Textual Analysis #1.
I have chosen to analyse a trailer that I have found on YouTube for the film Taken. I believe that it uses a crime/drama genre, along with action. The part I will be analysing starts from 18 seconds in and ends at 1 minute 55 seconds.
Liam Neeson plays Bryan (father)
Maggie Grace plays Kim (daughter of Bryan and Lenore)
Famke Janssen plays Lenore (mother)
Katie Cassidy plays Amanda (Kim’s friend)
Visual timeline
0:18 – mid shot of Liam Neeson
0:20 – mid shot of Liam Neeson/Maggie Grace/Famke Janssen
0:21 – close up of Liam Neeson and Maggie Grace hugging
0:23 – over the shoulder shot of Liam Neeson and Maggie Grace
0:24 – over the shoulder shot of Maggie Grace and Liam Neeson talking
0:25 – close up of Famke Janssen
0:26 – mid shot of Famke Janssen and Liam Neeson at airport
0:27 – mid shot of Maggie Grace and Katie Cassidy having picture taken
0:28 – establishing shot of Paris, including Eiffel Tower
0:30 – over the shoulder shot of Liam Neeson and Maggie Grace taking
0:30 - close up of Liam Neeson taking picture
0:32 – long shot of a road in Paris
0:33 – zooms in to phone ringing in bag
0:35 – Maggie Grace answers phone – long shot to mid
0:36 – close up of Liam Neeson talking on phone
0:38 – long shot of kidnappers taking Katie Cassidy
0:39 – close up of Maggie Grace on the phone
0:40 – close up of Maggie Grace and Liam Neeson on the phone
0:41 – long shot of kidnappers taking Katie Cassidy
0:43 – close up of Maggie Grace
0:44 – long shot of kidnappers
0:45 – close up of Liam Neeson
0:46 – close up of Liam Neeson and Maggie Grace
0:47 – Maggie Grace on phone/Liam Neeson with voice recorder things
0:49 – mid shot of Maggie Grace going under the bed
0:50 – close up of Maggie Grace under bed
0:52 – close up of Liam Neeson and kidnappers feet
0:54 – close up of Liam Neeson/kidnappers feet/Maggie Grace
0:56 – close up of Maggie Grace being pulled from under the bed
0:59 – close up of voice recorder/speakers
1:00 – close up of Liam Neeson on phone
1:02 – close up of kidnappers beard
1:03 – close up of Liam Neeson on phone
1:04 – kidnapper in electric chair
1:07 - close up of Liam Neeson on phone
1:08 – flashback of Liam Neeson
1:09 – flashback of Maggie Grace being pulled from bed
1:10 - close up of Liam Neeson on phone
1:11 – close up of Famke Janssen
1:12 - close up of Liam Neeson
1:14 - close up of Liam Neeson
1:15 – flashback of kidnapper in chair
1:16 - close up of Liam Neeson on phone
1:18 – mid shot of Liam Neeson
1:19 – flashbacks
1:20 - close up of Liam Neeson on phone
1:22 – Liam Neeson beating up kidnapper at airport
1:23 – long shot of Liam Neeson kicking
1:24 – close up of Maggie Grace
1:25 – close up of detective
1:26 – close up of Liam Neeson
1:27 – close up of detective friend
1:28 – close up of Famke Janssen and Liam Neeson
1:29 – close up of detective friend/Famke Janssen
1:30 - close up of Liam Neeson on phone
1:31 – Liam Neeson running
1:33 - close up of Liam Neeson on phone/mid shot of Liam Neeson pointing gun
1:34 – extreme long shot of kidnapper jumping off bridge
1:35 - close up of Liam Neeson on phone
1:36 – long shot of Liam Neeson walking
1:37 – mid shot of Liam Neeson entering house
1:38 - close up of Liam Neeson on phone
1:39 – long shot of explosion
1:40 – close up of Famke Janssen
1:41 – mid shot of fighting/close up of Maggie Grace
1:42 – flashbacks
1:44 - close up of Liam Neeson on phone
