Sin City Trailer

This is the trailer for Sin City(2005). I really like this trailer because it uses characteristics of film noir and the comic like effect. I like the fact that there is a lot going on in the trailer because it makes it more interesting to watch and doesn't give any of the film away.

The genre of the film is Action/Crime/Thriller. The mention of murder and police sirens suggests the crime genre and then the fast-paced editing and action later on in the trailer shows that the genre is action and thriller too. This would appeal to a wider audience because it falls into the category of three different genres, also making it more exciting.

This trailer has the typical characteristics of film noir, for example the urban landscapes, low-key lighting, shadows, and canted camera angles. This is really effective because it adds mystery.

I like the drawings of the characters used in the trailer because it gives it a comic-like effect, which is cool and it appeals to a younger audience. The bursts of colour between the B&W is also effective because it makes the trailer interesting to watch. It also highlights things that the audience should notice. The red writing is effective because it stands out against the B&W background. It is also like a reoccurring motif and shows prominence and represents the sin in the city.

As far as sound is concerned, there is a voice-over explaining the situation of the character being framed for murder. It is said in a low quiet voice, which is effective because it sounds mysterious. There is a music track throughout as well as diegetic sound like the thunder and rain.

There are some good camera shots used, including close-ups like at the beginning to introduce the audience to the characters. Zooming, like in the car when the camera zooms in on the guy with the blood on his face to emphasise this. Also a lot of different angles, for example at the end there is a low-angle shot looking up, making the character seem superior.

Lists

Shooting Schedule
???

Costumes

Police- uniforms

everyone else in normal clothes

Location List

• Alexandra Park
• Woods
• Office
• Bedroom
• 'News Room'

Prop List

Gun (Fake obviously)

Drawer

Photos

Blood (Fake obviously)

Actors List
Allen Spencer- Dan
Policeman #1- ???????????
Policeman #2- ???????????????
Tia Smith/Victim#1- Lisa
Dr. Lauren Avril- Me :P
Victim #2- Chris
Victim #3- ??????????????
Victim in the woods- ????????????????

Our Storyboard

This is our first draft of our storyboard for our trailer.
As you can see, it is in the style of film noir, which i believe is extremely effective especially for our genre of horror.
We have described the cinematography, mise-en-scene, sound, and editing under each of the pictures.

Our Moodboard

This is our moodboard that we used in our pitch to portray our ideas about the styles, inspiration, conventions and themes of our trailer.
In case you can't read what it says I will type it here...

Styles: Colour, spotlights, canted angles, film noir, low-key lighting, B&W, high and low angles, diegetic sound, shadows.

Inspiration: The machinist (because it's a horror), Memento (because of the narrative- starts at the end), Animal (because of the storyline- the main character does things in his sleep without realising).

Themes: Murder, pshycological, crime, good vs. evil, horror.

Conventions:
Cohere: sound, camera angles, lighting, editing, themes.
Rejects: Plot/Storyline, no real ending, heroes lose, characters.

Our Slideshow

Below is a copy of our slideshow that we showed during our pitch. It shows all our initial ideas for the characters and storyline of the film.

Narrative

Structure

Most film structures support Todorov's theory which says that all film narratives follow a three part structure:
Equilibrium- everything is normal and balanced.
Disequilibrium- There is a disruption.
and then back to equilibrium when everything is all fine and happy again.

Let me give you an example of this using the film, Pirates of the Caribbean. It starts off like any other Todorov theory following film with everybody happy and everything fine.
Then there is a disruption in the perfectly happy world when the pirates come and kidnap Kiera Knightly.
Finally at the end all is well again when kiera knightly and orlando bloom fall in love.
And there you have it. A perfect example of Todorov's theory.

Characters

The theorist, Vladmir Propp, came up with the theory that all films only have a certain number of characters. For example the Hero, Villain, heroine, father, and the donor. They also have certain characteristics to identify these characters.
The Hero often leads the narrative, he does not neccessarily have to be male or have super powers.
The Villain usually conflicts with the hero and looks wierd or different.
The heroine is usually female (but can be male if the hero is female) and is usually pretty and is some sort of prize for the hero.
The father character is the authoritive figure in the film.
The helper is the wingman of the hero, for example Robin is Batmans helper.
The Donor helps the hero in some way an example of a donor is the butler in the film 'The Dark Knight'.