Sound research

In the action trailers we have looked and identified it was clear that sound plays a major part in creating a certain atmosphere creating certain emotions and suspense, and emphasising action within certain films. For example in the movie "Gamer" the sound is used to compliment the action throughout the trailer. As the titles appear on screen at the beginning, there is a vast amount of non diegetic sound that can be heard creating the atmosphere and implementing action, and emphasising the beginning of the trailer. After the titles end, there is a slight fade in the sound, then we hear the soundtrack take its rightful place, which plays almost throughout the entire trailer. In some significant parts of the trailer the volume of the music is toned down so that the audience can concentrate on whats happening on screen and as it goes along the music picks up again as the action comes back into play.
On the top of the music when it is necessary, a deep stereotypical narrator voice over can be heard and the music plays quietly in the background still creating an atmosphere, whilst the narrator speaks and explains certain aspects of the plot line.
Another film chosen was Inglorious Basterds, in which starts with a non diegetic soundtrack playing softly in the background, whilst we hear the other sound of diegetic speech. Sound effects are also heard through part of the trailer to compliment the writing on the screen as well. As the action starts to build up later in the trailer, the music also picks up as the drums and guitar get louder and more intense in direct correlation with the action shown. As is was apparent from watching these trailers and others along with them, sound was a key point to making a successful trailer, as previously stated; it creates atmosphere and helps emphasise any action or situation that may occur within the trailer.
Our music choice was quite limited as we knew that copy righted music was not an option for our trailer, so we had to look for copyright free music. This led us to a site by the name of www.royaltyfreemusic.com, there were a few songs we found interesting, including Final Goal. The problem with this song in particular was the sponsors kept announcing their name above the track every 5 seconds or so, making the track an obsolete choice. Soon after it was apparent to us that all songs on this website included this interrupting feature so the case was to find another website that was efficient and had what we needed. This led us to a site by the name of www.soundzabound.com. This website had an array of high-quality songs than previously seen on the other site, but after reading some of the terms and conditions of this website, we found out that you would have to pay for the music which we felt was unnecessary due to our lack of funding and the inconvenience and hassle of the website. Some of the songs we found that initially interested us on the website were titled Surge and Hard Slam.
The next website we tried was called www.freeplaymusic.com, this was by far the best and most trustworthy of websites we had tried and checked, as there was no announcing and no payments needed. The first song we came across was named "Bouncing", but after us as a group listened to it properly we decided it wouldn't be suitable for our film particularly. The next three we came across were exactly what we had imagined and needed in our film, there were entitled Eliminator, Mugshot and Apocalypse. But after searching through more songs and listening to samples from the website, we found one more of interest which was called "Human". We then listened to the songs over again, and discussed the songs and our opinions on them and listened to each others opinions, and decided which bits from each track would sound advantageous and successful in our trailer. We decided that the first 24 seconds of "Mugshot" were suitable and fast rock paced intro. Other sections of Mugshot from "Mugshot" that we particularly liked was a section in the middle from 37-50 seconds and and then from 1.26 to 1.50. The ending of the song from 2.27 till the very end we thought would sound excellent at the end of our trailer to create a certain atmosphere to end the action on. The next song "Eliminator" also has a beginning that we particularly liked, so we chose 0-8 seconds as an acceptable section of the song. Other parts of the song we liked were 8-26 seconds and then 1.31 till 1.55 seconds. We also took note of 2.15 as around that point there is a accomplished feel to the song. Our third song in which we took bits from was "Apocalypse". This song has a particularly satisfactory section from the start to 24 seconds, creating a effective atmosphere, we also enjoyed 24-36 and 36-1.00, and finally 1.10 to 2.00. As we believed this would help emphasise action in our trailer and create a specific atmosphere.
Mugshot, Eliminator and Apocalypse are all quite heavy rock songs, which created a sense of action which we needed, but we felt we needed another song to counterbalance all the heavy music to make it sound perfect, that is when we came across the song "Only Human". This is a slow song that is key to building up tension and suspense in our trailer for the audience. What we liked about this song is the beginning of it, and how it fits the genre of our film and the feel of our idea perfectly. Another song we discovered whilst looking at the slow songs section is "On The Trigger". We especially liked the opening 40 seconds of this song, as again it created the perfect build up for our plot line and action.
Once we have created and started to edit our trailer, it may be more clear to us which songs might not fit or if there are any changes that need to take place, but for the time being we feel these tracks chosen, fit our action film trailer and create the kind of atmosphere, and emphasise the kind of action that we need to follow our plot line, making it sound right and as perfect as possible.

"A" Trailer Story board

This is the groups story board for our movie trailer "A"

Synoptic treatment

The action genre is always exciting and eye opening in terms of cinema. Through these action films we can see the impossible being made look like the possible, we escape reality, and we relate to these heroes, as they are similar to somebody we may have always aspired to be. These heroes, these vigilantes, are the heroes we always dreamed of being, and the genre of action does it best in terms of really showing the fans of this genre, how that dream would be in reality.

