A trailer, sometimes referred to as a preview or coming attraction, is a commercial advertisement for a feature film, typically shown at the beginning of a movie’s screening. It is a product of creative and technical work, including the music for which it is composed.
Unlike teasers, which are a shorter piece of footage, a trailer is generally a much longer film. A good trailer should be around a minute long, organized around a monologue or minimal patches of dialogue, set to a single song or rhythmic sound that lasts the entire length of the clip, and edited to synchronize with that sound and monologue.
Many film studios are now creating trailers that are synecdoches of the movie they’re promoting: the trailer should be short, snappy, and end fairly abruptly to keep audiences interested. These trailers are usually filmed with a small crew and repurposed from the final cut of the film, and they often include logos from both the production company and the distributor.
The National Association of Theatre Owners has called for the length of movie trailers to be cut significantly, and a new industry guideline was issued in 2014. In January 2014, the MPAA and the movie distributors agreed that trailers should be two minutes and 30 seconds long, which is thirty seconds shorter than the prior norm.
While this change has caused some angst among film fans and studios alike, it’s an attempt to improve cinema experience. The shorter length of the trailer allows theaters to show a higher number of previews per day without the audience having to wait for a full thirty minutes before the movie starts.
It also means that studios can spend less time reworking trailers for the market. This, in turn, allows them to focus on making a better feature.
A successful trailer should tell a story on several levels: the plot, the characters, and the setting. It should also have music and visuals that support the theme of the trailer.
If the trailer fails to do this, it will be a missed opportunity to sell the video to viewers or encourage them to sign up for mailing lists. If it’s a trailer for a short documentary, it may even be a missed opportunity to get people to watch the whole thing.
The best trailers are the ones that make you feel like you’re actually part of the film, and not just an ad. They have to be able to make you laugh, cry, or otherwise feel that you’re part of the story.
You can do this by using a storyboard that includes characters, plot, and scenery. It’s a good idea to use a storyboard template that you can modify for each trailer.
A trailer can be a lot of work, but it’s an essential part of promoting your video. Having a great trailer will not only allow you to attract more viewers, but it can also help you build up your brand and make more money.