Trailer Analysis 5

The Notebook

• Begins with common green screen approving the trailer, this reassures the audience that the trailer is official.
• The idents are shown at the very beginning of the trailer, this is conventional as again it shows that the trailer is official and it links the film company to the trailer.
• The trailer includes a voiceover that is played over the shots to narrate the plot to the audience. At the start the voiceover is done by the older version of the male protagonist, this allowed him to narrate from his point of view and tell his story as he was recalling his own past and the story of how him and the female protagonist met. However towards the end the voiceover changes to a different narrator that isn't a stock character in the film, this voice tells the audience the main points in the plot from a non bias perspective and then says what actors star in the film. Nowadays it is less conventional to have a voiceover done by someone who isn't in the film, over a trailer as it is often seem as a bit cheesy, especially in romance films. However it was done in the past a lot more as an alternative way of showing the audience the key points in the films narrative.
• An establishing/aerial shot is used of a calm lake with lots of swans swimming in it. This is used firstly, to show the audience the location so that they may gain hints as to what genre the film is, and secondly because lakes are stereotypically seen as peaceful and swans often give connotations of beauty and therefore symbolise love and happiness. 
• The group shot shows 4 teenagers (two sets of couples) having fun on bicycles. Teenagers are characters conventionally used in romance films, often with the male and the female being the main love interests and maybe them surrounded by friends or by the antagonist being the person that is trying to get in the way of things. In this example it is the main protagonists along with what looks like their friends, who also seem to be in a relationship from the way they are shown in close proximity, having fun together.
• Shot reverse shot edit is used between the two characters the first time they meet, showing them looking at each other and then talking to each other. This edit is used to symbolise the connection between them and emphasise it to the viewer.
• The music consists of a slow non-diegetic soundtrack, sounding like it is played on the piano. Films of the romance genre often use slow or classical soundtracks because they are seen by many as beautiful and emotional therefore they want to provoke those same emotions in the audience whilst they are watching.
• A jump cut in time is used to far in the future when the stock characters are elderly. This shows the audience a significant part of the narrative however the audience are yet unaware that the old people are actually the younger couple in the future and will therefore still be curious and want to know who they are. Curiosity is an emotion targeted commonly in trailers as it means people will always want to watch further in order to find out more.
• A medium shot then a shot reverse shot is used of the main protagonist and then of the rich male. This edit is used to show the contrast between the two characters. The rich characters are all wearing full white suits and posh ties or white dresses and the male character is wearing a simple blue shirt to a posh meal. The shot then cuts to a close up of woman wearing lots of jewellery and dressed very nicely this shows she is most likely wealthy and judgemental of the male protagonist who is clearly not as wealthy judging by his costume. The character the female plays could be the antagonist because she is the reason the two protagonists can't be together. Romance films always have a character like this who doesn't want the couple to be together and goes to great lengths to spilt them up. In this case, the female character wants to split the couple up because the male protagonist isn't wealthy enough and she thinks he doesn't deserve the female character. This shows the disequilibrium of the narrative and the audience want to watch further in the hope of finding the resolution.
• The close up of the character looking upset and driving away in the car hints at the plot even further to the audience in the idea that she is having to leave the male protagonist for some reason.
• A title saying "from the best selling novel" this is read out by the narrator and links the film to the book that many of the target audience may have already read.
• The fade to black transition is used a lot to edit different shots of the protagonists together or of the interference in their relationship.
• A medium two shot shows the female protagonist with a different male character. In many romance films the third character will be another love interest in a love triangle, therefore they interfere with the two protagonists relationship. This character often fills the antagonist role because they end up trying to ruin the protagonists relationship. 
• The non-diegetic music increases in volume as the two main characters are reunited. This increases the suspense within the audience and gets them excited as this seems like the equilibrium in the plot.
• A close up shot of the main characters kissing is used, kissing is stereotyped as romantic and symbolises love and affection. This close up shot was used to emphasise these feelings that the characters feel and to make the audience exciting as they are wanting them to be together.
• Included is a close up shot of the letters written from one character to the other. These playa key part in the narrative and would be seen as a romantic gesture by the target audience. The film is called "the notebook" so the audience already presume that writing has something to do with the films plot, these letters symbolise this.
• The medium shot of the protagonists stood together in the rain, is dramatic and gives connotations of romance because they are willing to go and stand in the pouring rain in order to be together.
• The star system is used in this and is clearly emphasised towards the end of the trailer when the narrator reads out the actors names one by one and a shot of each is shown individually on screen. Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams are both very well know and current actors so the fact that they are in this film attracts the audience and makes them more likely to want to see it if they have liked the actor in films in the past.
• The main film title appears in a handwriting style font which represents the narrative and emphasises the significance of the letters in the film. This title is in a different font and style to all of the other titles which makes it stand out from the rest and makes the audience more likely to remember it because it appears at the end. However, this is unconventional as usually in trailers all the titles including the main film title follow the same font or at least the same font shape or background, however this one doesn't.
• The diegetic sound of the shooting and the planes in the location during the war emphasises the danger and sadness of the fighting. This shot is shown after the characters leave each other which represents that the male character's life is much worse without the female and shows a contrast between the peaceful rural lake location, to the cold, snowy, dangerous battlefield location.