Hollywood Marketing during a Global Pandemic: How Music Is Used in the Trailers for Dune (2021)

Abstract

This paper examines the three trailers for Dune(2021, Villeneuve), each of which uses music differently. In the first part of this paper, the most relevant literature surrounding music in film trailers is discussed. Topics like how music in film trailers generally works and how it is created or selected by trailer-makers are discussed, as well as the most relevant current themes and terminology within the field. In the second part, two notable trailer campaigns for science fiction franchise films of the past decade are examined in order to provide morecontext for the final analysis that constructs the largest part of this thesis. In the third and final part, the three trailers for Duneare closely examined, with a particular focus on their music component.By analyzing the audiovisual content of the trailers for Dune, how they relate to each other, and the unique circumstances of the campaign due to the global Covid-19 pandemic, conclusions are drawn about the processes and functions of music and sound in trailers for contemporary action sci-fi films.