Me Before You

Film Trailer Analysis

Main technique
used: aerial shot
The aerial shot is the very first shot shown to
the viewer. It is accompanied by slow, calming
non diegetic music that uses a variety of
instruments- including a drum, piano and
guitar. This is mimicked by the slow
movement of the drone. This shot establishes
the scenery for the rest of the trailer, as it
shows the viewer exactly where the film will
be set- in an older, traditional, English town.
This tells the viewer that the film wont follow
a particularly flashy or exciting story.
Meanwhile, a J cut is used as the protagonist
begins to speak and introduce the next scene.
This keeps the audience intrigued.
Main technique
used: mid shot
Here is when the main protagonists first
meet, through a series of very quick cuts that
all adhere to the 180 degree rule. This
includes an over the shoulder shot and a
variety of mid shots as the viewer is then able
to see the expressions of each individual. The
dialogue gives a clear idea of the characters
personalities- especially the main male
protagonist Will. The line you dont have to
talk across me mother, my brain isnt
paralysed yet shows the harsh nature of his
character. The cheerful music also stops in
exact timing with the adverb yet, allowing
the viewer to know this story will have its ups
and downs while also introducing humour
into the trailer.
Main technique
used: long
shot/close up
The next key scene includes a combination of
long shot and close up shots of the two main
characters. This is one to show the clothing
choice of Louisa and the facial expressions of
Will. The clothing choice in particular is
interesting here as Louisa stands out in stark
contrast to her surroundings. The bright
colours of red and green that are mostly used
in the outfits connote different things here.
Red connotes love and passion and green
connotes harmony and energy. The music
that is used here is also key as it is the song
Take All the Time You Need by Oh Honey.
Soft vocals with a happy beat represent
Louisa here while the audience is still gauging
her character.
Main technique
used: jump cuts
The non diegetic music continues more
quietly as J cut is used, including dialogue
from the next scene. As the adjective stupid
is heard, the jump cut is used to show Louisa
spilling soup onto Will. Once again this brings
humour into the trailer and reassures the
viewers that the film is not entirely serious.
The use of the mid shot is so that both the
characters facial expressions are clearly
viewable as well as the action of Louisa. The
lighting and colour scheme of the location
give connotations of cleanliness and
goodness, while the black of the characters
clothing juxtaposes with this. This suggests an
inner battle with decisions on whether to be
kind or not to one another.
Main technique
used: birds eye
view/overhead shot
This shot is brief but effective as it introduces
Louisas friend and tell the viewers more
about the characters. The colour scheme is
full of bright colours- including blue, green,
yellow and red as these are some of the
happiest colours in terms of connotations.
The choice of a birds eye view/overhead shot
is interesting as it is not a common shot but it
gives the viewer a unique look at the
characters. The music is still quiet as the
dialogue between them continues, showing
that the pair are talking about Will. This
insinuates that much more of Louisas life will
focus around Will and therefore the story will
be focused mostly on just Louisa and Will.
Neither of these women are sexualised and
therefore it is clear that Laura Mulveys
theory of the male gaze does not apply to
either of them throughout the trailer.
Main technique
used: colour
An L cut is used to show the next scene, with
Will and Louisa using dialogue to further the
story. Low natural lighting and washed out
colours compliment the lines Im happy here
and well you shouldnt be well as they show
how the film will touch on issues in Louisas
life as well as the more obvious issues in
Wills. As Will say shouldnt be, a cut is made
from a mid shot to more of a close up shot to
show Louisas facial expression. This makes it
seem as she is reacting to the line and
reflecting on it. In both shots, the focus is on
the forefront- the character of Louisa. This
could represent how the character will need
to focus on herself more- something matched
by the title of the film.
Main technique
used: lighting
Light is used sparsely here with match on
action shots. This focuses the viewers
attention almost entirely on Wills facial
expression. The dim lighting and dark colour
scheme mean that the slight smile on the
actors face is more noticeable in a scene that
has such sad connotations. The choice to use
an over the shoulder shot is also especially
interesting as it shows how the character of
Will is changing not only to the audience, but
it also shows that he is changing in the eyes
of the character of Louisa as well. Aside from
the dialogue used here, there is quiet, non-
diegetic violin music. This has connotations of
genuine romance instead of a whirlwind
relationship or lust.
Main technique
used: post
production editing
The next shot included is a bright red
background with black and white text in a
serif font. The red could represent the love
and passion in the film, with the black and
glowing white colours connoting the changes
of character as both protagonists lives go
from negative to positive. The glow around
the white text especially could connote this
even further as it could show how the
characters glow in one anothers presence.
The serif font choice also shows that this is a
slightly more traditional love story in terms of
the relationship blossoming between the two
protagonists. Meanwhile, a new song starts
with the line loving can hurt. This is a clear
pointer to how difficult the story will be.