A is an ex police officer whos life suddenly takes a turn for the worse when he finds himself in a hospital after awakening from a coma, alone and finding his arm replaced with nanotechnology, he is crushed under grief.
Looking at his arm he is confronted with a flashback, to the first day of his job as a police officer, from briefing to his first ever arrest. As A comes back to reality the protagonist is surrounded by soldiers from the military, announcing that he is now property of the government and cannot leave or action will be taken. Being disorientated and angry a fight scene begins as he fights the soldiers off and manages to escape successfully. The protagnoistis then forced to hide around Chicago, where he is in search of the airport as he desperately wants to return home. As he enters the airport, the FBI have flooded the building, and suddenly spot him, and begin to chase him. He attacks the FBI agents hitting them high in the air as his arm transforms into a giant fist, still confused by these events he manages to escape quickly. A soon enters a bar, seeing the tv screen in an instant, noticing that there is no escape from chicago as the airport is blocked off. As he puts his head into his hands, a man beside him, named Hector, asks him what the problem is. A explains his situation to this stranger, and informs A that he can help. as A leaves the bar, he passes out in an alleyway, causing another flashback about his family that he cherishes, his wfe and young child. As he awakens he is in a maffia office in front of Don Devici, who he asks if it is possible for him to help him home. Devici accepts this offer, but asks for one thing; the arm in return, which he agrees. In a turn of events as A leaves, the mafia corner him double crossing him planning to kill him, as the shoot he deflects the bullets with his transformed shield. As he kills the gangsters off he decides to take Hectors offer, and pays him a visit. Here Hector and A discuss their plan to escape from Chicago, unforunately moments after leaving Hectors home, A falls unconscieous under the city bridge from exhaustion. Another flash back is put forward, to the day of his cause of endless pain, the loss of his arm. From this the understanding of how and why he lost it is discovered. Waking up he again is surrounded by the military and his only option is to fights out of anger and in search of revenge. As the battle ends he is then confronted by the mafia, bringing the battle to and end has a courageous battle between 3 powerful figures begins. Don Devici, Lt. Kenneth and A. This fierece battle draws to an end as we learn the secrets of A's past and his reason for being chosen; a tolerance to the nanotech and responding to it far beyond any other subject, and with this could potentially be used to put America at the forefront of all major conflicts. As this story comes to an end Devici's life is taken brutally leaving A in trouble with the Lt, after a long struggle A is captured, but with faith in A's mind Hector, the man who has been trying to save A since he was a boy blinds Lt Kenneth, and Hector leads A off on a boat, escaping Chicago and the painful secrets it had within it.

Action conventions

The largest convention seen and used in action films is as the genre suggests, is action. These films rely on fast paced, violent scenes as the plot line and characters (which critics call "2d": no depth to the characters) are usually weak and panned by critics. However, action films are a big hit in the box office, in the several sub-genre's it splits into.
The target audience for the action films is generally males between the age of 15 and 35, as they are drawn to the action and explosions and can withstand a weaker storyline. Also, they can relate to the main character a lot easier as they are usually male and the females are usually left to be more of the minor characters who become the main characters "fancy" or usually saving the woman. With this the vulnerability of the female characters act as a foil to the male ones, the male seems more empowered and has a higher state of importance than the female, a prime example of this is in the movie Spiderman (2002), with the character of Mary Jane. We see her to be a vulnerable and predictable character which shows the strengths in the main character, Peter Parker.

However in more recent films they have tried to fix these errors, by making a more sustainable and plausible storyline e.g The Dark Knight or Ironman, and also use alot of more females as the main main role for example Lara Croft or Elektra.
The modern day action film has been developed from the biggest name in the genre, James Bond. The fast cuts, car chases, gadgets, gunfights and explosions have been the starting point for the whole genre.
This also moulded the generic hero, a womaniser who could get what he wanted, escape crazy situations and out smart the villain, with his whit and charm.
Another popular action hero is the renegade cop, who doesn't abide by the rules yet always takes out the bad guy and is popular with everyone.
Since films like Die hard and Dirty Harry, there has been a large rise in the amount of 'Anti-heroes', who do not play by the rules, but try and save the day regardless. Such films include Iron Man, Watch men, and Punisher.
The Iconography in action films tend to be a time limit, and it counting down, explosions, gunfire, tattered clothes, witty lines, being able to escape impossible situations, and foreign villains who seek revenge.

