- 1. ROMANCE GENRE ANALYSISByCharlotte Addison
2. THE VOWI believe this shot of the food is used right near the
start of thetrailer as it allows the audience to know that this
film is going tobe about a love/close relationship between two
people;therefore justifying romance. I also believe that they
havechosen to use a close up to emphasise that this is going to
bebased on a love story as well as being able to see it
clearlythrough the close up therefore as an audience member you
areunable to miss it.This is the follow on shot from the move in
close up, I feel they haveused a close up to highlight and again
put the emphasis on the strongbond between these two people. It
also again reiterates the fact that it is agenre romance due to the
close up on the stereotypical looking in toeach others eyes close
up which is also a typical convention of romancegenres. The setting
of this is also placed within the home which is knownto be a calm
and welcoming place therefore it expresses the passionbetween this
couple as it shows how comfortable these two are with
eachother.Fade/blackouts transitions are a typical convention of
teasertrailers due to them being quick and therefore needing to get
tothe point is really important. It is also used typically when
tryingto portray the past or a flashback of something significant;
inthis case a tragedy which is again another convention ofromance
genres. 3. This shot is when the audience are first presented with
thetragedy of this love story genre; it is also a common
accidentthat often occurs during romances as the audience
membersknow that car accidents can be fatal. I believe they
havechosen to use a big lorry with snow as it excites the
audienceand gets them interested for what is going to happen next
dueto knowing that the impact could be massive. This shot
ispresented within a flash back and therefore is telling the
storyof this couple and how their life have been affected from
it.This medium shot is set within the hospital after the accident
where thegirl is unaware of what has happened and therefore
expresses herconfusion when she actually says to her partner was
anyone else hurtdoctor. As she is in a hospital bed with a pulse
monitor on her fingerand an oxygen tube up her nose, it exposes to
the audience to the factthat this accident was bad and therefore is
going to put a strain on theperfect relationship she had with her
boyfriend. This is also a slightlyhigher angle which I believe have
been used to put emphasis on howsmall she is feeling right now due
to not being aware of what hashappened.During this shot a voice
over is used to express the guysthoughts by saying I need to make
my wife fall in love withme again therefore showing the strain and
frustration thatthe accident has put on the relationship that once
was sopassionate before. This is a convention of a romance genreas
it is highlighting the tragedy that is stereotypically usedwithin
romances as well as showing how much he loves hiswife and how hard
it is for them which also allows theaudience to empathise with him.
4. This over the shoulder shot is used purposely to make
theaudience see what Paige, the lady is watching as it is
herwedding video which therefore is allowing her to try andremember
what her life was like and how important he is toher. I believe it
is also shown to allow the audience to feelpart of her sadness as
she is unable to understand what hashappened to her and therefore
seeing what her life was likeallows the audience to engage and feel
sympathy towardsher which is a strong convention of romance
genres.The holding and the kiss of the hand is a very
stereotypicalconvention of a romance genre as it reinforces
theconnection between Paige and Leo even though she isunaware and
cannot remember anything about him. Ibelieve that a close up has
been chosen as it allows theaudience to really focus in on the
characters and thereforefeel part of their romance which creates
them to feelendearing towards to them.The title of the film is a
convention of every teasertrailer that is often shown towards the
end. I believethis is used as it allows the audience to clearly see
thename of the film which therefore would hopefully stickin their
head so when the film is released they willremember it which will
lead to them wanting to go andsee it; as a result the company are
able to make moremoney. 5. SOUND- THE VOW
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sazgoZaFUBgAt the start of the
trailer the only sound that is shown is thespeaking of the wedding
that took place in a museum that theybroke in to; I believe they
have chosen to do this to highlight theimportance of that one key
moment of the film. The sound playedis quite upbeat after the
wedding to reinforce the new journeythat has begun. At the scene of
the crash the sound focuses inon the horn of the lorry as it
implies and puts an emphasis to theaudience about the negative
impact that is about to happen.During the hospital scene the
audience can only hear the soundof the actors dialogue, I feel the
produces have chosen to do thisto again, highlight the importance
of the scene as it has a greatimpact on the connection and future
between the two characters.The sound in the following scenes is
often quite dramatic andquicker paced, I feel this is to show the
frustration and strain thatboth characters are feeling towards one