Finally the wording itself is a marketing
technique that has been used to show the
quality of the film. Since the novel was best-
selling, then viewers will expect the same
quality from the film adaptation.
Main technique
used: fade
transitions
The use of bright lighting in the first two shots
is key, as it represents the happiness of the
two characters. This is the same with colour,
as Louisa stands out from everyone else in
her red clothing and make-up. This, when
coupled with the final midshot, shows a sad
contrast to how Will feels when outside of
the concert and facing regular life. The use of
first an establishing shot is done to give the
viewer an idea of where they are, before
focusing on the protagonists alone. The use of
fade transitions here are seamless between
shots and work together to represent the
emotion behind Will having the ability to live
normally, but only briefly before he is back in
the car with Louisa having to drive.
Main technique
used: slow motion
In this scene, Louisa is shown running
through a set of double doors in slow motion.
The use of slow motion instantly makes the
short scene intensely dramatic. This would
have been added in post production editing.
This represents the idea of time slowing
down in the scene, therefore insinuating a
highly emotional moment for Louisa. The next
key factor of this clip is the use of colour. This
mid shot looks extremely dull from the lack of
either dark or bright colours. The decision to
only use pale colours and bright lighting
(mostly white) connote cleanliness and purity,
as well as immediately showing the viewer
that the location is a hospital. The costume of
Louisa has purposefully been made to match
that of hr surroundings to represent how she
has almost become part of the hospital due
to her emotional connection to Will.
Main technique
used: match shot
These midshots display both main characters
in the exact same position physically. The
main difference being the direction in which
they are facing. This decision only allows the
viewer to see the facial expression of Louisa
and not Will. However, the match gives the
viewers the distinct impression that Will is
experiencing the same intense emotion since
his body positioning is the same as Louisas.
The dim, natural lighting used here could
represent the struggle to keep positivity in
mind for the two protagonists. These cuts are
in exact timing with the slow, non diegetic
music that is a steady drum beat,
representing the beating of a heart.
Main technique
used: tracking shot
A tracking shot is used here to show Louisa
and Will moving through the darkness
outside on the wheelchair. The use of low
lighting and the choice to make the setting
outside at night juxtaposes with the viewer
seeing Louisa kicking her legs in good
humour. This represents how the positivity
and humour in the film is present despite the
darker plot. The non diegetic music continues
with the line and if you hurt me, thats okay
baby. This line is particularly important as
both characters seem to cause one another
grief at some point. As well as this, diegetic
dialogue is heard through a J cut as Will is
heard saying that he doesnt want [Louisa] to
miss out on all the things that someone else
could give [Louisa]. This confirms to the
viewer of the complex relationship between
the pair.
Main technique
used: graphic match
The use of a graphic match here shows the
high emotions in the film. It shows how a
variety of people will be impacted by the plot
of the film and quickly shows the viewer that
they will also most likely be effected by the
storyline as well. The use of bright colours in
the first mid to close up shot is in stark
contrast with the highly distressed facial
expressions shown, this is to show that even
happy and carefree characters will have
hardships. Again, in the second shot, the mid
shot shows only dull, light colours, showing
that characters that may at first seem
emotionless will struggle.
Main technique
used: close up shot
The close up and extreme close up used here
show the pairs facial expressions as the
viewer sees what is possibly the most
emotional scene of the trailer. The extreme
close up of the hands also seems to confirm
the tragedy in the storyline. The colour
scheme used here is significant as it is white
and blue, colours that are seen as sterile and
calm, as well as sad. Much like the characters
in this scene. This suggest a comfortable
ending, despite being a difficult one. The non
diegetic music begins to wind down here as
only a piano and guitar can be heard very
softly as the lyrics cut out. This is to give more
attention to the final line in the J cut.
Main technique
used: post
production editing
The final section of the trailer is the title,
created in post production. It is done in the
same style as the rest of the text placed in the
trailer. This means that the white connotes
innocence and purity, while the red connotes
love and passion. These things together set
the overall tone of the film as the trailer
shows the protagonists will share a pure form
of love together. The music draws to a final
close here and the soft non diegetic song
played leaves the viewer feeling melancholic.
The particular choice of serif text has been
used to show that the film touches on some
very serious topics, and that a lot of the film
will be more focused on telling a very
traditional, tragic love story.
Overall
The film was released in 2016 and was directed by Thea Sharrock. It was produced by New Line Cinema,
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Sunswept Entertainment.
The film trailer was successful in the fact that it gave the viewer an idea of what happened in the trailer while
allowing them to wonder what would happen in between the shots they showed. This means that viewers
would be more likely to want to see the film to see what actually took place.
The film trailer in particular used music and sound to their advantage as well as a variety of clever angles, shots
and transitions. The use of colour also stood it to me while watching the trailer as it was effective in portraying
the mood of each scene very swiftly.