A trailer is a short clip of footage from a film used to advertise the movie. Trailers are designed to be eye catching and engaging, usually using special effects, music, and voice over to get the audience excited about the movie. It is often used to promote films to be released at a theater or cinema and can also be used for television shows, video games, or other forms of entertainment such as live performances.
One common technique in trailers is to use voice-over narration to explain the story and set the scene. This is especially popular in Hollywood and can be used to convey a certain tone to the viewer. Some trailers have even used voice-over cliches for comedic effect such as “Colossal!” or “Stupendous!”
The story behind the film can sometimes be told by using special effects in the trailer itself. This can be done by combining footage from the actual film with computer generated images that create a new story and add to the overall feel of the trailer. The process of creating these special effects is known as “greenscreening.”
Another popular technique is to use clips from the actual film but with music that doesn’t appear on the movie’s soundtrack. This is usually done to give the trailer a unique feeling and to draw attention to it, although some composers have complained that it makes them less likely to be hired for future work.
A good trailer can evoke an emotional response from the audience and draw them in to see the full movie. Many times the trailer will include a cliffhanger at the end of the clip that keeps the audience wanting to see more. This is particularly effective in online trailers that are meant to be viewed while scrolling through social media feeds or web pages. The cliffhanger should be short enough to keep viewers interested and engaged. The ending can also be a call to action such as directing them to the website for more information or encouraging mailing list signups.
The primary goal of this trailer seems to be to make it feel like a serious action movie. The music is a mix of electric guitars and dramatic orchestral music that does work in concert with this goal. However, the visuals seem to have little or no connection to this goal and instead seem to be a montage of action scenes that don’t really tell much of a story. This is particularly disappointing considering that this is a movie by Jackie Chan who has often spoken out about the importance of story context for making action exciting to watch.