Focused Analysis 3: Locations

Again, I'm focusing on the cinderella story trailer in order to keep consistency in my research.

Since this film is based on a modern fairy tale. The first opening shot is of an enchanted castle which only appears in the opening shot. This sets the theme of the story. The frosty looking landscape contrasts well with that of Los Angeles, a desert like place. The landscape f Los Angeles has been included with a beautiful blue sky. This allows the viewer to establish where this film is set. The wooden fence also adds to this scene, because it is so small, the viewer feels as if LA is the best place to escape too.

The house in which Cinderella lives in with her stepmother and step sisters is quite inviting itself. The LA style architecture adds an appeal to this shot and also emphasizes the authenticity of the house. The colour scheme used adds to the sunny landscape and the browns and whites compliment each other well. The characters clothing and style contrasts well with that of the house. Overall, this house shows that although the family is well off, the size and look of Cinderella's room shows that she herself is quite underprivileged. The outside area of this house includes a pool and a sun bed. This shows the viewer that this family is indeed very privileged and very well off. Also, adding in the garden scenes adds variety to this trailer.

The cafe in which Cinderella is works is also included, this is too show that although she comes from a well-off background she still has to work. The cafe decor is similar to that of an 80's cafe with the checked floor tiles and the bold wall paint. The round tables add a friendly atmosphere and the fact the counter runs the whole way through the cafe adds a stylish look to the whole place.

Another main location used is the school. This environment is perfect for a romantic comedy as it is a common believe that teenagers are the ones to have the most fantasy romances and school is the conventional location to show this. By including a school, ost of the target audience can relate to this story. Inside the school, there is shots of the library where cinderella spends her time talking to her 'Prince' through the computer, this adds mystery. Cinderella is also shown here when doing her work, proving she is smart and wants to do well. he location used adds to the narrative and the viewers understanding of it.

Also featured is the batting cage where Cinderella works on her baseball skills. This location is used as her personal space as earlier on in the story we are told that she used to play there with her dad before he was killed. The cage she is in perhaps represents the fact she feels trapped and this is the only place she feels she can let off steam.

Like every fairy tale, the Princess has to get her Prince. The location used for this scene is that of a ball. The lighting used adds to the romantic feel and the location seems to be well style and fits the narrative well. The colour scheme used in this location adds to the enchanted feel of the ball and also adds a formal appeal to this scene. When the camera moves outside, into the garden, an arch comes into shot decorated with white flowers and beautiful lighting which sets the scene off nicely. The white fencing ties in with the white flowers which compliments the whole scene well. The fairy lights composition seem to get more compact as the camera drops down to reveal a the bottom of the arch. Overall creating a fairy tale like location.

Focused Analysis 2:Sound/Music

In order to carry on with a focused analysis i have chosen to look again at the Cinderella Story trailer as i feel being consistent will help me to dissect exactly what i need in my video.

This trailer starts off with fairy tale music to go along with the establishing shot. This has been done in order to introduce this film as a fairy tale, when the twist in this story becomes obvious it is more of a surprise to the audience. To go long with the ambient soundtrack there is a voice over the top. This voice tells the story in a traditional way thus adding to the fairy tale theme.

When the camera changes to a shot of Los Angeles, the music changes and its no longer the traditional type instead it changes to a more upbeat sound. this has been done in order to show the change of narrative, to show the viewer that this story line isn't traditional in the sense that this one is based in a modern day setting. Also, just before the music changes, a musical effect has been added in in order to show that the soundtrack is going to change to a different type of sound.

As the film continues, conversations between the characters start to play over the top of the ambient sound. This, in turn, creates an interesting trailer and also hints at the viewer what the narrative is without giving too much away. However, the voice over still continues which adds to the variety of this trailer.

Each shot, generally, seems to include a voice over and the characters speaking. When the shot changes from one to another a sound effect has been added which sounds as if a page is being turned. This has been done to, again add variety to the shot, and also give the impression that this story is being read out of a fairy tale book.

When various objects are added to the trailer, like a mobile for example, different sound effects are placed in to go along with it in order to add variety to this soundtrack. When a text message flashes up on the mobile, a beeping sound is added which cuts in to the ambient soundtrack this has been done to make sure tat the viewer focuses n the phone and the fact a message has gone through thus making the story line easy to understand. Also, the fact that sound effects have been added when the buttons are being pressed adds to the reality factor and again keeps the viewer interested in the story line.

Whilst playing baseball, the main female character whose representing a 'princess', hits the ball really hard sending it over to where the modern 'prince is. The ambient soundtrack goes from gentle quiet background music to a loud dramatic soundtrack to express her triumphant hit. This adds variety to the soundtrack and also expresses the fact that she is skilled at baseball. Overall, expressing the personality of this character.

A the ball, when the 'Princess' appears in the shot, the music changes a enchanted soundtrack to express the fact she has developed into a beautiful woman. This is carried on after the voice overs from the characters when the camera shoots to the dancing outside, the fact that for the first time a soundtrack is used which includes lyics. This has been done because there is no voiceovers from this point onwards. The lyrics of this song also link to what is going on in this scene and what is going on overall in the story line.