another as Paige cannotremember or understand anything like before
and therefore Leois finding it hard to cope. 6. SAFE HAVENA
landscape long shot towards the start of theteaser trailer is a
typical convention as it sets thescene and allows the audience to
grasp a feel ofwhat the film is going to be like. The bus
alsosymbolises that this film is going to be about aperson on a
long journey that may impact on theirlife.This medium close up
highlights the impact that leavinghas caused on this girl, I
believe it has been used in thiswas to emphasis that she is in
hiding and therefore themedium close up allows the audience to see
theexpressions on her face. The fact that she is gazing out
thewindow could engage that audience and make themwonder what she
is thinking about and therefore makethem want to carry on watching
the trailer, also known asan enigma.A flash back of the main
characters past is atypical convention used within a romance as
itallows the audience to understand and feelempathy towards the
characters tragic past. 7. A meet cute- Showing when the two
maincharacters meet is an important shot to have withina trailer as
it highlights the romantic genre right fromthe start. It also sets
the scene as within this trailera stereotypical boy meets girl
unexpectedly scenewas used which is commonly used when telling
aromantic story.During romantic films there is usually an object or
a placethat connects two people together, in this case the
guysstayed up all night making a bike for the girl he had onlymet
yesterday. This engages the audience andencourages them to feel
happiness towards the guy as heclearly feels something towards the
lady. As he left it byhis door it therefore gets her to speak to
him to say thankyou, as it only shows a shot clip of this in the
trailer itwould make the audience want to know more andtherefore
want to make them watch the whole film. Thesetting of this scene is
also within his shed or garagewhich would indicate that he made it
at home thereforetaking time out of his day; this again puts
emphasis on theromantic genre trying to be shown. 8. Showing when
the film is going to be released is animportant convention of
trailers as it informs andencourages the audience to remember that
date andtherefore will allow the company to make more moneythrough
the film. In contrast teaser trailers usually use aComing Soon take
on it as it interests the audience tofollow and look out for the
full trailer so they can be madeaware of when the film is going to
be released. This createsanticipation which is what a teaser
trailer is there to do, as aresult I will ensure I use this within
my teaser trailer.All of these shots used arevery stereotypical of
romanticgenres. For example, the mid-shotof the rowing implies
afirst date which is also set in aromantic settings.As well as the
mid shot of the kiss putting emphasis on theromance and passion
between these two characters.These shots were all shown over a
matter of seconds toonly give some sighting to what the film is
about; thereforeintriguing the audience members. As a result I am
going totry and recreate these kind of shots within my
romanticteaser trailers. 9. Within these four shots a typical
convention of romantic genres is displayed due to itshowing the
girl running away with her hood up to indicate danger to the over
theshoulder bed shot showing and putting emphasis on the fact she
was in danger andtherefore the guy had been keeping her safe. As a
result, the guy ended up breakingin to a burning building just to
save her even though he had only known her for ashot period of time
the romance and passion between them was clearly indicated asit
shows he was willing to go to extreme lengths to find her. The use
of the fire alsoallows the audience to feel part of the film as
they can empathise with the charactersemotions as well as being put
on edge, the pacing of these edits is also quick tohighlight
further than something big was about to happen but also that she
needed toget away quickly. 10. Happy ever after is a typical story
line used throughout romanticgenres where two people meet, they
fall in love and then a tragedyhappens but they always work it out
in the end. These two shotshighlight this as the location set is
around where they first met whichmakes it more romantic and the
mid-shot of them hugging highlightsthat she feels safe and secure
now that she has him back again. Theclose up of them in the bed
where they are both looking at theholding of the hands puts further
emphasis on the love connectionbetween these two characters; this
also highlights and allows theaudience to see that this is a
romantic genre. I also feel that the closeup highlights and puts an
emphasis on the emotions between thesetwo characters as if a wider
shot were to be used then the audiencewould be loose and therefore
be unable to see the full expression.The lighting used within this
shot also portrays a dream like, fantasyfeel which I feel is used
to show that these characters may feel that itis to good to be true
therefore adding to the romantic feel of thetrailer.Again in the
trailer the title of the film is displayed, this isan important
convention that would be expected to beshown within the teaser
trailer as it informs the audiencemembers about the name of the
film therefore allowingthem to look out for it when it is released.
