The FDA resource 'Teaching Trailers' taught me that marketing campaigns may use a film's genre to attract audience's interest, playing on elements that are familiar to audiences who love that genre. However, it also shows the importance of genre difference, and the trailer offering audiences new, original experiences that are unlike others of the same genre - making it stand out in a congested market place. This is known as the unique selling point (USP).
Examples of USPs include - innovative use of special effects, unusual mix of genres, star talent...
Watching three trailers on the website, I identified what the USP was in each one:
1. The Lion King
The lion king's USP is the quality of the animations. Although it is classed as a 'live action' film, the shots are made up from 100% computer generated imagery (CGI). It is a reinterpretation of the Disney's 1994 animated classic, its unique selling point being that it is a new and improved version of the much loved classic. The quality of CGI in making the lions and animals talk in a realistic way is something that is not regularly seen, especially with the absence of any live action human actors, making the film stand out. The top quality of animation is much like the animations by Studio Ghibli.
2. Late Night
The unique selling point of Late Night is the element of female empowerment and feminism within the workspace. This is appealing to all demographics, in particular women as it acts as a positive example as it represents women as capable of being successful. The star talent are all strong women, with A-List actress Emma Thompson and Mindy Kaling, selling the film to established fanbases of the actresses.
3. Spies in disguise
One of the main USPs of Spies in Disguise is the star talent doing the voice overs for the characters - Tom Holland and Will Smith. Tom Holland is an actor well-known by younger generations and Will Smith would appeal to adults as he is an iconic actor. The film has comedic elements, which set it apart from other animated films, with high quality editing and special effects. The central character is also a black man, meaning it is unique in the sense of that ethnic representation.
You have made excellent use of the FDA's 'Teaching Trailers' resource which in this unit explained that audiences like to recognise genre when they watch a trailer, but that in order to attract audiences into the cinema, all films should offer a USP. The task asked you to identify the USP of three films.
ReplyDeleteTHE LION KING You identify the high quality animation and astutely link this to the similar quality of films by Studio Ghibli - these, like The Lion King, appeal to adult audiences as well as children, thereby broadening their appeal.
LATE NIGHT Spot on with your recognition of the USPs of the themes of empowerment and the casting of A listers.
SPIES IN DISGUISE You pick up on the mix of comedy and spy as one USP and you identify the key draw of A listers, including diversity of representations.