Genre Essay; Attack The Block

Attack The Block is what I have chosen to use for my trailer. Release in 2011 and directed and written by Joe Cornish.  In the trailer it states that it is was created by the same producers from Shaun Of the Dead. The actors featured are not as well-known but it does star Nick Frost. Nick is mostly seen in comedies. Most of the actors are mostly up and come and are perusing careers in acting. It belongs to 3 different genres, these being action, comedy and sci-fi. This is called cross- genre or hybrid genre, meaning it a mix of more than 2 genres.

The film was based on 5 young teens and a young women living on a council estate in South London and how they survive the night during an alien invasion.  It shows the level of violence children can get up to. Throughout the trailer it shows the disruption, recognition of disruption and attempt of equilibrium. This shows the audience key parts of the story but without revealing the full story line. With the uses of voice overs from different characters it help to tell the story line. The use of subtitles throughout the trailer, tells us more information about the movie such as the producers, how they deadliest species in the galaxy meets it ultimate enemy. It also says inner city Vs outer space, this links in with binary oppositions. As its conflict between two qualities, which are expressed as opposites. You can also use other binary oppositions such as; live Vs death, hero Vs villain and society Vs outcasts. These are good examples as they conform with the movie.

Throughout the trailer we pick up on certain iconographies. One of them being the way they dress and the way they talk. This fit the stereotype of a typical south London teen. Also you can tell that that the alien is an alien . This is because they are like nothing we have ever seen before. It becomes clear that the main character is the leader of the gang, Moses. He comes across as tough and fearless, as we seen the huge cut across his face. As we get a close up on his face, we directly his eyes and see the bravery. This reinforces the fact that he is hero in the story. His gang behind him are helper, as they help Moses fight against the aliens. The aliens are clearly the villain and the woman is the princess as she is being rescued. The mise-en-scene plays a huge part in the trailer. It’s in every shot. The use of props, would be the weapons and fireworks, they have to use in the war they are having with the creates from outer space. The setting is normal block of flats seen all over the South London area. We are shown this at the start of the trailer when we get flash images of the block from different angles, giving us an all-round view of the surrounding we are going to spend the next 90 minutes or so in. It’s also set on bomb fire night, covering up the fact of the alien invasion. Making it the perfect scene. There is a number of shot type commonly uses through the duration of the trailer. One of them being a medium close up. This lets us identify the characters and see the true feeling on their faces. This is good because it make the viewer interested in why the character may be feeling that way. Medium close ups are the most used shots of the trailer, whether that be on the character, the aliens or cars being drove around. Another shot type that is used in the trailer is low angel shot, this is where the alien is jumping over the bridge. It gives the audience the feeling as the alien is going to land on them. Creating a real fear factor.

The trailer uses music. The first song used emphases the fact that it has sci-fi parts in it. But it has been given a more modern twisted, to appeal to the younger audience. In the second half of trailer the music changes. It keeps up with the fast changing shots to show that a lot of things are happening and everything is moving a lot faster. The use of sound effect are used when the music isn’t playing, these are sound such as raw’s and screams. Other times the music stops playing is when important dialogue is said. This dialogue highlights the fact that the movie is a comedy.   

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