What is a trailer?
A trailer is a preview to advertise a feature film or programme that will be on home televisions. A trailer is the most important part of a marketing campaign for a film.In the cinema, trailers are shown before the feature film so that people can watch them whilst waiting for the main feature.
Trailers contain a sequence of chosen shots from the film being advertised.These usually are the most interesting, funny, adventurous or notable parts of the film so that it attracts an audience without spoiling the film. The length of a trailer must not exceed two and half minutes which is the limit set by the Motion Picture Association of America. However this limit is allowed to be exceeded once a year by each studio if they feel it vital for the trailer. To ensure the film is not spoiled by the trailer, the selected clips are usually not shown in the order they appear in in the film.
Some trailers use ‘special shoot’ footage which is shot specifically with the intent to be used in the trailer but not in the actual film itself. One of the most famous ‘special shoot’ trailers is in the 1960’s film Psycho.
The trailer for a film can be created at agencies such as The Cimarron Group and MOJO whilst the film is being produced at the studio. This is why some features of the trailer may not appear in the film as the film has not been edited yet. Commonly, music that is included in the film does not appear in the final film soundtrack. This nearly always happens because the trailer is made up to a year before the composer for the film is even hired.
Some trailers that include footage not in the film are particularly sought after by collectors.
Trailers tell the story of a film in a highly compacted and fast paced fashion that has maximum appeal. Trailers have become a highly polished piece of production which are capable of making poor films appear to be attractive to audiences.
Trailers tell the story of a film in a highly compacted and fast paced fashion that has maximum appeal. Trailers have become a highly polished piece of production which are capable of making poor films appear to be attractive to audiences.
Most trailers have a three-act structure which is similar to a feature length film. This includes a beginning (act 1) that shows the setting for the story, the middle (act 2) which pushes the story further and usually ends with a dramatic climax and act 3 which is usually a piece of signature music consisting of a recognisable song or a powerful piece of orchestral music. Act 3 often consists of a visual montage of powerful and emotional parts of the film and/or a showcase of the cast if they are noteworthy and could help sell the film.
Voice-overs are often used in trailers to set the scene of the film and provide explanatory notes when necessary to help the audience understand the plot of the film.
Music helps set the tone of the trailer. Music can include music from other movies, well-known music (often chosen for it lyrical appropriateness or tone), ‘library music’ previously composed to be used by an independent composer or specifically composed music such as the music used in Star Wars and Braveheart.
The director’s or producer’s name is also sometimes included in the trailer if they are going to help sell the film due to previous successful or well-known films. A ‘cast run’ includes the names that appear on posters and printed advertisement and also at the beginning or end of a film. Production logos are often included in the beginning of the trailer as well and these include the production company’s and the distributor’s logos.
Scenes that include special effects and enhanced sounds are usually the focal point of a trailer. There is no time limit on if a trailer exceeds two minutes and thirty seconds on a home produced or internet trailer.
A ‘green band’ is given to trailers which shows it is appropriate to be viewed by the audience that is present for the feature film. A ‘yellow band’ shows the trailer is appropriate for only age-appropriate internet users and finally there is a ‘red band’ which shows the trailer is only appropriate for mature or restricted audiences. Where might a trailer be seen? Trailers are often watched on the internet on sites such as www.apple.com/trailers and www.traileraddict.com. Sites like these enable the audience to also read reviews of the films and they may also take a critical perspective.
Trailers are also watched in the cinema before the feature film. This allows for special shoot footage to be shown at its best quality and also for the soundtrack to have a high impact due to good quality images and sounds equipment. This is ideal for action and horror films.
They are generally exhibited in cinemas before similar films, on television or can be viewed online.
This high performance technology is becoming increasingly more available in people’s homes and so makes trailers before the feature film on DVD seem like a good idea. However, the audience at home will be able to skip through the trailers and so a lot of the marketing opportunities are missed.
What is the difference between a full and a teaser trailer?
There are different types of trailer including teaser trailers and theatrical trailers.
Teaser trailers are very short, and usually released a long time before the film will be exhibited - up to a year beforehand. Their purpose is less to inform an audience of the film's content than to let them know that the film is coming up in the future. They are approximately between 30-60 seconds and are used to create a buzz surrounding the upcoming release of the film.
A theatrical trailer is longer than teaser trailers (around two and a half minutes long) and is shown closer to the release date of the actual film. It's shown in cinemas and on television whereas teaser trailers are seen more only on tv. The purpose of the theatrical trailer is to attract an audience by using the most exciting, funny or noteworthy scenes from the film and may give an overview of the plot.
1. A teaser trailer’s intention is to create the first element of hype about an upcoming film.
2. A teaser is a short taster whereas a full trailer is a more in-depth preview.
3. A teaser has less footage from the actual film and may include more footage shot for the trailer itself.
4. A teaser trailer generally includes less information about the film.
5. A teaser trailer is usually only released for big budget films.
6. A full trailer shows more footage from the film and is produced closer to the film’s release date. It gives an outline of the plot for the film and is a longer preview.
7. Teaser trailers are released on average 6-8 months before the film is released as oppose to 2 months before the film for a full trailer’s case.
8. Teaser trailers are more likely to be found online and on TV and full length trailers are more often shown in the cinema.
Posted by Sam Leimanis and Sophie Rippin
