Discourse Analysis #2

Ghostbusters (1984)

“Implicit Promotional”: “...[I]nformation that is part of the story of the film” (Paltridge, 178, 2022).

• The prologue of a work is the “appetizer,” (Paltridge, 179, 2022) snippet, moment, or details at the start of a piece that draws the audience in, gives them a taste, and leaves them eager to continue watching more due to mystery, tragedy, celebration, characters, or other aspects. In the trailer above for Ghostbusters, the scene with a woman’s encounter in a filing room followed by eerie narration/ring of a telephone, and the iconic theme song all come together as factors that capture a viewer into the movie’s world for two minutes. 

• The orientation of a work or “contextualization” (Paltridge, 179, 2022) is a summarized version of the overall plot. Through the trailer, viewers are provided information on the paranormal issues that have quickly taken over New York City and how this group of men have banded together to fight the forces and “save the day” shown in a comedic way.

• The complication of a work or “[i]ntroduction of disruptive action” (Paltridge, 179, 2022) is a glimpse included in a trailer into the cause of conflict or chaos in the plot. In this trailer specifically, the complication is the idea of hauntings adding chaos to an already chaotic city in which the “average” city citizen cannot handle on their own. 

• The evaluation of a work or “[i]nterpretations of events/outcomes” (Paltridge, 179, 2022) is the overall takeaway gained after watching based on different cultures and eras of film production and cultures. In the early to mid 1980s, when the first Ghostbusters was released, a movie blending horror, comedy and action had not been seen in this way which made the film stand out during that era. Also, lead stars/features in the film like Bill Murray and Sigourney Weaver added to its interest on public audiences at the time. Therefore, after seeing this trailer, viewers were provided with so much context on plot, genre, and characters that they rushed to theaters all over as fast as they could.

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“Explicit Promotional”: “[I]nformation that is not part of the story of the film”(Paltridge, 2022, 179). 

• The promotional identification of a work is the meaning behind the inclusion “... of [a] film company, directors and actors” (Paltridge, 2022, 179). In this trailer, everything from the production company, Colombia Pictures, to the lead actors names were included through audio voiceovers and in visual text towards/at the end of the trailer.

• The promotional recapitulation of a work “[i]ntroduces new orientative information from an evaluative point of view” (Paltridge, 2022, 179) or when most commonly text or a narrator is included to add interest, get a point across, or give a glimpse into the overall plot. In this trailer specifically, there is a male narrator that begins with a more eerie tone that becomes more foreshadowing as the video goes on and watchers are provided with more context on the film overall. 

• The promotional interpretation of a work “[e]xplains possible impacts of film upon viewers” (Paltridge, 2022, 179) or how it left them feeling after watching. In this case, the Ghostbusters trailer was intended to leave viewers on the edge of their seat waiting for their first chance to watch the entire film on the big screen. It was made to instill some feelings of fright, laughter, and excitement at the same time which overwhelmed individuals the first time seeing this trailer which made the movie all the more enticing.

• The promotional recommendation of a work “[a]dvises viewers” (Paltridge, 2022, 179) or sends subliminal messages that suggest viewers should watch the entire film. In this trailer, the movie's title is shown at the end as well as narration that is urging people indirectly that there is simply so much more to find out through seeing this film after lots of information was thrown at the eyes in just two minutes alone. Therefore, the brief trailer instills viewers with the feeling of curiosity in that if so much was fit into two minutes alone, imagine how expansive, fantastic, and jaw-dropping the film must be.

• The promotional information of a work “[i]ntroduces extra non-diegetic information about Internet address, release dates, etc” (Paltridge, 2022, 179). This trailer in particular does not include a release date specifically or much information on when or where to access the film, but due to the time period, it is assumed by viewers that they would have to go to a theater to see the movie. All the narrator mentions is that the previous actors listed were “coming to save the world.” 

Tentative Assertions:

• The two trailers share similarities in genre types in that they both fuse comedy with horror to find that perfect blend catered to entertainment for all ages. Therefore, they both start off with a more eerie vibe that leads into a more lighthearted tone overall in their own unique ways. They also both use some sort of narration to help the trailer flow whether it be by a general voice or from clips/lines by characters in the film. The stages present in both of these trailers provide the audience with more information on accessing the film and those involved in its production later in order to keep the viewers waiting to find out how to access it in one way or another. They both also include aspects of darkness that contribute to the genre at large. Whether it be a dimly lit mansion or hotel corridor, both films are clearly a fusion of genres and that is shown in their trailers. Both films also make use of iconic music that are now signature to the recognition of each even decades later.

Reflection:

• I chose these texts specifically not only because of the deep place they hold in my heart, but because of how they tie into the theme I am attempting to continue throughout all of my discourse analyses. My approach to analyzing the texts was similar, but came slightly more easily with The Addams Family because I have seen the film from start to finish more recently than Ghostbusters. This assignment deepened my understanding of discourse analysis in that it helped me to further realize the impact film has had on our culture and vice versa. Although certain films might remain popular as the years pass, the production types change for a variety of reasons. The types of movies that were made in each decade are just simply not able to be produced in the same way which showcases so much about the era. The technology of the time, the celebrity figures of the time, even the music of that time all showcase how much the world is changing at a rapid pace and is impacting what is being produced in this case based on what is accessible and relevant at the time.

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References:

Discourse Analysis, Author: Paltridge, Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic, Edition: 3rd, Year Published: 2021

 

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