A trailer is a short promotional film that teases the audience about a movie. It needs to communicate the plot, production value and tone of a film in under three minutes. This is no easy task, but some trailers do a better job than others at engaging audiences and creating excitement about the film.
One way that a trailer can tell a story is through a series of arresting visuals and compelling dialogue. This works well for dramas, thrillers and horror films, but it can also be effective in animated movies and documentaries. The key is to make sure the visuals and sound effects are in sync with the narrative structure of your movie and work together to create a compelling experience for the viewer.
Another method that trailers can use to tell a story is through the cast run, which is a list of actors or directors who appear in the film. This works well for dramas and thrillers, but it can also be effective in animated films and documentaries, as long as the list doesn’t give away too much of the plot.
Lastly, a trailer can also tell a story by using a combination of short scenes, sounds and text (either music or voice-over). A good trailer will include these elements to engage the audience and give them an idea about what the film is about. This is especially important for documentaries, as they may not have a lot of action or plot that can be easily conveyed through visuals.
For a movie, a great trailer will use a three-act structure to hook the audience. The beginning of the trailer should introduce the characters and setting; the middle should build conflict or complications; and the end should reach a climax.
The trailers for Star Wars and The Grand Budapest Hotel are great examples of this technique. They both have a strong narrative built with dialogue and visuals, and they both use a combination of action, drama and comedy to keep the audience engaged.
To make a trailer, you’ll need to have some video editing software, such as Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro. You can also hire a professional video editor on Upwork to create and edit your trailer for you. After editing the script and choosing visuals, you’ll need to add a soundtrack and record a voiceover. Once you’ve finished preparing your soundtrack, you can edit the visuals and then synchronize them with the music to make the trailer sound more cinematic. To make your trailer more interesting, consider using a variety of sounds, such as door creaks, explosions, and sub-sonic booms. You should also include some silence to accentuate certain parts of the soundtrack. Finally, you can add special effects to create a more immersive experience for the audience.