Magazine Genre Problem

Unfortunately due to the genre I chose, Comedy Drama, I have been unable to find magazine covers for films similar to mine. This is because films that feature in magazines are usually romance, drama, horror or thriller - and not comedy. However instead, I have analysed 3 magazine covers for films that are of a different genre to my trailer, as I believe that the conventions used will be similar for the majority of genres. I have analysed 3 magazine covers to discover the conventions used, so that I will be able to create a realistic and conventional magazine cover for my film.

Juno Full Film Analysis

Plot:

Sixteen year-old Juno doesn't really care what others may think of her. She learns that she's pregnant from a one-time sexual encounter with her best friend, Paulie Bleeker. Juno and Paulie like each other, but don't consider themselves to be exclusive boyfriend/girlfriend let alone be ready to be a family complete with child. Although she would rather not be pregnant, Juno is fairly pragmatic about her situation. Although there, Paulie really leaves all the decisions about the baby to Juno. Initially she decides that she will have an abortion, but that's something that she ultimately cannot go through with. So she decides to have the baby and give it up for adoption. But first she has to tell her father, Mac, and stepmother, Bren, that she is pregnant. Although they would have preferred if Juno was on hard drugs or expelled from school, Mac and Bren too are pragmatic about Juno's situation. The next step is to find prospective parents for the yet unborn child. In the Pennysaver ad section, Juno finds Mark and Vanessa Loring, a yuppie couple living in the suburbs. Juno likes the Lorings, and in some respects has found who looks to be a kindred spirit in Mark, with whom she shares a love of grunge music and horror films. Vanessa is a little more uptight and is the one in the relationship seemingly most eager to have a baby. On her own choosing, Juno enters into a closed rather than open adoption contract with the Lorings - meaning she will have no contact with the baby after she gives it up. During the second and third trimesters of Juno's pregnancy which she treats with care but detachment, Juno's relationships with her family, with Paulie, and with the Lorings develop, the latter whose on the surface perfect life masks some hidden problems.

Genre in the film is conveyed through four elements:

Camera:

• It includes lots of close-ups of characters' reactions to allow the audience to see their shock and the situation, these over-dramatic reactions emphasise the comedy genre.

• High angle shots are used to make the characters look vulnerable and weak, which helps to convey the drama of the genre, it reminds the audience that although Juno acts 'tough' she is actually very vulnrable.

• Longer shots are used to allow the audience to see the situation that the characters are in. This is different than in the trailer where there is more is cut out, to make the audience more intrigued.

Editing:

• The editing at the start of the film was at a slower pace which created a feel of equilibrium and therefore created a more dramatic effect when the disruption of the equilibrium occurred.

• Some quick cuts between characters created a 'confused' feel which could symbolise Juno's mindset and put the audience in her perspective - highlighting the drama genre.

• Eye-line matches were used to allow the audience to get a better understanding of what is going on and the relationship between characters. This resulted in some humorous shots - especially in shots where you can see the father and step-mother exchange looks.

Sound:

• Foley is used throughout to enhance prominent moments, for example the when Juno shakes her pregnancy test, as this makes them more engaging.

• Dramatic, fast-paced scores are used to build up positive moments - such as when Juno has a plan, or in comedic moments however, slower music is used when the dramatic element of the genre is being portrayed.

• They use of dialogue creates comedy due to the tone of voice. The step-mother and father often use a sarcastic tone, whilst Juno uses a 'fed-up' tone which is comedic next to Bleakers 'excited' tone of voice.

Mise-en-Scene

• Low-key lighting is used for when the sadder, more-dramatic element is shown, and high-key lighting is used for happy or comedic scenes. In both cases natural light is used to make the scenes seem more realistic and believable.

• Clothing is used to portray comedy, mainly through the character of Bleaker, who is nearly always wearing bright Red and Yellow gym clothes. This means he always stands out and his 'geeky' personality is strong portrayed.

