Romance Trailer Conventions Research

Romantic Film Trailers

1.&2. 'Blue Valentine' (2010) 'Like Crazy' (2011)

• These two trailers are very similar as they both seem to solely focus on the characters relationship with each other and not the plot. This is also extremely different to the chick flick genre trailers as those trailers aim to relate the characters to the audience and build a relationship whereas both of these trailers create characters that are completely isolated from the audience. This closeness shared between the couples is highlighted by the personal song and poem that is shared only between those two characters followed by the montage of videos of them together. However, although the audience is not invited to join this, it is still a clear signpost to what type of film it is and what the audience is to expect by it.
• The music is an obvious signpost to the mood of the films and what they are like. Both trailers use very slow and emotional music, telling the audience that the film is most likely to be emotional and upsetting and so this narrows the audience to people who appreciate upsetting films rather or as well as comedies. 
• Both of the graphics in the trailers follow a similar pattern of revealing the actors names and the film title at the end, however Blue Valentine obviously advertises the awards immediately which instantly catches the attention of the audience as they can certify that the film is well reviewed. However, although the tone of both trailers is very similar, the graphics in 'Like Crazy' seem to suggest a more lighthearted and obvious love story with the bright lights behind the red font of the title whereas the black and white titling of Blue Valentine seems to suggest a more hardcore relationship and so the audience can see differences in the relationships of the couples even though the trailers are basically the same.

3. 'Remember Me' (2010)

• This trailer is slightly different from the other romantic trailers I have focussed on. The first half of the trailer solely builds up and introduces the character of Tyler and his relationships with his family and friends. The first thing we hear is his voice, showing that the film is based around him and not particularly anyone else, also suggesting that it is more character based than plot based. The voice over at the beginning is the only one used, and the graphics take over the role of introducing the story and eventually introducing the romantic side of the film.
• The music is not a particular signpost to the mood or the genre of the film, instead it is simply there to dictate the different stages of the narrative within the trailer. For example, for the first 30 seconds of the trailer, they use ominous sound effects to create a dark and dismal vibe, therefore introducing the character as one who is quite depressed and unhappy in his situation in life. The music then starts as quite mellow and slow, which works well with the titles telling the story such as, 'he had lost his way', as it creates the impression that life is passing him by. This is contrasted against the happy and hopeful music which comes in as soon as Ally is introduced, therefore it becomes clear to the audience that the film targets their relationship, and so is most likely the romantic genre. This music, along with the shots of the couple spending time with each other, allows the audience to see how their relationship grows and so are drawn into wanting to know the characters more. The music is paused briefly to reveal arguments between Tyler and his father, and is then carried on in a more upbeat tone, suggesting that although the relationship between the couple is growing stronger, there are cracks underneath the surface that are beginning to cause problems, and this adds another dynamic to the film and so encourages the audience to want to learn more about the problems arising. The trailer is finished using a montage with the voice over we heard at the beginning - this is used as an interesting way to showcase the stars and also finally reveals the title of the film. 

4. 'Revolutionary Road' (2008)

• This trailer is slightly similar to both 'Like Crazy' and 'Blue Valentine' in that none of them show a strong narrative but instead show a montage of shots with music or sound bridges of conversations between the two main characters. This creates the mood that the film is solely about this relationship and judging by the choice of music, it is about its downfall. The trailer follows the same mood throughout the whole thing with dark music as well as depressing clips of conversation that suggest an unhappy relationship. However, for the first 15 seconds of the trailer, the music is slightly more hopeful with more uplifting lines between the couple, showing the audience that the film is about their relationship failing rather than growing. This fall is accentuated by the increase in pace of the montage of shots towards the end partnered with the louder music and more aggressive dialogue, creating drama and an angry and aggressive relationship between the two characters. This is extremely different to the slow-paced 'happy' montage at the beginning of the trailer where there are blackouts between each shot, creating a vibe that the couple are sailing through life and are happy together. 
• By not using a  voice over to outline the narrative, the trailer, and therefore film, becomes much more classy and serious and so targets a certain mature audience. The sound bridges of dialogue allow the audience to understand and communicate with the characters enough that they become drawn into their world without the need of someone having to introduce the situation and their roles.
• The graphics used also cause a more serious tone for the audience using monochrome colours which appear occasionally, giving them more effect rather than constantly bombarding the audience with information. These are used mainly to showcase the stars, though towards the end it is used as a kind of tagline for the film when the montage speeds up, creating more drama and drawing the audience in before revealing the name of the film. 

W.H.