The Da Vinci Code Trailer Annotation

The Da Vinci Code is a mystery thriller directed by Ron Howard. The trailer is unique in the way that it is very vague and doesn't show any content of the film, no characters and no settings are shown giving no insight to the audience of what the film might be like, creating a mysterious effect which is what is intended to make people want to see what happens. It lasts 2 minutes, 3 seconds but only consists of 8 shots as zooms are often used which makes the duration of the shots longer, long camera movement also means lots is shown in a single shot. No characters are shown throughout the trailer and a single narrative is briefly implied through the intertitles and voiceover. The voiceover is an American male voice which is stereotypical of action, horror and blockbuster films used to inform the audience of the plot and set up the film as the rest of the trailer is vague and brief.

There is only one music track used in the trailer which I have found during my research is typical of thriller/horror trailers as this is the same in The Gallows and Carrie trailers. It is orchestral, eerie and slow to match the voiceover but suggests adventure and is continuous from the beginning to about 30 seconds before the end when the intertitles and institutional information is shown. 'Swoosh' sound effects synchronous to the intertitles appearing are also included to add to the mysterious atmosphere. The film is certified a 12a but from the trailer we can guess that it targets adults aged 25+ rather than a younger audience as the voiceover implies violence and death in the film. The symbols and historical painting also suggest that it would be more of an interest to the older generation.

The trailer doesn't give away much about the narrative but draws in the demographic through the intertitles and voiceover. The voiceover suggests the genre of mystery and thriller to attracts an audience whilst the intertitles advertises the well-known production and distribution companies and star power such as 'Tom Hanks', helping to create good expectations for the film. Overall there are 8 intertitles, including the director, worldwide release date and "No matter what you have read", "No matter what you believe" to build suspense and the audience's interest.