A trailer (also known as a preview or attraction video) is a short promotional film that gives audiences an overview of a movie before it’s released in theaters or on streaming services. They can be used to promote any type of movie, but are especially effective for promoting blockbusters, as they help to build hype and encourage ticket sales.
When making a trailer, it’s important to understand the audience and the movie you’re promoting. The best trailers are entertaining and engaging, and leave the audience wanting more. They also avoid using cliches or overused footage to ensure that the trailer stands out from the rest.
The most successful trailers use a combination of scenes from the film and stock or custom music to set the tone and emotion of the movie. For example, a suspenseful or eerie score can elevate an action movie trailer, while a soft pop song can add a sense of lightness and romance to a romantic comedy. In addition to music, sound effects can also be used to tell a story. For example, distant sounds of battle can let viewers know that a war film is on the way, or ambient futuristic noises can hint at science fiction.
Another popular technique in movie trailers is to highlight the cast run, a list of actors that appear in the film. This is a great way to draw attention to the film and attract an audience, especially if there are any big-name stars or directors who can add appeal to the trailer. This information often appears at the end of the trailer.
A good trailer should have a compelling and exciting ending. A great way to do this is by creating a cliffhanger, which is a moment that leaves the audience wondering what will happen in the next scene. It can be difficult to create a cliffhanger in a short trailer, but it’s essential to get the audience invested in the film and excited for its release.
Although many film trailers continue to resemble mini-movies, and still include the setup, confrontation, and climax of a movie, there has been a recent shift towards aestheticism in the art of the trailer. This has led to a growing number of trailers that feature the full plot of a movie, but without dialogue or character development. This trend toward aestheticism can be seen in the trailers for films like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Social Network, Joker, and Roma, which all use a combination of shots and editing techniques to convey the movie’s tone and mood. In some cases, the trailers are even edited to fit a particular soundtrack that isn’t necessarily relevant to the movie itself but heightens feelings that the filmmakers hope to evoke in the audience.