Trailers are vital to capturing the audience's attention and to shed a little light on what a new movie is all about. There are lots of different approaches, to creating trailers, and no end-all formula to creating the perfect promo clip to promote a film. Trailers are released months before films hit cinemas, and so they often come under a lot of scrutiny. A well-executed trailer must have a similar storytelling element and capture the film's essence without leaking too many vital plot points.
Diehard fans of an upcoming film can easily watch any promotional trailers numerous times, and so they must be flawless. As a glimpse into what the film is about, a good trailer can hype up the film's fanbase and even expand its audience to include other demographics of viewers who would otherwise not really be interested in the trailer.
Creating a movie trailer requires strategic planning and collaboration. Filmmakers must start by analyzing the film to identify its core themes, tone, and standout moments. They may want to focus on specific tones or build up standout moments in their trailer, which will help create a palpable sense of anticipation.
There must also be a focus on building a coherent narrative arc within the trailer. Using the "three-act structure",: directors must establish the premise, build tension, and conclude the preview with a good cliffhanger. The preview itself is not going to be watched in the same way as viewers would watch a film. Fans will catch every single detail and scene in a preview, trying to figure out the context and possible plot points in the film.
Incorporating dynamic transitions, text overlays, and impactful sound designs helps to maintain visual and auditory interest. Collaboration between editors, composers, and directors ensures the trailer aligns with the film's vision.
Trailers often use clips and scenes from the final film, masterfully woven together to provide fans with tasters of what the final product will look like. However, it is important not to give away too much in the previews.
Filmmakers may decide to enhance the audio to make the promotional clips stand out and give them a weightier deliverance in the precious seconds they appear in the promo. These clips cannot have spoilers or show conclusive events of the film. They must be crafted to highlight the film's main themes and give viewers a rough outline of what they can expect in the film.
Within seconds of watching a trailer, the audience will be able to surmise the genre of the film. A trailer should not mix up too many themes as this will confuse the audience.
Audiences generally react best with familiar storytelling patterns or trailer arcs that are easy to follow and give valuable information. The basic needs must be met in that the viewers must have some information about the main characters, a brief taste of what the story is about, and the general tempo and film topics must be conveyed.
But that is where the simplicity and predictability ends. Filmmakers have the freedom to introduce their characters and set up the plot however they like and can implement any elements of the film that they think will resonate best.
Impressing an audience through a 2-3 minute trailer is a lot more difficult with original or standalone films that are not part of a franchise or famous series or are based on renowned books or stories. In those cases, the filmmakers don't really need to introduce characters or build up the story's world for audiences, as a lot of viewers will already be familiar with the lore.
Instead, they have the tough job of meeting the expectations of those viewers who will already have built their theories and ideas on what the film is about. A good trailer, in these cases, should show off the extent to which the story, world and its characters are imagined and defined.
In that regard, standalone films have an easier task as there are no preliminary expectations or scores of loyal fans to please. Instead, they are introducing new characters and worlds to viewers and must give some background information for viewers to be able to follow.
Ultimately, trailers must be true to the film and an accurate representation of what moviegoers can expect when they go to see the film. Action films must emphasize the impressive fight choreography, visual effects and artistry of how these elements are put together into a compelling story. In dramas, audiences want something to think about.
Whether it is some ethical dilemma, challenge, or tragedy, they want to know what the film is about and an authentic glimpse into the nature of the characters. Comedies can incorporate humour into the trailers, but there is also an emphasis on winning over audiences with tasteful delivery and a good story to enjoy.
Filmmakers can add more elements to their trailers to reach a wider audience. Still, they shouldn't introduce complexities of the film or elements that do not paint a legitimate picture of what the films are about.
The beauty of trailers is that they are short and sweet. Viewers are left hanging, and their imagination will fill out the gaps left by the short preview. Therefore, directors have to give authentic representations of the characters, briefly introduce the main setting, and create something that will make moviegoers want to go and see the film.