Teaser trailers are typically short in length and offer only a taster of the final film that is to come. This initial teaser for the spy thriller 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy' is one of the very best examples of a teaser trailer to come out in recent years and succeeds in establishing the atmosphere and nature of the film and its plot line. It begins with someone's hands turning on a tape recording machine, indicating the time period of the film (it is clearly not contemporary or set many years in the past) as the soundtrack immediately begins to play and the next few successive shots fade in and out from black. The music chosen, from a horror film in fact, suits the trailer remarkably well in creating a sense of threat as well as mystery. The line "There's a mole...right at the top of the Circus" is followed by a series of shots that indicate who the main and supporting cast of the film will be...or more accurately (at least the trailer is edited in this manner) to present the potential suspects who could be the aforementioned mole.
Questions are even directed straight at the audience through the use of title cards, for instance 'How do you find an enemy...' again involving them whilst also leaving them, very much, in the dark, so they are eager to discover the truth and therefore watch the film, with the end words in bold for emphasis. The concluding part of this question '...who is hidden...right before your eyes?' is cleverly, and suitably, followed by a series of shots that include Tom Hardy's character with an alarmed look on his face after looking through a pair of binoculars. Benedict Cumberbatch's dialogue, at this point, "He killed our man in Istanbul" is edited to suggest the complicity of Hardy's character, by simultaneously presenting a number of shots of him, however [SPOILERISH] I know for a fact that he had nothing whatsoever to do with 'it', and so it is clear there are false allusions in the trailer, perhaps to mislead audience members - which is consistent with the uncertain nature of the film's mystery.
Questions are even directed straight at the audience through the use of title cards, for instance 'How do you find an enemy...' again involving them whilst also leaving them, very much, in the dark, so they are eager to discover the truth and therefore watch the film, with the end words in bold for emphasis. The concluding part of this question '...who is hidden...right before your eyes?' is cleverly, and suitably, followed by a series of shots that include Tom Hardy's character with an alarmed look on his face after looking through a pair of binoculars. Benedict Cumberbatch's dialogue, at this point, "He killed our man in Istanbul" is edited to suggest the complicity of Hardy's character, by simultaneously presenting a number of shots of him, however [SPOILERISH] I know for a fact that he had nothing whatsoever to do with 'it', and so it is clear there are false allusions in the trailer, perhaps to mislead audience members - which is consistent with the uncertain nature of the film's mystery.
The latter part of this trailer is dedicated to the expected montage of footage, showcasing a wide variety of locales and secondary characters. It is initiated with the sound of a gun shot (immediately making the film more exciting and dangerous) and George Smiley's line "Now's the time" - edited in a manner that almost breaks the fourth wall by acknowledging the fact that the fast-paced part of the trailer is about to begin. During the sequence, focus, as in the majority of shots, is of course on Gary Oldman's Smiley character, who is the unmistakable protagonist of the film, as well as Tom Hardy, whose character's nature we are uncertain of, but also interestingly Colin Firth. While of course, the actor's recognition will be a major draw for audiences, especially since his Academy Award win earlier in the year, his character does not seem entirely important by the way the trailer portrays him - yet he appears often. This is further demonstrated by his second billing at the end of the trailer - suggesting his character is of significance. [DEFINITE SPOILERY SPOILERS] Yeah, he is.
The very final shots in this sequence include one of Benedict Cumberbatch appearing suddenly behind another character in an elevator, seemingly promising some man-on-man action that I know would get some long chinned fellows very excited, as well as a quick climatic shot of a man wearing an optical device - the sort you'd wear in Specsavers in the 1970s. Perhaps this shot is of some significance - or then again, it could be just an arbitrary choice of imagery - or perhaps even, again, it is an element of misdirection to intrigue the audience and ensure their ticket come opening day. All in all, this teaser is one of the highest caliber and its style is definitely something I would like to replicate for my coursework this academic year.