The example refers to the sci-fi film 'Transcendence'

1. WHAT ARE THE
TECHNIQUES USED IN
SCI-FI FILM TRAILERS
SUJATA GURUNG

2. Technical
codes
Camera
shots/Angle
The aerial shot of the earth highlights how big the world is and it puts into context how powerful Dr Will Caster’s development of the AI will be.
The panning shot of the water fall shows nature and juxtaposes Dr Will Caster’s scientific ideology. The birds eye view of the city at night time.
The high angle shot could possibly make the audience feel more superior than the characters as they know a disequilibrium is about to occur
in the trailer. This also helps to put the viewers in the 3rd person omniscient role, as they can feel part of the film but as an on looker. Another
high angle shot of the doctor giving a talk to the dozen of people suggests that the doctor is quite renowned, in addition the mid shot of the
audience shows one character who is looking at the camera with a vengeful expression suggests that the character doesn’t agree with the
doctor. This provides an enigmatic code to the possible complication that might arise in what the doctor wants to achieve. On the other hand it
could also be argued that the shot also foreshadows the disequilibrium in the narrative. Moreover one interesting shot that is highlighted in
the climax of the trailer is the point of view shot of the gun. It puts the audiences in the perspective of Dr Will Caster, the effect of this is that it
makes the audience feel victimized and empathise with the doctor. After this shot the camera shots and takes become shorter and faster. As
well this the background music and the reoccurring sting sound becomes more frequent. Another camera shot that was prominent was close
ups, first of all the close up on the high tech gadgets and technology suggests to the audience that these materials are going to be an
important part of the film. This shot highlights the important iconography of sci-fi films, therefore making the genre of the trailer/film clearer
to the audience. Another significant close up on two person shot is used to show the romantic relationship between the Doctor and Evelyn.
This shot develops their relationship and it puts it answers the questions why later on in the trailer the character Evelyn is desperate to keep
the doctor alive. Furthermore the close up on Johnny Depp’s character shows an expressionless face, it provides the audience with a feeling
that the character is almost inanimate and creates an uneasy feeling. Moreover in this close up the actor looks like he is making eye contact
with the audience, this further stresses the disequilibrium of the narrative. Near the end of the trailer there are various long shots of isolated
places with no human sign, just land filled with technology. This technology again indicates the genre, but the isolation that is suggested
makes the narrative world seem vulnerable and unsettling. In the ending shot of the character Dr Will Caster is shown degrading, however his
character is not degrading like how humans would which suggests that possible narrative end of the film, but also due to the CGI used it
makes the long shot interesting to watch. These type of CGI is possibly what attracts many sci-fi film fans.
Editing In the editing the only text during the trailer was
The transition used in this trailer was ‘fade to black’. At the beginning of the trailer the transitions between the shots were quite slow, the
effect of this on the audience is that it provides a sense of calm and peace which the equilibrium of the narrative should provide. However this
clam feeling also projects the unsettling and uneasy feeling in the audience. Furthermore the pace and the rhythm of the transitions are in line
with the score. As well as this the majority of screen time is on the doctor which suggests that he is the main character of the film. As well as
this another character who also gets quite a lot of screen time is Evelyn the doctor’s wife, which in the second half of the trailer is shown to
have a more prominent role in the film. The continuity editing, it helps the audience make sense of the action by implying the relationships and
ensuring smooth flow from shot to shot. As well as this it helps create realism in the story and makes it easier for the audience to suspend
their disbelief. However this continuity is broken during the build up to the climax of the trailer, there is another layer added to the background
music and the music starts getting faster and the low sting sound is more frequent and is replaced with the sound of the heartbeat monitor of
Dr Will Caster. The purpose of this is that it makes the audience excited and feel the urgent feeling that the character Evelyn is feeling. After
this near the end of the trailer there was a series of quick montage shots. This gives a lot of information about the main action of film but in
compressed form, therefore the audience are in awe with the action shown. It helps build excitement for the films release.

3. Technical codes
Sounds During the institutional logo, a musical note introduces a sound bridge is present of the main character’s partner. During this the
establishing shot is used to define the location as in a city place. The accent of the character also gives hint that this could be set
in America. The establishing shot has low key lighting, this type of lighting is continued throughout the trailer. The sound of the
applause indicates that the character Will Caster is quite well-known. The long shot gives perspective and context of the scene
due to the fade to black. It focuses the audience’s attention of the characters and their surrounding. The diegetic sound of the
news reporter talking adds more validity to the narrative of the film.
The accent of the character gives a hint to the audience that the setting of the narrative could be in America. The background
music gets quicker as it summits to a climax when a male character pulls out a gun and shoots him. The pace becomes faster
after the shooting scene. The sting sound is used more to punctuate the dialogue said by the female character. The effect of this
is that the background music and the dialogue are synchronous and gives the feeling of urgency and that something is going to
go wrong, however the sting is asynchronous to the pace of the scene. The editors could have done this to develop the story and
context of the scene, the sting could represent how the character Evelyn is trying to keep everything in control but underneath
everything is going downhill. Sounds like gun dramatic event punctuate the rapid succession of events that is about to follow in
the trailer. The gun sound is overlapped with the non-diegetic sound of the dialogue “I call it transcendence”. After this there is a
heart beat sound the overlaps the scene following after this. The muffled voices and screams of others show the effect of the
violent act on the doctor and others. It adds gravity and solemnity to the scene. This is quite a memorable dialogue that reiterates
the title of the film ‘Transcendence’ therefore the overlapping of the gun sound with the dialogue is quite significant in making
the audience remember the dialogue and the title of the film. Furthermore the gun sound punctuates a dramatic change in the
narrative, the effect of this on the audience is that it captivates and engages the audiences into the narrative. The quickening of
the sound and the pace of editing makes the audience excited compared to the previous scene of the trailer.
Furthermore straight after this scene the sound of heart beating substitutes the sound of the gun. The sound of the gun is the
signifier that the equilibrium of the narrative has been disrupted.
Mise-en-scene The artificial lighting at the beginning helps the audience establish the setting of being perhaps a school hall. The low key
lighting that follows later on after the gun incident shows the shift in the narrative between the equilibrium to disequilibrium. It
also adds a layer another layer of seriousness to the film. It also amplifies the mysterious and dangerous parts of the narrative.
However, one part where there is high exposure to artificial light is in the laboratory scene. The white walls of the laboratory
reflect the artificial light to show a bright white corridor which the female character walks through. The contrast of the bright
white scene with the low key lighting scenes suggests perhaps a conflict between the two binary oppositions. Another significant
scene is when the doctor is brain dead and had lots of wires attached to his brain. In these scenes the use of scientific props such
as the wires and the hi-tech computer coded with messages from the brain shows another example of the generic conventions of
sci-fi. The use of green, white and blue are very stereotypical colour scheme for the sci-fi genre. These are all popular
iconography of the sci-fi genre that help the audience establish the genre.