So... the trailer... I've heard from lots and seen lots of youtube reaction videos... not too shabby, eh?
Here's a lil' rundown of my first observations discussed via time into the trailer:
- :16, Nice sweeping shot into the meadow; gives it that whirly, falling in love feeling.
-throughout this sequence, the fade to black is like eyes closing. I think I mentioned this in the
Twilight trailer too; to me, it made it feel like we were seeing scenes as if we were actually there. The watcher is physically there watching, as if it is them closing their eyes... this really draws the audience into the experience; as if it were a first-hand event.
- :19, definitely a ring on that finger...
- :32-40, I like the illustration of intimacy; with Edward, obviously, but also with Charlie and Renee. The steady camera with the soft contact of a touch to Charlie, and a hug with Renee translates well; that mixed with the music and the heavy drum beat anchoring the scenes... it all adds to the sincerity and seriousness of the relationships, and thus what it would mean if that relationship were altered or...ended.
- :42, the sun comes up, and the next shot is Jacob (sun-Jacob-sun-- get it?)
- :52, the vampire makeup keeps improving, I think. And Edward looks sufficiently tortured here. You can physically see the weight of the stress on his shoulders. I also like that shot; it starts looking at Jacob so we can see who is talking (just in case you didn't recognize the voice), but then switches to a slowly closing shot onto Edward, so we get the feeling of focusing on him; of the poignancy of this statement to Edward from Jacob.
- :55, a re-iteration of Bella on the cliff, but this time it's not her as an adrenaline junkie. Instead, you get the feeling of her jumping fully, knowledgeably, into a choice. Jacob or Edward.
- Around 1:00, the fade to black, the pause on black, the music coming to a halt... all contribute to the giant suspense, before the statement, "Edward, she found us." We all know the relationship between Edward, Bella, and Jacob is the central element of the story, but for the film they're going to need to beef up the ferocity of the villain, and they're starting right! A minute into the trailer, BAM! You get the fear in Bella's voice, Edward alone by the skyline anticipating something... and then...
- 1:05-:09, rockin' jump from Victoria that shows her power, not to mention the threat of her speed and power. It marks her as a real threat.
- 1:13-1:24, the eyes closing (fade to black of the editing) is paramount here. With each 'eye opening' it focuses on a different person in this intense, three-person triangle. We get the devotion of Edward, the confusion of Bella, and the resolution of Jacob. Well played.
- 1:24, the titles. This is often my favorite part of a trailer. There's all this build up, you can't help but get keyed up (honestly, it doesn't matter much on the trailer, these tell-tale signs are in most trailers to hook, line, and sink-in the audience...). And here is no different. Music building, shots getting more intense, shorter, suspense building, and then silence- BAM! Titles.
Other thoughts...
The momentary focus on the Volturi was good; the filters looked just right; there was a mystery and a threat... the colors and motion give a sense of foreboding, but I'm glad only that one shot was spent on them. It just reminded us of the threat, but didn't take away from the real central turmoil of the relationships and choices. I think choices is the big focus here. Jacob or Edward. Vampire or human. The Volturi are just a constant threat that we needed to be reminded of, but they don't need to detract entirely from the core issues of the story centered around the relationship.
Also, have you seen the behind the scenes sneak peak? It's definitely neat, definitely informative. I like the discussion about this as darker, they recognized that, and David Slade contributes to that more serious tone but without comprimising the relationship elements of the film. I also loved seeing Victoria kickin' ass on the green screen and wirework filming.
And lastly, I'm stoked for the DVD commentary for New Moon. I was so disappointed with the commentary for Twilight. I'm glad Catherine Hardwicke, Kristen Stewart and Rob Pattinson all talked openly about their experience with the film, and I remembered some of their stories from my days on set, but there was no insight into the process; it was more like three friends getting together and laughing at themselves watching the film. Chris Weitz, at least in this one shot, is really telling the viewer some interesting bits and pieces about the process, the making, the experience, the actors, the story... I'm stoked. It's going to take me days to get through all of that. Fun!
More soon. I'm in the throes of writing a chapter for my thesis about how films can utilize the fan base of a popular adaptation to the benefit of the film and increased box-office earnings: exciting.
I'm back to the film set of Olivia's Army next weekend (I'm shooting the behind the scenes stuff- it's awesome). Then I'm off to the States in about three weeks, and will be there for just over a month touring the US (Portland OR, San Francisco, Boston, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania), advertising UK education, and talking about my work. Again- fun!So until next time, watch the trailer a thousand more times and gear up for the New Moon excitement.
