Trailers are a popular way to advertise films, shows, and digital products to audiences. They can be used as stand-alone marketing materials or paired with full-length videos to help you build an audience, gain subscribers, and make sales. They’re an important tool in the filmmaking process, and you need to know how to create them to get your message across effectively.
A good trailer tells a story that gets the audience emotionally invested and keeps them watching, so it’s crucial to get it right. This means using a three-act structure to organize your trailer, and treating it like a mini movie or standalone experience rather than just a collection of B-roll shots.
Before you start shooting your trailer, it’s a good idea to plan out the scenes you want to include. This is called a structure sheet and can be helpful to guide your editing process.
During the planning process, it’s also a good idea to gather feedback from other people who have watched your trailer or video to see how they responded. This will help you understand what parts of your film or video work best and what parts don’t.
When it comes time to shoot your trailer, don’t be afraid to experiment with different angles and shots. Taking the time to find the perfect angles and shot will ensure that your trailer is as impactful as possible.
Another key to successful trailers is making sure that all the scenes you use are consistent in their tone and style. This is especially important for trailers that introduce a new character or concept. For example, a trailer for a gritty character drama should use a different style of imagery than one for a romantic comedy.
Once you’ve gathered your footage, it’s time to edit it together into a trailer that explains your project and excites the audience. You’ll need to use quick cuts to showcase action, fade in and out of scenes, and sync music cues to specific moments.
The best trailers use a well-chosen soundtrack to elevate the mood of the piece. Whether you’re cutting for a thriller or a romance, the type of music you choose can greatly affect how the piece is perceived by viewers.
Getting the music right is just as important as the film you’re marketing, so make sure to do your research ahead of time. This can include listening to other trailers to hear what music works well with them and putting together a playlist of tracks that suit the tone of your film.