The initial opening shot of the trailer shows this man holding a present, turning round to face the camera, in response to a woman's voice calling 'Dad'. This medium shot gives us an insight of who the character is and an indication of the location of the film. This shot allows us to see the man turning around in the centre of the screen, wearing a grey suit with a white shirt. This use of mise en scene suggests that the character is an average working man, which would allow the audience to associate with him as a large niche of the audience would be in a similar suit like him. The use of the white shirt makes him seem innocent due to white connoting innocence and purity. Having the character holding a big present in his hands, furthermore increases his sweetness and shows that he cares for the person who gift it is. The audience feels this way towards the character as stereotypical you wouldn't see a man holding something so childish, which also suggests, due to the wrapping surrounding the box, that the gift is for someone much younger than him, maybe a son or daughter. This shot also allows us to see an indication of where this film is set as you can see a big pale house with freshly cut grass and bushes in the background; suggesting that it is a fairly well off place. Motif is also used in this shot as the weather suggests that is a place of happiness as it is sunny and creates a warm atmosphere. Having the man in the opening shot emphasises that he will be the dominant character within the film as he is the first person you see in the trailer. This suggestions is supported by him standing in the centre of the frame implying that the story line will be mainly based on him. The dialect also gives us an indication that this character has a family by the woman shouting 'Dad', therefore sympathising with the character even more as people are fathers themselves. The expression on the man face suggests after the calling suggests that he hasn't seen the lady for a while as eyes are longingly staring in her direction, implying he may have had lots of work, symbolised by the suit.
A black transition introduces the forthcoming shots, where a young woman is running into the man's arms, which we presume is the mans daughter. We are thought to think this due to the closeness of the two characters, whereas the distance between the lady next to him is quite a distance suggesting they are not as close. Although there is a distance between these two characters, the lady is standing in the foreground implying that she has importance within the film. The close up shot of the father and daughter hugging emphasises and supports the suggestion that they have a close relationship. It also suggests that this lady would have significant within the film as her face is the main focal point of the shot. The use of dialect also gives us an insight that it is the daughters birthday. The non-diegetic music involves a woman softly singing, creating an image of angels singing. This emphasises the innocence of the lady as you can hear the music more dominantly when the close up shot is present. This background music also creates a blissful and cheerful atmosphere, which is reinforced by the use of the sunny weather as well.
Another one of black fade in transition are used, which creates a feeling of someone remembering a course of events as they are revisiting memories. The dialogue used here, by the daughter, tells the audience that the main location will be Paris, which is reinforced with the long high angled shot of Paris and the iconic Eiffel Tower. Parents can also relate to it as they are always nervous for them when they are going abroad on their own, which is reflected by expression of the fathers face looking scared and nervous. The non- diegetic is continued into this next shot and increasingly getting louder, creating a calming atmosphere with a hint of despair, signifying that the father has to let his daughter grow up and that she's not his little girl anymore, also another element for the older audience to relate too.
The institution of 20th Century Fox' alternatively flashes onto screen with a plane taking off. These flashes are synced with a sound of thunder, suggesting that a storm is brewing, and it is associated with the daughter who's going to Paris. It could also signify the disturbance of the equilibrium of the film.
The non diegetic music begins to increase in sound and have loud beats and thuds in it, building up the tension and suspense of the trailer. This music creates the atmosphere of the shot where there are black figured people carrying out a struggling women. This makes the audience's adrenaline heighten through the use of the close up, medium and low angled shots all bring played on the screen at the same time, making there to be no main focal point, clever! Having no main focal point means the audience can not focus on one thing therefore making them feel uneasy and unnerving as they may think they have missed something. The use of the low angled shot makes the people walking in seem more superior than the audience as it is like we are looking up at them. Also using the close up shot of their shoes, gives us minimal visibility of the identity of them, therefore creating an enigma. The use of black clothing stereotypically makes the audience know that these people are bad as usually people breaking into houses wear dark clothes so they can hide in the shadows of the house. However, this time of day subverts to the stereotypical time for a break in which people usually fear as it mostly occurs at the dead of night. Having this occurring during this time makes the audience feel scared as the film is suggesting that not all bad things happen at night. The black colours of the clothes symbolises evilness and badness, and having the people entering through a door suggests as if evil is entering so watch out. The medium shot used also gives minimal visibility as the wooden structures of the window is blocking the view, suggesting it is from the girls point of view. The girl who gets taken is also wearing white making her seem innocent and therefore making the audience feel sympathetic for her. On both these shots a lighting effect is added so the shots look as though they had flashed. This flashed like effects further suggests that it is some sort of memory as they are trying to recall certain things but are struggling.
