Firstly V For Vendetta, a dystopian Sci-Fi based on Alan Moore's graphic novel of the same name. It opens with flashes of images, mainly Natalie Portman's character Evie being captured and interrogated. After the brief conversation, it cuts to the studio logos before showing the dystopian society, where we get a narration by V. We see title graphics 'An uncompromising vision of the future' followed by 'from the directors of "The Matrix trilogy"'. We see acts of rebellion, and then the V symbol, while the title character says the famous rhyme 'remember, remember the fifth of November'.
From the opening shots of Evie being interrogated by an unseen man in the shadows, with a voice-over showing some of her 'crimes' we can see this isn't going to be an action film, and the Dystopia is akin to 1984. It also sets up the enigma of V's identity, as we only see a quick flash of him to begin with, and so this creates an air of mystery about him. Much of the shots hide his mask in the shadows (we never learn of his true identity). Once we see V fully however, the quick cuts featuring hand to hand combat and explosions show that as well as ideas and subtext, the film will also contain a lot of action. This will mean viewers who may not like a plot heavy film (for instance the Transformers series) would go and see this.
It also gives some background into the events that took place, with the bio-weaponry scene, and one image in particular is almost identical to one found in the film version of 1984, where the leader of the new UK is talking to thousands of people on TV, which is similar to the Big Brother speeches. This means that the films themes and tone should be instantly recognisable, as does the familiar London setting, which, if this is a UK trailer, means brings the ideals closer to home. Natalie Portman is selling this film, as she is the only actress named, and features prominently. This may be because the identity of V is a secret within the film, and so is in keeping with the character. The slow motion knives intercut between action shots at the end illustrate that it will be similar to the Wachowski's previous film the Matrix (mentioned as a title card) and V's monologue emphasises the mix between action and subtext. The fans of the graphic novel would see this, as well as those who like Thriller films, or even the Matrix films.
Another trailer I looked at was The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. There are two distinct trailers for this, the first is a teaser, which features a version of Led Zeppelin's 'Immigrant Song' over a montage of images. The theatrical trailer, gives more of the story, and introduces the protagonists, Lisbeth and Mikael, as well as the plot, where Mikael has to write find a girls killer.
By using quick cut images which fans of the book will recognise, as well as key characters, it means that they will see similarities with the source text. The style of the lettering and the fact it was marketed as a 'feel bad' movie gives us an idea that the film is very serious in tone and that Lisbeth is more of an anti-hero. The version of 'Immigrant Song' is used because of Lisbeth's character, especially her portrayal in this version. The lack of dialogue but mention of source material may intrigue those who have yet to read the book. As well as this, Daniel Craig is featured extensively, possibly to entice Bond fan's to watch, although the themes are more like some of his art-house work. Both this and the full theatrical trailer give plot details, although this works as showing it is an adaptation of the books, rather than an original story, so giving away certain plot details (but not the main villain) works to it's advantage in this way. The original Swedish versions are considered one of the most popular foreign language films because of it's connection with the books, and so these trailers show that this version is like the source text but different from the original film adaptation. Because it has source material, the audience will mainly consist of fans of the original book but also of people who have not read the books but know how acclaimed they are.
Donnie Darko is a cult Sci-Fi film, for which a trailer was created for the Directors Cut release. After some title cards and a tagline, a mystery voice says wake up, to which we see an eye opening, followed by some symbols. The rest of the trailer is a montage of images from the film, with actors credits. The director credit appears over a shot of Donnie, before flashing up the film title, where we cut to a shot of 'Frank' and 'Are You Ready?'
By doing this, it creates intrigue, as not many of the actors were well known at this point, and the biggest name would have been Patrick Swayze, and so the audience would go to see in order to understand the trailer. However, the plot can be seen as confusing, which may put potential audiences off, especially as it is an original rather than adapted story. However, not giving away too much of the trailer works for thriller films like this, especially as this film is not considered a blockbuster, and so by showing that it is an 'Indie' film with some big plot ideas be attract some audiences
The Woman in Black is an upcoming Horror by Hammer Films. The trailer consists of a wide shot of Arthur Kipps standing at a train station, followed by the studio logos,. We then see a woman telling Kipps not to go to Eel Marsh House, before clips of him travelling and arriving there. A man talks about 'opening the door to superstition' where it cuts to Kipps opening the front door, where the three monkeys 'Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil' are seen on a mantle. We then see Kipps in a Victorian childs room, looking at some photos, and seeing the effects of 'the woman'. Text appears on a misty window 'The Door has Opened', before seeing a montage of clips. The point of this 'teaser' is to build tension for the audience and to create awareness of the film. It would attract horror fans, particularly those of the original Hammer company, as well as those who have seen the successful West End Show, possibly to see the similarities. Daniel Radcliffe is used throughout as a marketing tool, as he is a recognisable face in British cinema, having played Harry Potter for 8 films. This is his first major role outside the franchise, and so people would want to see his acting credentials in a different role.
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