Elysium Trailer Analysis

Elysium Trailer Analysis:




The film Elysium is of the science fiction genre and was released in the year 2014. It stars several recognisable cast members such as Matt Damon and Jodie Foster. This is a unique selling point for the film, which means that it will help attract an audience.

Sound:
Diegetic sound is used in the trailer through dialogue by the characters in the film as well as through the sounds of the robotic machines. This shows to the audience that there is a lot of technology used in the film. The dialogue helps the audience understand what the characters are talking about. However non diegetic sound is also used to help indicate the mood of the film. The soundtrack tells us that the film is very tense and dramatic, as the music builds up slowly and involves a lot of drums in the trailer.

Camera:
One type of camera shot, that is used at the beginning of the trailer is a birds eye/establishment shot which sets the scene of the film by showing the audience the opening location. Another type of camera shot that is used in the trailer of Elysium is a close up, which is of the protagonist of the film. This shot is effective as it introduces the audience to the character. One type of camera angle that is used in the trailer is a low angle. This is used to show the perspective from one of the characters, who are looking up into the sky. There are several times during the trailer where the camera is moving along whilst filming. This is effective as it shows the audience more of the setting than if the camera wasn't moving.

Mise en scene:
The setting of the film is in a fictional planet, which conforms with the film's genre of science fiction. As well as this, certain props are used such as high technology robots and machines, which hints that this is a science fiction. However, many of the characters, are wearing army/soldier uniforms. This means that the film may also have an action side to it. The characters who aren't wearing army uniform, are shown to be wearing suits or in smart dress. This shows that there is a difference in society in the film, with some characters being of a higher class and status than others.

Editing:
In the trailer for Elysium, there are many different types of cuts that are used to transition between the shots, such as slow fades and fast cuts. These are used to show the mood of the part in the trailer. For example, if the trailer is showing a tense fighting scene, then there will be faster cuts. There are also a couple fades to black in the trailer. These are used effectively as they show help breakdown the trailer and show a change in time of the trailer.