Audio timeline
0:19 – Maggie Grace talks
0:20 – Liam Neeson talks
0:21 – Maggie Grace talks
0:32 – thunder sounds
0:33 – phone rings
0:36 – Maggie Grace talks
0:37 - Liam Neeson talks
0:40 – Maggie Grace talks
0:41 – Liam Neeson talks/Maggie Grace talks
0:45 - Liam Neeson talks
0:50 – Maggie Grace talks
0:51 – eerie music begins
0:52 - Liam Neeson talks
0:55 – eerie music stops
0:56 – Maggie Grace screams
0:57 – different music begins
1:02 - Liam Neeson talks
1:09 – Maggie Grace screams
1:17 – scream in background
1:19 – noise from flashback
1:23 – Liam Neeson talking (flashback)
1:27 – detective friend talks
1:28 - Liam Neeson talks
1:29 – detective friend talks
1:30 – Famke Janssen screams
1:31 - Liam Neeson talks
1:33 - Liam Neeson talks
1:34 - Liam Neeson talks
1:45 – kidnapper talks
1:46 – noise from the phone being hung up
1:50 – heavy breathing
Titling timeline
1:46 – TAKEN A FILM BY PIERRE MOREL
1:51 – LIAM NEESON
1:53 – MAGGIE GRACE
1:55 – AND FAMKE JANSSEN
After creating my visual timeline, I noticed that there were used throughout. Close up shots are used frequently to show the feelings and emotions of the protagonists. This allows that audience to play off of the characters reactions. Mid shots and long shots are also used in order to show some of the background as well. Over the shoulder shots are also used to add to the dramatic effect.
My audio timeline revealed that it is mainly the protagonists that talk throughout. I like the thunder sounds that are used along with the noise of the phone ringing and someone hanging up. I also like the eerie music and the heavy breathing. This adds to the tension of the action and drama.
There is minimal titling within the clip, only the names of the actors and the name of the film. I think that this is a good thing so not to bore the audience.
Liam Neeson plays Bryan (father)
Maggie Grace plays Kim (daughter of Bryan and Lenore)
Famke Janssen plays Lenore (mother)
Katie Cassidy plays Amanda (Kim’s friend)
Visual timeline
0:18 – mid shot of Liam Neeson
0:20 – mid shot of Liam Neeson/Maggie Grace/Famke Janssen
0:21 – close up of Liam Neeson and Maggie Grace hugging
0:23 – over the shoulder shot of Liam Neeson and Maggie Grace
0:24 – over the shoulder shot of Maggie Grace and Liam Neeson talking
0:25 – close up of Famke Janssen
0:26 – mid shot of Famke Janssen and Liam Neeson at airport
0:27 – mid shot of Maggie Grace and Katie Cassidy having picture taken
0:28 – establishing shot of Paris, including Eiffel Tower
0:30 – over the shoulder shot of Liam Neeson and Maggie Grace taking
0:30 - close up of Liam Neeson taking picture
0:32 – long shot of a road in Paris
0:33 – zooms in to phone ringing in bag
0:35 – Maggie Grace answers phone – long shot to mid
0:36 – close up of Liam Neeson talking on phone
0:38 – long shot of kidnappers taking Katie Cassidy
0:39 – close up of Maggie Grace on the phone
0:40 – close up of Maggie Grace and Liam Neeson on the phone
0:41 – long shot of kidnappers taking Katie Cassidy
0:43 – close up of Maggie Grace
0:44 – long shot of kidnappers
0:45 – close up of Liam Neeson
0:46 – close up of Liam Neeson and Maggie Grace
0:47 – Maggie Grace on phone/Liam Neeson with voice recorder things
0:49 – mid shot of Maggie Grace going under the bed
0:50 – close up of Maggie Grace under bed
0:52 – close up of Liam Neeson and kidnappers feet
0:54 – close up of Liam Neeson/kidnappers feet/Maggie Grace
