

A side-on close up of DiCaprio reveals him, throwing notes of money of the side of his yaught as if it meant nothing. Again this shows the wealthiness of his character as he has enough money to be able to just throw it away like he did. Soon after, we see a complete change in setting; comparing it to the start where they were in a business location, being offices, and doing work. In comparison to now where they are partying by a pool. This shows the kind of lifestyle of the characters, where they seem to be free to do what they want, when they want.

The trailer ends with the title of the film in bold text, followed by the director and states how the film is 'Coming soon'. The fact that the trailer ends in this way is significant, as the last part, being the name of the film, tends to be the thing the viewers remember.

TRAILER Analysis - Spider Man (2002)

The trailer begins with the institution, establishing one of its working companies, Columbia. Columbia pictures is an American film production and distribution studio and is one of the leading film studios in the world; and is one of the 'Big Six'. By beginning with this, it signifies how they have worked with a world leading company and that the film itself may potentially be a world wide seller. 

The institutional image then flashes of the screen and a medium shot of a character appears, along with a non-diegetic voice. The camera from here on wards flashes between the first character who was introduced and another. The flash, editing technique could potentially have been used to show the contrasting lives they both live; where one is an ordinary male character in a realistic location. In comparison to the other character who is actually unseen, as the audience, we don't know who is under the mask. This flash between the two characters is significant as they could possibly be hinting that he may be the same character and may be playing two parts; and this may be a hidden identity.

The non diegetic sound of the church bell signifies the location of the male character and this is accompanied by a low pitch sound, indicating the wind where the other character is in an unusual location; on railings, hundreds of feet above the ground. The intense, non diegetic sounds portray a sense of fear as he is running along the railings high up from land. The sound becomes prevalent, and creates the high tense situation where he jumps. The screen flashes to white, for a second making us think something has happened, until a low angle shot is used as he soars through the air with nothing holding him on. As the audience, we panic as we don't know whats going to happen next, as this is the aim of thriller/non fiction films. The whole situation at this stage, is extremely unusual and again, makes us think how this is actually possible.

The character then lands on another railing where a new character is present. The point of view shot at this point reveals the girls reaction as she sees the scarce character and may be in danger. The non-diegetic sound at this stage builds up creating an intense atmosphere as they are at risk of danger. The fast paced, camera movement also creates a sense of panic, considering where they are. This character, who we visually haven't been introduced to, is given the most prevalence and plays a predominant role throughout. 

The main concepts of a trailer are to show multiple different clips of the film, but most commonly cut them where the climax is going to occur. This is a cliff hanger, and is significant in the production of trailers as the aim is to make the audience want to watch the film and the only way to do so is to mentally/physically engage them; whether this is through the fear of danger or potentially emotion. On the railings, there is a sudden flash, and a medium shot flashes back revealing the girl as she screams in fear. The high tense, non diegetic sound is significant also, as it sets the scene, where there is a lot of danger and fast paced movement; and this is the key focus to engage the audience and leave them on the edge of their seats. The girl evidently notices something and is in utter shock as the medium shot reveals. The point of view shot reveals another character, however, another who we cannot see, as there identity is covered by the mask.

The explosion in the trailer would conform the genre of the film, being an action. This is one of the many conventions in action films. The reverse shot from the explosion to the close up of the girls eye is iconic as it is original, and we are able to see the reflection of the explosion as it happens in front of her. From here on wards, a slow motion effect is used as the girl falls of the railings and this is effective as it makes the audience fear what is happening and shows the danger she is in. Throughout the whole trailer, 'Spiderman' is the main character/focus; and the way he is being presented as some sort of super hero shows how the character is iconic and has a strong role and is known for being a hero.

The whole trailer is extremely effective with its fast paced camera movement conforming to its genre, along with the dramatic events being explosions, falling from buildings,etc. On the other hand, when showing the release date and the title of the film, they have done it in a place where it may potentially not be remembered. I think that the release date and name of the film should be the last thing the audience sees and for this reason should be at the end of the trailer. This is because the last thing you see tends to be the most memorable, and the release date is the main thing trailers should encourage viewers to remember.

