Miami Vice Teaser Trailer Analysis (Research and Planning)

The film was based on the 80's crime drama series Miami Vice in which the stories of cops bringing down gangsters was told. Therefor after this teaser trailer was brought out, everyone was expecting a great movie. Though the film itself was seen as a let down in many peoples eyes, I think the teaser trailer itself is effective in what it is trying to convey.

We can see it is a universal film so most likely to be on a big budget. It informs us the director of the film is Michael Mann, which are both very successful films. The big name actors Colin Farrel and 'academy award winner' Jamie Foxx are also included towards the end of the teaser. This is a great tactic in attracting the audiences interest, as they use names of companies, directors, and actors which are well established in the film industry so people trust it is going to be an enjoyable film.

Much less is given away about the narrative, maybe because fans of the series will already know more or less what to expect. The trailer begins with fast paced single shots which fade to black, increasing the enigma. Themes of the film are included through the shots of stylish cars, impressive planes, and ski jet. We can see this through the many clips of shooting, fighting and chase scenes common in crime dramas. The shot of the camera moving from under water to over water is interesting as it may represent the expected increase in popularity of the old series- as it goes from sunk to suddenly alive. Other links to the TV series can be seen when the film name is revealed at the end of the trailer, backed by blue and red police car lights, which would excite old fans of the series. The trailer ends with an extended close up shot of the two cops together, which contrasts earlier shots of them seperated. Not only is this true to the narrative of the actual film, but works in showing them united and building a bond between character and audience.

Dialogue is only used at the beginning of the teaser trailer, both are important quotes from the film. In between this the soundtrack of the song, which was very popular at that time, is played. This also works in increasing audience familiarity to the trailer. Many locations used in the film are captured in this short trailer, as this was widely reguarded as one of the greatest stengths of the film. Quick editing used throughout deifnately works in keeping the viewer guessing, and many of these typical conventions of teaser trailers shall be employed in our own piece.