A trailer is a wheeled vehicle that doesn’t move on its own but must be pulled by a truck, car, or other vehicle. People often use trailers to haul boats, campers, and other recreational vehicles. Trailers are also used to transport commercial goods. Some parents tow their small children around in bicycle trailers.
Trailers are an essential part of movie marketing, and there’s an art to creating a successful one. Trailers are also common in all sorts of other artistic projects, from festivals and contests to teasers for businesses launching new products.
The term “trailer” is actually a combination of two meanings: one refers to the trailer that theaters show before a feature film, and the other references the trailer for a television series or TV movie. It’s also possible to make a trailer for a video game, though that type of trailer tends to be less focused on storytelling and more about promoting the game itself.
There are a few key things to keep in mind when making a trailer. First, it’s important to understand what the audience is expecting from the movie or video you’re promoting. This will help you create a trailer that meets their needs. For example, if you’re promoting a horror movie, you’ll probably want to include some kind of jump scare or gory scene. This will help get your viewers excited for the film and increase its chances of being seen by as many people as possible.
In addition, a good trailer should be short and snappy to keep audiences engaged. It should also have a cliffhanger at the end that will leave them wanting more. It’s also common for trailers to feature a cast run, or list of the main actors and directors in the movie. It’s also a good idea to incorporate the logo of the production company or distributor at the beginning of the trailer.
Another popular way to promote a trailer is to post it on social media. This can be especially effective if you’re promoting a film or video that has received positive reviews from fans. You can even ask those fans to spread the word about your trailer, which can have a major impact on its success.
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In January 2014, the National Association of Theatre Owners released an industry guideline asking that film distributors supply trailers that are no longer than two minutes long, which is 30 seconds shorter than the previous norm. This change reflects an increasing desire for audiences to spend less time watching trailers and more time seeing the films they’ve come to see. The industry standard previously had been three minutes. The trend toward shorter trailers has been accelerated by the rise of digital distribution. Most films are now distributed on digital platforms without the need for theatrical release. This has allowed film studios to produce more and shorter trailers for their films, which gives them more opportunities to reach as many potential viewers as possible.