Certificate Research

There are many different audience restrictions for specific reasons such as sexual scenes, swearing, graphic images, explicit scenes,etc. You typically wouldn't see horror films of a U, PG or 12 rating for the reason that it could involve a lot of violence or inappropriate things which could possibly influence the younger generation to get involved in this kind of stuff. Films should always be age rated for multiple reasons which could possibly affect others.

U is universal films which are aloud to be watched by all ages. The age which is specified is for those aged 4 and over which we know would not involve anything explicit or violent. However the only words or bad language you may come across would possibly be something like 'damn'. Whether the child is affected or upset by anything would simply be personal reasons.

PG is parental guidance, this means that they are suitable for most ages however there are some scenes where the parent should be present or they should be there if they don't want there child to see a specific part of the film. Alternatively, as long as they have someone over the age of 16 accompanying them, they are able to watch it.

12 rated films mean that no one under the age of 12 can buy, watch or rent any films with that specific rating. There are two age 12 certificates, one being shown in the image above and the other is 12A which is again being anyone 12 or above but with accompany of an adult. This rated films could consist of actual offensive swear words such as f***, however this would only be every so often not constant. It is often that sexual scenes or nudity is shown however it is aloud to be shown discreetly and not frequent at all.

15 rated films mean that no one under the age of 15 can buy, watch or rent any films with that specific rating. These films consist of more frequent swearing and explicit scene as well as more sexual scenes. The 15 age certificate is a reasonable age as there are many films that could be watched by people aged 15 however are marked 18. The 15 age certificate attracts a wider and larger audience.

18 rated films mean that no one under the age of 18 can buy, watch or rent any films with that specific rating. The sort of things it contains that make it an 18 film are frequent strong language and violence and also frequent sexual scene. There is also an R18 rating 

TRAILER Analysis - Me Before You

The trailer opens with its companies that have contributed to the production and distribution of the film. The screen fades into an establishing shot showing the location of the film; seemingly looking like an old town, with all grey buildings, some looking like castles. This shot is significant as it allows us to have a clear view of where the film is being filmed and the kind of area it is, potentially known for the castle figures. Alongside this shot, a non-diegetic voice says "We'll try the chicken factory". As this is said the camera pans forward, giving us a birds eye view. They then cut to the inside of a building, evidently shown to be a jobs centre, shown in the poster in the distance. The shot reverse shot between,the worker and a young girl reveals them having a conversation about her needing a job. She then says 'Please, i'll take anything'. This partially reveals the kind of person she is; being desperate for a job, quite childish with her hair in two plaits with pink hairbands.

After finding a job, the camera pans into a new location where she will be working; and the mid shot showing the young girl as she walks in is significant as she is dressed much smarter than she was before. This possibly suggests how she is trying to impress them and that they are quite a wealthy family. The wealthiness is shown inside the house when a low angle, two shot reveals the mother and the young girl as they walk through the house, with high ceilings and large rooms.

When the mother introduces her son to his new carer, she explains to her what she will need to do and he interrupts saying "you dont have to talk across me mum, my brain isn't paralysed....yet". To him, his parents and carer may seem quite patronising as they may be treating him as if he in physically unable to speak for himself. In relation to theories, Colin Barnes (1992) suggested that those with disabilities are pitiable and physically unable; and stereotypically, his mother seems to be treating him like that.

Following on from this, a mid-shot reveals the young girl as she arrives at work everyday, by repeating this, it isn't giving much away to the audience, but is giving us an idea of the repetitiveness of her job and how it is the same everyday. This is important in a trailer to not fully show the story-line but show enough for the audience to understand and work out for ourselves what it is like for the characters. A two shot reveals the young girl and the disabled man together as she is feeding him, and whilst looking elsewhere, she spills the food onto him. Alongside this, the non-diegetic voice of who we assume is Louisa Clarke says "he looks at me like I'm stupid". Here the trailer has overlapped the two clips, making us understand why she said what she did. The trailer continues to show Louisa working and the changes that she goes through whilst getting to know the disabled character. By slightly showing every stage that she goes through of knowing him, it would make the audience want to see whats actually happened between these stages and therefore watch the whole film. Further through the trailer a title is displayed, saying how the story is 'based on the best-selling novel', which is a selling point for the film. Throughout the trailer, they show how Will is seeming to be much happier and Louisa Clarke is much more comfortable around him.

