Film Certificates-18

Films rated 18 include extreme scenes of sex, violence and strong language. People under the age of 18 can't view these films even with parental guidance which is similar to the certificate rating of 15. Many films are rated 18 because of the explicit scenes of gore or sexual nature, an example of this would be Saw;it includes a large amount of gore and disturbing scenes such as torture. I think the certificate rating of 18 could be suitable for our film however it will limit our audience as teenagers will not be able to view the film. For this reason we may chose to go with the certificate of 15 because our film will not be too gory or explicit for the teenage audience.

Film Certificates-15

A film rated 15 means that people under the age of 15 can't view the film. These films usually contains more gore, explicit language and sexual scenes. They are more serious and have a thicker plot line and are usually aimed at an adult audience, however some films have the explicit detail cut out in order to appeal to a wider audience. A great example of this is the film "Taken 2", the first film "Taken" was rated an 18 due to all explicit detail and swearing but then "Taken 2" was made to be a 15 to attract a wider range of audiences. The certificate 15 may suit our film because it will include an appropriate amount of gore and swearing to keep our audience interested.

Film Certificates-12A

The certificate 12A means that an audience member can't see a film if they are aged below 12 unless they are accompanied by an adult member. These films are a huge step up from PG films as they include some blood and mild swearing, however they do tend to use one strong swear word in their films. They become more mature and the situations are a little more serious but still very mild. 12A films mainly target teenagers because they are old enough to see it, however they do sometimes make it appropriate for adults to encourage them to bring their children that are aged below 12. A great example of a film that uses the 12A certificate is James Bond; it includes a lot of action and serious scenes which appeals to all audiences.

Film Certificates-PG

PG is the film classification that stands for parental guidance, meaning that people should not watch it without consent from their parents. PG films include some scenes such as non explicit nudity but not in a sexual way and are still aimed at a young audience, an example of this is the Simpson's movie which has a short scene of a naked boy. I don't think that this will be an appropriate certificate for our film because our film will be targeting an adult audience and a PG would not seem serious enough to them causing us to lose our audience.

Film Certificates-U

When a film is created is goes through a process know as film classification to decide who is suitable to watch it, this gives the audience an insight of what the film may contain because if it has blood and swearing then it could be rated at 15.

The film classification U stands for universal and it means that it is suitable to all, this means that anyone can watch them. They are usually aimed at young children from babies and upwards. Most U rated films are animated and aimed at children 4-8, however some can target larger audiences such as toy story 3 and star wars. Most U rated films include adventures and not many scary scenes because they are aimed at families.

Zombieland Trailer analysis

The trailer starts with an establishing shot of the Earth from and then zooms into the surface. As the camera is zooming in we have a non digetic voice over which is a man's voice with a deep mono-tune. We then zoom into a wedding and see a groom and everything seems normal until we see the bride and she takes out the groom. This part of the trailer is shown in slow motion allowing the audience to see that the bride is a zombie and adds a comical effect.

We then have a vast amount scenes which are shown through the use of jump-cuts which show the impact this zombie apocalypse is having on the world, however, the scenes are more comical as we see a large man eating a MacDonald's meal as he is chased by a zombie. This part of the trailer is to show the audience that this is a comedy/horror and give them an insight of what is to come.

There is then a change in the trailer which is first shown through the use of non digetic music. The music changes the tone of the film as it is more upbeat. We then are introduced to our first character who is dressed in casual western clothing, cowboy hat, boots, sunglasses and jacket, and seems very calm about the zombie situation-this shows the audience that this is a character who has gone through so much that the apocalypse has driven him insane. (This is later shown in the trailer and throughout the film.) The scene then dissolves and the audience are introduced to a new character who is younger and doesn't seem as calm as our first character-this follows the typical conventions as we have one character who isn't fazed by the apocalypse and can handle himself and another who is scared and relies on others for his survival. This is shown through the mise-en-scene as the character is dressed very casual but still seems nerdy. The scene then dissolves again and we are introduced to a new character who is a girl this time. The girl follows the typical conventions as she is good looking and innocent-this suggests that she is vulnerable and our other characters will be the hero for her. The introduction of a female character introduces the romance of the film as we have two young characters who will most likely end up together, which follows the typical conventions of a romance, as the he will most likely act as the hero and save the damsel in distress. The scene then dissolves and shows us a mid-shot, just like it has for all the other characters, of a young girl, probably between 10-12, who is casually dressed.

