Teaser Trailer Analysis

The Beauty and The Beast

The opening shot for The Beauty and The Beast trailer is the traditional Disney shot of the castle – this instantly allows the audience to connect the film with the popular film producer that is Disney; this is then clarified by the logo (wording) for Disney presented in the next few seconds.

The next two shots show different camera shots of the castle – by using the castle as a focus you can understand that the story which is going to be told is going to be of a princess vibe. However through the darkness of the lighting (low key lighting) the audience is tempted to believe that this princess and prince story has a twist.

The next scene shows a giant ballroom lit by sunlight through a window. Mise en scene shows massive chandeliers showing wealth as well as huge windows and beautifully decorated walls. However shortly following this shot is the shot shown on the right where the floor looks frosted over. This shot also shows that there is a grand piano in the middle of the ballroom like floor. The frost like floor suggests that maybe the ballroom hasn’t been used for a very long time and that there is a dark residence in this area.

This shot suggests that the castle like home hasn’t been looked after/lived in for a very long time as there is leaves on the artistic floors as the large window is left wide open. The floor also looks dirty which is emphasised because of the white floor that originally lies there.

Following through the theme of showing areas of the castle the next scene shows a view over a banister, where the source light is through candles – this creates the scene to have low key lighting as there isn’t a large source of light. This further explores the beauty of the castle and represents the lack in TLC which the castle has received.

This is a sharp focus shot on the candles on the large chandelier. The camera is looking down at the room below however still keeps a strong focus on the candles in the shot – which across the trailer seem to be the main light source. This also suggests a time period in which the film is meant to represent as this would typically only be a light source in the 17th/ 18th century.

The camera uses a mid shot to represent the painting which is hanging on the wall in the shot. The painting is surrounded by again candles and there is a massive drawn back curtain right beside the painting – this may suggest that the picture is often hidden – this suggests that this will be explored in the film. The camera then does a close up shot of one of the people in the picture which is closely followed by large scratch marks – almost beast like.

*(ROAR)*

Followed by this beast like scratch is a roaring sound which further adds to the idea that a beast like creature has created these vicious scratch marks on the face of one of the persons in the image. The screen is black which leaves the audience to their own imagination.

There is another mid shot; this time it is of the massive door which acts as the entrance to this large castle. However the door is broken and looks as if it has previously been barged through by a large being. This again further suggests the idea of a beast like creature being a resident in this castle. The only light source in this shot is that coming through the gap in the door which is slowly being opened

A long shot is used to show the outside perception of the door where it is now wide open – this allows the audience to question who was the person who has now entered the dark/devious castle.

*(Emma Watson – ‘hello’)*

Again another black screen is used – this time however a young females voice is being projected supposedly from behind the door in the previous shot. This voice is soft and subtle; this will allow the audience to believe that this is the ‘princess’ character in this movie.

An extreme close up is used of this rose suggesting that there is love in the film which is about to be shown. The colour red stereotypically connotes love, a rose is also consider to be a romantic gesture if given to a significant other. However controversially the colour red can also mean danger, so this may suggest a dangerous love story.

There is a sharp focus of the leaves in this shot leaving the rest to be slowly uncovered, where you finally see a character from the film. The rose which has previously been used as an extreme close up is now blurred and is being approached by what looks like a girl.

‘Be Our Guest’ is most famously known from the original film of The Beauty and The Beast, so this will give indefinite confirmation for the audience that this is a remake of the original film produced in the 1900’s.

Finally they close the trailer with details of when the film is released and who it is produced by.

Final Thoughts• Overall I think this is a really effective teaser trailer for its genre. This is a remake of

the well renowned film The Beauty and The Beast. Most of the previous audience will now be older, like me in their teens and young adulthood. I feel as though Disney have adapted the trailer so that it still attracts the previous audience of the film as well as attracting a new younger audience. By doing this is increases its secondary audience – potentially increasing the profits that they make from this film. From talking to some peers I have grasped that many of the millennials are very interested in watching the new version of The Beauty and The Beast as it brings home a bit of childhood that they are able to relive.

• The overall construction of the teaser trailer I feel is very well composed, it doesn’t give much away yet it is easily recognised as The Beauty and The Beast (of course if you have seen the original). The use of lighting and mise en scene is well used to show the heartbreak and loneliness of the beast who lives inside the castle walls. The innocence of Emma Watson’s character is well portrayed through the use of sound as she softly has one line in the teaser trailer of ‘hello’. Powerfully through one word you are able to understand that she is a caring and kind individual; just through the tone of her voice.