Trailer Conclusions

From analysing these three comedy-drama trailers I have come up with a list of conventions that I have learnt that I should follow:

1. The narrative should follow Todorov's 5 Step Theory of Equilibrium, however it should not show the final stage as this will leave my audience intrigued enough to watch the whole film.
2. The comedy element should come from a character (mise-en-scene is very important in portraying this.)
3. Use sound-bridges in order to create more layers to the trailer.
4. Use shot-reverse-shots in order to portray how characters react to each other and to explore relationships.
5. Use day-to-day locations in order to make the film seem more 'realistic' and therefore be relatable to the demographic.
6. Use montage editing in order to give the audience a brief overview of the whole film.
7. Use natural lighting, again to make the scenes seem more believable and realistic.
8. Use a soundtrack that matches the tone of the scenes - and therefore emphasises the mood you are trying to portray.

School of Rock Trailer Analysis

School of Rock is a comedy drama that follows the "immature" life of the protagonist, Dewey, who has a dream about being a rockstar. The trailer makes it clear that the story followed is light-hearted and funny, and therefore it is suitable for viewers of any age to watch. It gives an insight into the genre of the film, which I would describe as comedy, drama and music due to the narrative of the film being about someone who is passionate about music. as well as glimpses of songs being shown in the trailer. In terms of the demographic of this trailerm I feel it would be aimed at any age group due to the very uplifting and 'feel good' tone.

Genre
The genres of this film are comedy, drama and music which are clearly shown through the iconography in the trailer. The comedy element comes from the characteristics of the protagonist. Dewey, and his natural comedic traits that he possesses. ADD MORE DETAIL HERE The genre of drama is established through the character of Zak, who's got a talent for music, however is held back by his parents. It is a story-line that the target audience can relate to as many parents are wary about their children wanting careers in the arts due to the uncertainties in getting jobs, therefore many parents may hold their children back without realizing, and this narrative shows the consequences of this. The music genre is portrayed from the very start of the trailer and continues throughout. From the first shots and the voice-over it is clear that the protagonist is passionate about music, and you can see him share and pass on his passion throughout the trailer.

Narrative
The trailer suggests that the film will follow Todorov's 5 step theory of equilibrium. The first 20 seconds of the trailer shows the first stage of equilibrium, where you see Dewey's chaotic and crazy life as a rock star. However this is only a short stage and is quickly replaced by the second stage of disruption when Dewey gets kicked out of the band. The third stage of recognition occurs when Dewey picks up a phone call for his friend, Ned, and takes the job of teaching even though he's not qualified, It is clear here he recognised he needed to do something and start earning money again. The fourth stage of the damage being repaired is shown throughout the majority of the trailer as you see him try to start a new rock band with the students that he is teaching. The fifth stage of a new equilibrium is briefly shown when you see Dewey and the students actually performing on a big stage. Although showing  the fifth stage is unconventional of a trailer, it still works as it doesn't give the audience enough information for them to know the ending and still leaves them intrigued to see what happens.

Editing / Mise-en-Scene / Camera
The ident is shown in inverted colours for a split second and then returns to the usual, recognisable colours. As the ident appears non-diegetic rock music comes in which already adds to the atmosphere and clearly states to the audience that this film is likely to be based on music and rock themes. The fact that the colours in the ident were inverted portrays the idea of disobedience which links in with the themes of rock involving rebellious people and icons. A cut to a three-shot of three band members shows the geography of the area which looks as though it is a tattered room although there are fairy lights in the background giving it a warmer feel. The band members look like stereotypical rock lovers as they are wearing tank tops,  jewellery and one of them has a tattoo. This gives the impression of them being ‘bad’ and ‘rebellious’ however as they are adults and it is clear they are in a band, this image they are currently giving off may not be how their characters actually are. A further cut reveals a medium close up of a slightly tubby man with medium length brown hair and a beard. A couple of seconds later it is revealed to the audience that this man is also a musician as he is seen holding his guitar case. When this man is shown kicking part of the drum kit the non-diegetic music also makes a loud sound to draw the audience’s attention to what he is doing. Montage editing has been used to capture moments in scenes of the film and put them all together so that the audience can make sense of the film without knowing too much. There are times when continuity editing is used to give the idea of time going by at the normal speed, this allows the audience to see how some of the characters interact with each other. It is also one of the key aspects to making a trailer make sense as a group of seemingly unconnected shots can be hard for the audience to understand and engage with. Very little inter-titles are shown in this trailer. This is unconventional as a lot of trailers have inter-titles to split up events that occur in the film. The main title, however, is conventionally right at the end. It is shown in illuminated letters on a  brick wall which suits the music genre of the film as in some venues you would see signs like this  on a brick wall. The colour red is iconic for being a 'rebellious' colour, thus suiting the genre 'rock' which is often associated with 'bad behaviour'.

