D83 Trailer Questions

1)     The opening of the trailer uses sound and editing to draw the audience in. Explain why this is effective.

This combination of sound and editing creates a very intense, but also intriguing trailer for an audience to watch. We notice that there is a lot of fast-paced sharp cuts along with the music, to create a trailer with lots of action and things going on in it. The audience would naturally be a little confused with the relative speed of the trailer, and might therefore, want to watch it again (I.E. it leaves you with lots of questions to answer). Combined with the famous song, audience attention is driven straight to it.

2)     How does the trailer use action and enigma codes (Barthes) to encourage the audience to watch the show?

There is no doubt, that throughout the trailer, the action is intense at all points (as aforementioned, lots of fast editing and pace, nothing is on screen for more than a few seconds).  However, the action seems to be lots of running, and quite a bit of violence and physical conflict. This really does help to intensify the intended conflict situation that the audience member is going to be feeling whilst watching the trailer. With regards to enigma codes, there are a wide range of questions that the audience member might have whilst watching. The first is, potentially, how close the countries are to full on war. (Explosions, as well as LOTS of conflict is shown). 

3. 

All three of these screen shots can carry the typical conventions of a spy-based show. For example, being given an alternate identity, having to open and pick locked doors, and possibly some eavesdropping or wiretapping events. If we take into account Steve Neal’s theory, these three conventions are portrayed across several different spy-based shows, and help the audience to create this.

4.

 

A lot of 1983-style scenes and settings have been created with the usage of MES. Firstly, the audience is made aware of this through the accurate selection of props that have been used in the trailer. Two of the most important points could be the use of the old small tube TV, as well as the old Walkman. Both of these devices were extremely popular in Western areas in the early 1980s, to make a convincing composition. The Musical choices also help to do this, with songs such as ‘Sweet Dreams are Made of These’, actual songs of the time, triggering relatable scenes within the minds of the audience members.

5. The choice of the song, not only creates a sonically accurate recreation of the early 1980s, but the song is also period-correct, and carries a deeper meaning about the Cold War. References to communism ‘Comrade Number One’, and ‘One is all you can score’, really create a sense of the war that the song was actually about. In addition to this, the song also fits in well with the fast pace and action within the trailer, so the song is a natural fit.

6. This is potentially an effort to make the programme more appealing towards British audiences, who may have previously been drawn away from subtitled programming. If C4 decided to use German speech, not many people would be able to understand the trailer, and get a good idea of the historical context behind the series.