A trailer is a wheeled vehicle designed to be pulled by a truck, car or other vehicle. It can be used to transport boats, campers, and other recreational vehicles. Trailers are also used to haul livestock, cargo, equipment and supplies. A trailer is not to be confused with a caravan, which is a fully furnished vehicle that is pulled by a truck or automobile.
The word trailer is derived from the Dutch word for caravan, which means “caravan” or “trailer.” In film, a trailer is a movie preview that shows clips from a full-length feature film. It is typically shown before the actual movie at the cinema. A trailer is also a short video that promotes products, websites or other services.
Movie trailers have long been a staple of Hollywood filmmaking, and they are also used to promote television shows, video games, books and theatrical events/concerts. Some trailers are even created for non-film productions, such as commercials or music videos.
Many people have made trailers for their own films or personal projects, and the internet has enabled them to share them on YouTube and other video-sharing websites. Creating a trailer is not as easy as simply shooting footage and then editing it together, however. The best trailers are planned and edited carefully to ensure that they will be effective in capturing audience attention.
To make a good trailer, it is important to choose the right music. This should be appropriate for the genre of the movie and help set the tone for the audience. For example, a thriller may need a suspenseful or dramatic soundtrack, while a romantic comedy may require a more lighthearted or playful song. It is also a good idea to include a cast run, which is a list of the main actors or actresses featured in the film.
A successful trailer should have a clear premise and compelling story. It should also be able to hook the viewer visually and audibly. A good way to achieve this is by using visual effects such as fast cuts, sound effects and dramatic lighting. It is also a good idea to incorporate a voice-over that matches the tone and energy of the video. Finally, a good trailer should end with a cliffhanger or stinger, which will keep the audience wanting to see the full film.
Sometimes a movie trailer will use material that is not included in the film itself. This could be an artistic decision or it could be a publicity trick to attract audience interest. One of the most famous examples is Alfred Hitchcock’s trailer for Psycho, which showed the soft-spoken Vera Miles rather than Janet Leigh in the shower scene.
The trailer is a powerful promotional tool for any film, but it can also be misconstrued and lead to misleading information about the film. For example, a trailer might reveal a twist in the film, such as that the main character is actually a ghost or that the villain is the protagonist’s father. This can mislead the audience and detract from the overall impact of the film.