Movie Trailers As Persuasive Texts
by Frank Baker copyright 2008
Introduction: Students love to watch film and they also love to go to the
movies. So they are already familiar with trailers used to
promote upcoming movies. Today, teachers and students can locate trailers via
the web, so they are more accessible than ever.
This is a resource for teachers who wish to consider using trailers to teach
students about persuasive texts and techniques.
Persuasion: Students should already know something about persuasive
writing and persuasive arguments. (e.g. what techniques do
writers use to convince us of something?) Students might also have previously
studied persuasion via advertising (print and non-print)
or via propaganda. It would be a good idea to review elements of
persuasion before diving into this lesson.
The Language of Film: Are your students aware that film is a text that
has a language all its own? Yes, elements of film need
to be understood by students, after which they will become "active" rather
"passive viewers" of film. For example, certain camera
angles will be used for certain purposes; specific music will convey an emotion;
lighting can be manipulated for effect. To help you and
your students get started, here is a
good web site which
has a complete explanation of the language of film. (Need more background?
Log onto the Media Literacy Clearinghouse's Motion
Picture website)
Why study film? "Anyone who has ever watched a movie with a
classroom full of teenagers knows that students are comfortable with
film and understand its power. By high school, they have watched thousands of
movies and television shows and unconsciously understand
the basic tools and conventions of the medium. Although they may still treat it
chiefly as passive entertainment, they can often be
sophisticated interpreters of the interplay of sound and image. They know --
often without knowing they know -- that the close-up on
an actor's face signifies something different emotionally from a long shot of an
actor across a distance. They know that certain kinds of
music indicate that a dramatic event is about to happen, and they know that
'fuzzy' camerawork can signal a dream sequence or
flashback in which we are inside a particular character's mind or point of
view." (Source)
Getting Started:
Ask students to brainstorm answers to these questions:
what are the "elements" of most film trailers?
who is the audience for the trailer? How do you know?
what is the audience told or shown? not told or shown? why?
what is the primary purpose of the trailer?
who creates/edits/produces trailers?
how are trailers distributed/disseminated?
what specific techniques are used in trailers?
what is the length of most trailers?
does watching a trailer make you desire more information?
Introducing Film
Trailers: worksheet to download and have students complete
Getting Started: Have students define and understand the following
terms/phrases/ideas:
Genre
Narrative
Location
Characters
Voice Over
Theme
Pacing
On-screen graphics
Editing & post production (includes Special Effects)
Music and other sound effects
Download: Student Worksheet
for Analyzing Film Trailers
as Persuasive Texts
Background
What is a movie trailer?
Trailers or previews are film advertisements for films that will be
exhibited in the future at a cinema, on whose screen they are shown. The
term "trailer" comes from their having originally been shown at the end of a
film programme. That practice did not last long, because patrons tended to leave
the theater after the films ended, but the name has stuck. Trailers are now
shown before the film (or the A movie in a double feature program) begins.
(Source: wikipedia)
also called teaser trailer:
A short trailer
which does not give very much at all away about a film. It is designed to arouse
curiosity and may appear a long time prior to the release of a movie (source:
mediaknowitall)
More about trailers:
Trailers consist of a series of selected shots from the film being advertised.
Since the purpose of the trailer is to attract an audience to the film, these
excerpts are usually drawn from the most exciting, funny, or otherwise
noteworthy parts of the film but in abbreviated form and without producing
spoilers. For this purpose the scenes are not necessarily in the order in which
they appear in the film. A trailer has to achieve that in less than two and a
half minutes, the maximum length allowed by theaters. Each studio or distributor
is allowed to exceed this time limit once a year, if they feel it is necessary
for a particular film. (Source:
wikipedia)
Where to locate movie trailers on-line:
AOL
Apple- movie trailers
Cinematrailers.net
Get-Trailers.com
Hollywood.com Trailers
Internet Movie Database Trailer Gallery
Movie-List - New and Classic Movie Trailers
TrailerStats
Trailers on TV: HD Net's The
Ultimate Trailer Show (showtimes vary)
NCTE Resources Involving Film Trailers:
Chapter: Turning Texts Into Movie
Trailers (from Lesson
Plans for Creating Media Rich Classrooms)
Book:
Reading
in the Dark: Using Film as a Tool in the English Classroom
Book:
Great
Films and How to Teach
Them
/
Study Guides for
12 Great Films CD-ROM
Recommended text/readings:
What happens when movie trailers include stuff NOT in the movie?
Coming Attractions: Reading American Movie Trailers
How to
Create A Compelling Film Trailer
Trailers: How a small time slot adds up to big industry headache
Recommended external links:
Create Your Own 'Sweeny
Todd' Trailer
Making Movie Trailers
Teach It: Trailers
Teaching Trailers
Using Film Previews to Practice Constructing Questions in English
Using Movie Trailers in an ESL CALL Class
Visual Rhetoric/Mediums and Manifestations of Visual Rhetoric
Making Book Trailers with Photo Story 3
Blog advice: Book video trailers