The trailer is a film clip that introduces a movie and gives a sense of what it is about. It consists of visuals that work in conjunction with a voice-over or narration, often with music that is part of the movie score. Trailers have become the newest, hottest marketing tool for movies. Unlike traditional television advertising, trailers can be free and reach a larger audience on the internet. With the growth of YouTube and high bandwidth internet connections, trailers are being created and distributed at unprecedented rates. Trailers can be made for any movie, but a few have garnered cult-like enthusiasm. For example, the 2007 movie Grindhouse (Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof and Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror) featured five fake trailers in between the double-billed feature films. These trailers were praised as meta-explorations of the genre and became directorial experiments in their own right. Fan-created trailers using studio trailers, animation techniques, and fan-acted scenes are also common. Some even have their own soundtracks, such as the “Machete Kills” trailer, which has spawned its own franchise.
Trailers for new theatrical releases can be shown in movie theaters before the main feature or on cable and satellite TV. They are usually 2 minutes or less in length and are regulated by the same body that regulates movie ratings. Movie theater owners have recently been pushing to shorten the running time of trailers, but the film distribution industry has reacted coolly.
Traditionally, trailers have been released by the major Hollywood studios to promote their latest releases. Some studios have their own in-house trailer production departments, while others hire outside companies to create and distribute their movie clips. Some trailers are narrated and use dialogue from the movie, while others use voice-over narration to briefly set up the premise of the movie. Hollywood trailers of the classic era were famous for their over-the-top voice-over cliches, but this has lessened since the passing of legendary voice-over artist Don LaFontaine.
In addition to dialogue and visuals, a trailer contains a cast rundown, which lists the principal actors in the movie. The final trailer block typically includes the studio production logo and a film rating. A trailer can also contain music from the movie score, or an original song or instrumental piece that fits the tone of the movie.
Trailers can be used for any kind of film, including animated and documentary films as well as live-action dramas, comedies, thrillers, horror movies, and sports events. Some are released for the theatrical release of a movie, and others are used to market a DVD or video game. A movie trailer is commonly accompanied by a poster or other printed publicity materials.
The term trailer is also used for a flatbed truck or other vehicle that hauls cargo. The trailers may be refrigerated or dry vans, or they may be semi-trailers with a drop deck for taller equipment. The trailers can be pulled by tractor or by a truck and chassis. In the trucking industry, trailers are often identified by their model year. A trailer’s model year is the date that it was built by its OEM, or original equipment manufacturer.