Trailer for About Time (2013)
Genre
This movie trailer is primarily focused on the romance genre; with some aspects of comedy. The trailer conforms to Steve Neal's hypothesis that 'Genre is a repetition with an underlying pattern of variations'. In this case, the underlying pattern is the romantic stereotype of a developing love between the two main characters. The variation is the aspect of 'time travel' evident throughout the trailer as it progresses, this also appears to be where the main comedic elements of the film are seen. After having watched the trailer several times, I can safely conclude that this film trailer has encompassed so much romance and comedy because it is a recognisable style that draws on an existing audience that watch Romantic Comedies (this also proves Andrew Sarris ideas on genres).
Representation
Age is represented very well in this movie trailer. The stereotype of a 'wise fatherly figure' comes to mind when Tim is speaking with his father. It is also evident that Tim is a young, perhaps arrogant man with little life experience. This is contrasted with Tim's father, who has a lot of life experience and offers him advice about his 'time traveling' abilities. Gender roles are also clearly present in 'About Time' (2013). Interestingly, and perhaps very-stereotypically, it is the man (Tim) that keeps on 'messing up' throughout the trailer; and it is the lead female character that appears to be confident in herself. Much like Laura Mulvey hypothesised, the trailer appears to be seen from 'the male gaze'. The entire film seems to be from a male perspective, a man trying to find love.
Narrative
The trailer conforms to Todorov's hypothesis of 'equilibrium, disruption and equilibrium restored'. In the case of 'About Time' (2013), the equilibrium is seen when the protagonist Tim is having shown having a conversation with his father; this is also when the 'disruption' element appears - Tim is told that he has time-traveling abilities. This is the first of many disruptions seen throughout the trailer. A recurring disruption (Kuleshov's montage method is used here) is Tim's inability to correctly 'date' the lead female character. The restoration of equilibrium comes when Tim is seen to have finally perfected his 'date' with the woman. Unlike Propp's theory suggests, there don't appear to be many character types within this trailer; with the exception of Tim's father. I don't think Tim can be seen as either a hero nor a villain, and the female lead certainly isn't a damsel in distress.
Audience
I believe this trailer employs the 'Uses and gratifications' hypothesis, meaning that the audience takes what is needs from the trailer; they does so because the genre (rom-com) is so predictable that the audience can afford to be passive when watching this trailer. It is clear that the guy ends up with the girl. I predict the intended audience of this trailer are males and females (primarily females) aged between 16 and 28. I think this because I believe the time-travel element will appeal to a younger audience than the typical rom-com. It has also been fast cut, with a mostly jump cuts used - which is expected for a film trailer.
Media Language
As I have mentioned earlier, this movie trailer has utilised Kuleshov's method of montaging a lot of clips from the movie together to create an interesting and eventful trailer that explains the plot of the movie very well. One of the most noticeable aspects of the trailer is the voice over, which has been voiced by the protagonist of the film. This makes it very engaging for the audience. One of the most popular camera shots used throughout the trailer is the mid shot. A range of angles have been used, including a high angle on the protagonist; and, in turn, a high angle on his father to portray him as important and knowledgeable. A lot of fades and expansion of time has been used in post-production, which relates directly to the romance of the genre. Straight cuts and jump cuts are the most popular, as they help move the plot along quickly.
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