Trailer Analysis - The Notebook

As the trailer starts there is an establishing shot and non-diagetic sound of music, it’s a piano and this conforms to romance. There is also non-diagetic sound of a narrator which tells the audience the basic plot of the film. this allows the audience to feel more involved and understand it more and will want to see it and find out more. The unique selling point is that this was originally a book and so some people may already know the story and they will want to go and see it on screen. There are mid shots, two shots, over the shoulder shots and close ups, all these shots allow us to get to know the characters and the connection they have with each other. The close ups are very important because this displays the characters emotion which is essential for a romantic film. there are high and low angle shots when they first meet, the low angle shot is of the girl which makes her look powerful over the man, who looks up to her in admiration. The two meet and decide that they will meet up and there is then a jump cut followed by a long shot of the girl on a swing, this shows that time has passed between them both and that there is a journey between them, also stereotypical of a romance genre. There is then a cutaway to two older people talking about this ‘journey’ that has taken place, this gives the audience questions as to why those two people are talking about them. This will make them want to go and see the film to find out. There is then another jump cut where it shows the boy meeting the girls family, stereotypically there is a problem and this sets the scene for a star crossed lovers type of story, also typically of a romantic film. The music changes as problems arise and the pace of the trailer becomes faster, this makes it more dramatic and therefore has a bigger impact on the audience. This is the disequilibrium. There are dissolves and fades to black as the short clips of the couple follow each other. These clips show their relationship at different stages and this an enigma which gives the audience questions. As it becomes more dramatic intertextuality is used as it references the book and this appears on screen in black writing. Iconography is used as there are birds flying in the trailer, this evokes the feeling of being free with juxtaposes with the issues that arise in the trailer. Towards the end of the trailer dissolves are used, this makes the clips appear more linked together. The institution then comes up towards the end followed by the name of the film. this accompanied by a voice which explains who is starring the film.