Focused Analysis 1: Characters

For my focused analysis on characters i decided to look at the characters used in popular trailers. I have chosen to look at the cinderella story as i feel this links in well with my chosen genre. Since this film is based on a modern version of a fairy tale, Cinderella, each of the characters have a similar appeal that the original characters have.

Firstly the female character who plays the step-mother. She has been made to look like a modern American mother with a selfish side which links nicely to the original story. She has been made to seem jealous of the main character, Cinderella, which again fits in with the original fairy tale. Throughout the story she is made to seem as if she is in control and also made to seem as if she is the boss. As well as this, throughout the film, she is made to seem vein which is shown by the fact she gets botox in the film, Thus, following the conventions of a step-mother in many films and fairy tales. Also, the clothes she wears throughout this film, seem to be modern versions of the clothes worn in the fairy tale. This has been done to add a modern feel to this film.

The character modeled to be like cinderella, is obvious from the start of this film trailer. She first comes into shot wearing ordinary clothes, nothing that stands out which is how Cinderella starts off in the original fairy tale. Also, the modern cinderella is shown working in a cafe, scrubbing the floor and acting as a waitress which again fits in nicely with the original story where she is a slave to hr step-mother, technically she is too in the modern version as the step-mother is the one who owns the cafe. This character also has appearance similarities to that of the original cinderella, for example the blonde hair tied up and out of her face, also her striking blue eyes which conventionally fits in with many fairy tales like Sleeping Beauty. Eventually, Cinderella's happy ending starts to come together when she attends the school prom wearing a prom dress which fits in with the character nicely, and also the conventional characters in fairy tales who always get their happy ending. Also her personality in this film is similar to how Cinderella in the original fairy tales is. She is kinda and caring which is conventional of many fairy tale princesses.

Also, a main feature in the original fairy tale is the two step-sisters. These have also been featured in this film, and made just as selfish and nasty as they are in the fairy tale. The two characters contrast well with each other when focusing on their appearance. One is tall and skinny were as one is short and plump. One comes across as being bossy were as the other seems to be less intelligent. These two personalities are conventional of twosome in a story like this for example the two burglars in another movie called Home Alone. Each of their outfits seem to fit with what's going on in the story. For example when they are relaxing they wear matching tracksuits in different colors. When they attend the fancy dress ball they dress up as twin cats. The fact they wore these could signify the fact that they are sly and scheming.

Finally, the Prince. He has been portrayed as the 'popular' character with a lot of friends who hang around with the ' right ' people, they guy who has the pick of the girls. His exterior character is portrayed as having everything but as the story goes on the viewer discovers that he is looking for his princess and his happy ending as well. Perhaps unconventional of a fairy tale, is the fact his character has short blonde hair as opposed to long blonde hair which many princes are portrayed to have. This has obviously been done to give this story a modern edge. The clothing he wears in this film is quite simplistic, he has been styled in average dress with a slight edge, i.e rolled up sleeves or jeans with original sneakers. Also, whilst at the fancy dress ball, the 'prince' actually turns up dressed as a prince were as his two friends turn up looking like his henchmen-obviously been done to portray the fact he has turned up to save the princess from her life of misery.

The Proposal Trailer

Shot 1: (0:06) This trailer kicks off with an establishing shot of New York city. This is made obvious by the fact there are yellow taxis in this shot. This scene has been speeded up in order to show how fast paced the city actually is and the tall buildings in the background imply that this is a place for how powered jobs and people who are successful. The background seems to be faded into the rest of the scene which gives the impression that it goes on forever.

Shot 2: (0:07) Although simplistic, i decided to analyse this bit of the trailer as i feel it is an interesting way of introducing the main characters. The black writing on a white background adds a modernistic feel to it, a clean-cut approach. Also, from simply the font size and the colour scheme, it is implied that this is an office based romantic comedy. These shots, explaining what is going on, keep flashing up at various stages in this trailer. Not only to they add an original edge to this trailer, they also help to explain the story.

Shot 3:(1:02) This medium close-up reveals the contrast between the two characters facial expressions. The male character looks confused were as the female character looks quite impressed. The light brown background compliments what the characters are wearing. The male character is wearing a red tie, in this context i think it signifies romance. The black suit in which the female character is wearing implies she is a serous business woman, very smart looking.

Shot 4: (1:41)This shot could either be described as an over the shoulder shot or a medium close up. The camera is positioned over the shoulder of the main female leed, but not in such a way that it is obviously an over the shoulder shot. By filming this scene in a moving vehicle it adds variety to the trailer and keeps the viewer interested. The expression on the male characters face is a reaction to what has gone on in the previous scene.

