So section one was a fast scene and set the genre of action for the audience, therefore the trailer has to be contrasted with sow movement, this is how section one ends. It ends with a diegetic sound of the crowd cheering and a low angled tracking shot of a helmet flying in the air, this is effective because it draws the reader in further by making them work for the rest of the trailer as a new genre has been introduced of violence.
Section two briefly touches on what the story will be about and the problems throughout the story. The section starts off with a shot of William as a young child telling his father that one day he will be a knight. This is good because it makes the audience laugh however it makes them want to find out what happens next. This is because it makes the audience think that they can guess what will never happen and he has no chance and then they get a sense that it may be a comedy, this is because William was a peasant and to be a knight you have to be of noble birth, this is backed by the next shot, where his best friend shouts at him “you have to be of noble birth to compete!” However the story shows a twist, the next shot immediately jumps to William grown up and fighting a battle on his horse, this makes the audience wonder what has happened, then this is answered by the next shot of William telling his friend that he will lie. This is effective because it has introduced to the audience another theme, the American dream, this tells the audience that he has become a knight but illegally, so it makes them want to watch on to find out whether or not he gets away with it.
To emphasise that William knows he is doing wrong and he might be caught when it is his first battle in section two, there is a non – diegetic sound of William’s heart beat, and as the match progresses in jump cuts the heart beat gets louder and louder until a diegetic sound comes of the lance smashing into the opponents heart and killing him. This is effective because it makes the audience tense and raises a climax and then anti – climax when Will wins. So section two briefly tells what the story will be about and the problems he faced and how it was resolved and makes us think that Will has got away with being an illegal knight.
Section three introduces love and romance and comedy aspects. This section relieves the audience for a while and comes away from the action and starts to introduce other problems in the film such as romance and comedy. This time the fades in-between the shots are white, which is less dramatised and more light hearted. Will meets his girlfriend and everything goes well until the end of the section when she tells him that she is just a “silly boy with a horse and his stick,” this is effective because it makes the audience want to know why she has said this to him and will they get back together, this draws the audience back into the trailer. Then the comedy kicks into the trailer. The dialogue is most of the humour and comedy. The section is ended with an anachronism of “It’s called a lance…hello!” This is effective because it indicates to the audience that the film has 21st century in even though the film is set in medieval England, this is good because it attracts all types of ages to the film.
As the section has put down William and he is about to collapse, the ending shots support William and there are clips of people that he knows and he doesn’t all supporting him before a battle, one example is of a girl sat at the side, she tells him that he is her favourite knight, this is effective because it makes the audience feel sorry for William and it is used as a wedge for the film as it stops all the climax and reduces tension in the audience. So section two was very light hearted and showed the twist in the film and at this point the audience is made to believe that William has got away with becoming a knight.
However, section four introduces the rival and the problems for William becoming a knight. The opening shot is of the rival piercing his dagger through William’s logo. This indicates to the audience that William is going to face problems and that his cover has been blown, this is effective because it raises climax up again and makes the audience want to find out what happens next. Colour is used in this section for symbolism, whilst William is facing his problem he is wearing his normal clothes, which are cream and white, however, the rival is dressed in black, dull and very heavy, sharp armour. This is effective and indicates to the audience that William is innocent and the rival is bad and violent. This is also supported by a jump cut of an extreme close up shot of the rival and of William. The rival’s extreme close up shows his eyes and his jet black hair and his dark red lips, this shows horror and violence and no love in he rival, however William’s close up shows his fine blonde hair, his pale face, his pale red lips and his blue eyes, which indicates that he is harmless and innocent. This is effective because it emphasises the pressure on William and it brings the tension and climax even higher. Again in this section, William is made to look heroic when the scene ends with him blasting out “I will not run!” This is effective because it makes William look heroic and determined. Section four introduces William’s rival and hints at what William decides to do about it however it doesn’t resolve the problem.
Section five is the ending to the film, it gives out information of the film and summarises the whole film. We know that the film has ended as there is the phrase “he will rock you” written in white on a black background, this indicates the end as it concludes the music in the establishing shots. This is effective as it is a pun for the audience because not only does it tell us that he will rock you it tells the audience that William will rock you, therefore it makes him look heroic in a funny way. In between the rest of the information is short clips of action summarising the film, this is effective as it jogs the audiences mind and makes them want to watch the actual film more and more to find out what happens. Then at the end, only the romance problem has been resolved, this is effective because it makes the audience think that everything is going right for William and reduces the climax, and the dialogue that concludes the clips are famous quotes from Romeo and Juliet, an allusion:
Your name means no matter to me,
As long as I can call you my own.
This indicates to the audience that William has got romance back, however, it suggests that his other problems have not been resolved, this is effective as it is the end and it tells the audience that his rival has not been dealt with and William could still be killed, so therefore the audience are made to go and see the actual film to find out what happens.
Overall, I would say that film trailer is very effective as it tells the story briefly; it manages to engage it’s audience throughout the film and it sets the scenes and genres properly. It manages to produce climax and anti – climax effectively and the ending engages its audience perfectly as it doesn’t resolve the film fully, making the audience wanting to se the actual film.
