Inception is an action movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio as an undercover agent working on a security programme. The trailer includes a lot of stereotypical conventions expected to be shown in action movies, such as the use of modern gadgets, explosions, killings, fighting and fast paced editing. "Dom Cobb is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state, when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb's rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved"- Warner Bro's pictures.
The trailer opens with a close up shot of waves crashing together. There is a soundtrack in the background that is the sound of a violin. The use of the violin creates a sinister and uneasy atmosphere, as violins are usually used in horror films to create suspense. We then see a close up shot of a man (Dom) lying down on some kind of hard object in the sea. This adds a mysterious vibe to the trailer, as the audience become intrigued as to why one of the characters is in the middle of the ocean. We then hear non-diegetic dialogue stating "There is one thing you should know about me, i specialise in a very specific type of security."This immediately kicks the trailer off into what kind of genre it it. Security holds connotations with dominance, aggressive natures and power, which makes the audience seem like this character is in a high position in the film. We then see this character outside a lobby near a lift, and he is preparing a gun to shoot. His posture is very lenient, which makes him look like he is sneaking around in the corridor, which conforms to his character of being a spy. It also adds tension to the audience, as it makes them question who is hiding from, and if he does get caught what will happen?. The prop of the gun also adds tension towards the audience. Guns have the power to kill individuals instantaneously, with little effort needed to do so. This is what makes guns so dangerous, but also thrilling and exhilarating in films, as sometimes when a particular character dies in a film, it can tug on the heart strings of the audience, and make them feel part of the film. Dom is wearing a suit when connotes power and authority. This representation is further highlighted through the use of the gun, and his body language. This is all shown through a medium shot, this is an effective shot to use, as the audience are able to see his body language and facial expressions all at one angle.The editing in the trailer is also highly effective in the way of conforming to the genre of the film. Between each part of footage, a fade to black is used for the transitions. Using the same transitions throughout the trailer helps to create a smooth running trailer, in the sense that the audience are not thrown off, by harsh,brash editing, but rather feel more content as the transitions are all fluent. The colour black connotes power, authority, death and mystery which are all concepts that are presented in action films. However, having slow and smooth editing in an action movie, somehow strips away the aggressive and "action" part of the film. But, this trailer tends to focus more on the spies and gadgets than the violent, aggressive scenes, which makes the trailer seem more mysterious and have an edgy vibe. I myself, have seen the entire film,and i know that there is a lot of violent and aggressive scenes. So not showing all of this in the trailer, doesn't give too much away, which i feel is a huge concept to consider when making a trailer. The worst thing about leaving the cinema is when you feel that all the good parts were played in the trailer, and therefore there wasn't that much exciting content to be shown in the actual film itself. I feel that this trailer will give all of us an influence for our trailer, in the sense that we do not want to film too much. Titles are then projected onto the screen, with a loud thud as each one comes up,creating tension to the audience. Some of the titles read "From the director of the Dark Knight", "From Christopher Nolan". This gives the film a unique selling point, Christopher Nolan has directed all of the Batman movies, which were very successful. The fact that the film has been directed by a very popular and well known director, would help boost the box office hits and make people want to buy the DVD.
We then see a medium shot of an elderly man talking to a girl. He states diegetically " Mr Cobb has a job offer he would like to place you." The man has glasses, is fairly old and is wearing a suit. Elderly people are stereotyped to be wise,knowledgeable and intelligent, which puts the man in a powerful position in the trailer. The camera then pans towards the girl to which she responds "What? Like a work placement?" The girl has brunette hair, is wearing a floral scarf, jacket and a side bag crossing over her shoulder and front body. She has a bundle of books in her hand, and there are also books in the background on a shelf. Also in the background, we are able to see lots of teenagers moving in different directions. It looks like this location is in a university hall or college like place. This makes her seem innocent and vulnerable. This vulnerability can be further highlighted. After the girl says "Like a work placement?" three fast clips are merged together, which suggests that this is what the work placement would involve. The first clip shows a guy in a yellow taxi, with a gun being waved crazily out the window. The second shot shows two men fighting in a corridor. They are both wearing suits,which suggests that they are powerful men, and finally the last clip shows an establishing shot of a city. All these clips suggest that the work placement is going to be dangerous and at her own risk. As the trailer continues, we hear Dom state non diegeitically "well... this isn't all technically legal..."This statement adds even more suspense to the audience as it suggests that although Dom works in security, what h does for his job goes against the law, and can therefore be dangerous. It also questions to the audience as to weather Dom is the good guy or the bad guy, which i feel is an effective part to put in the trailer, as it leaves the audience on a cliff hanger. 
We then see a medium shot of a guy bursting out of a bath. The brashness of the scene suggests that someone had been holding him under the water, which adds tension to the trailer. This can be further highlighted through the fact that the character is still wearing clothes. Again, the clothing used is a suit, which suggests that this person is in a powerful position in the trailer. Having aggressive and violent scenes in the trailer helps to conform to the conventions of an action film. It lifts the audience out of their seats helping them to feel part of all the action taking place. The screen then fades to black, and we see a close up shot of a man reversing his car. He has one hand on the steering wheel, and the other on the back of his seat. Through the close up shot, the audience are able to see his facial expressions. His face appears shriveled and compressed together, which suggests the emotion of anger. This could further highlight that he might be trying to run someone over or hit something which adds even more suspense. 
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