Avatar Trailer and the Concept of Verticality

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 sp...