1984 Trailer

1984, Michael Radford, R, 1984

1984 is about a man who lives in a totalitarian society, where he, and the rest of the residents, are under constant surveillance by Big Brother. Many do not appreciate his control, leading to an imminent rebellion.

While brainstorming movies with potentially intriguing trailers, I immediately thought of the novel we are reading in class, 1984. Though I had not seen a glimpse of the film until watching the trailer, I expected it to be dramatic, just like the novel and like I'm hoping our trailer will be.

The trailer is an exemplar of what I want to produce, as it focuses mostly on the dystopian setting, with a brief insight into the plot. Little dialogue amongst characters is used to illustrate the setting, and instead the trailer is narrated through characters' lines that serve as voice-overs. Also, we see Big Brother's face countless times. The repetition really helps the viewer understand how controlling this individual is. The viewer sees the main character writing in a journal, clearly against the laws of Big Brother. The most impressive cinematic technique used in the trailer, however, is the music. This dramatic tune runs throughout and it adds to imposing force of Big Brother. For my trailer, I plan on also having a dramatic tune throughout the trailer. I want it also to focus almost entirely on the setting and little on the plot and character development: what makes the society a dystopia. Finally, I don't think dialogue is necessary for a trailer, and a narration from voice-overs seems more appropriate. All of these plans could change while creating our script, but I'm definitely planning on using the 1984 trailer as a model.