We are then shown many scenes which include shootings, car crashes, guts and more killings which indicates to the audience that this is a horror/action/comedy film that will keep them laughing and gripped to their seats.

Overall the trailer creates a comedy/horror while throwing some action into it to intrigue the audience through the use of editing, through the use of mid-shots, establishing shots and tracking shots, through the use of mise-en-scene, the clothing of each character to give the audience an idea of what the characters personalty is, and the use of slow motion scenes to add extra comical scenes.

Hot Fuzz Trailer analysis

The trailer opens with a mid-shot of our main character Sgt Angel. This follows the typical codes and conventions of a film from the comedy genre as comedy films mainly use mid-shots and two shots to show the contrast between other characters. We then have a non digetic narration to inform the audience of the qualities this character has to offer us-this is shown through the use of editing, two shots and mid-shots, and mise-en-scene, the use of guns, riot gear, karate uniform and an officers badge, allowing the audience to understand the character.

We then have an establishing shot, showing the audience where our film is going to be set. The setting again follows the typical codes and conventions; in comedy's the setting is usually quite light and of natural light to emphasise the reality of the film and make the audience more intrigued. The scenes are usually set in daylight to show that it's a bright comedy. The establishing shot show a village, which is the usual setting for a comedy, that looks very secluded.

We then have a two shot showing our two main characters walking along the pavement and everything seems very normal-this is the aim as the trailer is supposed to make it seem realistic hence the setting of a village. The two characters, played by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, are then shown to the audience to show the difference between the two-this is aided by the dialogue, which has to be clear to allow the audience to hear it and laugh accordingly, as the character Nick Frost is playing is asking questions about shooting guns like they do in the movies. This is to create a comedic effect as one officer has been through the action like people see on TV whereas the other feels as if he has missed out because he hasn't done anything. The use of a two shot allows the audience to see the contrast between the character Simon Pegg is playing and the character Nick Frost is playing as Pegg's character is very serious and professional whereas Frost's character is more simple and funny as he tries to make everyday seem enjoyable and isn't as mentally quick as Pegg,

The trailer then takes a huge twist as it becomes more of an action as we see two people get sliced up by somebody in a black cloak with an axe. The mise-en-scene is very basic as black clothing connotes death which is what this serial killer is doing and the axe is just one of the many props that are used for the killings. This goes against the codes and conventions of a comedy film as the props are usually used for slapstick effect and not for cold blooded killing.

The use of editing is then cleverly used as the audience are shown a split-screen which allows the audience to see a murder and the reaction of the police force. It also shows the simplicity of the other characters compared to our main character Sgt Angel as he can decipher the hidden messages behind each killing whereas the others just say that it was an accident.

We then have an array of scenes showing the arsenal of the police force as they attempt to capture the serial killer/killers and the film then confirms that it also an action film through the use of mise-en-scene-this is shown by the use of props, such as the shotguns, machine guns, riot gear and pistols, and the clothing of each character as they wear protective riot armour and head gear. We then have a mid-shot of a car chase/ car shooting showing the audience that this is also an action film.

The trailer then ends with Nick Frosts character saying "gun fights, car chases now that's what I'm talking about". This little quote sums up the trailer as the trailer is supposed to show the audience the main plot and identify each character to show us the contrast between them while also creating a comedy action film. The dialogue of Frost's character shows that this is all just for fun, which is the message the trailer is trying to get across to the audience.