Avatar Trailer and the Concept of Verticality
Verticality Short Essay
Form (minimum 2 pages, single spaced, to whatever length it takes to get your points across) In the chapter covering her theory of “Verticality”, author Whissel discusses the 2009 film Avatar at length from pgs 47 thru 58 (“Diving Downward and Looping Back”). What I’d like you to do is review this portion of the chapter in detail and apply what is discussed concerning “Verticality” not to any particular scene in the film, but to the Official Trailer (link below, along with a link to the film’s synopsis). What I'd like you to discuss is not how the studio deconstructed, then reconstructed, the narrative structure of the film in order to make it into a three and a half minute marketing piece, but if aspects of Whissel’s close reading of this film also work when critiquing the trailer which, in theory, should also display evidence of “Verticality”. After watching the trailer a few times, ask yourself questions like: what aspects of “Verticality” were carried over from the film and into the trailer? How significant or prominent is the evidence for “Verticality” present in the trailer (is it more or less evident)? Do the “Vertical” themes or messages as described by Whissel in the overall film and present in the trailer come across efficiently? Or, is the power of the “Vertical” lost when it was presented in trailer format? In short, since this idea of “Verticality” is quite convincing to Whissel in relation to the overall narrative of the film, do you think the trailer also communicates “Verticality”? NOTE: when discussing the trailer, please be sure to add mention of the time code for which point in the trailer you are discussing, like this (00:00) ALSO: it really isn’t necessary to watch the entire film to understand the discussion of ”Verticality” in Whissel’s text here, nor to take what she discusses and apply it to the trailer, but you are of course welcome to find the film online and watch it in order to further help out your discussion.
Avatar Trailer and the Concept of Verticality
Your Name
Subject and Section
Professor’s Name
February 20, 2023
The concept of 'verticality' has been one of the most utilized techniques in the film industry. With the rise of Computer-generated Imagery (CGI) and the increasing usage of drones, distance, and height have been used to emphasize both cinematic and thematic ideas in both films and movies. Accordingly, this article will focus on how this concept was used in the trailer of one of the most successful films in the history of filmmaking – James Cameron's Avatar. Specifically, these concepts would be used to analyze its main trailer, one of the masterpieces that enticed millions of viewers to watch the film. In the succeeding sections of this article, the author will initially discuss Whissel's Theory of "Verticality," followed by a subsequent analysis of the trailer using such theories. Accordingly, the author of this article believes that Cameron utilized this theory to evoke feelings of awe and transcendence, which was then tied to the main storyline and the use of astonishing visuals.
Whissel's Theory of Verticality
As stated earlier, the use of height and depth in films and other digital media has created a sense of awe and transcendence among its viewers. In Whissel's discussion of The New Verticality, she developed a theory of "verticality" to describe how certain films use height and depth to convey emotion and meaning. According to her, verticality creates a "spectacular image" that draws the viewer into the film's world by creating a sense of awe and transcendence.
Specifically, Whissel identifies several techniques that filmmakers use to create a sense of verticality, including the use of high and low camera angles, the depiction of extreme heights and depths, and the use of vertical motion to create a sense of momentum and power. In fact, she discussed how this sense of vertical motion had been used, not only in contemporary media and narratives but as early as myths, wherein the sudden change in the vertical distance shows an abrupt change of power. For example, she noted how greek mythology and other older texts show how a divine being loses his power, such as when Zues' "fall presents a striking, dynamic image of the unexpected loss of power, of a body given over entirely to the laws of physics, the laws of the gods, and the prevailing order that he defied through his ascent" (Whissel, 2014, p.22).
Accordingly, Whissel's theory of "Verticality" emphasizes the use of height and depth to evoke specific emotions and meanings in film. According to her, vertical movement in a film can signify ascent or descent, transcendence or descent into chaos, and an extension or collapse of power structures.
Trailer Analysis
When analyzing the official trailer for Avatar, one can observe several instances of verticality being used to convey meaning. For example, the opening shot of a spacecraft descending towards a planet's surface sets the stage for the vertical motif that is central to the film's visual language (00:12). This was then followed by another shot, taken from a first-person point-of-view, wherein the spacecraft is slowly descending into the thick and foggy canopy of Pandora's jungle, which then evoked and emphasized emotions of uncertainty and adventure to the point-of-view of the viewers (00:17).
Now that the director emphasized the element of uncertainty and newness with the use of a descending shot, it is apparent that the subsequent shots would then focus on creating the emotion of awe and grandeur now that they are exploring the planet that is teeming with rich natural resources. Some of the shots, which then used verticality, utilized camera angles to emphasize the vertical dimension of the film's world. For example, there are several shots looking up at towering trees or structures, which serve to emphasize the scale a...