Dystopian Trailer: In Time

In Time

Director: Andrew Niccol  

Rating: PG-13

Release Date: October 28, 2011

In the future, people are programmed to stop aging at the age of 25; however, after the age of 25, one must "buy" additional time to stay alive. When Will (Justin Timberlake), a man who is running out of time, meets a wealthy time-loaner's daughter, Sylvia (Amanda Seyfreid), they rebel against the system by robbing time banks and distributing time to those who need it.

Director, Andrew Niccol develops a dystopian protagonist and emphasizes the elements of the dystopian society prevalent in In Time through the incorporation of relevant film clips, words, and voiceovers. The beginning of the trailer depicts a disintegrating world, which is described through voiceovers and text.  Elements of a dystopian society are emphasized in the following film clips. It is evident in the film clips that citizens of the society are living in a dehumanized state in which poor citizens cannot afford to live past the age of 25. The society depicted in the trailer is also an illusion of a perfect world because one side of society stays forever while living extravagant lives. These elements of a dystopian society are emphasized primarily through film clips, but also through voiceovers and words. Andrew Niccol establishes a dystopian protagonist in the trailer by incorporating film clips in which protagonist, Will, expresses his contempt for the system. In the trailer, Will is seen fighting the system through rebellious acts, such as robbing time banks, and killing government employees. Additional film techniques that add to the effectiveness of the trailer include suspenseful music, sound effects, and usage of a variety of camera angles.

In my trailer, I want to be able to emphasize elements of my group's dystopian society through the usage of footage, voiceovers, and text, similar to the In Time trailer. I also hope to embellish our trailer through the usage of music and interesting camera angles in order to make our trailer more captivating. Overall, In Time's trailer is an exemplar trailer which I would like to use as a model for my group's dystopian trailer.