The picture inthe background is also a key element of the film as
it iswhere the main filming took place as well as where thefirst
love connection between the two characters wasmade. 11. SOUND- SAFE
HAVEN http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3y8fFPPgdAThroughout the
whole of this trailer a dramatic and romantic sound isplayed within
the background with the dialogue of the characters put overthe top;
I believe that because the story line is quite dramatic it was
moreimportant to hear the dialogue of the characters over the sound
playedhowever the sound adds further passion and romance of the
overalltrailer. Again like other romance genres, the music stopped
at keymoments of the film; for example when they first meet in the
shop and heasks her to go canoeing, I feel this is to highlight
that key moment andallow the audience to pay full attention to it
as it is when the produceshave placed a meet cute within the film.
Open up, everything's waitingfor you is one of the only lines of
the sound played in the backgroundthat the audience can hear which
is played when the girl is assessing hersituation and whether she
wants to start letting the guy become closewith her. I believe the
producer cleverly used this to emphasise herthoughts and what
everyone is telling her to do therefore allowing theaudience to
feel part of the film and allowing them to feel the desperationfor
her to open up to the guy. 12. DEAR JOHNBoy notices girl is a very
typical shot used within romanticfilms. Not only does it display
who the main characters aregoing to be but it also displays how two
people from differentlives and situations can become so close. The
medium closeup of this shot also allows the audience to focus in on
thecharacter whilst also doing an eye-line cut to show the longshot
of the girl standing talking with her friends without evennoticing
him.The fact that her bag fell off the pier in to the waterand he
saved it is a strong convention of romancegenres as it allows the
boy to first interact with the girlhe had noticed. The fact that
this scene is set on thebeach is also a typical location due to it
being thoughtof as a romantic place to be with an individual. 13.
This long shot of the boy and the girl walkingalong the beach not
only sets the scene but alsoallows the audience to engage in the
romanticmood and atmosphere that is being put across.The sun
setting the background also emphasisesthis.A Medium close up of the
girl looking at this guythat she has just met portrays the romantic
feel ofthe film really well. This is because the audience isable to
see how love stuck she is gazing in to hereyes whilst also seeing
the candle lights in thebackground which again, reiterates the
romanticatmosphere within the film.The fact that the producers have
included another wellknown romantic film within the opening scenes
of thetrailers allows the audience to know that not only is it
aromance genre but also the fact that the author had writtenanother
famous romantic film before. The positive effect ofthis therefore
allows the audience to be more eager to notonly carry on watching
the trailer but also to see the film asthey are aware that the
notebook is a well known andbrilliant film. 14. This is the first
point in the trailer where the audience getan insight to what the
guy does with his time. The armyuniform is a well known and
recognizable symbol for thearmy therefore giving the audience a
clue about the factthat this happy ever after relationship might
not lastforever.The location within this scene is a typical
romantic placeto be as they are looking up at the clear sky towards
themoonlight. The fact that it is a medium long shot frombehind
also allows the audience to see the setting fromthe characters
perspective therefore adding to theromantic feel of the overall
trailer.A medium close up of the two characters kissing isa strong
and widely used shot within romantic filmsas it highlights the love
connection andexaggerates the passion that the characters
feelwithin that moment. The fact that the producershave also chosen
to perform the shot whilst rainingagain, implies and reiterates the
fact that it is aromance genre due to kissing in the rain
beingassociated with love and passion. 15. The tragedy has stuck
again within another romancegenre, therefore conveying the strong
convention oftragedies occurring with romantic films. In this case
itsthe fact the guy has to go back to the army, the mid shotallows
the audience to see the shock and disappointmenton her face as well
as the location emphasising this dueto it being a casual place to
find out.This long shot reiterates the point that this guys
dutiesare serious as it shows the landscape and the feel thatthese
men are about to go and fight within the army. Italso highlights
the sadness that the girl is going to feelwhen she has to say
goodbye.The fact that the girl is clinging on to the guys
armclearly shows the audience that she does not want tolet go and
that she loves him to much. Also the fact youcan see him in his
army gear also emphasizes that sheis not going to see him for quite
some time andtherefore the love connection between them is going
tohave to be strong in order for their relationship tosurvive. 16.
