The Shawshank Redemption

Audiences and Institutions 

• Length of trailer: 2:10
• Title of Film: Shawshank redemption
• Director: Frank Darabont
• Year of Release/Release Date: 1994
• Certificate: 15
• Top billing: Morgan Freeman
• Awards:  15 wins & 15 nominations
• Under what genre do they classify the film? Crime, Drama
• Which institution produced the film? Castle Rock Entertainment
• Which institution released the film? Warner Bros.
• How much money did they gross? $58,500,000
• Who was their primary (and secondary) audience? Mostly adults or mature teenagers because of it content. It could also appeal to fans of Tim Robbins or Morgan Freeman.
• Which platforms did they use to advertise? Cinema trailers, Posters
• Was their marketing campaign successful? Yes

 Texts

• List the text found in the trailer in chronological order

1. Warner Bros. Logo
2. ‘Castle Rock entertainment presents’
3. ‘Time Robbins’
4. ‘Morgan Freeman’
5. ‘The Shawshank Redemption’

• Distribution/Production Company? Logos? The only logo that is presented is the distribution company (Warner Bros.) and the production company is shown over video footage towards the end of the trailer, in my opinion the focus is more on the distribution company rather than the production company due to it being white and blending in to the background.
• Actor/s? Producer? Director? Awards?  Only two actors are mentioned and there is no reference in regards to the director or awards being on their own title page. However due to the actors being shown it shows that this trailer follows the convention of using top billing to draw in an audience. 
• Narrative structure? Connection with images and voice over/dialogue? Release Date? Throughout this trailer there isn’t any narrative from the lead character as it appears that Morgan Freeman’s character is telling the story for him. The use of his voice is as if he is telling the story to someone else (linking to the idea that the main character eventually escapes).
• Size, colour and style of fonts? Background? The titles are very simple with black and red being used both colours being put together link to danger which could symbolise the crimes committed. This font however is only for the two main leads (symbolising that they are both prisoners) and the other font is in white perhaps trying to distract its importance however still mentioning what company produced the film.
• Composition? Where is the text placed on the screen? Where does it move from and to? The font remains central for each title and fades into footage. Unlike other trailers once the name of an actor is shown it doesn’t go into a close up of that star instead it goes to completely different section of footage. This could connote not who the actor is playing instead it links more directly to the character and this idea of freedom (as the title is faded onto a long shot of a tree in the sun).

Macro analysis

Representation

In regards to following a stereotype this trailer is like no other. One woman is shown in the entire trailer and she is objectified as we only see her intimately with another male character. As the narrative continues to explain why the lead is going to prison we understand it was an act out of jealousy and he killed both the women and the other man. Doesn’t really sound like anything new in terms of stereotype, two men like the same girl one wants revenge, he gets it then ends up in prison. However it all turns around once the lead is in prison; as Morgan Freeman’s character says he was like no other. The male lead is dressed properly doesn’t look like a stereotypical criminal and we somewhat sympathise for him as he looks innocent in terms of his crime and something doesn’t seem to quite fit as the way he acts. 

Genre Identification

The crime genre is heavily obvious from the use of props e.g. the revolver and the location being a prison all link heavily to this genre. The drama aspect could be seen as less clear due to it seeming more comical in the trailer rather than dramatic, however as the trailer progresses the music and various shots e.g. lead male being out in the rain it gives a sense of desperation and succeeds in expressing both crime and drama. 

Narrative Theory

In regards to theory this film follows hardly any conventions. The equilibrium is broken very early on in the trailer, making it similar to ‘the perks of being a wallflower’ and the idea of having any certain definition for each character is also unclear. The idea that the police are stereotypically the good and the criminals are stereotypically bad is questioned in this trailer. The police are shown beating the inmates and the lead security guard looks like he takes his job very seriously (- ‘I believe in two things discipline and the bible, here you will receive both’).

Micro analysis

Camerawork: Long shots that track over the locations are useful in showing the contrast between freedom and being trapped somewhere, for example here is an extreme long shot of the prison on a gloomy day and then a different shot showing the sea with the reflection of the sun. These two shots symbolise what every prisoner is fighting for. There is a constant claustrophobic feel as over the shoulder shots are used and several close ups to show emotions of characters. A mid shot is used to display people in power e.g. the jury member with the revolver and the lead guard with the bible in his hand, these people have props to back them up showing that they have objects, in contrast to the prisoners who have nothing,

Mise en Scene: The mise en scene links heavily to the genre, the uniforms all link to the crime aspect. However the women right at the beginning is a main focus as in contrast to everyone else she stands out in her bright colour not necessarily showing her sexuality however the idea that without her this man would have his freedom. Another aspect of where costume is significant is at the beginning when the new prisoners are still in their suits and are then later in uniform it shows that they are no without anything they own and have nothing, linking to this desperation for a free life.

Sound: The music reminds me more of what old trailer sounds like, despite the tone and pace increasing over the duration of the trailer it isn’t as gripping as it could be. The diegetic sound is an alarm sound from the prison, linking to the genre. Apart from these two the sound is mainly dialogue of what is happening in the narrative showing a clear focus of this trailer being on getting the storyline across.

Editing: There are action matches showing a flow of movement and the idea that each character is constantly surrounded. Crosscutting is used between the guard and Morgan Freeman’s character whilst they are discussing the lead character and this idea that hope will be a cause of trouble. However anyone who knows the film is aware that this is the moment that the guard realises that the lead character has escaped therefore these two shots contradict eachother.