A few trailers have been released for the second attempt at a Super Mario film, in close succession; the latest gives us a closer look at the animated Mushroom Kingdom that the Illumination studio has dreamt up. Film composer Brian Tyler (Avengers: Age of Ultron, Crazy Rich Asians) has been tasked with taking the myriad musical themes associated with the Mario franchise—some thirty-five years’ worth, or more—to coalesce into a fluid score.
Read MoreAs we pause to undertake our annual review of the state of the industry in trailer music, we wanted to acknowledge a few of the most notable releases of the past year. As in years past, such releases tend to move the trailer as an art form forward in some way—whether in its treatment towards a given audiovisual trope, the creative push away from generic conventions, or tasteful use of bespoke elements such as musical arrangement or editing to lend a trailer an enhanced sense of persuasive ability. Here below are four such trailers that go well beyond any given trope or cliché, pointing even towards possible new trends in trailer music as we head into 2023.
Read MoreAs surely as the holiday season comes and goes, a new slate of trailers for the year’s Marvel Cinematic Universe instalments appear in theatres. Among these is the third (and, it seems, final) instalment of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, which has always had music (and classic rock in particular) heavily figure in its aesthetic—right down to its title scheme. In the case of this trailer, the choice of music serves for this aesthetic continuity and cohesion. However, it also promotes the thematic arcs and possibilities of character development that Volume 3 promises to explore, especially in the areas of self-love, acceptance, and solidarity.
Read MoreWhile the world has gotten Whitney Houston films in the past (such as 2018’s Whitney), I Wanna Dance With Somebody takes a more dramatized approach, which is unsurprising considering it comes from the people behind 2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody. Though said film contained some historical inaccuracies, it holds the box office record for the biopic and drama genres, at $910 million. It’s unsurprising, then, for them to attempt to replicate that success.
Read MoreIs there room for one more outing with one of with Harrison Ford’s most famous characters? Disney appears to believe so—even dedicating the first minute of the trailer to Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny as a way to pump up the nostalgia. Throughout, Indiana remembers his various past adventures while single, cavernously reverberant piano notes signal and reinforce the sentiment. It also serves to build anticipation for the trailer’s second half, as there are no classic Indiana musical themes by Williams to be heard here. The few lines spoken by Harrison Ford in the first half betray how he has aged since the last Indiana Jones outing, which is why Sallah does most of the talking there and why Jones himself has only three words in the second half, his whip speaking for him.
It doesn’t take long, however—at the midway mark—for the editors to relent and give us the theme we all know and love—albeit with a twist or two, of course. For the second half, the score leans in on using the classic “Raider’s March” theme, having originated in the first film, Raiders of the Lost Ark. Of course, there are also new musical elements at play here—and in this case, it’s harmonically quite substantial. First, at 1:01 when the theme is first played, one can immediately tell it has been slowed down to about half-time to maximize its dramatic entrance. Then, at 1:05 we get our first deviating harmony with the use of the subtonic, suggesting the mixolydian mode—a particularly adventurous “mix” of notes. Notice also the synch points immediately preceding this novel harmonic shift, such as the punches and the gunshot around 1:04, using the sounds in a triplet rhythm to help propel things along.
The harmony then takes an even more dramatic turn at 1:09, presenting a new chord unexpectedly while also moving up to the minor second of the key. This is in effect as completely outside the original key as one can get, and when coupled with the syncopated entrance, it is genuinely exciting (and maybe even a bit off-putting). Sure enough, it reverts to the original key quickly, presenting itself as another modal shift.
While heavy in nostalgia and action, the trailer leaves some room for comedy. However, that only happens after the main title card has appeared and the trailer proper is seemingly finished. It’s such a tonal shift from the rest of the trailer, one can hear why it would be positioned as a bookend. (Incidentally, the lack of music also allows one to appreciate the sound of the whip much better.) A short musical flourish leads us out.
For such a long-running series as Indiana Jones which harbours such classic themes, using said cues was going to be a given for the trailer for The Dial of Destiny. What remains more interesting is how the arrangers find a way to freshen the experience. Keeping the melody intact while playing with not just one, but two distinct shifts in harmony helps those perhaps overly familiar with the theme to hear it anew, if only momentarily. But trailers are supposed to tease and breathe new life into established franchises.
— Curtis Perry
There’s life yet in the wider Shrek franchise, as evidenced by this second instalment for the fan-favourite character, Puss in Boots. The last Shrek-adjacent movie was the first Puss in Boots film eleven years ago; evidently, Dreamworks saw it fit to green light once more. This may have something to do with Shrek’s enduring popularity in Internet culture—effectively doing Dreamworks’ market research for them. To some extent they acknowledge this musically in the trailer in the creative narrative use of All Star, a song with equally enduring status in meme culture. (Take this instalment as a litmus test for a possible Shrek 5, maybe?)
Read MoreWith Black Panther: Wakanda Forever having seen release, the next great holiday season blockbuster promises, somewhat refreshingly, not to be a Marvel property—and while it is a sequel, it has been some thirteen years in the making. Just as important as what its trailer does do is what it doesn’t do. Namely, its resolute focus on sensorial immersion is coupled with an insistence on not over-explaining or otherwise spoiling plot details. This results in a trailer that handily achieves its goal of reacquainting the world with the most successful blockbuster film franchise of all time.
Read MoreThe trailer opens with a six second micro-teaser—replete with release info—for those who don’t have 2’20” to spare, The trailer proper starts with an opening hearkening back to trailers of old—the “in a world” schtick of Don LaFontaine, this time spun as “on a bitter, cold Christmas Eve” in horror mode. Foreboding strings in a minor key amplify the tension, only to be cut through a “rug pull” at 0:26 with the first of many comedic one-liners strewn throughout the trailer. By 0:39, with the fake-out revealed, the music takes a turn to much jazzier fare as the narrative continues to unfold, and as we come to understand the plot seems to centre on a kind of contemporary retelling of A Christmas Carol.
