This third, and final, trailer for the 2010 remake 'Clash of the Titans' ticks many boxes in regards to the conventions of trailers for films of the fantasy-adventure genre, and in fact exceeds a number of one, working to create a successful promo for the film that builds a great deal of anticipation due to the strong, exciting editing and use of music. The trailer opens with an ominous voice over that accompanies a series of sweeping landscape shots, together with dramatic drum and thunder sound effects with every new shot to increase the intensity of the sequence. There is even a cheesy whoosh sound effect as the camera spins quickly (or the shots are edited to look as if it does) and the opening builds to a climax when Medusa attacks a character on screen and there is a sudden flash to white. Already at this point in the trailer the audience is engaged as a basic outline of the plot is set up and the threat or danger is revealed.
The main meat of the trailer is dedicated to establishing the lead character of Perseus, as portrayed by Sam Worthington. This is predominantly done in the following ways - a series of recurrent title cards, as well as lines of dialogue from other characters and Perseus himself that show who he is and what he is capable of. The former is achieved to moderate success, as the audience may be too fascinated with the striking visuals to catch each title card as they come. They introduce his heritage as that of a God, but his 'heart of a man' - therefore still ensuring his character is relatable to the audience (despite the obvious ultra-fantasy setting of the film). What is interesting is that these words are presented in a very slick, modern, and therefore anachronistic font - well at least inconsistent with the rest of the trailer. This gives the film a bit more of a gritty edge by combining modern aesthetics with the setting of Ancient Greece. This choice, alongside with the musical selection - which I will go into further depth in a moment - is presumably due to the success and popularity of Zack Snyder's film '300'. Warner Bros, who were also the studio behind that release, were clearly aware of the recognition of said film as well as the comparable elements in 'Clash', and therefore capitalised on it by applying similar, though not overly, techniques to the promotion of the film in order to draw the same audiences. The use of dialogue, however, is much more successful, as their position in the trailer amounts to some rather badass moments, for instance when the music is cut short for Mads Mikkelsen's character to say "But you are not just a man", immediately before all hell breaks loose and the trailer goes into full on action montage mode.
The following sequence of shots is the trailer's chief success. The twenty seconds or so that builds to the climax of the trailer is rammed full of highly kinetic, rapidly cut action shots, ensuring the trailer is constantly moving and the viewers are engrossed. This is achieved primarily through the use of the soundtrack to aid and in some parts overwhelm the visuals - however this is in no way a bad thing as the track chosen works spectacularly to make your blood rush in excitement. Again, like the choice of font, the music here is of a very modern variety - unlike what is typically employed in trailers of the sort. The track is, in fact, an instrumental version of a song titled 'The Bird & the Worm' by rock band The Used, however if you listen carefully there has been an attempt made to add orchestration and make sure it is not too out of place. Attention is paid to synchronize the visuals to the music - with almost every beat heralding a change of shot - while special effort has been made to match the attacks of the giant scorpions with the drums. This works to maintain a sense of cohesiveness and deter the notion that a random track has just been laid over the footage.
The following sequence of shots is the trailer's chief success. The twenty seconds or so that builds to the climax of the trailer is rammed full of highly kinetic, rapidly cut action shots, ensuring the trailer is constantly moving and the viewers are engrossed. This is achieved primarily through the use of the soundtrack to aid and in some parts overwhelm the visuals - however this is in no way a bad thing as the track chosen works spectacularly to make your blood rush in excitement. Again, like the choice of font, the music here is of a very modern variety - unlike what is typically employed in trailers of the sort. The track is, in fact, an instrumental version of a song titled 'The Bird & the Worm' by rock band The Used, however if you listen carefully there has been an attempt made to add orchestration and make sure it is not too out of place. Attention is paid to synchronize the visuals to the music - with almost every beat heralding a change of shot - while special effort has been made to match the attacks of the giant scorpions with the drums. This works to maintain a sense of cohesiveness and deter the notion that a random track has just been laid over the footage.
The montage builds to a climatic finish with a shot of Liam Neeson and his infamous (thanks to this trailer) line "Release the Kraken!" and we cut to an extended sequence of Perseus atop Pegasus facing against the aforementioned monster. This type of 'epilogue', for lack of the correct terminology, when a small scene follows the main end montage of shots, tends to be observed in trailers for comedy movies where there is a final punchline before the very end of the trailer. However in this case, and in a few other trailers for blockbuster movies, for instance the most recent trailer for 'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug', it is done to showcase, perhaps, a standout sequence from the film. Clearly the filmmakers are very proud of the computer generated imagery of the Kraken, and want the audience to experience the same feeling of sheer awe when faced with it on the big screen. The use of the epic, hard hitting drums, builds up the the suspense and anticipation for the Kraken's huge roar, which brings us to end of the trailer. While this choice to present this short scene at the end of the trailer was certainly impressive, it however made me feel like I had spoiled a major part of the film that I, and I expect other people, would rather have kept till seeing the complete film for the first time. However, as an entirety, this trailer is simply very well put together, and is the strong point of what has been a rather lackluster movie franchise.