Useful tips when analysing a trailer

MISE EN SCÈNE

This term is used in film to describe what is in the frame and why. There are several areas to consider when talking about mise en scène:

• Setting and props
• Costume and make-up
• Body language and facial expression
• Lighting and colour

Each of these factors combines to give the shot a certain 'look' or 'feel'. What is put in or left out of a shot can make a big difference to the signals we receive about what sort of film it is and how we are supposed to feel at this point. For instance, a simple shot of a tree can be made to look threatening by adding a vulture and a storm and shooting it in darkness. The same tree can be given a very different look by having children playing beneath its sunlit branches.

LIGHTING

Lighting quickly creates an atmosphere on screen. If it is dark and shadowy we might be made to feel uneasy, as in a thriller; if the lighting is bright we feel happy and confident. The filmmaker can use lighting to draw our attention to a person/object or equally, to hide them.

SOUND

There are three elements to a film soundtrack:

Dialogue – this can be used to give us clues as to character and what might happen next.

Music – this creates atmosphere, affecting us on a very emotional level.

Sound effects (SFX) – again, very effective at creating atmosphere. These sometimes do not fit with the image that we are seeing, thus creating a disorientating effect.