Certain Iconography for Action films include:
Cars - James bond, Transporter, Bad boys, Indiana Jones, The Dark Knight
Weaponry - James bond, Bad boys, Terminator, Indiana Jones, Lord of the Rings
Helicopters - Die hard, Bad boys
Headquarters - Buildings for villains, or Heroes - James bond, Dark Knight, Ironman
Police badges - Bad boys
Explosives - Rambo, Terminator, Transporter, Indiana Jones
Priceless artifacts - Indiana Jones, Lord of the Rings
Suits - James bond, transporter, Kill Bill, Pulp Fiction
Gadgets - James Bond, Iron man, Matrix, Gamer, Spiderman, The Dark Knight
Sunglasses - James bond, Bad boys, Rush hour
Rock music - Matrix, Gamer, Transformers, Iron man

History of Action Trailers

Our group has researched the history of action trailers and has noted and covered many areas of it ensuring we grasp the full knowledge of the genre. Ever since the 1970's, the genre of action has been a very successful and thriving attribute to the film industry. One of the very first action trailers was the film Dirty Harry released in 1971, this theatrical trailer was very different from trailers you see today as it uses a vast amount of clips from the film, giving alot of the plot away in a matter of seconds. 5 clips were used and last around 30-45 seconds, almost all the dialogue within the trailer is diegetic, but there is a little amount of narration (non-diegetic) sound in during the beginning and end of the trailer. In comparison the the trailers we see in this day and age, this one isnt as in your face or full of action and special effects. The director seems to strain the popularity of clint eastwood as he is repeatedly depicted. The trailer seems to give too much away and slightly ruins the story and may ruin the film for fans who wish to see the film in theatres.

In the 1983 film "Scarface" this trend seems to drag on as it introduces the character Antonio Montana, as we see him speaking to the police, and them focusing on him. There is then a cut to a voiceover and the titles showing the name of the film and the leading role in both the graphic and the non-diegetic sound.
This method is quite similar to the film Dirty Harry, as this again relies on the popularity of the actor, and also the fans love for the actor. With this however, the similarities come toward an end, as there are long scenes, but these are cut to quick sequences of action and explosions. Also the narrator gives less of the plot line away in the trailer, telling significant parts of the story but not exposing too much of the plotline, but rather helping tell part of the story to create excitement for the audience. Within the last section of the trailer we are shown the name of the film and the leading actor (Al Pacino), and this way of selling the actor was a convention for movie makers back then.
Edging toward the end of the 1980's trailers became more contemporary, with such films as Die Hard (1989). This trailer begins with the non-diegetic sound of a narrator telling a tale of Christmas, with non-diegetic festic themed music playing faintly in the background. The scene cuts as a juxtaposition is revealed, as there is a new scene with action introduced rather than the tranquility portrayed previously, as the action progresses we can see gunfire and other violent occurences. The trailer uses certain sequences from the film, using alot of fast cuts, which are almost seperated by the sound of gunfire, this creating a new convention to the action genre; a match on action with the diegetic sound within a trailer. The narrator does not announce the actors name to try and sell the film, as they use the action and quality of film to get the audiences attention, showing them what this film has to offer.
This brings us to the more recent contemporary trailers, with this in mind we specifically focused on Transporter 3 (2008). The trailer begins quietly, with the diegetic sound of the characters talking in a slow pace, describing their jobs, with some soft non-diegetic music playing over the conversation. The music then stops as the protagonist begins to speak, and the action from there on begins to build up gradually. The action depicted includes alot of quick explosions and fighting sequences, these being the main conventions of action movies in a contemporary sense.
The trailer again then slows down, as more of the story is described, this is followe with an array of clips of fast cars, fighting, guns, explosions and sexual imagery, with this there is minimal voiceover, except for the tagline and the film name with a brief mention of the leading actors name. This shows some stark contrast of what we have seen in the more historical film trailers such as Dirty Harry, with the slow scenes and voiceovers, with a mixture of the Die Hard genre; Guns, explosions and a large amount of action. As we can see, some of the techniques from the more historical films (Dirty Harry 1971, Die Hard 1989) have been reused, mixed concepts and conventions from an array of older action films, this being; slightly revealing plot line, minimal voice over and alot of action with slow parts compressed within. Thus overall this created an improved convention for trailers, reusing older concepts and conventions together creating a fast, less revealing trailer, which builds upon antisipation and excitement for the viewing public.

Change to genre conventions.

In the last few decades conventions have changed for the genre of action films, and the trailers they use when advertising their motion pictures. From researching trailers from a few decades ago, compared contemporary trailers, we can see that there are significant differences, such as ... and that there has been a huge change to the genre of action especially in trailers. Recently trailers have focused more on the action involved with the 'action' themed films and their respective trailers, though historically there was quite a significant difference (such as seen in films like in the amount of action and build up the trailer created, and the tension it created for the audience itself. In modern day trailers we can see that there is use of special effects, the fact that they couldnt use effects in the older trailers means they had to show more plot rather than lots of action etc. For example in the James Bond film, From Russia with love (1963), the trailer reveals significant aspects of the plot, and alot of cuts of the scenes in the film, with considerable length, and quite a lack of action. But in the film Quantam of Solace (a more modern day James Bond released in 2008), we can see that there is a slow build up, which is something different from From Russia with love, as it is using less scenes and more suspense to build the tension for the audience.
Gradually the action builds up, creating certain effects for the audience, making them excited, making them want to watch the film because of the action and special effects used within the trailer, where as we can see in comparison to the older trailer is totally different and doesnt leave the audience in suspense etc, this has been realised over time and has created a change to genre conventions, i.e the special effects and suspense. Thus the example proves the point that the main difference between trailer conventions from decades ago, and modern day action trailers is the action and suspense.