- In terms of use of dialogue and music, this trailer is quite similar to the trailer for 'Revolutionary Road' but in a different mood. The trailer only uses a voice over at the very beginning which I don't think works very well as the American voice contrasted against the English characters makes it slightly reminiscent of the trailers for films such as 'Love Actually' and 'Notting Hill' which creates a more comic feel which is different from the type of romance 'One Day' is. However, the narrative of the rest of the trailer is generally dictated by the dialogue between Dexter and Emma. This is like 'Revolutionary Road' as it means that the audience really only gets to know the relationship between the key characters and so immediately have a relationship with them, drawing them into watching the film. As music is a clear dictator of mood, it is obvious that they are trying to create an uplifting and romantic atmosphere throughout the whole trailer, showing it is generally a happy romance, unlike the trailer for 'Revolutionary Road' and so therefore, the audience has enough information to decide that this may be the type of film they are into or not.
- The graphics for the trailer are also a signpost of the type of film. Towards the end of the trailer, the narrative is pushed mainly through the lines of text rather than dialogue or voice overs. These pieces of text are timed with the music so that the audience is completely drawn to read it, unlike 'Revolutionary Road' where it is quite subtle. This way of telling the story is quite typical of big budget mainstream American romances and so is even more of a signpost for the target audience. It is also used to showcase the story of the film from the book which is usually the first thing showcased in most novel-based romance films such as 'Dear John' and 'The Lucky One.'
2. The Notebook (2004)
- This trailer is slightly different from more recent romance trailers due to the narration already within the story. The typical voice over outlining the narrative as an outside perspective is not used in this as there is already someone reading the story within the film, and this works well in creating a circular narrative which the audience can easily follow throughout the trailer. The voice over only comes in later as a way to showcase the stars and create tag-lines for the film throughout the trailer without the use of text, making it very different from the rest of the other trailers I have studied.
- The trailer is also slightly similar to 'Remember Me' due to the focus on other characters as well as Noah and Ally, whilst still trying to show the importance of these two characters. This is important within this plotline as the trailer shows that the other characters in their lives are the ones that push them away from each other, and so by introducing other characters, the trailer makes the narrative more understandable. However, by using the old couple as a way of reading the story to the audience, the audience begin to watch it as a type of story in a book and are drawn into the main characters.
- The music used is very typical of big romance films, such as 'One Day' as it is mellow, lighthearted and romantic. This is a clear symbol of a romantic film and it continues throughout the whole trailer so the audience can be sure of what they are going to watch and it is comforting to the audience.
3. & 4. 'Dear John' (2010), 'The Lucky One' (2012)
- This trailer uses every convention as a romantic trailer to signpost to it's target audience the type of film it is. Firstly, the author, Nicholas Sparks, is showcased so it is clear to anyone who frequently watches romantic films, that this is exactly the same genre as 'The Notebook' for example. The soft romantic music that continues for the majority of the trailer also is a clear symbol of a typical romantic film. The music only changes when the narrative starts to begin in the trailer when John goes back to war, making it more dramatic and exciting for the audience. This works with a faster paced montage of shots in towards the end of the trailer which happens in the majority of romantic trailers, especially 'Revolutionary Road' and 'Remember Me.'
- The style of voiceover is similar to 'The Notebook' trailer in that the narrator is coming from within the film, acting as a medium for the audience so that they feel closer and part of the film rather than being told about the film as an outsider. The voice continues throughout the trailer as the character, Savannah's point of view, and so the audience also gets more of a feel for her character and her relationship with John. Since it is mainly Savannah's dialogue, the audience also understand the distance between the couple in the story when John is away and so understand their relationship further.
- There are little graphics used as Savannah's narration is all that is needed to outline the story rather than tag-lines. The only credits that are used are to showcase Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried and this is also a trait that is used in all mainstream romantic films that have major stars in them.
- This trailer is extremely similar to the 'Dear John' trailer. Like the character of Savannah, Logan also acts as narrator instead of a voiceover and pushes the narrative rather than using tag-lines. Using Logan as a narrator means that they can introduce other characters as well as focussing on the main couple. Similarly, it does not use any credits apart from to showcase the stars and introduce it as a 'Nicholas Sparks novel', meaning it instantly interests a particular audience. The music in 'The Lucky One' trailer also follows the same pattern as the one in 'Dear John', using romantic music which heightens at the end to suit the montage of images to express their relationship.
These trailers are all examples of big budget, mainstream romances which are generally made famous by the book it is based on, the author, or of course the stars showcased in it, and this is shown in these trailers in comparison to the more serious romantic trailers I have analysed previously. In this case, it will be more difficult to create an original trailer as we obviously cannot use huge stars to attract an audience. However, it is important that we take note of the important traits and conventions that these trailers use to attract a target audience of people who enjoy romantic films, such as the music, montages and narration, and we will be using these conventions in our trailer to solidify our audience.
