Cowboys and Aliens Trailer Evaluation

Camera shots:
Establishing shots are used to create the characters diegesis, they identify where the characters are living. Directly following the establishing shot there is a sequence of camera shots from long shot of Daniel Craig, to a mid shot; from this the audience are able to understand what era they are living in due to the clothing warn by the subject, we also understand where they live from the surroundings that they have been set in.  A small pan is used to focus from Daniel Craig to the technological alien device on his wrist, this is used to create mystery and curiosity between the historical and futuristic time lapse.

In the tavern an arc is used around Daniel Craig as he is the center of attention, he is a new visitor to the town and does not remember who he is, a female is walking around him as she is curious over him, this is why the camera arcs, as it is tracking the woman around Daniel Craig.  This mysterious encounter between the two characters appeals to the audience and causes them to want to watch the whole film as the relationship between the two is unexplained.

Over the shoulder camera angles are used to highlight the reactions of a character whilst they are conversing, we pay attention to the dialogue that is spoken which causes the reaction, this is again used in the tavern when the young woman says 'you don't remember anything', the gaps in the story and the unexplained relationships and events of the film presented in the trailer create the mystery and science fictional aspects of the trailer.

A wide angle is used when the aliens invade the town, the UFOs can be seen from a distance glowing an electric blue, we are able to see them vanish and reappear closer, after this shot the clips are short, fast paced and causes havoc and fear in not only the characters but the audience too, this imprints physiologically onto the viewer.  This is a common technique used in sci-fi mysteries.

The mystery of the trailer is emphasized when the camera focuses on the wanted poster that displays the reward money and the image of Daniel Craig's character, in doing this the subject of interest is upon who he is and why he is being hunted. In this short clip the audience know as little as the characters, we then want to know the answers to our questions by watching the film.

Sound:
Sharp, harsh breathing at the beginning catches the attention of the audience and jumps straight in to the action and mystery of the trailer as we do not know what state he is in and why he is lying in the middle of the desert.  There is no explanation why he is unconscious and where he has come from, this makes the start of the trailer very intriguing.

Fire burning and crackling in background is a use of pathetic fallacy as it imitates the heat of the surroundings as well as the stress and exhaustion of the characters, yet they have a burning desire to find the aliens, and their family and to survive.

The use of folly enhances the sounds that would be heard, to make them more dramatic and noticeable to the audience; folly is used to enhance the sound of the screams when the aliens attack, the audience are able to realize that the provoking danger is upon everyone; all genders, races and ages, we are not able to pin point upon why they are attacking or what they wish to gain, these questions are answered in the film.

The drones of the UFOs are enhanced by using folly again, this evokes fear as well as curiosity as the tension builds up from the increasing volume of the drone.

The exaggeration of the blade as the aliens are attacking provokes thoughts of the characters deaths and taps into the psychological reactions and fears of the audience.

Mise-en-scene:
The regular use of the electric blue colour in films defines the sci-fi genre, in this trailer it is used on the weapon strapped to the characters arm as it is a piece of alien technology, beyond the current time era; the aliens space ships also illuminate in the blue colour as they invade the town.  The colour is easily distinguishable and familiar to the audience when watching sci-fi films.
The contrast between the alien technology and the lack of technology that the historical humans have follows the conventions of the genre; aliens are seen as more powerful, advanced and dominant over humans, however they still choose to invade the human race for resources, questions are raised in suspicion to what the aliens in this trailer might want from the planet.

The Western, cowboy-like attire worn by the characters is an example of convention in sci-fi films, the time set is always based in the future or the past as it corresponds to the mystery and unknown events that may occur.

Low key lighting is used in multiple scenes when the aliens are present, this is because people typically are more afraid when their visibility is obscured and objects and places seem more mysterious and dangerous.  It also produces patterns and stereotypical perceptions of alien invasions being at night or in the dark as they are more illusive.


Narrative:
Very short clips of key narrative are used in the trailer to introduce the characters and the plot of the film, this is done without revealing any answers to the questions that the audience may develop throughout the trailer, for example the dialogue from one scene is continued in the next, this is done to link the characters and their conversation, in this trailer a young character says "are they demons?" and the main character, played by Daniel Craig says "why you askin' me?" this makes us think that the question is directed at him.  We are able to see the relationships and thoughts of the character, therefore narrating the plot discreetly.

Max Barry's Lexicon

I have read this book and have really enjoyed the plot behind it, it is unlike anything I have read before and think it has moving picture potential, this is why I have chosen this book to be the basis for my Advanced Production trailer.

Synopsis:
At an exclusive school somewhere outside of Arlington, Virginia, students aren't taught history, geography, or mathematics--at least not in the usual ways. Instead, they are taught to persuade. Here the art of coercion has been raised to a science. Students harness the hidden power of language to manipulate the mind and learn to break down individuals by psychographic markers in order to take control of their thoughts. The very best will graduate as "poets", adept wielders of language who belong to a nameless organization that is as influential as it is secretive.

Whip-smart orphan Emily Ruff is making a living running a three-card Monte game on the streets of San Francisco when she attracts the attention of the organization's recruiters. She is flown across the country for the school's strange and rigorous entrance exams, where, once admitted, she will be taught the fundamentals of persuasion by Bronte, Eliot, and Lowell--who have adopted the names of famous poets to conceal their true identities. For in the organization, nothing is more dangerous than revealing who you are: Poets must never expose their feelings lest they be manipulated. Emily becomes the school's most talented prodigy until she makes a catastrophic mistake: She falls in love.

Meanwhile, a seemingly innocent man named Wil Jamieson is brutally ambushed by two strange men in an airport bathroom. Although he has no recollection of anything they claim he's done, it turns out Wil is the key to a secret war between rival factions of poets and is quickly caught in their increasingly deadly crossfire. Pursued relentlessly by people with powers he can barely comprehend and protected by the very man who first attacked him, Wil discovers that everything he thought he knew about his past was fiction. In order to survive, must journey to the toxically decimated town of Broken Hill, Australia, to discover who he is and why an entire town was blown off the map.

As the two narratives converge, the shocking work of the poets is fully revealed, the body count rises, and the world crashes toward a Tower of Babel event which would leave all language meaningless. Max Barry's most spellbinding and ambitious novel yet, Lexicon is a brilliant thriller that explores language, power, identity, and our capacity to love--whatever the cost.

For more, here is a link to Max Barry's blog: Max Barry's Blog