Genre Specific Trailer Analysis 3

The Best of Me 

• The non diegetic music cuts in as the first ident is shown on screen, it is conventional of a lot of trailers to have the music begin slightly before the first actual shot in order to grab the target audiences attention so they are focused on the trailer in time to see the first shot.
• The first shot is an establishing shot of a town, this immediately sets the scene as the audience know what location the film is set in and therefore what the narrative may involve. The town shown looks fairly quite as there isn't too much traffic and the buildings aren't tall, office type buildings like in large, highly populated cities. This already tells the audience that the film may be set in a more rural area, countryside areas like this are used quite a lot in films of the romance genre as they include lots of beautiful scenery which links in to the romance genre very well.
• The medium shot of the female character, probably the protagonist, smiling then cuts to the male character, probably the love interest/also the protagonist, smiling back at her. The shot reverse shot edit is used to immediately show the audience their relationship and symbolise that they are likely to be the main love interests in the story because they were both shown first.
• The title saying "the best selling author of the notebook and safe haven" appears on a screen with a plain background, written in bold black font. This title is used because it links the film to two already successful romance films, this will appeal to the audience because, if they enjoyed the other films then they will be likely to enjoy this one and will therefore be more persuaded to want to watch. It will cause anticipation and build hype within the audience as they will be excited to see if this film lives up to the other films mentioned. The target audience will probably be similar to the audience of the other two films mentioned and will be aimed at teenage girls/adult females. This is the category of audience who is proven to enjoy films of the romance genre the most, therefore it makes sense for this film to target a female audience similar to the one mentioned above. 
• The lyrics to the non diegetic soundtrack cut in as the title above is shown to emphasise the title and to show that the trailer is building up and getting more and more exciting. 
• The medium long shot shows the male character giving a rose to the female character. Flowers are a common prop specific to the romance genre. This is used because giving flowers is seen as a romantic act and gives connotations of love and kindness. Many of the target audience will get excited and happy when they see this shot because they will perceive it to be cute and they will then want to watch on and see how the relationship between the two characters develop. 
• The montage of shots show the couple together having fun and being happy, this makes the audience want them to stay together as they like the idea of them as a couple.
• The long shot shows the couple walking together in a park area surrounded by brightly coloured flowers. Parks are often locations used in romance films as they are seen as romantic by the target audience. The flowers make the location look bright and beautiful and flowers are iconic of the romance genre so thats why they have been included in this shot.
• The medium shot shows the couple kissing in the rain. The idea of kissing in the rain is seen as romantic and has been used in many romance films in the past to connect with the audience and provoke an emotional response within them such as crying or excitement.
• A two shot is used to show the main male protagonist and an older looking man. The older man looks angry and stern, this indicates that he could be the antagonist in the narrative and do something to split the couple up in some way. This is conventional of the romance genre as usually romance films include a figure that is unhappy that the couple are together and that wants to break them up. This figure is often the cause of the disequilibrium within the plot.
• This then cuts to a close up shot of the protagonist looking angry and annoyed whilst speaking to the other man, this backs up the idea that this older man is the antagonist of the film, so already the audience are starting to dislike him and are anticipating what he might do. This creates a build up of tension and the audience will want to watch further and see what role this antagonist plays in the film and how/if the love interests will overcome the problems caused by him.
• The extreme long shot of the car driving away is significant as it shows the disequilibrium of the film and the idea that the love interests are being separated. Vehicles are often used in romance films to show distance/separation between characters and here this car is used to represent the characters being apart and their relationship ending. 
• This then cuts to a shot of the female crying and an older man, possibly her granddad, comforting her. This emphasises the disequilibrium of this part of the film to the audience and her crying shows she is upset and heartbroken about the male protagonist leaving. The audience may feel emotional at this point as they feel pity for the female and will want to watch on in the hope of finding some resolution. 
• An over the shoulder shot of the female turning round and seeing the male character is shown, the female looks surprised as she sees the male character for a first time in a very long time. This shot then fades into a shot of the younger/teenager version of the female character. This is used to show the connection between the two characters and associate the older character with her younger self to show to the audience that she is the same person, with the same feelings. The audience are now excited as they want the characters to be reunited and back together properly.
• The shot of the male fades into a shot of the older version of him, showing the link between the two characters and emphasising this link to the audience. 
• The music gets louder as the two characters meet again. This build the tension and excitement within the audience and hints that this is some sort of resolution in the narrative. This implies that the film might follow the stereotypical romance "happily ever after" film ending that is used in a large number of comedy films. 
• The extreme long shot shows the couple having fun together. The diegetic scream/laughing sound as the female jumps into the water shows that she is having a good time. The audience see that the couple can have fun together and this provokes a response in them and makes them want the couple to be together even more. 
• The long shot of the couple kissing in the water is seen as romantic. Kissing is used in films of the romance genre because it is symbolic of love and gives codes of happiness and affection. 
• The title stating "found you again" backs up the narrative shown in the shots of the younger characters turning into the older characters. It shows that the love interests were separated and then somehow found each other and were reunited again. This will appeal to the audience as they are anticipating a happy ending between the protagonists and they will want to watch to feel happy and hopeful themselves. Both of these emotions are what many of the target audience will want to feel whilst watching these films, therefore film companies who produce romance films often seek to target and exaggerate these emotions in the viewer. 
• This title is followed by a two shot of the older version of the couple backing up that they did find each other again. 
• The medium shot shows the male character picking up and hugging the female. Like kissing, hugging is often used in romance films as it gives codes of affection. Often dramatic hugs are used after a build up of tension, this stereotypically happens after the disequilibrium e.g. the couple have split up or left to live in different places and then this dramatic hug is used when they are reunited. 
• When the female jumps into the males arms the music gets louder emphasising this moment and provoking happiness/relief in the audience. 
• The medium long shot shows the characters dancing in the woods, the sun is shining down through the trees. Wooded areas are often perceived as romantic as they are filled with nature which symbolises beauty. The sun makes gives the shot high-key lighting and this makes the tone of the shot brighter and happier. Often brighter lighting is used to show a nice location or symbolise a nice/happy moment in the film. 
• A split screen is used with half showing the character and half showing the actors name in real life. This is conventional of lots of romance films and promotes and plays on the star system to try and appeal to the audience who will see these actors and want to watch the film. James Marsden is one of the actors mentioned, he also starred in the Notebook, a film of the same genre and likely targeting the same audience. His part in the film is emphasised because the institution is trying to appeal to a similar audience to those who liked the Notebook because this film proved very successful. 
• The main title and end credits appear over actual shots of the characters and not just on a separate screen. This differs from many romance films as conventionally the main title appears on a completely new screen.