Research: - Amy (2015) trailer analysis (Documentary) FOCUS ON EDITING

AMY (2015) trailer analysis (Documentary) FOCUS ON EDITING
Institutional Information
Amy (subtitled for promotion as The Girl Behind the Name) is a 2015 documentary movie depicting the life and death of British Singer-Songwriter, Amy Winehouse. It is directed by Asif Kapadia and produced by James Gay-Rees, George Pank and Paul Bell. It is distributed by Altitude Film Distribution and A24. The production companies involved are Film4, Krishwerkz Entertainment, On the Corner films, Playmaker Films and Universal Music. It is edited by Chris King and the cinematography was done by Matt Curtis. Amy was released in the UK on 3 July 2015. The budget was $3.4 million and it made $22 million at the box office. This resulted in it becoming the highest grossing British documentary of all time. It has won a plethora of awards and accolades, including a Grammy for Best Music Film and an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Synopsis
Amy uses archived footage, home videos and interviews with those who knew her best to provide the audience with an emotional look at the singer's life, death and legacy.

As this is a documentary, I have decided to focus solely on editing as the trailer will intelligently piece footage together. Being a non specific analysis, I think this will allow me to look at how editing contributes to trailers as a whole in anticipation of my own product.

Amy (2015) Official Trailer

Editing - Titles

Titles

In this trailer, titles are used to mark the different stages of the trailer. For example, some footage  has already been shown but this tells the audience that this is a new film from a recognised team, whilst introducing it. The large text could reflect the bold persona that Amy possessed when in the public eye.

Titles

This title indicates to the audience that the film is going to be emotional. "Journey" suggests that viewers are taken on a path through her life, death and probably her legacy. It also implies that the film is impactful. The red could represent the adoration that people felt of Amy, whilst connotating danger and passion. From this, it is suggested that the film shows her to be a very complex character. However, the white could represent how viewers are given an insightful look at her life. This is because white connoted innocence. These connotations are substantiated by the titles below.

Transitions
There are fade to blacks at 1:05-6, 1:19, 1:22-3, excluding fades for titles.  This could be to build tension and help the general progression of the trailer. It also adds fluidity. At times, like at 1:02, the camera flashes act as a transition. 

Structure
The structure is interesting  footage is not sequential, it is taken from different parts of the film. However, the audience is able to connect the footage together to formulate an idea of the plot. There is also a clear beginning, middle and end. For example, at the start those who knew Amy introduce her. Then, as the trailer progresses, there is a clear change in mood. This is especially evident from 1:30 onwards. The music becomes more sombre and hence the footage slows down. The trailer uses parallel editing as the sound fits with the footage on screen. The footage from 1:30 onwards is a stark contrast to prior to this. For instance, there are quick cuts to represent Amy's whirlwind fame. There is also some footage with stop motion effect from 1:13-14.

Overall effect/contribution
The overall contribution of the editing is great, and the effect is positive. It helps to portray different sides of Amy and helps the audience to create a mini story in their heads. This is done through having distinct sections to the trailer, conveyed by changes in atmosphere, speed of footage and music.