A trailer is a short film that promotes a movie or a video game, often before it has been released. It is an integral part of movie marketing, as it tells the story of the film or video and introduces the main characters. A good trailer will engage the viewer’s emotions and create empathy for the main character.
The best trailers have a three-act structure that includes a beginning, middle, and climax. This format allows the trailer to quickly set up the premise of the movie and heighten the conflict of the plot. A well-made trailer uses sound, music, and editing techniques to tell a compelling story.
How to Make a Great Trailer
A film trailer is usually created long before the film is finished, often up to a year before. This means that the trailer is made from rushes or dailies and can contain footage that isn’t in the final movie. This technique is used for several reasons: it gives the director and writer a chance to see what shots will work best, it provides feedback on the editing and can help the film editor find creative ways to cut the movie, and it allows the filmmakers to have control over the footage.
Some companies, such as The Cimarron Group, MOJO, Aspect Ratio, Flyer Entertainment, Trailer Park, and Buddha Jones, specialize in creating trailers. They typically have a wide range of talent on their roster, including directors and writers.
The trailer also serves as a social proof, giving the filmmakers and their project a chance to show their work to others. This can give them a leg up when it comes to getting their film or video onto the big screen.
When choosing the soundtrack for your trailer, choose music that sets a specific tone and emphasizes key moments in the movie. For example, a thriller trailer might include a suspenseful score while a romantic comedy trailer may use lighthearted pop songs.
Adding a cast run and other information about the film’s production can increase its credibility, as will mention of any recognizable directors or producers. This can help draw in potential viewers and get them excited about the film’s release date.
Editing is the second most important aspect of making a successful trailer, and a good one will be able to smoothly transition from scene to scene. This can be done by adding sound effects to liven up the scenes, using quick cuts to show action, fading in and out of the scenes, and synchronizing music cues to different scenes.
The length of the trailer is another factor that can make or break it. The movie theater trade group the National Association of Theatre Owners has a guideline for trailers, requiring them to run no longer than two minutes. Some distributors have responded to this rule by providing shorter trailers than they would otherwise.
Despite the rules, trailers can still be powerful marketing tools. In fact, a trailer can be a better advertisement than a feature-length film if it’s made well. A great trailer will engage the viewer’s emotions, get them excited about a new movie, and help the film get noticed by critics and other media outlets.