If I Stay Trailer Analysis

At the beginning of the trailer the screen is black and all you can hear is footsteps. I like this because it adds suspense to where the footsteps are leading too. Then you see the main character walking on stage with a chello from an establishing shot and three people sitting down in front of her in a massive stadium which shows the audience that she is in some sort of audition which is important. The sound of the chello starts to play as we are pointed towards a ceiling which we then learn that is is the ceiling from Juilliard painted on her ceiling so she becomes familiar with the setting and isn't put off by nerves. By the opening of the trailer we can already tell that the film is based on her music talents by the way  the main focus is on music and her playing it shown by many close ups. The sound of her playing the chello continues throughout the first half of the trailer which I really liked because it creates a dramatic feel to the film and also speeds up when happy bits of the film are shown.  For my film, I will use different music to create different moods of the film. I plan for my trailer to start happy and end sad so will use two different types of music to show this then maybe add another piece of music to transition between the two.

The use of editing in the trailer is really effective by including many fade to blacks at the beginning, middle and end of the trailer to show the target audience that there is always an element of drama happening so they are intrigued to watch. Each sequence used to create a different effect. At the beginning it is shown to introduce some of the many settings. Then in the middle it creates suspense to the car crash to make the audience worried about what is happening. At the end they are used to show the memories she’s had with everyone important in her life. I think the use of editing is really effective in this movie trailer because it creates different moods in the trailer. When Adam is first introduced, a lot of dissolves are used which shows his importance by having loads of clips of him rolled into one sequence. A lot of low angle shots are used on him which paints him as being a powerful figure in the story of If I Stay and immediately shows that he is the love interest in the story. For my trailer I will use different transitions to create different moods as I have now seen how effective this is to introduce characters.

The change of music after the crash works really effectively because the music really slows down which is effective as it could be related to her heartbeat slowly deteriorating. Also it is a well known song to make audiences more attracted to the trailer because they know the song. The song is Say Something by A Whole New World which is a sad song so adds to the dramaticness of the trailer. The piano of the song is a really deep, harsh sound.