A2 Media Research Task 8

A2 Media Research Task 8

Choose one trailer that you think successfully fulfils the purpose of a trailer (to capture the audience attention and encourage them to watch the film) and evaluate how it is able to do this.

Iron Man 3

I believe the trailer used to market Iron Man 3, fulfils its purpose of capturing the audience and persuading them to watch to the full movie. One way in which I think the trailer is effective in capturing the audience is by only showing small sections of different action events throughout the film however not showing an outcome to any situations. For example, at one point a shot from the trailer shows a plane appearing to be falling out of the sky leaving a trail of smoke behind it, in the sky is also five normal people dressed in suits of smart clothes, connoting they could be of high status and generally important to something. As the character of Iron Man isn’t seen in this shot, an unsure feeling is created to leave viewers thinking about what happened to the civilians, and potentially asking questions to themselves about what happened to them. I believe this is a very effective way of encouraging audiences to watch the full film as they want to know answers that haven’t been given to them in the trailer. Throughout the trailer, narrative is used from a villains voice made clear by the shots used accordingly, the narrative also asks questions, although not to the audience but to the main character, Iron Man. “Do you want an empty life or a meaningful death” is one of the questions heard addressing Iron Man, this is another technique used by the trailer to leave the audience in suspense as it creates an uncertain storyline before the film is released. Parallel to this, audio is used to create a climatic feeling as the trailer reaches the pinnacle of action and intensity shown. This helps engage the viewer with what they’re watching and will encourage them to see the full film as they’re left on a cliff hanger.

I also think the special effects used in the trailer help Iron Man 3 encourage the audiences to watch the full film. Lots of special effects are advertised throughout the trailer, in my opinion this has a large influence on persuading viewers to visit cinemas. The special effects make the movie exciting for audiences through use of explosions and advanced weapons, this would appeal to many action fans, but it also create the feeling of seeing something new due to the movies unique plot and character, attracting people from outside the action genre interest to watch the full movie as it comes across as so intense and entertaining.

Overall I believe Iron Man 3 successfully fulfils the purpose of a trailer by using a range of components that work effectively with each other to create suspense and engage audiences with the film.