The dialogue used within the next shot makes the tension exceedingly worse, as saying 'Someone's here', frightens not only the audience but the father on the other end of the line, as this is his worst nightmare, as he cannot do anything as he is in a different country to her. This is a very relatable feeling which parents feel when their child goes away, therefore the audience can associate with this character even more. Both the shots are close up shots of the father and daughter, allowing us to see both concerning and scared faces, furthermore allowing the audience to sympathise with them. Having one side of the split screen bigger than the other emphasises that the father has more dominance than the daughter within the film. This split screen format continues but the use of fast editing in present showing us what the girl is seeing from her point of view (point of view shots) to seeing how the father is reacting. This fast cut editing creates further tension as they shots are going past fast, making it hard for the audience to pick up on specific elements in the shots. The shots used during this fast editing are mostly close up shots, which emphasises the expressions and emotions of the characters but building even more tension as we cannot see surrounding features, such as if the black figured people are in the house the daughter. However, the volume of the music decreases and the beats are removed creating an eerie but realisation mood to the scene, forcing the audience to pay more attention to the trailer as they want to know what happens next. The fast cut editing continues as the father tells the girl what to do, 'Got to the next bed room, hide in there'. This dialogue the father is saying seems to be cut from the film so it act as a kind of voice over, letting audience know what is happening, however, cutting out parts from the film which the audience want to know as they want to the know the build up to this decision.
The use of fast cutting editing distorts the viewer as there is no focal point to concentrate onto. The fathers voice is overpowering the music making the audience listen to him, however as the three shots come onto screen, the non diegetic music increases in volume and has a high screeching pitch to it, making it sound chilling and tense. Also the three shots are close ups, creating tension within the trailer. The father then says 'This is very important', where the all three shots zoom inwards suggesting what he's about to say is 'very important'. There is a slight pause before he says 'They are going to take you', which as soon as he says 'you', the three way split screen disappears and shows the daughter being dragged from the bed. Having the position of the camera directly in front of the girl, makes the audience want to grab her hand and help her but instead they feel helpless, like the father. The scream of the girl, echoes, leaving the audience with a chilling shrilling scream in their heads.
The screen fades to black suggesting despair and shows that the daughter is gone. To a certain extent, it could suggest the hanging up of the phone as there is no more split screen. The music changes to a piano piece, which reflects the emotions of father (sound motif ) as being devastated and despaired. Shots lasting milliseconds long flicker on screen and then focuses on the fathers who is still sitting there. This fast flickering of shots, makes the audience intrigued therefore creating an enigma as they do not know what is happening and want to understand. The medium shot shows the father motionless which makes an comforting atmosphere as you would expect him to be running around phoning the police, but instead he's just sitting there doing nothing, but still on the phone, why is he acting like this?
The father starts speaking down the phone, making it sound like it has a lot of significance due to the tone of his voice:
'I don't know who you are, I don't know what you want, if you are looking for a ransom, I can tell you I don't have money, but what I do have are a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquire over a very long career, skills which make me a nightmare for people like you, if you let me daughter go now, that'll be the end of it. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you and I will kill you...'
This speech is used as a narrator as it is played over many shots, making the audience not only focus on the shots but mainly focusing it on his voice. They editors of this trailer has synced up the speech very accurately with high precision as what the mans husky voice says also happens within the shots, telling us that this what he has said is the film in a nut shell.
While the father is saying this speech the non diegetic piano is used to sympathies with the character, making him even more likable even though he is being very threatening. The shots between this speech creates countless enigmas such as who is tied to the chair, making the audience want to see the rest of the film. Also a lot of the shots are close ups there for not giving much away, potentially creating even more enigmas, therefore attracting a bigger audience. A vast majority of the shots involves this man showing he is the main character of the film, and we are looking at the event through his eyes more than the girl was have been 'Taken'. Through the use of props and stunts, such as guns, weapons, explosions and many more , that the film is an action, letting the audience know that the film is aiming at the action filled fans of the world. The fast editing makes it very difficult to see whats going on therefore intriguing the audience to watching not only the trailer again but also the film. As the speech gets to the end the shots are rapidly flashing onto the screen increasing the tension and building up the audience adrenaline, which is reinforced by the fast tempo music.
As it reaches the climax of the trailer the music tempo slows down and a close up of the father still on the phone becomes on show. The use of very dim lit lighting shows he is still feeling devastated, however after the speech, it portrays to the audience that he is angry and is not messing around. The quietness of the music makes the audience sit on the edge of the seat as they want to hear what else is going to be said. Having a man on the other end saying 'Good Luck' and breathing deeply down the phone makes the audience feel scared of who it is but the most asked questions would be who is he, why is he doing this and where is the girl? ENIGMA GALORE!
The title of the film powers onto screen as the noise of the withheld dial tone still plays, making the audience how is he going to find her? The title 'TAKEN' is all in upper case emphasising that the film is about someone or something being taken. Having the letters in all upper cases shows that whatever has been taken is very important and significant due to the boldness used as well. The font is white and has a textured element to it, as if its been scratched, which makes it more intriguing and stands out from the background. Underneath the title is a who the film is by, suggesting that the fans of this person's films would go a see it as they like productions. Having the title at the end of the film, ensures that the audience watches the entire trailer so they could find what the suspense filled thriller is, very clever placement. It also makes the audience remember the film as it is the last thing you see of the trailer.
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