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1. AMERICAN GANGSTER
TRAILER ANALYSIS

2. Like most trailers, it started with a conventional shot of the
location of where the film is based. In this case it seems to
be New York an urban area, notoriously known for a lot of
gangs and organised crime.
This montage then establishes to the audience the main
character which is accompanied by the beginning of a
voice over. We also see by the mise en scene the chain of
command amongst the men. Frank Lucas (Denzel
Washington), is seen wearing a suit where as the rest of the
people in the long shot are wearing casual clothes
portraying his noticeable higher status compared to the
rest.
There is then a scene which is a mid shot, which shows
Frank Lucas at the head of the table. In the crime world
that spot is reserved for the person in charge the head of
the organisation/gang/mob, only reinforcing the role of
head honcho.

3. We then get a glimpse of the co star who is also staring in
the film. But in-between the montage starts to speed up,
showing the different all the different conventions of a
gangster film, Guns, money and cars these are essential to
any gangster film.
Whilst this is going on we get to the two groups of people in
the film, essentially the “Cops and Robbers” establishing
the two different groups motives that are likely to be aims
throughout the film.
The lighting up to this point has varied but has started from
bright to increasingly dark as we get deeper into the
actual plot of the film. But really only gets darker when
showing scenes that have actual violence in it.

4. Towards the end they start to put banners, the first one indicates
that the film is based on a true story this would be to give the film
a unique selling point.
There then are a range of ones showing the award winning
actors and directors to give the film more notability. Having big
name stars in a film attracts a large crowd especially because
this film is multiracial it targets a larger demographic of people.
The last banner indicates the date of release standard
information just so that the audience knows when they are able
to watch the film.
Another convention shown is the love interest, every gangster
film always shows a rather submissive trophy wife and this trailer
isn't any different. Although it was only a brief appearance in this
trailer it was rather effective since there was diegetic sound of
Frank Lucas shouting about trying to kill his wife, this emotive
language can really grab the audience attention.

5. REFLECTION
• There is a lot I could implement into my own trailer, one
of which is establishing the level of dominance between
the different characters which this film executed through
mise en scene, the way the characters were dressed
distinguished to the audience the different layers of
hierarchy.
• What was also good is that the different types of lighting
used helped to set the scene rather well, it also allowed
the audience to truly engage and kept it clear what was
going on throughout.
• However some things in this trailer I wont be able to pull
off in my trailer such as explosions and large quantities of
money so there will have to be a way to portray wealth
and power in other ways.