The trailer (also known as a teaser, coming attraction, or advance advertisement) is an important part of the feature filmmaking process. It serves to generate interest in the film by creating anticipation and demand among audiences. It is a form of advertising that utilizes cinematic and sound techniques, often including a music track and a voiceover, to convey an overview of the movie. The trailer has become an integral tool in a studio’s marketing strategy, as it allows them to reach a wider audience with less cost and time. It has also been used as a promotional device for television shows, video games and books.
Unlike the main film, trailers are usually short in length and designed to be seen on a small screen, such as a theater or a television. While a main film may have a complex narrative and a high budget, trailers are much simpler in structure. They are often based on action, comedy or drama and use visuals to promote the film and engage audiences with the characters. The trailer is a popular medium for the creation of a sense of anticipation, and has generated a lively discourse around its production and presentation.
For its brief running time, the trailer can provide a richly varied and highly textured experience. The genre is a unique and versatile medium in which to construct narrative pleasures and it is a practice that has been shaped by the interplay of disciplinary discourses in film history. These discourses revolve around the twin binaries of art and commerce, or artistry and efficiency.
In a film industry that is in constant flux, the trailer is uniquely placed in between these dichotomies. The recurring debates about its accuracy as a forecasting practice are indicative of the tension between a trailer’s creative agency and its instrumental role in generating industry revenue.
One of the key features of a trailer is that it often presents a collage of scenes from the feature. This is in contrast to the traditional approach of a director that is to present a clear vision of what he or she thinks is important about the film. While this can be effective, it is not always possible to achieve in a trailer, and often results in the director being frustrated that his or her vision is not fully represented.
Typically, the cold open is an high energy scene that starts the trailer with a bang. It is often a highly stylized scene that sets the tone for the rest of the trailer and establishes the genre or style of the film. For example, a science fiction trailer will often start with a cool visual that is set to a dramatic or epic musical cue.
While the trailer has a long tradition of being a form of entertainment, it is also an essential and lucrative tool for the film industry. It allows studios to reach a larger audience with less cost and in more time than is possible for a feature film. In this way, it is a remarkably successful marketing technique and a unique art form that deserves our attention.