Further through the trailer when they went on there 'date'; they were shown sitting in a car together whilst Will says, "I just want to be a man who's been to a concert with a girl in a red dress.....". This emotionally engages the audience as we sympathise for him, as he doesn't really feel normal. The setting changes and Will Trainor is back in hospital and the non diegetic voice saying "I promised my parents 6 months and that's what I've given them" again emotionally engages the audience as it is an upsetting situation. From here onward's, they have cut between multiple settings revealing the two characters going to places that they hadn't before. The close up shots of them both show the emotion on there faces, being happy compared to the start of the trailer where we didn't really see a smile.

The way this trailer has been structured has a huge impact on the audience and generally makes people want to watch the whole film to find out what happened and how they changed throughout the film. One thing that is important in these romance films is emotion which often hugely engages the audience. This trailer also conforms to the expectations of a trailer where you are shown multiple short clips which create there own little story.

Shot Types

An establishing shot is a shot which establishes a scenes setting and/or characters. They are typically used at the start of a film or scene. An establishing shot can either be in the distance or alternatively close up (showing a character). They are significant as they allow us to see the area of action and/or the characters who are going to be key throughout.


A close up shot is a close up of a person or object which show detail and emotion. It is rare that it happens with an object as they are usually of characters faces as they tightly frame the person allowing us to see there facial expression. These shots are significant as they give us a clear image of the character as well as showing the emotion throughout.

A medium(mid) shot is a camera shot from a medium distance. Medium shots are often very poor at showing a characters facial expression however the main focus is to establish the body language. These shots are significant as they allow the audience to establish the positioning of the character and how they feel in a current situation from the way they could be standing.



A long shot is a shot showing a character in the distance and/or its surroundings. We would often see this used throughout a scene showing the setting alone or the character in the distance. These shots are significant as they allow the audience to establish the setting/location as well as the positioning of a character and its surroundings.



A two shot is a shot that tightly frames a view of two characters, The shot is used  to show emotional reactions between the two people. It is often used during a conversation. This shot is significant as it allow us to view both characters at once as well as there expressions and reactions towards one another.




An aerial shot is a view of a large landscape. These kind of shots can often be used to establish a setting or a location of a character from a higher angle. They would usually be filmed in a helicopter. They are significant as they allow us to see the view from a high angle which establishes the whole setting rather than just parts of it.This is otherwise know as a birds eye view.


A point of view (POV) shot is a shot used to show what a character is looking at. By using this shot we are able to see the character or alternatively the setting from their perspective. This is commonly used during a conversation. These kind of shots are significant as they make it seem more realistic for the audience and partially make the audience feel more engaged, as if it is actually their point of view.


An over the shoulder shot is a shot which is obviously looking at something over the characters shoulder. It is partially the same as a POV shot however just from over the shoulder. Yet again it is commonly used when two people are talking. It is significant again because it allows the audience to see the view from the characters perspective.

TRAILER Analysis - War of the Worlds

How does the War of the Worlds teaser trailer make people want to see this film?

Directed by Steven Spielberg

War of the world was initially released on the 29th June 2005 and is directed by the hugely successful, Steven Spielberg; starring Tom Cruise.

The trailer begins with a brief note telling the audience that it has been approved for everyone. This is important as films often don't warn the audience what to expect and may be affected by it. However in this teaser trailer, they have stated how the 'Motion Pictures Association of America' have approved it and therefore, any audience will watch it. It then reveals one of its institution companies, Paramount.

