Research Codes and Convention Identity Trailer Analysis- Main Task

Identity is a 2003 mystery thriller directed by James Mangold. Strangers from all walks of life including a limo driver escorting a fading television star, parents with a young son who's marriage is in crisis, a cop transporting a dangerous convict, a beautiful call girl, a couple of young newly weds, and one nervous motel manager are caught up in a rainstorm leaving them stuck at a desolate motel in Nevada. Soon they realise they maybe stuck at the motel for another reason as one by one people start getting killed off. As tensions flare and fingers are pointed, they have to get to the bottom of why they are there.

Identity is within the psychological thriller genre, with the main narrative of the film focusing on several different characters who are trapped at a motel due to a rain storm, however people soon go missing and the characters realise they are linked in some way.

The audience is firstly identified with the psychological thriller genre through the conventions such as music, issues for the characters to face such as weather and death with the trailer also having a sense of mystery.

the trailer attracts the audience as it makes the narrative non linear and unclear, also appealing to the a wider target audience range and age through the uses of key characters that are all ages, so that thee wider audience has a character that they can relate to. The trailer last for around 2 minuets 29 making it a theatrical trailer, giving the audience more of an insight into the film than a teaser trailer would. 14-15 different types of shots are approximately used within the trailer with the vast majority of the shots being made up of close up of the several key characters/ main protagonists faces showing different emotions such as fear and horror. Simple fast paced editing is used throughout, with editing and transitional techniques such as cutting, fading and blurring being used. Mid and long shots are also used to show key locations and to set the scene.

Diegetic sound such as the main protagonist narration/voice over seen to be set in a police interrogation setting, allows us to see the trailer as more of a story in the third person almost making use feel as if the person is telling us this story directly and that we are part of the trailer and story to. With other diegetic sounds such as screaming and the use of high pitched voices when the characters speaks adds more emphasis on the horror that these people are going through.
Non diegetic sounds create tension and suspense with the music increasing in both pitch and volume as the trailer reaches it climax at around 1.09 onwards, this allows us the audience to understand that this is seen as the best part of the trailer and that our attention is needed. This also signifies that events within the trailer are about to change usually for the worst within this genre. All if the characters within the trailer are represented as equal due to the circumstances that they are currently in even thought they are all originally from different backgrounds.

The trailer also uses codes of enigma by carefully leaving clues and questions by the characters in which the audience has to try and solve. This trailer such as disappearing bodies and the unknown question if how they are all linked is what grabs the audiences attention making them want to know more. Additionally slowly releasing the narrative and plot of the story into the audiences hands this is done through bold title statements made on screen which convey clues and messages to the audience about the narrative, characters and to warn audiences about whats to come.

The following codes and conventions are used:

• fast paced editing to create mystery and suspense.
• suspense through diegetic dialogue
• code of enigma 
•  a narrative established to the film
• suspense through non diegetic music
• titles making statements 
• unidentified threats to the lead characters, and problems that they must solve 
• sense of venerability 
• production company logos.