Sound
As one of the genres of this film is 'music' it is clear that music is an essential part of this trailer, and the most effective at grabbing music fans attention. Recognisable songs (e.g. Schools Out - Alice Cooper) are heard throughout as non-diegetic, incidental music. These songs reinforce the rock element of the film and are effective in giving the trailer the right atmosphere. In addition to this the usual elements of sound are also included as with only non-diegetic music the audience may become a little bored. Diegetic dialogue is one that is most frequently heard and this matches up with what the audience sees on the screen. As the trailer comes nearer the end a non-diegetic, typically low sounding voice over comes in saying things such as 'Paramount Pictures Presents' and 'The story of a man who gave a class the power to break the rules'. Some of the music heard is actually digetic music of the characters actually singing and performing which portrays again the genre of music in this film. The trailer ends on the final chord in a song. which ends the trailer in a punchy and 'rocky' way.

Juno Trailer Analysis

Juno is a comedy drama that follows the complicated like of the protagonist, Juno, who falls pregnant at a young age and therefore has to deal with the consequences. The trailer makes it clear that although the moving is dealing with a very hard and stressful issue, that it will not be a film that is hard to watch as they have decided to make it comical. This means that the film will be suitable for viewers of any age as it is clear that they won't be disturbed by the plot or story-line. The trailer gives us an insight into the genre of the film, which I would describe as drama, comedy as well as romance due to the relationship seen between Juno and Bleeker. In terms of the demographic for this trailer I would say it would be all ages groups due to the uplifting tones of the  trailer.

Genre
The genres of this film are comedy, drama and romance which are clearly shown through iconography in the trailer. The comedy element comes from the character of Paulie Bleeker who is the father of Juno's baby. He portrays a typical nerdy teenager and someone you wouldn't expect to be in this situation. His mise-en-scene makes him even more amusing as he is seen wearing a tank top and shorts at various points in the trailer, and the sweat bands are effective in adding comedy as well since he doesn't look like the type of guy who would exercise really hard and build up a sweat. The genre of drama is established immediately as the audience find out she's pregnant. The use of prop of the pregnancy test is particularly effective especially in terms of relating to the target audience as there may be a lot of people who have been pregnant and had to do that test. The romance genre is hinted at by Paulie implying a relationship between them after the baby is born but Juno doesn't seem so sure about this. This emphasizes how it is quite unusual for this boy to be in this situation as stereotypically guys would get as far away from a girl they got pregnant if they weren't dating her before.

Narrative
The trailer hints that the film will follow Todorov's 5 step theory of equilibrium, however it seems like the first step, the state of equilibrium, is not included. This is due to the trailer starting with Juno reading her pregnancy test so straight away it is clear we are viewing the disruption stage. This takes away the build up and throws the audience straight into the climax of the film. We then see the third stage of recognition when we see Juno tell her parents about the pregnancy, and see her looking at adoption articles and deciding how she's going to face the consequences of her actions. The fourth stage of repairing the damage is hinted at when we see Bleeker ask Juno if they can still be together after the baby is born so can see a clear hint that he is trying to fix the problem that he has got her into. The fifth stage of a new equilibrium however, is not shown. This is conventional of a trailer as it means that not too much information is given away and it leaves the audience intrigued enough to watch the full movie.

Editing and Camera
At the start of the trailer the editing is mainly continuity editing. This helps the audience to quickly understand the storyline and get an idea of what the narrative is about and how it develops. There are various sound bridges when the shot cuts to another scene related to what the character in the previous shot was talking about. This gives the effect that the characters voice acts as a diegetic voice-over which is a conventional thing to occur in a trailer, From 1:35 montage editing takes place. The shots cut slightly faster giving the audience more of a brief overall picture of the film itself, including its characters and how they interact with each other.