The trailer then officially begins with a non diegetic thud, as the screen flashes onto a male character who's first words are "keep your eyes on me". At this point he is making direct eye contact with the screen which is noticeably prone to engaging the audience. This is presented through the close up where we can see a clear image of the character's face, immediately making us recognise him throughout the trailer as he is the first character we are shown. The way this shot was used, partially creates a relationship between Tom Cruise and the audience through the direct eye contact; Tom Cruise being a well-known actor, develops this relationship with the audience as they will know who he is and may warm to him for being such a strong, inspirational character. Director, Steven Spielberg successfully used this shot to portray the power and significance, Tom Cruise's character has. This could be interpreted differently, however, because of the slight angle at which the shot has been taken. This could potentially be a point of view shot, which would portray the strengths of Cruise's character even more where is he dominating, and has power over this possible second character.

The camera reverses, showing a point of view from Tom Cruise's character; and this second character is a young girl, immediately showing the power Cruise has because of the age difference and also the height as he seems to be towering over her. The shot from the young girls perspective is at a high angle, showing how she is below him in status, further representing her innocence and vulnerability. Although it is yet to be shown, the relationship between this two characters could be much stronger than we may think; as potentially, Cruise is portraying a fatherly figure where in this situation he may be protecting her. Despite this the close up of her face, shows differently as she looks, almost, scared or in shock of what/who she is seeing.

The trailer fades off from the girl, to present another on of its film companies ' Dreamworks'. The fade then continues in to a small village/town of which seems to be overcrowded and people are panicking as if they are afraid of something that is happening or going to happen. The non diegetic soundtrack in the background of this is quite eerie, creating that slight ominous atmosphere, giving us the impression that something bad is going to occur. The high pitched voice in this soundtrack also creates a sense of fear to something that is building up. The idea of this upcoming event is almost confirmed when the screen flashes saying 'prepare for the event'; at this point, we are able to notice the American flag which appears behind this text for seconds, giving us the location of the film. The way these first 30 seconds of the trailer are structured are extremely significant, as the audience, we have been given multiple insights of what events are taking place in the film, which make it more capturing and will make more people want to watch it. The clip that we do get shown are seemingly the cliff hangers of each event which are much more appealing and are clips that you want to see more of.

The appearance of the release date is another positive about the teaser trailer; and also where it is in the trailer is compelling as it is between the huge events that we are being shown, therefore making it something the audience are going to remember. The release date is shown again and the very end of the teaser trailer which is even more significant as it is the last thing they will see and will be more likely to remember it. Further through the trailer the screen flashes to black and we are then revealed the young girl, which was one of the first characters we saw and now recognise. The medium shot used here by Spielberg is important as it is showing her body language where she is seemingly being forced into somewhere by who we assume is Tom Cruise's character. The shot reveals how the young girls is upset and has been crying and simply looks terrified of what is going on. This again shows her innocence and how she doesn't really know whats going on. Following on from this, the screen flashes black then to the high angle shot which we saw at the start from the young girls perspective. The diegetic voice of, who we assume is, Tom Cruise shouts 'Rachel' and before anything else is said the screen flashes back to the boat tipping.

This part of the teaser trailer, I think, is most significant as it is a huge cliff hanger for the audience as we are completely unaware of what is going on.This is another thing that is important in teaser trailers where we are only shown snippets of each event; for example when Cruise shouted the young girls name to when the boat was tipping. Between this, we are completely oblivious to what is going on and it is therefore more engaging as we pay more attention; and also want to continue watching.

Nearer to the end of the trailer, a heading appears saying 'A Steven Spielberg Film'; and this is a key moment in the teaser trailer, as many people know, Steven Spielberg has produced many world known films such as Jurassic Park, ET and Jaws. Fans of this directer would also be likely to watch this film as it may be a huge success like the rest of the films he has directed. Whilst other films are being distributed at this time, there are huge impacts on the success of this specific film; especially if people are more interested in other genres. However, I think the director of a film, in this case Steven Spielberg, has a huge affect on the success and the overall viewings. Knowing how much success Spielberg has had in the past will make audiences think that this film may also be a top seller.

As well as the director being a huge selling point, at the end of the trailer, Tom Cruise's name is displayed along with a shot of him during the film. He is an actor who is hugely successful and acted in many films such as Oblivion, Mission Impossible and Top Gun (which is an extremely old film, distributed in 1986). For the fact that he is so well known and that he has had such a long career in acting; it is likely that people will want to watch the film and for this reason he is a huge unique selling point.