Week 1: Trailer Reflections

True Detective:

I found the musical elements of this trailer quite basic but effective in communicating their intended emotions. A trailer's purpose is to grab the viewer's attention and hook them into the show quickly and effectively. There is a strong visual structure to it, and the music is there to mirror that structure by first creating intrigue socially, in the characters and their lives; this is the least intense part of the score as it cannot overwhelm the viewer.

After this section, the intensity increases, increasing tension for the viewer; suddenly, the piece has changed and now focuses on creepier, deeper tones. The viewer feels this as anticipation or even dread. This anticipation, met with silence, further builds tension and moves the piece into the final part of the structure, designed to excite the viewer and, more importantly, leave them with a positive emotional response.

Overall I think the strict structuring of both music and visuals helps the speech captivate the viewer without being to overwhelming.

Game of Thrones:

Like the true detective trailer, this is also following a trailer structure, but it does have its differences. Firstly I found that the trailer's music was less emotionally responsive than that of the true detective trailer and, without the visuals, almost meaningless until the final section of the piece. I think this could favor the piece as the narrative of this story is coming to an end, and the music reflects that. This is not the exciting beginning of a high fantasy adventure where the heroes are coming to save the day; this the adventure coming to a cruel end.

Sense8:

In this trailer, the music dramatizes the speech creating tension when the actors finish their sentences, which are all cut so that the viewer is left wondering what they mean. This will capture the curious viewer and hold them for the second part of the trailer, which focuses on building up that positive emotional response, similar to the previous trailers' final sections.