Times Educational Supplement Partner badge

Film Education - Resources, Training, Events

Skip to main content

Follow us on: Twitter, Facebook RSS
Email this page to a friend

Trailer

Transcripts

Before viewing

Trailers try to send particular messages about a film to audiences. Think about what you know of film trailers: in what different ways do they try to send a message to the viewer?

As you watch these two different trailers for War Horse, note down on the Trailer Chart the images that you see in each trailer in the order that they appear. Some images will only appear in one of the trailers; others will appear in both.

Trailer Images chart:

Trailer images chart (PDF)

After viewing

On your chart, highlight which scenes and images appear in both trailers.

  1. Do the images appear in the same place in both trailers? If they are in different places, how does this change the way that we understand them?
  2. Which scenes appear only in one trailer? Why do you think they have been missed out of the other trailer?
  3. What do you think the sound adds to the trailers? Are the sounds and music the same or different in the two trailers? What does the sound add to your expectations of the film and its genre? Explain your answers.

Extension

A trailer will often be built around the most appealing aspects of a film. Some trailers will aim to guide us through the film’s storyline; others will ignore the storyline altogether.

Use the Trailer Analysis Chart to help you analyse the different elements of the longer War Horse trailer. After you have completed the chart, write up your ideas in the form of an analytical essay.

Trailer Analysis Chart:

Trailer Analysis Char (PDF)