Sunday 7 November 2010

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never Trailer Analysis

The child sensation that is Justin Bieber is coming to our screens, this time in 3D! I've done an analysis especially for White Noise showing whether this film is just fan made, or whether it may actually have credibility.




We all know how Bieber started off, so the trailer begins with a home video clip - The main instigator for the sensation that is YouTube. By also featuring this clip shows that this biopic
is going to give us an intimate look at his life - That instantly attracts his already huge fan base. But the most interesting thing about this clip? It shows his talent at a very young age. Although this sensation (apparently) of a pop star has been on our screen for what seems years now, he's actually only 16. So the logical thing to do is create a film about his life, of course! I mean, we've had Nowhere Boy recently and Beatles were pretty big...

Another video clip of him singing in a dingy, darkly lit room shows he worked so hard to get to where he is today. Look at those painted bricks! And then his most famous song kicks in (Baby) as the main theme running throughout the trailer. It's recognisable as his song yanking in more interest from fans. 

"They said it would never happen" - Another sign showing how hard he worked. A clip from his original video on YouTube filmed in his home that Usher discovered is then shown, linking in with the 'never happening' complex. "They said he would never make it" - Oh dear. He's playing piano now, enhancing his musical skills. "But you never stopped believing" - That's perfect for the audience. Now we're included in the film, and that's what every fan of his wants, to be a part of his life. Notice the focus on the word 'Never' because it's in the title and increases the hysteria at the end of the trailer.

Now an age appropriate fan recognising she's been with him from the very beginning along with another home video clip. This film is not only going to connect with Bieber, but actually connect with the people that really have made him what he is today. 

We've hit the jackpot - It's scenes from his concert showing he did make it because we believed in him, which is a signal for an inspiring story this film could possibly be. A quick cut montage of access behind the scenes of the concert, dancing, working and just having fun is given. This is what fans of his want to see; a real look at his life. Not unofficial biographies or posters, but moving pictures of him when he's not there to look at on stage or screen. The quick images heighten your interest towards the film because it's only a glance, not a gaze. 

"An inspiring story of an ordinary kid" - His just like us, as is mentioned in the trailer, meaning even though he's a global superstar, he's still grounded apparently meaning he could be our friend. The love grows stronger for him...

We see a clip of Usher interviewed meaning we've got stars weaved into this story. It also features Miley Cyrus according to IMDB, so even if you're not too fussed on him, it could be an interesting perspective as the people who actually work with him, or are also on our screens give an insight. I do have to point out, we're almost half way into this trailer now and haven't heard anything from the Biebster himself. This definitely isn't what the fans want!
But more clips from the same concert are given meaning we're going to be listening to his best hits! 

The emphasis on the word 'you' now seems to be apparent. This whole idea of us discovering him makes our concious feel good. We found this star, we knew he would be great, we believed in him and look at him now - Well done us! It's going to be a feel-good film. Again, words like "He came from a small town" juxtaposed with the image of New York shows he's really still him but working in a huge world, making him slightly vulnerable and ultimately more adorable to his fans. 

AND FINALLY WE HEAR HIS VOICE! It slows down as he walks so we can really look at him. But he's not facing the camera, he's looking away. We're not invited into the screen, but almost shunned. He's got the people behind him to back up his presence, making himself look more important. So by not gazing at the camera shows this is about him, not him telling the story. 

We see more clips of his concert, are told when the film will be released to build the hype and then the words "Get Closer" come onto the screen. This is what everybody going to see this film wants (unless you're being dragged as it comes out valentines weekend). He waves towards the handheld camera to come closer and looks into the camera with his hand pointing towards you. We're not shunned now, we're allowed to watch. He's no longer this shy character, he's wanting to invite you in. 

A mix of childhood clips and frustrated moments are combined with the words "Experience his world", so you know it's not only going to be good and present, but emotional and a full picture of his life. 

Reactions from the gigantic audience this boy rakes in and the words "In 3D" appear meaning it'll be like you're at the concert. So, for all the girls who haven't seen him yet, this will be best chance yet. 

And finally, the music stops and the words spoken from a truly inspirational(?) boy state:

There's going to be times where people tell you that you can't 
live your dreams. This is what I tell them: (Camera pans round 
dramatically with intense music) Never say never!

It's typical of the movie. We're offerend a huge star, the title is his saying and it enhances this "If you believe it will happen" mentality. Plus, with the emphasis on the word 'never' before increases the impact this speech has.

So, is this fan made or is it genuinely going to be an enjoyable documentary? It's highly driven on the fan basis, because he is one of the biggest stars at the moment. People either love him or hate him, but everybody knows who he is. However, having the focus of people who work with him and little input from his voice in the trailer, I imagine it will be quite an interesting story on its own. It'll top the charts purely on the way it will be distributed (and maybe because he has crazy, hormonal teens following him), but lets hope it has some credit to top the charts with. 

2 comments:

  1. Well now that the film is out, I went on the recommendation from a friend who had posted on her facebook status : "I have the fever. I'm not proud of it. But I hear the movie will be out tomorrow night and I think I'll be cured." I know the post was meant be a tongue-and-cheek sort of revealing, but it got me curious that she admitted to being a fan of the Biebster.
    She's an over 40, self identified Butch Lesbian feminist.
    I'm over 50 myself - and a slightly older version of similar persuasion.

    And I was born to be a critic of social media and popular culture.

    As an avid film goer, I simply found Never Say Never a delightful mix to experience - not just 'watch'.
    This film is very well done as a documentary combining great cinematography with a story that reads like any decent entertainment feature. Injected with infectious tunes, I found Never Say Never to reveal so much about popular social themes that it appealed to my marketing brain and brought about an admiration regarding the entire Bieber Machine.
    Focusing on the combination of social networking plus raw talent and a great break of luck getting to the right people who knew how to package and sell this monstrous product, I found myself deconstructing so quickly but anxious to hear some of the songs repeated as I drew more and more ear pleasure from it. The sound quality is top-notch which helps the enjoyment factor tremendously.

    What the Biebs represents to me at this point in time where so many American youth are fearful of racial lines becoming blurred as well as gender ones, is an openness that should help soften some very confused and dangerous teens. Justin's well produced videos (with storylines) contain loads of age-appropriate youth of all races, often having him focus on a love interest with a female of color. The dancers are not all males either, which helps add interest to the entire package of the Biebs.
    I think because he's Canadian, Justin hasn't grown up with the same racial bigotry that so permeates American culture. His images are fresh and the themes kept pretty light...all bubble gum and romantic love.

    This film also forced me to see Justin as a REAL, NATURAL TALENT. I'd assumed that he was just a kid with a decent voice who happened to score attention with Youtube video uploading. This film shows us that he popped out like a time bomb of talent just waiting to get a pair of drum sticks in his hands and piano keys under his fingers while the microphone was at his lips. The fact that his single young mother had a gaggle of people surrounding her and him to encourage him all the way was also uplifting. Bieber seems to be loved deeply and his generosity shows in the way that he's conducting himself so far.

    I just heard that he's being asked very loaded politically-driven opinionated questions and for that, I feel sorry for him. He'll be 17 next month and still has so much ahead in terms of emotional growth. He's bound to mess up in this whirlwind of celebrity, and I'll probably forgive his missteps. But for now, I'll bask in the afterglow of a lot of the images and messages I got from this film that has me humming, SOMEBODY TO LOVE over and over days after hearing it!

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  2. I'm in year10 doing media and i had to review a movie trailer for homework,of course i chose Justins movie but just didn't know what to write.This really helped thankyou!!

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