Analysing Aliens Marketing

During this post I will analyse the title and trailer of a film to identify it's success as well as what it reveals to the audience which views them.

The film I will be analysing is "Aliens"

Title

The Title "Aliens" is about as clear as you can get, not only does it literally sum up he whole movie in one word but it also links into the previous and later films such as "Alien".

As said earlier, with a title as clear and simple as "Aliens" its hard not to attract viewers, its connection not only to the "Alien" series but to the "Predator" series to means they already have a strong fan base however to new consumers the simplicity can be of aid.

The Word "Alien" alone may not tell the story or bring extra understanding but with the past films it alone can attract the majority of views the film will get but they will loss out on potential viewers as well.

If unaware of the pervious films the title could be misleading or clear depending on who viewed the title, it clearly leans towards Mystery but horror is unclear from the title.

Trailer

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi368744473/

After watching the trailer for "Aliens" it is clearly impossible to misread the genre in which it stays as all aspects point towards a fantasy/horror film. The trailer, much like the title, is clear and simple in constructing the audiences representation of the genre.

Camera Work

The quick switch's between close and mid shots help to keep the viewer confused and on edge, much like many horror films this tactic is used to enhance the viewers fear and make them jumpy, this tactic when within trailers also helps to keep the story hidden while revealing the overall plot.

Unlike "Warm Bodies" this trailer is designed to not revel much but to still attract viewers, it does this by using non liner clips in quick sequences.

Sound

Much like the camera work, the sound is quick and jumpy (focusing mainly on mid to close up shots so that the viewers feel more involved) to add to the fear and confusion the viewers feel, this is often used within the trailers of fast paced horror films.

Mise-En-Scene

The costumes used within the trailer are ones which not only suit the plot but can be identifiable to people if they are a fan of the previous films, that along with the dark, close spaced and confined areas which are shown throughout the trailer, create a stereotypical feel to the film.

The Overall Trailer

I feel on the whole, the trailer for "Aliens" is one that heavily conforms to the stereotype of fantasy/horror genre and is almost completely aimed at reaching the pre-existing fans of the series.

The target audience, I believe, would be between 25 to 40 and males.

The trailer doesn't heavily focus on unique selling points, rather repeat viewings, trying to get as many fans to view the film as possible.

The USP's

The number of Unique Selling Points for "Aliens" is limited but still strong in quality.

Some of the USP's are:

- Strong named Actors/Actresses

- Part of a successful series

- Hugely strong fan base.