Where they first met, where they say goodbye. This midshot of the
couple is again set in the romantic beach locationwhere they first
met, however this time its to say goodbye;the beach creates the
audience to feel sympathy andsadness for the two characters as they
are having to overcome this obstacle that is stopping them from
being togetherfor the time being.The location of this mid shot
allows the audience to see how eventhough he is doing something so
great for his country he is stillmissing her so much and is clearly
thinking about it whilst out onduty. The is a typical convention of
love as quite often whenrelationships struggle it effects
individuals day to day tasks.The letters written to one another is
an iconic symbol usedthroughout the film as it is the only way this
couple caninteract with one another. Therefore every time one
anothergets a letter it allows the audience to become
endearingtowards the characters as they know that it is going to
makeboth the girl and both extremely happy. Within these twoshots
you are also able to see that both the characters usetheir only
free time to write/read these letters as well asbeing able to see
how opposite the location settings are toone another which puts
further emphasis on the fact they arein two completely different
places far away from eachanother. 17. Within these scenes the
romantic genre is strongly portrayed;this is due to the medium long
shots of the girl jumping on himwhich highlights how much she has
missed him. The fact thatthey passionately kiss also puts emphasis
on the fact thatthese two character's have a strong connection and
thereforedo not want the fact they dont see each other often to
ruin it.The setting on this scene is also in the airport which is
atypical convention used throughout romance genres, the
busybackground with the random passengers looking at these
twocharacters allows the audience to really focus on the mainpoint
of the scene. Another example of a film that did this isLove
Actually.The strain on the relationship begins to grow, the
toppicture really shows this due to the over the shouldershot of
the girl allowing the audience to see the guyfrom her perspective
therefore being able to see thefrustration on his facial
expressions. The bottom closeup of her face engages the audience as
it makes themfeel sympathy for her because as an audience memberyou
are able to clearly see the tears building up withinher eyes. The
fact that she is also gazing out thewindow implies that she cannot
stop thinking abouthim; a strong convention of romance genres. 18.
This two shot of the guy and his dad is a common convention
ofromances due to the fact that although him and his girlfriend
arefeeling the strain, relationships that were rocky in the first
place arenow becoming stronger. This allows the audience to see his
dad inhospital where he is clearly very ill and although they did
not alwaysget along; everything is put to the side which as an
audience memberwould make me to feel empathy towards the two
characters.A flashback, again used within another romance genre
thereforebeing a common convention. Within this scene the audience
areexposed to the true emotions that the guy is feeling as he
driveshome. The close up allows the audience to see how upset he
isbut also the fact that he is in a car driving is a typical
location asdriving is often related to clearing your head and
thinking aboutyour life problems. The bottom shot of the two
kissing and beingintimate also adds further emphasis to the fact
that he is sofrustrated about the strain and rocky relationship
that hasprogressed between him and the girl as he cant stop
thinkingabout the good memories they had already created.The title
of the film has appeared in every teaser trailerthat I had watched
therefore being a convention that I willmake sure I use within my
teaser trailer. It also allows theaudience to be exposed to the
name which therefore canallow them to remember and recognize it
when it isreleased as a film. 19. SOUND- DEAR JOHN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLkTKkNXDp4The sound within this
teaser trailer is light, airy and fast paced.I believe that the
producers have chosen this type of sound toreiterate how fast the
relationship progresses and how quicklythings change throughout the
trailer. It also plays throughoutthe whole trailer whilst getting
louder and quieter in specificareas; for example when the
relationship begins to strain themusic goes quieter to allow the
audience to engage fully withthe story line.The sound also turns
silent on the kiss outside, I believe thisis used to emphasis the
passion and allow the audience toreally focus on and feel part of
that one romantic moment. Thevoice over of the characters gets
louder and quicker as thetrailer progresses as I believe this
highlights the desperationand stress that the characters feel from
being so far apart.
