Avatar Trailer (Mise-en-scène & Camera Shots)

Avatar (2009) is such a visual film that has gained fantastic reviews for it's amazing special effects. The film is set on the mysterious moon Pandora in the year 2154 and the films narrative revolves around the story of marine Jake Sully and his interaction with the native inhabitants of Pandora, the Na'vi, through his avatar body.

At first minimal information is portrayed within the trailer - this seeks to build tension. The pace then begins to pick up as the action on scene becomes more dramatic, giving the trailer a sense of urgency. There is also an adequate amount of gentler shot pacing to emphasise the 'mysticalness' of the shot.

In terms of mise-en-scène, Avatar is predominantly CGI, therefore the trailer provides a preview of the amazing technology used within the creation of the film. From the portrayal of creatures and terrains within the video clip, it is made obvious to the audience that the films narrative is futuristic and set in 'another world.' In the opening shots complex computer and medical facilities are shown which emphasise the futuristic nature of the film. I think that mise-en scene is one of the most important elements of a trailer as what the viewers see within the short film effects their opinion on the entire movie.

There is a huge variety of camera shots within the trailer - ranging from extreme close ups to grand wide shorts. The first shot is of, presumably, the main characters eyes opening. This is really effective because it is almost symbolic of where the narrative begins. Then, by huge contrast the second shot is of a large spaceship/satellite - this is exciting and creates a certain degree of tension for the viewer, as well as establishing the genre of the film.

There are two genres of shots within the trailer - 'action' and 'mystical' ... there is a combination of imagery of military machinery and weapons combined with images of 'alien-like' creatures within their own mystical world.

Overall, the trailer successfully engages the audience with it's unusual/exciting imagery and amazing display of fantastic computer generated imagery. It also successfully makes the viewer want to watch the entire film - as it draws the viewer in by inferring war.