How does the trailer for The Dark Knight use film form to promote the movie and appeal to its target audience? [20 marks]

The target audience for this film is primarily fans of the superhero genre and fans of batman in other media forms for example previous batman films or the batman animated series or the comics as he is a well known character amongst the superhero industry however whilst this trailer appeals to this narrower audience it also attempts and succeeds to appeal to a wider audience. For example the trailer presents the film to be very gritty and dark and action packed this aligns with batman's character within the comics as his comics are often quite dark however this also appeals to fans of film in general or fans of the crime and action genres as through this trailer the film is presented to have common conventions of the two genres for example the fast paced narrative the explosions violence and guns and it is set in a city overrun by gangs and criminals (Gotham) and these conventions portrayed in the trailer appeal to fans of these genres creating a wider target audience. 

The trailer contains characters that Batman fans will recognize for example the Joker, Alfred, James Gordon and Luscious fox appealing to the fans of the comics as they get to see a live action adaptation of these beloved characters and they get to see them in a new form of storytelling via film this may create appeal as it makes for a more immersive experience.

The trailer also uses Dyer's star theory to promote and appeal to a mass audience. They show off the most recognizable actors a lot within the film for example they often show the high profile actors such as Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman to try and get people to recognize them and promote the film. They do this by using camera angles and shots such as close ups to make sure the audience can see and recognize their faces.

As the main image attracting the audiences attention is the main character, Batman a recognizable figure to many appealing to a mass audience and the bat symbol above him the most stand out thing on the scene due to the brightest colors is the bat symbol another recognizable symbol correlated with Batman.

Another thing about the trailer that may appeal to people could be the dark lighting as it implies that the film will have dark tones and this may appeal to people who are fans of these themes within film.

The destruction displayed within the poster suggests that the film will have elements of action and excitement and it intrigues the audience to find out how and what causes the destruction.

In the bottom of the poster is the cast this may intrigue an even larger audience as the people that see the all star cast will be further inclined to watch the film as fans of the actors will want to watch it possibly even just because of the cast this supports star theory.

The symbology of batman:

• As a man limited, as a symbol an unstoppable force
• Never succumbs to his own darkness
• stands by his moral code
• Justice
• Chaos vs Order 

This article states that Batman is not only a man but a symbol, a symbol of order and justice incorruptibility that inspires the people of Gotham and the audience

The triumph of evil over good:

• "You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain."
• Hope
• potential to change
• inevitable corruptibility 

In the beginning Dent is shown as a symbol of hope change and a to represent good but throughout the film his devastating change from good to evil through corruption of the destruction of the joker and the loss of which dent loves. This change signifies the unstoppable force of evil and that it can corrupt even the purest and best of people it also represents a lack of hope for Gotham and as stated as the subtitle of the article the triumph of evil over good.

The thin line between anarchy and order:

• Joker represents anarchy and chaos
• no goals except to create chaos and destruction
• what exactly constitutes cause for alarm

The Terrible Logic of Human Nature