A trailer is a short promotional film that gives audiences an overview of your film or video. Filmmakers use trailers to get people excited about a project and increase its chances of success at the box office or on subscription video platforms.
A good trailer will communicate the story of your film, but it shouldn’t give away too much so that viewers won’t want to see the full movie. The best way to do this is to focus on visuals, but also to keep your audience engaged with sound effects, quick cuts, and other editing techniques. You can even rework the tempo of your soundtrack to match the pacing of your scenes.
If you’re making a movie trailer, it’s generally best to follow a three-act structure (abridged for your film, of course). You need to establish the characters and their backgrounds, introduce conflict or complications, and then build up suspense and tease the resolution.
The first scene you shoot will probably be the inciting incident — the scene that sparks everything else in your movie. This is a key moment that you should try to capture in your trailer, as it’s what will make the viewer decide whether or not they want to watch your film.
You can also add a lot of visual variety by using different shots, angles, and locations in your film. This will make your film feel more authentic, and it’s a great way to make sure that the audience is never bored by what they’re seeing.
Besides shooting the best possible footage, you can make your trailer stand out with editing techniques that create a sense of urgency and excitement. For example, quick cuts and fast tempo music are often used to drive the action forward and make scenes more interesting.
It’s also important to choose a voice-over that fits your film’s tone. For example, you might have a serious and dramatic voice-over for a drama or an uplifting and cheerful one for a comedy. The same goes for music, as you should use a moody orchestral track for an intense thriller or a lighthearted pop song for a romantic comedy.
Trailers are the best way to entice viewers to check out your film or subscribe to your video channel or subscription service. However, it’s important to remember that a call to action can only work if your video is original and exciting and doesn’t sound like a cheap sales pitch.