Eastenders Christmas Trailer 2009
This is a trailer for a Christmas episode of Eastenders centred around the mystery of "who killed Archie?" taken from www.youtube.com
Sound is used to attract the viewer in this trailer; the use of the non diegetic music gives the audience a false sense of security because it is a simple piece of music they know very well. By using chimes and a Christmas song, the piece sounds very soft and peaceful, and is at a fairly slow tempo; however as the trailer goes on, this starts to feel slightly sinister, especially when paired with the extra diegetic voice overs saying things like "I'm going to kill him." By using voice overs, the audience is able to find out exactly what each character is thinking; the use of a re verb on the voice overs gives the impression that you are hearing the characters thoughts rather than words. The music slowing down can be seen as representing the end of Archie's life which puts the viewer on edge slightly, because they know that the mystery is finally going to be solved.
Titles are used throughout the piece effectively; within the first couple of seconds, the BBC logo appears at the bottom of the screen which reminds viewers what channel the program will be on - this both aids the viewer because it means they won't miss the program, but it also helps the television channel gain more viewers. At the end of the trailer, the time and date of the program is shown with the channel again, which ensures people definitely know when and where they can see it. The titles are bought up in a red font, which can be taken in several different ways. Because of the time of year it is, it can be seen as being very festive, especially against the snowy scene it is placed on. However, red also signifies death and blood, and so once again reiterates the fact that you will finally find out who killed Archie.
The establishing shot is of the "Queen Vic" pub, the most famous and well known part of Eastenders. By doing this, audiences are instantly aware of what program this is a trailer for, and are more likely to pay attention. Over the shoulder shots are used to show the reactions of characters, in the case of Stacey, she looks panicked and worried; because of the type of shot it is, the audience feel involved because it feels as if she is looking directly at you. The use of tracking gives the impression that someone is watching and following the characters, which is almost uncomfortable because the viewer worries for the characters, and creates a sense of unease. The way that two of the characters appear out of the shadows or from behind trees imply that something malicious and devious is happening, and increases the suspense that the trailer is creating for the audience.
The narrative of the trailer has the feel of being a fractured narrative, because the audience is constantly trying to work out who the killer is. It can also be seen as being fairly episodic because the shots throughout the trailer don't appear to be linked, other than the fact that the audience knows that one of them killed Archie.
The use of Christmas decorations and the non diegetic music gives a very naive and peaceful feel to the trailer; this is a stark contrast to the nature of the storyline in the trailer, and so the audience is instantly caught off guard. Phil's face is shown half in darkness and half in the light when he says "I'm going to kill him" - the light implies that he still has a sense of goodness to him despite what he is saying, which makes the audience wonder whether he really does act on his word. Sam Mitchell is dressed entirely in black; black is often used to connote bad things, death and evil, which makes the audience consider her as the possible murderer. However, her blonde hair questions this, as often in television, producers use small blonde women as innocent and vulnerable people. Janine wearing a red dress and with her hair up looks very glamourous, and red is often seen as being both sexual and representative of death.
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