War Dogs (2016) Theatrical Trailer Analysis

The trailer opens with an establishing shot of "The Pentagon" which immediately creates a serious tone to the film, we then cut to a large room filled with numerous men wearing suits. This specific clothing conforms with the business-like attitude we would expect from a well known area.

However we then experience a shot reverse shot which on one side includes Jonah Hill and Milles Teller, this would imply that the film is perhaps a comedy given that Jonah Hill often plays roles within Comedic film. Nevertheless the dialogue exchanged between the two suggests that the pair have done something wrong or haven't achieved a goal "failed" , and even though the frequent eye line matches would normally mean a sense of equality, the truth is that the low and deep tone of the other men creates the idea that they are superior.




We then skip to the first intertitle of the trailer, which at first implies that the film will not be comedy and the bold black font of the title supports this.

Instead, at this point in the trailer , we as the audience are yet to experience a plot, so after this title we assume there will be some explanation. This technique- of using intertitles to create a climax and to intrigue the audience is something I would like to emulate.

Following this we experience a slight and quiet tone of non-diegetic sound in the background, as well as a serious voiceover over the top which creates tension amongst the audience. We follow through the narrative with the pair and as the dialogue begins to fade, the non-diegetic sound increases in pitch until we see an action match with the drop of the music and a handshake between the two characters. This is effective as it not only shows the relationship between the two, but also the intense prosody of the non-diegetic sound builds tension.




Next we see a narration from one of the characters (Teller) whilst visually we see a fast paced sequence of the pair living a party lifestyle, which creates a sense of idolism for the audience in particular males (a clever method of targeting a specific audience)

This shows the characters in several different locations and contrasts heavily against the beginning of the trailer in which we saw a more serious tone to the trailer. The idea of fast paced sequences to build tension and attract an audience is definitely something worth mimicking within my trailer.





Overall the trailer uses a dramatic contrast to emphasize the storyline and plot, a good idea which requires numerous locations. This is something I will look back at when storyboarding.