Under The Skin
Genre: Fantasy / science fiction
Narrative: Disguised as a human, an extraterrestrial (Scarlett Johansson) drives around Scotland and lures unsuspecting men into her van.
Unique selling point: I love how casual the trailer seems in terms of music and drama; the subject matter is obviously dark and twisted, but it is underplayed which makes the trailer even more creepy, effective and intruiging. The combination of beautifully composed shots and the peculiar soundtrack evokes eerie, uncomfortable feelings from the viewer. However, because it is so ambiguous, the viewer has to piece some of it together themselves, which is what I think is so interesting and unconventional about this trailer.
Target audience: 15s and over
Music: Soundtrack by Mica Levi has been used, including the tracks 'Love' and 'Drift' amongst others. This experimental (pop) music enhances the eeriness, uncanny and sinister themes of the trailer.
Shot types / camera angles: I really like the centre framed shots with the graphic matches, e.g. the coffee cup and the eye at 0:19 and the eye and the beam of light at 1:44. This is because they are clean cut, clever and stylish. I also like the odd angles which Johansson's face has been shot at (e.g. from below at 0:26), as this changes the idea of beauty, as these angles are not the most flattering.
Pace: The pace begins slowly and picks up near the end - this is mainly to do with the soundtrack building and quickening.
Dialogue: There is minimal dialogue, which adds to the ambiguity and simplistic beauty of the trailer. I really like this style as it verges towards a short film montage rather than a trailer - this creativity is very inspiring. The only voices are seemingly random snippets of Johansson and one line from a man. The absence of a voice to shape the narrative enhances the peculiarity and unconventional style of this trailer.
Voiceover: There is no voiceover.
Special effects: CGI and green screens have been used for the white and black rooms (with the woman at the start and the man swimming in what looks like thick oil.)
Credits and inter titles: The first title (excluding the idents) is seen at 0:57, which is a summary from a film review from LA Weekly. Five of these have been used, and this is what helps the audience to piece the themes and basic narrative together rather than the use of voiceover and/or dialogue. Again, however, this takes a lot of the viewer's own interpretation.
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