A trailer is a unit used to carry heavy cargo, such as a large car or truck. It consists of a flat platform on wheels mounted on the rear of a vehicle, with an attached hitch and towing device. Trailers are available in a wide variety of sizes and capacities. Some are built to haul cars or other small vehicles, while others are designed for larger trucks or cargo loads. Trailers are also used to transport animals, landscaping equipment and other materials.
Movie trailers are a form of film promotion that is a key part of the filmmaking process. The goal of a movie trailer is to sell the concept and story of the movie through a short clipping of scenes from the movie. Creating an effective movie trailer is a difficult task, requiring skillful editing and a clear understanding of audience psychology.
The first step in making a movie trailer is establishing the genre of the film. This can be done through a combination of scene selection and music. It is also important to provide a sense of time and place in the movie’s setting. The trailer must also clearly introduce the central characters, and if possible, entice viewers to care about them.
Trailers are typically one to three minutes long and consist of footage from the feature film, edited together. This allows audiences to see the movie without purchasing a ticket and allows producers to advertise before the film’s release. Unlike other forms of advertising, movie trailers are often watched repeatedly by fans of the film and can be a strong influence on their decision to purchase tickets.
Traditionally, trailers have divulged minimal plot details and relied on posed questions to pique the audience’s interest. However, the era of blockbuster movies has led to increased competition between films and has resulted in more thorough plot overviews in trailers. Today, a typical movie trailer may reveal up to two-thirds of the narrative arc and can be seen as an effective tool for building hype and audience anticipation.
The structure of a movie trailer can vary from filmmaker to filmmaker, depending on the style of the film and target audience. Some use a cold open to immediately begin the story while others employ a more conventional three-act structure. A good trailer will establish the premise of the movie by introducing characters and setting up the central conflict, but it will end on a cliffhanger, leaving the audience eager to see how the conflict is resolved. The trailer will also include a list of the main actors and crew, and will usually conclude with a studio production logo. This list is called the “billing block” and usually appears on posters and other print publicity.