SOUNDTRACK GENRE: Epic Space Opera Franchise

This blog post is all about exploring the soundtracks of the film genre Epic Space Franchise. My chosen example of this is the latest Star Wars trailer. The reason I have chosen this trailer to analyse is because of its massive popularity and for it begin a blockbuster and Space franchise which is the opposite to a drama based film which I would like to make for my coursework. The reason for having such a different genre to compare with Drama is because I feel that it is important to look at a wide range of genres and how they are different to others.

STAR WARS SOUNDTRACK ANALYSIS:

0.7 - The film trailer begins very quietly, with a high pitch sound that slowly gets louder and louder. It is very tense non-diegetic sound that adds to the image that slowly appears and the voiceover that is added on top.

0.22 - A quick loud sound, is then made at the end of the high pitched noised in time with a man appearing into view, which helps make the audience jump and again adds to the tense tone.

0.23 - The high pitched noise is then continued with extra sounds from an orchestra which becomes very quick paced adding to the genre as the epic space genre is typically fast paced due to rockets and robots which is then linked due to them featuring in the trailer.

0.26 - There is a lot of diegetic sounds that link to the image, with the movement of the space crafts and space doors as well as the rockets in 0.46.

0.49 - After the rockets there is a moments silence before the orchestra music becomes more dark which fits with the darker tone of the image of the man walking through the forest. This is also when the voiceover returns and there is the non-diegetic sound of the lightsaber in.

1.02 - This is when the traditional and iconic Star Wars theme tune/traditional soundtrack comes on to end the trailer with. It's really important to have this in the trailer as it builds momentum and excitement towards wanting to see the film as the last film was released in 2005. The theme tune excitement is then also heightened by the add of the title/logo of the films.

1.20 - The final sound is almost like a drumroll to heighten the suspense of the release date 'December 2015'  as Star Wars has such a massive fan base already created that the release date would almost be like an event to many.

SOUNTRACK GENRE: Romance

This blog post is all about exploring the soundtracks of the film genre Romance. My chosen example of this is The Vow trailer. The Vow is a 2012 American romance/drama  directed by Michael Sucsy. The plot line is that the main protagonist Paige and her husband Leo come out of the cinema while on their way home, at a stop sign, Paige takes of her seat belt to lean over and kiss Leo. At the same time, a truck rams their car from behind and Paige crashes through the windshield. Both of them are rushed to the emergency room. However, when Paige regains consciousness, she thinks Leo is her doctor and has lost all memories of the past few years, including all of the time her and Leo have been together.

Soundtrack Analysis:

0.9 - We are introduced to the trailer with the title used through dialogue with no backing music. This is effective as it straight away shows the importance and relevance of the title.

0.20 - When the production company logo's appear a repetitive piano melody begins to play which then has a voice over continued over the top from the main male character from 0.23

0.27 - When the voiceover stops and the dialogue from the movie is added in, there is a rhythmic drum added to the simplistic piano melody.

0.40 - There is then diegetic sound of the horn and lorry hitting the horn which completely contrasts the upbeat and warm tempo of the piano and drums.

0.45 - Behind the dialogue in the clip of the main female, Page, waking up in the hospital there is a lot of non-diegetic sound which would be typical of a hospital setting; the heart monitor beeping by her bed. There is also the diegetic sound of a faint high-pitched sound that slowly gets louder until it fades out again just before the characters realize Page has lost her memory.

1.04 - Once it becomes clear that Page has lost her memory to both the audience and the characters there is a very small silence before the drumming begins again, this time more fast paced, which is quickly joined by a symbol sound and singing. This happens the same time 'This Valentines Day' appears. Once the sinning begins, the sound of the piano melody from earlier in the trailer comes back. The singing continues throughout the trailer but quiet enough for dialogue to continue over the top.

1.22 - When the dialogue clips from the film stops, the characters are introduced and the music gets louder. This seems to add more emotion to the trailer and also makes us connect to the characters/actors more and especially make you feel empathy towards them.

1.25 - Throughout the rest of the clip it alternates between the music being loud and there being no dialogue to there being dialogue and the music fades, yet you can still faintly hear it in the background.

