A trailer is a short film that serves as an introduction to a movie and provides audience members with a taste of the film’s storyline. The same storytelling elements and techniques that engage audiences in films and TV shows must be used to create effective trailers, and doing so is no easy feat.
A great trailer explains what the movie is about while still keeping audience members hooked. The best way to do this is to introduce the main characters, set up a central conflict, and then leave the audience with a major cliffhanger. The trailer can also create empathy for the characters and make viewers want to see how they’ll overcome the conflict. Oftentimes, trailers also use effective editing and sound effects to add to the emotion. For example, distant sounds of battle can imply that the film is an action movie while ambient futuristic noises can subtly hint at sci-fi content.
Another common technique is to use music that does not appear on the movie’s soundtrack. This helps the trailer feel original and can even add a layer of mystery to the project. However, the music should never be so prominent that it distracts from the narrative or gives away too much information about the movie.
While a trailer can be a lot of fun to create, it’s important to remember that the trailer is meant to sell the film, so it needs to be professional and well-crafted. Many studios will hire a well-established company to handle the creation of the trailer. These companies will work with the creative advertising department of the studio to review a selection of footage and create several iterations of the trailer based on notes from the client.
Once the final trailer is approved, it will be uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo and distributed through online channels. Trailers are a crucial component of any marketing campaign, and they can be used in a variety of ways to drive audiences to the film’s website or theater. For example, the filmmaker can release a teaser trailer on social media each day leading up to when the full trailer is released or they can promote the trailer with sponsored social ads.
The trailer is also a great tool to use as part of a crowdfunding campaign. By creating a teaser trailer that is compelling and intriguing, the filmmaker can encourage audience members to support the project financially by visiting the website to learn more. This will help the filmmaker raise money for their film and ensure that it has a chance of getting made.