Influences

Ade:
We were influenced to produce a drama trailer, because it is current, relatable and powerful to convey. We were inspired to incorporate emotional, real life themes such as "mental illness" and "bullying", because of the experiences we as teenagers have experienced and have witnessed in other people, not only does it evoke emotion, it is also educational. 

The film "Cyberbully" is one that displays this; it focuses on a female protagonist who experiences some of these issues and almost commits suicide, another powerful theme that we considered. Aside from the themes, this film influenced our ideas, because firstly, the character is female and so would attract that audience, and make it relatable to them, our target audience includes the female gender; also the fact that she is a teenager would attract that specific audience group and make it seem more realistic and further relatable. Even though  it is not teaser trailer, it is an effective trailer because of some of the elements it consists of, for example the voice over which keeps the audience attentive, but it also seems distant from the character, misleading the audience to think the opposite of whats going on. It briefly touched onto some of the emotional themes which we discussed, e.g neglect and separation of parents. The music alters when the situation has an abrupt dramatic increase and there is good use of dynamics that adds suspense or emotion. The voice over is effective because its a narrative tool that tells the story of her life. However, having the girl narrating her own life might be more effective and emotional. 



Waterloo road has some aspects that we want to include in our teaser trailer. Again, its overpowering element is the themes that are involved. Even though it is not a film and is a TV series, it is very useful because even though it doesn't involve one prominent protagonist, its predominant characters are teenagers, who experience "real life issues". The young people, usually teens, reflect on some of the serious events that may occur in someone else's lifestyle. The 'mise en scene' within this trailer is effective. We are able to identify the heirachy within the school. For example, the students in the school all wear uniform, most importantly in an unconventional way, showing individualism that conveys a school sub-culture. The teachers are given a figure of authority, particularly the head teacher who has a smart look, compared to some of the class teachers who can 'tone-down' their dress codes.
 



Amanda:
The novel 'Oddly Normal' is very similar to what we want to produce. It is based on a boy having to reveal to his parents and school friends that he is homosexual. It shows how popular and happy he is. However, the novel takes a sudden turn for the worse when he reveals he is gay and he gets bullied. His parents struggle to keep him happy and safe at school. This touches on the pressing issues of sexuality and bullying, also neglect at home. 

Dustbin Baby is an excellent example of what we want to achieve. The opening shot seperates April (main character) from the other two girls, making her seem isolated and alone. The voiceover adds a sombre tone to the trailer. 

In this shot, we again see April distanced from other characters. The dark lighting shadows April, making the atmosphere more sombre. The busy lady and child talking overshadow April's voice and what she is trying to talk about. 

Clare:

The 'Perks of Being A Wallflower' roots back to childhood family experiences that have affected the life of a teenage boy called Charlie. Both the film and book display the troubles of teenage life, with starting a new school, making new friends, being involved with drugs, and it also includes the sensitive subjects of death and mental illness. This story is influential to us because we want to focus on the theme of teenage drama and the complications of being a teenager, including such sensitive areas that people can relate to and feel emotionally evoked by. In the trailer for the film, there is a voice over from the main character whilst he writes in his diary that he refers to as his 'friend'. This is effective because we immediately know he is the protagonist and we will be following his particular story, and it is also an interesting form of direct address and it is as if he is speaking to the audience. Since he is referring to his diary as his friend, it also suggests that he is possibly lonely and lacking real life companionship, hinting to us he is an outcast.

Throughout the course of the trailer there are opening titles which briefly demonstrate the storyline. There is a strict theme with a green background and black typewriter font. The typewriter font also connects to the storyline where Charlie is given a typewriter in which he writes to his 'friend' or diary. The letters appear in time to the beat of the music giving the trailer a good pace. In between takes the titles also show the names of the main characters followed by short clips of them taken from the film. This is a clever way of immediately introducing the audience to the characters in which you would be following when you watched the film. Near the end of the trailer, the clips become fast pace in time to a recognisable song by the band 'Imagine Dragons', drawing in the target audience with well known music and creating a sense of anticipation. These sound aspects that I picked up on in my analysis all fit the genre well and target the audience effectively. The diegetic sound/dialogue that continues throughout the entirety of the trailer was especially important in establishing the relationships between characters, especially as it is from the drama genre. 

The mid-shots are effective in displaying emotions between characters as they emphasise emotion and body language. This is very relevant within a drama genre and it is something we could take note of in producing our own teaser trailer as relationships are crucial and conventional to display clearly in dramas. Finally, the lighting switches from dark to light in the trailer, suggesting there are both low and high points in the film.



In terms of structure, I believe that the trailer 'Trust' is very influential. My Prezi demonstrates why:




The book 'The Fault in Our Stars' also focuses on the heavy subject of illness. Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, and this book depicts her story upon recovery. This storyline is influential because it is based on sensitive issues which many people would find touching and appealing in a drama about a teenager. The book, made famously by John Green, is being produced as a film, proving the powerfulness and emotional grasp the book had on so many individuals. I think that focusing on a teenage issue such as this would be a good idea because it is relatable and fascinating to many people in that age group (15-19 year olds).