Above is an example of a shot-reverse-shot used in the trailer. This demonstrates skilled editing and shot techniques whilst also allowing the audience to see how two characters interact with each other. These shots are also close ups of the characters which enables the audience to see the characters facial expressions and therefore their emotions.

Minimal amounts of inter titles are seen in this trailer, allowing the audience to focus on the narrative of the story instead of extra information such as the actors names. The typography itself is quite simple and is in a font that looks as if it's been hand written. It is a mixture of black text and white text with a black outline, placed in front of an orange and white striped background. The use of orange makes the inter title, and title, really stand out, with the intention of the audience remembering it after they've watched it.

The only transition used in this trailer is a cut. This is often the most used and most effective transition as it doesn't bring the audience's attention to the transition and allows them to focus on the narrative in the film which is an important aspect for any drama film.

Mise-en-Scene and Camera
The locations in this trailer are incredibly conventional of drama films as they are normal, day to day locations such as a local shop. The first shot is an establishing one which immediately tells the audience the location of the film is a suburban area. The shot has clearly been graded to have more of a warm, orange filter, which in turn makes the location seem warmer. The interior of the house (the living room) looks like a homely, cluttered room with various props in acting to make the room seem more genuine. This works particularly well with the characters in the shot (the parents) as all of the furniture and props look as if they are things these two characters would have actually bought together. An exterior location is shown further on in the trailer. The long, establishing shot of this park has been framed very well allowing the audience to get a good idea of the location but also clearly see the two characters sitting on the bench together, the close proxemics of which, give the audience and insight into the relationship between them. The lighting used throughout in this trailer is conventional of comedy films as it is very natural looking (through high key lighting) by the lighting being natural it means that the audience stay focused on the themes the trailer is trying to portray, rather than the lighting states.

Sound
The trailer begins almost silent with  a faint diegetic sound of Juno drinking a bottle of Sunny-D. As the first inter-titles are cut to, the first incidental non-diegetic music is heard. This music is quite stripped back and simple. Non-diegetic music like this is heard through a lot of the trailer. Ambient sounds and dialogue are heard often and add an extra layer of sound which makes the trailer a lot more interesting to watch. Various diegetic sounds such as the shop door opening give a sense of professionalism as they can be heard clearly and let the audience obviously know that she is walking into the shop. It is very typical of dramatic trailers to emphasise diegetic sounds (often by using foley) as they emphasises the actions the characters are taking to make that sound.

Forrest Gump Trailer Analysis

Forrest Gump is a comedy drama that follows the difficult life of the protagonist, Forrest, who has obvious intellectual disabilities.The trailer makes it clear that the story followed is a happy one, and that most viewers of any age will not be disturbed by the plot or story-line. It gives insight into the genre of the trailer and film, which I would describe as a drama, comedy as well as romance due to the inclusion of a heroin (Jenny).  In terms of the demographic of this trailer, I feel it would be aimed at any age group due to the very uplifting ‘feel good’ tone.

Genre
This trailer is incredibly conventional for the genre drama as iconography can be seen throughout and a number of themes are used. It is a perfect example of 'an honest story of human struggles' as Forrest had many human struggles in which he had to overcome. Many relationships are established (Forrest and his mother, Forrest and Jenny, etc.) which are emotional and real. These relationships develop and with that Forrest himself does too.

Narrative
The trailer hints that the film will follow Todorov's 5 step theory of equilibrium. The first minute and half of the trailer shows the first stage of the theory, which is the state of equilibrium. Although it is clear Forrest never had an easy childhood, we can see that he was still happy and had strong bonds with his mum and best friend Jenny. After this, when Forrest says 'college was hard for me' we see the disruption stage starting as we watch Forrest observe Jenny kissing another boy in a car, followed by a shot of Forrest being handed a leaflet about joining the army. It is clear that Forrest and Jenny are about to go their separate ways and some disruption in the equilibrium is soon to occur. The recognition stage starts as we see Forrest tell Jenny that he's going to fight Vietnam and she emotionally tells him to be safe, The fourth stage of the damage being repaired is then shown when we see Forrest and Jenny reunited when he is delivering a speech, and we realise that there is still hope for Forrest to return to his original life with Jenny. The fifth stage of restoration is not shown, which is conventional of a trailer as otherwise it would tell you too much information and not leave the audience intrigued enough to see the actual whole film.

