RESEARCH: WHY IS A FILM TRAILER MADE?

I look at three trailers on the Teaching Trailers Resource supplied by the FDA Online in order to further my understanding of why trailers are made and how they signal the film's genre.

The trailers I viewed were:

The Mustang

I gathered from the trailer of The Mustang that the film was a drama. I was able to infer this from the mature themes shown - the main character is in prison who is given the opportunity to join a rehabilitation program that consists of taming a wild mustang. The film depicts a feel-good plot as the main character starts to form a connection with the horse and his daughter and the audience can see the heart-warming nature of the storyline. A sense of intrigue is also created as the plot is based on real-life events. 

Fast and Furious

The trailer of Fast and Furious includes extremely fast-pace editing and dynamic action shots that show the characters partaking in crazy stunts. These features infer the genre of action and adventure and would be suitable for an older audience. The genre is further enforced through the powerful non-diegetic music immersing the audience in what's happening on screen. The film is also part of a franchise so has an established loyal audience and has access to a high budget that allows them to produce a film with massive explosions, technology guns and fast cars. The film also has some comedic elements that feature between American Agent Hobbs ad British Mercenary Shaw which also appeals to another type of audience who like their films to be funny. The typical good vs evil theme appeals to younger audiences as it is a common convention of many dramatic action films.

Artemis Fowl

Artemis Fowl came across as a children's fantasy film because the central character was a confident assertive child who sets off on a daring adventure to discover dark truths and who seemed to swagger his way through the scene. The quest theme is a typical narrative trope in action adventure films, this one embroidered by fantasy and magic. Trailers like this appeal to both genders but mainly children as they can relate more to the main character. As the film comes from Disney, it is highly trusted by families and parents know it will be a suitable watch for their children.