Editing for Mood and Genre
Have students access the student chapter Editing for Mood and Genre watch the embedded trailer for Jurassic Park and then the parody trailer Jurassic Park as a Nature Documentary.
Once students have watched both trailers, have them answer the questions. (If you want to record their answers for later assessment, you can have them write them by hand or complete them in an online document rather than the text form provided.)
Take up the questions with the class.
How is the mood of the two tailers different?
- The first trailer is exciting and suspenseful. The tension rises over the course of the trailer.
- The second trailer is peaceful and a bit funny.
How does the selection and arrangement of the shots communicate the mood?
- The first trailer includes mostly shots of people, and in many of those the people are in danger.
- In the second trailer there are only shots of dinosaurs, and almost no shots of danger or violence.
How does the selection and arrangement of the shots communicate the genre?
- In the first trailer, the arrangement of the shots – from longer, calmer shots to shorter, more tense ones – communicates that this is an action-thriller movie.
- In the second trailer, the consistent pace and the many shots of small details of dinosaur behavior communicate that this is a nature documentary.