Analysing Action Film Trailers - 'Twisters'

The second theatrical trailer I will be looking at is from the film 'Twisters'.

The trailer starts in media res, and straight away the audience feel a sense of panic as they are thrust into a huge deadly tornado disaster with the characters. Fast paced editing and fades to black are used here to highlight the intensity of the scene but they are also used throughout the whole trailer to keep the audience engaged and focused on the characters battling the tornados (it is also a common editing techniques found in trailers). Short takes are very common in action film trailers as they create a sense of urgency and keep the audience at the edge of their seats. The high adrenaline scenes of the tornados causing widespread destruction helps provide a brutal but realistic portrayal of natural disasters, therefore audiences are engaged throughout, fearing for the characters' safety.

The music is typical of action films as it is dramatic and pleonastic to create a tense and dramatic feel for the audience. Sweeping aerial shots, extreme long shots, handheld camera movement and tight framing are all common cinematography elements used in action films to give more of an intense, overwhelming feel. In this case they allow the audience to see how dangerous the tornado is, but also allow the audience to see the characters' fearful expressions and suggests that they are vulnerable/trapped by the continuous tornados.

The iconography in the trailer is typical of action films as the film is set in a rural area which suggests that everyone needs to work together to survive as there isn’t anyone else to help them. The civilians use high-tech gadgets and equipment to help them survive/stop the tornados. The eye candy seen in the trailer emphasises the genre of the film as the audience see cars chasing tornados, people driving away from tornados, people being pulled into the tornado and massive destruction.

Finally, the way the title is revealed, letter by letter, is impactful and creates more adrenaline for the audience as they don't want the trailer to end.