Shot 5: (1:50) This close-up shot focuses in on the characters comical kiss. It is obvious from this shot that the characters are forcing themselves to show affection. Thus, adding a comedy edge to the film. It is interesting how the camera has focused purely onto the male character as opposed to the female character who's main facial features are faced away from the camera. Also, what the male character is wearing adds to the relaxed nature of this scene and makes him look like any other regular guy who has got himself into an awkward situation.

Shot 6: (2:21) This medium close up features three characters, each placed differently in the shot. The character at the back is facing forward but her head is tilted a little bit. The main female character is shown to look a little awkward, shown by the fact that her eyes are focused elsewhere than what is going on. The final character is facing with her back to the camera showing that she is fixing the dress. The camera work in this scene proves that this scene is meant to show emotion and ad an edge to this scene.

Overall, I feel this is an effective trailer for a romantic comedy. It grabs the viewers attention and, more importantly, keeps it. The camera work used is conventional of a trailer for this genre as it includes various bits of speech, a typical plot and also an upbeat ambient soundtrack. I feel that by taking various ideas from this and adding them to my own trailer, i could produce something which is not only effective, but fits perfectly with the genre.

Ella Enchanted Trailer

Shot 1: (0:08) This trailer starts off with a establishing shot of various parts of a fairy tale castle. Already it is obvious this film is set in a classic storybook kingdom. This shot has been used in order to attract the viewers attention and set the scene. As the camera zooms forward, yellow lettering stating a conventional set of words appears, this adds to the fairy tale appeal as many classic fairy tales include this opening sequence. The yellow colouring compliments the background and grabs the viewers attention right away. The font used echoes that of a medieval genre, again making it obvious that its set in an old style village.

Shot 2: (0:22) This shot is very interesting, the camera pans through the wall and adds variety to the shots used. It makes the viewer feel as if they are watching the character, the fourth person in the room. The room in which its set and indeed the clothes they are wearing adds to the classic, medieval setting. Ella, the main character, is dressed in plain clothe when compared to the other two women in the room who are in quite fancy dresses, meaning the viewer can relate to Ella’s character. A special effect is also included in this sequence, a ringing sound as that main character is told what she must do, thus triggering the spell over her. Along with the noise effects, there are also visual effects. Purple sparkles pop up just as the spell comes into action-this adds a magical feel to the story.



Shot 3:(0:36) A birds eye view of Ella sat at a desk in the library adds an interesting appeal to this trailer. As the camera zooms out, it spins which adds variety to this shot and makes it stand out, thus grabbing the viewers attention. An old style library and desk is included in this scene along with some authentic looking books which all add to the medieval appeal. Instead of lights, candles are used, which light the room in a mysterious fashion, giving a magical appeal. Two stones pillars have also been included which again adds to he authenticity of this scene. I also noted how Ella is surrounded by a pool of light which draws the viewers attention. The colour scheme used, compliments the scene and what has been included in it.

Shot 4: (0:38) The next shot, a long shot, is of an enchanted forest. In the corner there is a thick tree truck this emphasises the fact that this scene is set in a forest. The moss included on it adds to the authenticity of it and gives it a more magical appeal. The green grass included suits the forest landscape and everything look clean cut. The clothes in which Ella is wearing, coloured purple, compliments the leafy background.

Shot 5: (0:45) A long shot is next included to show a market place and to set the scene for the next part of the story. The most notable feature of this shot is the coloured streams of flags, coloured to compliment the rest of the shot. As Ella swings along the rope, the ambient soundtrack gets more dramatic and so does the voice over-this adds to the excitement in this scene. The shot makes this place look crowded, showing the reader that this is a busy town square, thus making them wonder what has led Ella to it.

Shot 6: (1:01) This close up shot has been used so the viewer focuses purely on the expression of the characters. The fact that the male character has chosen to hide behind the female proves that she is the stronger one. The blue gown she is wearing implies she is peaceful and quite delicate. The background, however, is quite plain and a little out of focus showing that the audience attention should be solely on the characters in place.

Shot 7:(1:24) An extreme close up on Ella’s face has also been included, this has been done in order to show her facial expression and nothing else. The background is dark, lit only by a burning fire, which adds a romantic appeal to this scene. Her hair is fashioned simply and she has no bold make-up this is too make sure the viewer pays 100% attention to what is going on and what is being said in this scene.


Shot 8: (1:51) A medium close up shows the main character in the shot, but also what is going on around him, again adding variety to this trailer. A special effect has been added, purple mist flying towards the book, this has again been added to intrigue the viewer and also add a magical fairytale appeal. The ambient soundtrack speed up and there is a ’whoosh’ sound along with it this adds to the effect.


Overall, I think that this trailer is an excellent one to extract ideas from. It has given me a lot of ideas and shown me how variety is important. For example the mis-en-scene tells the viewer a lot about what is going on in the shot and the camera angles add to the excitement on in each frame. In order to attract the viewers attention, and more importantly keep it, I will have to make sure each shot is exciting and relevant to narrative of the story as the purpose of a trailer is to give the audience a taster.