A trailer is a vehicle on wheels that is pulled by a truck or other power vehicle and used for transporting heavy goods such as furniture, cars, machinery, etc. A trailer can also be referred to as a camper, a hauling container, or a flatbed trailer.
The trailer is an essential part of a film’s marketing strategy, and the artful way in which clips are spliced together can convey emotions such as fear, anticipation, humor, or angst. Whether a movie is a drama, horror, comedy or action thriller, the trailer can make or break a film’s box office performance by setting expectations for the audience and making them either eager or reluctant to see the full-length version of the picture.
Trailers are usually screened before feature films and may be presented in a variety of formats. In the past, they were often 35 mm film but now most trailers are produced digitally. They are often mixed in Dolby Digital and can be shown at a range of resolutions, depending on the Internet connection of the viewer.
Throughout the years, some trailers have been accused of giving misleading representations of films’ content. Whether it is suggesting that a minor celebrity will have a prominent role in the movie or showing a lot of action, some trailers have made claims that are not true. Some movies have even had their trailers edited to misrepresent their content.
One major trend in trailers has been a large-scale phasing out of voiceovers in favor of a central soundtrack. However, voiceovers are still used in some trailers, particularly those that are made for TV or aimed at certain demographics.
Many modern trailers use footage from the film itself, while others are edited from dailies or individual scenes that are cut during production. This is often because of the high cost of shooting a film in multiple locations, or it could be an artistic choice.
Another trend in trailers has been a move towards shorter shots. Studies have shown that audiences have much shorter attention spans than in the past, and trailer editors have adapted by presenting clips of the film in a more fragmented manner.
While a trailer is generally an advertising tool for films, it has also been used to promote other kinds of entertainment products, such as television shows, video games, and books. The trailer format has also been used for theatrical events, such as plays and musicals, as well as concerts. The word trailer is derived from the Dutch term “trailer voor de film.” It was created in 1913 by Nils Granlund, an advertising manager for Marcus Loew theaters, who spliced rehearsal footage of a Broadway play into a mini promotional montage that trailed after films at his theaters. This was the first step in establishing the trailer industry as we know it today.