Trailer Analysis- Mean Machine

The trailer starts with the distribution company logo, whilst the narration as to who the main character is begins alongside the non diegetic music that creates an ominous atmosphere throughout the first few shots which are in slow motion slightly and vary between low angle shot and close up shots of Vinnie Jones to establish that he is the main character of the film.

Sudden, rapid jump cuts to black during scenes of apparent police brutality from a first person point of view establish that the film may have quite a serious tone to it which is amplified with the woman asking whether he is dangerous. Sound FX are used to amplify the action with exaggerated sounds with the punches and the swoosh of the ball. This fits in with the convention that British films are violent as the added sound makes each impact sound harder and more physical.

In addition many of the shots are in low key lighting such as the shot of the prison from a low angle pan which makes the building appear more ominous and also inside the prison itself, again conveying with the established conventions that British films are generally shot in lower key lighting.

The jump cuts to the text is very hectic and fits in with the theme of the film, that a footballer has been sent to prison and his life has been turned upside down but from the narration we can gather that he is being given a choice to shorten his sentence by playing football with the prisoners against the guards. The jumbled nature of the text could be seen to represent Vinnie's mind being a mess because of all these sudden changes in his life.

Suddenly the tone of the trailer completely changes as it transitions via a cut to a wide shot of a
prisoner kicking a football as the song unbelievable plays non diegetically. In this section of the trailer we are introduced to the supporting cast of Vinnie Jones and each is introduced with their name and then what appears to be a mug shot using that scene which is a clever way of introducing characters and keeping to the prison theme of the film.

The second half of the trailer is all about the football action using rapid transitions with flashes and jump cuts from shot to shot of tackles, shots and punches, all of which have the same exaggerated sound FX of the first half of the trailer again conveying with the conventions of English films.

Finally the trailer finishes with an extreme close up of Vinnie Jones supposedly about to do something important. this emphasises the fact he is the main draw of the film as he is an ex footballer staring in a film about football, therefore the editors of the trailer managed to put Vinnie Jones in most of the shots used as he is the main appeal of the film.

In conclusion I feel that this is a successful trailer as it creates the appearance that it is a very serious film about a celebrity in prison, however it is an illusion as the second half uses a change in music and narration to take a more light hearted route that emphasises more of the action and humour of British films and not the gritty realism of other British films.