A trailer is a short clip of a film, TV show, or other type of video meant to intrigue viewers and make them want to see more. It’s a crucial component of a marketing strategy that often goes overlooked, but it can help boost your viewership and encourage more people to subscribe to your channel or watch your full videos. A successful trailer can also help you build an audience for your film or project before its official release, so it’s important to get it right.
A film trailer is a short preview of a feature film that’s intended to generate interest and excitement for the movie. It usually gives a broad overview of the film’s story without giving away any spoilers, and it introduces the lead actors as well as the director, writer, or producer. A trailer can also include a list of notable cast members and the film’s release date.
In the past, film trailers were displayed in movie theaters before showing the main feature, but now they’re available online and on many different platforms, including Vimeo and Facebook. They’re also used to promote video-on-demand releases and movie events.
The best film trailers tell a riveting story that gets the audience emotionally invested. They typically follow a three-act structure, with the first act establishing characters and setting up the central conflict, the middle raising the stakes, and the end featuring a climax. When creating your own film trailer, you can use this structure to guide the editing process and ensure your film’s key elements are represented.
Another thing to keep in mind when creating a trailer is that it’s meant to be a teaser, not an infomercial. Your audience doesn’t want to be told everything about your movie, television show, or video before they start watching it, so don’t oversell it! It’s better to be honest with your audience about what they can expect from your content and let them decide if it’s worth their time.
Keeping Your Trailer Short
When it comes to making a trailer, shorter is often better. Most online viewers don’t have much patience for a video that’s longer than a couple of minutes, so your trailer should be no more than a minute or two long. It’s essential to grab the attention of viewers as they scroll through a feed on a social media platform, and a lengthy trailer is likely to turn them off.
Your trailer should also have a call-to-action at the end, encouraging viewers to subscribe to your channel or watch your full video. Ideally, it should flow directly from the cliffhanger and avoid any prolonged credits or black frames. This helps to keep the trailer looking professional and polished, as opposed to a homemade YouTube video.