Read MoreAs surely as the seasons, come November we are firmly in the grips of trailers promoting this holiday season’s films—among them, Disney Plus’s nostalgia-infused pitch to those who remember the 90s, and the Santa Clause franchise in particular.
Read MoreMaking a quick comparison between the trailer for the series’ debut back in 2019 and the current offering by writer-director Rian Johnson (Looper, Brick; Star Wars Episode VII: The Last Jedi), there is a bit of an aural link, though perhaps not an obvious one. Both trailers start with the same note, but in this latter instalment everything is bigger and brighter: a mildly dilapidated mansion is traded up for a private Greek island with sun to spare and a single piano is replaced by thrumming strings. At 0:13 the director’s title card is prominently placed, featuring what sounds like the click of a camera synched to the music. At 0:22 a single, reverberant piano note is used—a well-trodden trope, but at least appropriately placed to signal the arrival of the recurring and central figure of the series, detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), sporting his trademark Foghorn Leghorn-esque Kentucky accent.
Read MoreAs we approach the holiday season, trailers for next year’s films are coming through—not least of which being Marvel’s first 2023 entry, Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania.
Read MoreComing to you from Blumhouse productions (Halloween) and directed by James Wan (the Saw series), M3GAN is a new horror outing and a welcome attempt at novelty in a horror film landscape where sequels and reboots are often the norm.
Read MoreWe last covered the much-anticipated Black Panther sequel in July, highlighting how it cleverly used a mix of Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry” and Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright”. Now, as we get close to the November 11th release, we’re treated to another (and likely final) glimpse and listen before its release.
Read MoreAfter a lifetime of telling others’ stories through film, The Fabelmans promises to be a truly special project for Steven Spielberg as he sets out to tell his own (albeit in a decidedly fictionalized manner). It’s a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age tale set in post-war Arizona—likely shot at the Vasquez Rocks, in particular—that serves as an ode to filmmaking itself.
Read MoreWith Damien Chazelle directing (LaLa Land, Whiplash), it comes as little surprise that Babylon would have such an intense musical focus for its trailer, which certainly has been making the rounds at the Toronto International Film Festival. Justin Hurwitz returns as composer, helping to cement their reputation as a special collaborative partnership. Every so often, an auteur director will have longtime collaborators, especially in music; Alfred Hitchcock and Bernard Herrmann, James Cameron and James Horner, or Tim Burton and Danny Elfman all spring to mind as easy examples of such a phenomenon. With Babylon, Chazelle and Hurwitz surely enter such a category (as if there were any doubt).
Read MoreThe (not so) secret to the trailer for Disney’s Secret Invasion, the latest in a steady drumbeat of Marvel Cinematic Universe-based TV series to hit the streaming platform, is in the sound design. For the first twenty seconds or so, a monologue directed at Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) is interrupted only by the occasional ominous, appropriately unidentifiable sound—such as the low-fidelity blare at 0:18 as Fury exits what looks like a spacecraft, or the diegetic closing of a huge metal door at 0:23, interacting somewhat with the dialogue (a closing door as she speaks of Fury’s avoidance). The off-screen voice of Maria Hill appears in frame at 0:30; the sounds pause for a moment as Fury delivers his first line: “yeah, well, this is different”.
Read MoreArriving on Netflix through the mind of Tim Burton, the series WEDNESDAY focuses on the titular, deadpan daughter of television’s most adoringly reviled family.
Read MoreWritten and directed by James Gray (Little Odessa, Ad Astra) and having premiered earlier this year at Cannes, Armageddon Time is a period drama strongly inspired by Gray’s own coming of age. It focuses on the experience of a Jewish-American child, Paul (Banks Repeta), who finds himself at odds with racist parents and educators over his friendship with Johnny (Jaylin Webb). Anthony Hopkins, meanwhile, plays the role of both Paul’s grandfather and a compassionate conscience.
Read MoreBetween a preponderance of franchise movies coming out in this coming holiday season, with Avatar: The Way of Water and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in the lead, at least one film with a two-part title promises something relatively fresh. The latest Dungeons and Dragons is Paramount Pictures’ reboot of the prior trilogy (2000-2012), and promises a mix of action and comedic flair, leading off with the star power of Chris Pine, perhaps not unlike what Dwayne Johnson was able to do with the Jumanji franchise.
Read MoreAmong other San Diego Comic Con unveilings, the fourth instalment of the venerated John Wick series began its trailer campaign with a minute-long teaser that focuses squarely where it should: the action, with Keanu Reeves’ starring role at its centre.
Read MoreIt’s December, and while our minds go to the frozen North Pole and the magical beings who live there, let’s check out a trailer for a great new Canadian comedy series called North of North. Anna Lambe stars as Siaja, a modern Inuk woman who has split from her self-absorbed husband and is on a roller coaster journey of self-discovery. The trailer opens with Siaja introducing herself. From 0:01-0:10, Siaja’s voiceover introduces us to the stunning landscapes of Nunavut, accompanied by clicking percussion and shaker sounds, with visual cuts synched to accents on big drums. The music breaks at 0:10 to the sound of a wolf howl.
The latest project from acclaimed American director Ryan Coogler (Black Panther, Creed) reunites him with Michael B. Jordan as together, they take on the horror genre.
Musically, I was surprised a few times in the recent Captain America: Brave New World Official Trailer. Dipping into electronic music and even free jazz, this action film trailer is characteristically tense, minimalist, and it sports a healthy blend of barren and bombastic sound textures.
Copyright Dr. James Deaville. Carleton University.
Funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
