As some trailers use a voice over, I had to consider whether I would be using one for mine. I looked at some films which use a voice over and others which don't and I analysed why the reasons for doing so is.
The Dark Knight -> Doesn't use a voice over because:
- It is a well known brand so therefore it is already established and people are aware of the film
- Doesn't need sense of credibility
- The trailer highlights the characters so the voice over isn't required
- The action shown within the film speaks for itself.
Get Smart -> Does use a voice over.
"There has always been a delicate balance between chaos and control. Now with that balance threatened, it's time to turn to one man"
This film requires a voice over as it is a new brand within the film industry meaning people are not aware of what the film is about. It is careful in using extreme language which brings excitement to the audience and sets up suspense. The voice over uses an assured and authoritive tone to emphasis the importance of the character being introduced and his role.
Hellboy 2 -> Does use a voice over.
"Maybe it's the cold wind that chills you to the bone? Or the strange mumblings underneath the city streets..." This film uses a voice over to help to introduce the hero. The use of rhetorical questions is done to engage the audience and the choice of words used establishes a sense of versimilitude.
Precious -> Does use a voice over.
"My name is Clareece Precious Jones. I wanna be on a cover of a magazine. I wish I had a light skinned boyfriend with real nice hair. so first I wanna be on one of them MTV videos"
This film too requires a voice over as it is new to the film industry. The choice of words used in the voice over reflects the tone of the film as it illustrates the narrative. As the film is driven by the main character, the voice over shows this as it is reflecting Precious' (the narrator) dreams and goals in which she wishes to achieve. The voice over however is different to the others I have researched as it speaks from the character and is spoken in an African American accent. This hints towards an urban black populated film with a reference to BET (Black Entertainment Television). The choice of words isn't used to excite the audience as the repetitive use of words such as 'I wanna' and 'I wish' makes us believe this girl has a low self esteem. As the vocabulary used is quite basic, the audience feel that it is based on a true story and feel a sense of sympathy towards this character. After annotating and analysing the research that I found, it helped me in deciding that my film doesn't need a trailer. Although one would assume that a film that isn't recognisable would be more successful with one, I've realised that slasher horror films do not need to have a narrative.