0:56 – close up of Maggie Grace being pulled from under the bed
0:59 – close up of voice recorder/speakers
1:00 – close up of Liam Neeson on phone
1:02 – close up of kidnappers beard
1:03 – close up of Liam Neeson on phone
1:04 – kidnapper in electric chair
1:07 - close up of Liam Neeson on phone
1:08 – flashback of Liam Neeson
1:09 – flashback of Maggie Grace being pulled from bed
1:10 - close up of Liam Neeson on phone
1:11 – close up of Famke Janssen
1:12 - close up of Liam Neeson
1:14 - close up of Liam Neeson
1:15 – flashback of kidnapper in chair
1:16 - close up of Liam Neeson on phone
1:18 – mid shot of Liam Neeson
1:19 – flashbacks
1:20 - close up of Liam Neeson on phone
1:22 – Liam Neeson beating up kidnapper at airport
1:23 – long shot of Liam Neeson kicking
1:24 – close up of Maggie Grace
1:25 – close up of detective
1:26 – close up of Liam Neeson
1:27 – close up of detective friend
1:28 – close up of Famke Janssen and Liam Neeson
1:29 – close up of detective friend/Famke Janssen
1:30 - close up of Liam Neeson on phone
1:31 – Liam Neeson running
1:33 - close up of Liam Neeson on phone/mid shot of Liam Neeson pointing gun
1:34 – extreme long shot of kidnapper jumping off bridge
1:35 - close up of Liam Neeson on phone
1:36 – long shot of Liam Neeson walking
1:37 – mid shot of Liam Neeson entering house
1:38 - close up of Liam Neeson on phone
1:39 – long shot of explosion
1:40 – close up of Famke Janssen
1:41 – mid shot of fighting/close up of Maggie Grace
1:42 – flashbacks
1:44 - close up of Liam Neeson on phone
Audio timeline
0:19 – Maggie Grace talks
0:20 – Liam Neeson talks
0:21 – Maggie Grace talks
0:32 – thunder sounds
0:33 – phone rings
0:36 – Maggie Grace talks
0:37 - Liam Neeson talks
0:40 – Maggie Grace talks
0:41 – Liam Neeson talks/Maggie Grace talks
0:45 - Liam Neeson talks
0:50 – Maggie Grace talks
0:51 – eerie music begins
0:52 - Liam Neeson talks
0:55 – eerie music stops
0:56 – Maggie Grace screams
0:57 – different music begins
1:02 - Liam Neeson talks
1:09 – Maggie Grace screams
1:17 – scream in background
1:19 – noise from flashback
1:23 – Liam Neeson talking (flashback)
1:27 – detective friend talks
1:28 - Liam Neeson talks
1:29 – detective friend talks
1:30 – Famke Janssen screams
1:31 - Liam Neeson talks
1:33 - Liam Neeson talks
1:34 - Liam Neeson talks
1:45 – kidnapper talks
1:46 – noise from the phone being hung up
1:50 – heavy breathing
Titling timeline
1:46 – TAKEN A FILM BY PIERRE MOREL
1:51 – LIAM NEESON
1:53 – MAGGIE GRACE
1:55 – AND FAMKE JANSSEN
After creating my visual timeline, I noticed that there were used throughout. Close up shots are used frequently to show the feelings and emotions of the protagonists. This allows that audience to play off of the characters reactions. Mid shots and long shots are also used in order to show some of the background as well. Over the shoulder shots are also used to add to the dramatic effect.
My audio timeline revealed that it is mainly the protagonists that talk throughout. I like the thunder sounds that are used along with the noise of the phone ringing and someone hanging up. I also like the eerie music and the heavy breathing. This adds to the tension of the action and drama.
There is minimal titling within the clip, only the names of the actors and the name of the film. I think that this is a good thing so not to bore the audience.