Editing
1. Typography

The trailer begins with the Paramount Pictures ident. This is a conventional feature of trailers as it gives the company credit and is a good way to let the audience know a trailer is coming so that they know what they are about to watch, as well as giving the audience an insight into the quality of the film, as a bigger company is likely to make a better film.

The typography throughout the trailer is very basic and lacks variation, there is also a lack of typography as a whole shown throughout. When they it is shown the shot cuts to black and the blue text fades in. The next shot is then cut to. 

2. Cuts
The first shot shown is a long, three shot of Forrest on a bench with two other people, followed by a cut to Forrest as a young  boy, which takes the narrative has gone back into the past by using a flashback. Montage editing is used a lot to show how Forrest and Jenny's relationship developed over time. Mixing this in with the cut between them growing up and Forrest talking on the bench makes for a complicated but attention-grabbing editing pattern which intrigues the audience watching. In many clips there is often a prop that links to the cutting of the scene. For example there is an over-the-shoulder shot of Forrest looking at a leaflet for the army which then cuts to a medium close up two shot of Forrest and a Drill Sergeant which implies that Forrest joined the army. The technique of foreshadowing what the shot will cut to seems to be quite a typical one as it spoon feeds the audience information about what will happen, such as the leaflet shows that Forrest will join the army.

Mise-en-Scene and Camera
The camera work used at the beginning of the trailer consists of a rule of third to begin with, showing Forrest offer chocolate to some pensioners on the bench and two shots of him with his mother and good friend Jenny.

The locations in this trailer are very conventional of drama films as they are normal, day to day locations such as a local shop. The first shot shown is an establishing shot which immediately tells the audience the location of the film (a suburban area). The shot has clearly been graded to have more of a warm, orange filter, therefore makes the location seem warmer. The locations are shown from a good perspective, showing how Forrest enjoyed/enjoys his life and how he sees the world from an innocent/childlike view.

A long shot of Forrest and Jenny sitting on a branch shows the sunset of Savannah in its best light, this is an incredibly romantic location and emphasizes the theme of romance.

Further on the trailer cuts to a low perspective long shot of a ball (in the game of American football) followed later by some black and white footage of Forrest with the president. This suggests we are watching what would have been broadcast on TV, making the audience realize how successful Forrest has already been.

The location then differs completely after Forrest joins the army. There is an over the shoulder close up of Forrest's looking at the scenery in front of him, which is a massive crowd in front looking up to him. Due to the facts that 1) Forrest is physically foregrounded, and the audience are back-grounded and and 2) the amount of people that are listening to him talk suggests he was of significance in the army. This is followed by an establishing shot of a large house in the countryside which implies to the audience that Forrest has or is thinking of settling down. This gives the audience the impression that Forrest is happy with what he has achieved and feels ready to focus on a family instead.

An extensive amount of camera shot, angles and movements are used. This is essential for drama films as it allows the audience to focus on certain things in different ways (close up, long shot, etc.) which makes the trailer more appealing for this target audience who will want to not be seeing various things/events in a similar way.

Sound
Non-diegetic music and diegetic dialogue both come in as the Paramount Pictures ident is being shown. The non-diegetic incidental music is heard throughout the whole trailer, maintaining the curious, innocent, light-hearted tone of the film. Ambient sounds are heard throughout, particularly on exterior shots. For example when Forrest's Mother tells Forrest he is 'no different' the audience can hear natural sounds (birds singing, etc.). Foley sounds are used (added in post-production) to emphasize certain sounds, e.g. Forrest runs too far during American football and hitting into some of the band. This sound would have been re-created in a studio to get a high quality recording of it. This is appropriate for trailers with the genre of drama as the demographic for these films like and expect to hear exaggerated sounds with the attempt of making the source of the sound more noticeable. At points in the trailer we hear Forrest's voice, as if it were a voice over, explaining the events taking place and justifying to the audience the reason they link together. This is a voice over when other shots are being shown, however, as it cuts to Forrest on the bench, the audience can see he is the one talking which then changes the voice-over to diegetic dialogue.