Trailer Breakdown and Analysis of Psychological Thriller (Shutter Island)

Dialogue - Can build up the storyline without needing a narration, is very good for representing the relationships between characters and establishing the main conflict of the film (e.g Villain vs Hero). 

Subtitles - Helps sell the film with potential award statements, review comments, institutional, directive, and production information, cast names, and selling statements such as 'scariest film of the year'. 

Fast paced - Short clips and intense music works well for horrors and thrillers. For low budget filming, short clips work well because it disguises the low quality of the camera work as the viewer's eyes aren't attracted to it for too long a period of time. 

Structure - First half of the trailer tends to establish the setting, relationships and storyline. A lot of trailers, especially horrors, will use this half to represent the normality of the character's life before the 'fall' if there is a fall in the film. Second half represents the 'climax' of the trailer and will traditionally feature the most action-filled parts of the film.

Order - Trailers are not in chronological order; this tends to make the trailer seem far too 'uniform' and make the viewer feel as though they are simply watching a shortened down version of the film. The trailer must 'tease' the viewer about the film by showing a scramble of clips from the film. 

Voice Over - Can be used for more light-hearted films, especially ones that feature a narrator. This can be easier for low budget filming as dialogue from filming will be of low quality due to the lacking of microphone equipment being used for filming. Either dialogue is recorded separately to the filming and then blended in, or a narration is used to portray the film's plot.

Music - Depending on the genre of the film, the music will vary. For intense trailers, an actual soundtrack may not be used and instead a fast-paced score with drums will be used to give the trailer a build up of some sorts. A comedy will traditionally include an upbeat soundtrack whereas a drama will either use a mellow soundtrack or score.

Trailer Analysis 

Structure - Opens up with an establishing shot of the ship approaching the island since the fact the mental facility is on an island plays a big part in this film. To begin with, the film is relatively calm, showing the main character as an ordinary detective. This is to give the audience a look at the character before his downfall. As the trailer jumps to the character entering the institute, he is confronted by guards to hand over his weapon. This is developing the conflict between the main character and the island as the island is being portrayed as a very dangerous and problematic place. Then the case is brought in, showing the main character as being a good and professional detective. Before, during, and after this hints are dropped in that the institute is extremely dangerous due to the patience it inhabits - introducing a possible problem that will arise for the main character. But as the trailer draws on, the conflict of the film is introduced - the people who run the island vs the detective. And then at the end it is revealed that the people who run the island are possibly using the detectives for something or trying to mess with them.

Dialogue - Dialogue opens up by introducing the setting of the film as being in a mental institute, the establishing shot of the island shows that the mental institute is situated on an island. As the camera pans into the institute, the dialogue laps over it introducing the place as 'Shutter Island'. When the dialogue goes on to announce the hospital only takes the most dangerous and violent mental patients, this grows more tension because we're getting the idea that this is a dangerous place. Towards the middle of the trailer dialogue about the case the main character is investigating is then overlapped with shots of him searching the missing patient's room. Towards the end, dialogue is no longer structured clearly and instead becomes an overlap of the main character and his partner shouting things ands rising possible questions for the audience. The increase in tension is represented by how panicked and disturbing the dialogue becomes the further on the trailer gets. As the trailer ends and the title of the film is introduced, one final piece of dialogue of Ben Kingsley's character stating that if you confront a monster you must stop it, this is shown overlapping a clip of DiCaprio being attacked by a patient of the institute. 

Music - The music opens with large boom noises that are slow-paced. But despite this, the way they come forward after each shot prepares the audience for what's to come. Once the case is introduced, the music takes a more horror-themed tune and uses fast paced strings. Towards the end, various other instruments are used such as piano and other ambient noises. This matches more with the psychological drama. Near the end, we have a fast-paced drumming-type music to represent the increase in tension.

Subtitle - The subtitle first introduced this as a Martin Scorsese film. Martin Scorsese is a well known director, especially for gangster films, and has a large backing of fans so his name alone is likely to get people interested in seeing the film. Martin Scorsese is also well know for featuring a downfall of the main character in most of his films so fans of this director will have a slight idea of what is to come. At the end, Leonardo DiCaprio's name pops up as since he's one of the largest names in hollywood right now, just his name alone is enough to attract a backing for this film.

Effects - Quick flashes are used to make the audience jump, showing that not only is the institute dangerous but it is also a scary place. This is out of the ordinary for a psychological thriller as usually flashes and loud noises are common in horror trailers. Freeze frames are used during the rise in tension of the trailer as the main character starts to realise things are very wrong on the island. Jump cuts are also used between shots, sometimes during a shot to give the impression of insanity.