Codes and Conventions of Harry Potter

The Codes and Conventions of a film or trailer include a range of different things, from camera techniques, colours, outfits and music.

Here is a link to the new trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CndMW6FLEiI&feature=fvst

The music used in the trailer is slow and very old fashioned, this type of music is used because it fits in well with the Harry Potter story, although Harry Potter is based in the modern day, we usually associate magic with medieval times, so the music is very fitting. The dramatic and heroic music along with the opera singing in the background present the genre of the film very well.

Camera angles are crucial in movies and trailers because they can add all sorts of effects to the clip. In one part of the trailer, an extreme close up is used to zoom in on one side of Harrys face to show his eye, this is used to show he is scared and aware, and makes the clip seem very dramatic, drawing viewers in. There are also lots of birds eye views used, particularly around half way through the clip where it shows a birds eye view of Harry, as the camera slowly moves into him, this leads viewers to believe that the camera is a creature moving closer to him, making the viewers feel like a part of the whole experiance.

Mise en Scene is important in trailers because trailers are a type of advertisment for your film so they must be accurate. The costumes used in the trailer are effective because the theme of Harry Potter is Wizardry, so the robes and capes fit in perfectly because this is what we would stereotypically match with a wizard. Typically the villain is dressed in all black to signify evil and the main characters are dressed in more colorful clothing.

Camera Shots and Edits can be very effective in showing what the film is about or what is going on in a scene, they can also portray moods in films like fear or tension. In the Harry Potter trailer lots of fast camera edits to show panic or fear and fast paced action. There are also lots of slow camera movements used to create tension and anxiety from the viewer.