Sunday, 18 October 2009

Textual Analysis - Flight Plan (Thriller)

Cinematography

The first shot in this trailer is an establishing shot, which is of the plane at the airport before boarding. This shot is put there to let the viewer know the main location of the film, but also were the majority of the action in the film is going to take place. The use of an establishing shot is to make the viewer aware of the surrounding of the characters in the film, this shot does this perfectly in the way that this is where everything is happening.

In this film trailer, there is a lot of medium to close-up shots. A couple of examples of this is when the main character (Kyle Pratt) is shown and then it is cut straight to a medium to close-up shot of her daughter (Julia Pratt). This is done just after the establishing shot at the beginning of the trailer. This is done to show the viewer the main characters of the film, and to show their relationship with one another.

Another thing which is done in this trailer is the use of a medium shot of the two main characters, but having them in front of the plane, which is the main place of action. This is done to show the relation between the characters and the setting by putting them together in one shot.

Another main thing which is involved in this film trailer is that the movement of shots is fairly random, and the camera is moving in all directions. A Dutch tilt is also involved in this part of the trailer and this is done to add to the feel of it being panicked, rushed and disorientating. But as the camera is moving like this, the images being shown are ones of the inside of the plane. This add to the atmosphere of the film, but also shows where all this panic and rush is involved.

Another thing that had this effect is when all the different images on screen are being moved and switched quickly. Again, it makes the atmosphere feel rushed, and allows the viewer to feel what is being passed through the images.

Close-up shots are used quite a lot during this film trailer. I feel this adds to the suspense of the trailer and also creates a sense of mystery, as the veiwer cannot see everything that is going on, but only a diluted part of a shot. This would not only act as an advertising device to get the veiwer to want to see the film, but it helps towards how the viewer understands whats going on.

Another feature which is added into this film trailer is low angle shots of the main character. I feel this is done to make the viewer view the main character as vulnerable, which is how she is in the film, as she is the main victim of the plot to the film.

Editing

Included in this trailer, is over the shoulder shot. This is done to provide the viewer with a sense of continuity, as they are seeing the conversation from both sides, and it allows them to know it's in the same time frame and same setting. It also lets the viewer know who each person is talking to.

One main feature that has to be mentioned for all film trailers is the use of a montage. This is done in all film trailers to allow the viewer to see different scenes of the film in a short space of time, and gives a condensed version of the narrative, so that the viewer gets a feel of what is going on in the film, and gets them interested.

The cut from one image to another is done in a fast pace through out, this is done to give the viewer a feel of what it going on, but also so they can see as much as possible in the time the trailer is on.

Another feature of editing that can be mentioned is the use of match on action. An example from this trailer would be when she has broken through the ceiling of the toilet, and it switching and changing all the wires in the large wire box. This is match on action because we see her do this, and then we see the result, which is in the passenger area of the plane, where all the oxygen masks are falling down, and the lights are flickering.

Sound

The main thing included into the trailer is dialogue. This is seen in almost every trailer as it is the easiest way to get the narrative across to the viewer. This is because they get to here what is going on, from the characters point of view, but also see it on screen for themselves.

At the beginning of the trailer there is non-diegetic music which is calm and peaceful. This is done to show the difference between the beginning and end of the film, as the non-diegetic music changes from soft to a sharp banging sound, as if someone if banging on a sheet of steel. This allows the viewer to be aware of the changing atmosphere within the film.

At one point in the trailer, nearer to the beginning, the main character is describing the plane and what is inside it, but as she speaks it seems to change from diegetic, from when she was telling her daughter about it, to non-diegetic, as if she is telling the viewer about the plane. We could also tell this because she starts using more facts and figures, and more complex names that a young child of her daughters age may not understand.

As the climax to the film is shown in the trailer, the soft non-diegetic music slows, and eventually stops. This shows the change in atmosphere and gives the effect of anxiety. When the main character realises that something strange is happening and that it's not some kind of joke, the non-diegetic sound changes to loud bangs, that were described a couple of paragraphs back. As the trailer progresses, these bang get closer and closer together, showing that things are getting of a faster pace, and they are leading up to something.

Towards the end of the trailers, along with the past paced bang sounds, aeroplane sounds start coming into the non-diegetic sound. This, I feel is done to remind the viewer of where all the action is taking place, but perhaps to make them thing of where that particular sound is being made, and where future events in the film may take place.

Mise-en-scene

The first image on screen is of the aeroplane. It is important this is shown as it is the main setting for what is going on in the film. As well as this, is it shown in it proper environment, a airport, which gives it realism.

Another thing which is included into this trailer is the inside of the plane. Many different images are shown of the inside, which gives the viewer the effect of them being there, but also, again, gives a sense of realism, as it's an ideal double of what a plane is.

The main characters are both wearing dark coloured clothes, this relates them together, but also adds the narrative of the father/husband figure dying, as it shows that they are still in mourning for him. It could also relate to the fact the genre of the film is thriller, and one connotation of this genre is that it is quite dark, and they are portraying this through the use of their clothes.

Another thing which could portray the fact that this is a thriller is that is all based at night time, and this is usually where scary or unwanted things happen. It allows the viewer to also be aware of the time, and also allows them to relate to the fact that it's 'scary' as most people have connotations which the dark being like this.

At one point in the film, just after the pilot on that flight tells the main character her daughter has died, it cuts to an image of a coffin being closed by a man, which makes the viewer think that she is going crazy and that the young girl did die. This confuses the viewer and makes the gain interest into the film as they want to know what has happened to the girl.

At the end of the trailer, there is a image of the main character which an explosion behind her. There isn't anything else like this involved within the trailer, so it gives a clue as to something else that might be happening, and it also confuses the viewer more, which in turn with make them feel more interested in the film.

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