1.49 - In the final seconds of the trailer the dialogue again stops and this time while the music is loud it fades, indicating that its the end of the song. This all happens while the final captions appear, again showing the title of the film and also the release date.

CAPTIONS: Safe Haven Timeline

Caption Timeline for the trailer 'Safe Haven'

 Here is a timeline of all of the captions featuring in the trailer 'Safe Haven'. I have made this in order to give me an idea of what captions and when would be used in a trailer so I know when I come to making my own.  The timeline is below, along with a link to the trailer.

Times:

0:07 - 0:09  fade from black/back to black SAFE HAVEN (Film Title)

0:10 - 0:11 fade from black/back to black RELATIVITY MEDIA (Production Company)

0:10 - 2:25 fade from black/fades out to white #SAFEHAVEN (Spread awareness and knowledge of film)

0:26 - 0:28 fade out FROM

0:27 - 0:28 fade out NICHOLAS SPARKS

0:28 - 0:30 fade in/fade out THE BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF THE NOTEBOOK

0:29 - 0:30 fade in/fade out AND DEAR JOHN (giving author credit/expanding fan base)

 0:38 - 0:41 fade out AND FROM THE DIRECTOR OF 

 0:39 - 0:41 fade out THE CIDER HOUSE RULES

 0:40 - 0:41 fade out AND CHOCOLAT (giving director credit/expanding fan base)

 1:26 - 1:28 no fades THIS

1:27 - 1:28 no fades FEBRUARY (date of release)

 1:43 - 1:45 no fades IT'S NOT WHAT YOU'RE

1:44 - 1:45 no fades RUNNING FROM

 1:51 - 1:53 no fades IT'S WHAT YOU'RE

1:52 - 1:53 no fades RUNNING TO

 2:12 - 2:15  fade from black/back to black SAFE HAVEN (Film Title/like first credit in trailer)

2:15 - 2:17 fade from black/back to black FEBRUARY #SAFEHAVENSECRET

2:17 - 2:18 fade from black/back to black RELATIVITY MEDIA PRESENTS 

A TEMPLE HILL AND 

RELATIVITY MEDIA PRODUCTION 

IN ASSOCIATION WITH 

NICHOLAS SPARKS 

PRODUCTIONS (Naming production companies)

2:18 - 2:19 fade from black/back to black A FILM BY LASSE HALLSTROM (Naming film director)

 "SAFE HAVEN"(Naming film trailer)

JOSH DUHAMEL(Listing actors)

JULIANNE HOUGH 

COBIE SMULDERS DAVID LYONS 

CO-PRODUCER KENNETH HALSBAND

2:19 - 2:20 fade from black/back to black CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

ROBBIE BRENNER

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS TUCKER TOOLEY

JASON COLODNE 

JASON BECKMAN

SHANNON GAULDING

TRACEY NYBERG

2:20 - 2:21 fade from black/back to black PRODUCED BY MARTY BOWEN

WYCK GODFREY

NICHOLAS SPARKS

RYAN KAVANAUGH

2:21 - 2:22 fade from black/back to black BASED UPON THE NOVEL BY 

NICHOLAS SPARKS 

SCREENPLAY BY DANA STEVENS 

AND GAGE LANSKY

DIRECTED BY LASSE HALLSTROM 

2:22 - 2:23 fade from black/back to black THIS PREVIEW

WAS CREATED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH RELATIVITY AND MOCEAN (Creators names are their logos) 

The reason I chose this trailer to analyze was because I liked the idea of someone running away from home for my trailer and that this was a good inspiration into certain shots, lines, emotions and music which could be used for such a theme.

TRAILER MAKING: interesting quote

“Once people find out what you do, they ask, ‘why do you show all the best scenes in the trailer?'” says Brubaker. “And it’s because our job is to get people interested in the movie, to go to the theater. Whatever the best combination of story, humor, graphics, music, or whatever that gets you to the theater, that’s what we’re going to do.”
 
 http://www.hollywood.com/movies/how-movie-trailers-are-made-dark-knight-rises-gatsby-pacific-rim-more-57156419/