A trailer is a short compilation of scenes from a film edited together and used to promote the movie. In addition to highlighting the story, it can also set the tone and evoke emotion in the audience. The process of creating a trailer can be a time-consuming and tedious task, but it is an essential component of any production.
A good trailer will make the audience want to watch the full film. The key is to create empathy for the main character and to leave them with a big twist or cliffhanger. It is also important to establish the genre of the film, which can be accomplished by using the right music and sound effects. For example, the distant sounds of battle can give the audience a sense of what they are in for with a war film, and ambient futuristic noises can tell them they are watching a sci-fi movie.
Movie trailers are usually about a minute long, although they can vary in length depending on where they will live online or in theaters and also when in the marketing cycle of a film they will be released. They can contain a mix of footage from the movie, stock footage, and archival material. Titles and on-screen information can be added, but it is essential to use only as much of the original movie’s footage as necessary to convey the story in a short amount of time.
The process of creating a trailer requires careful planning, which can be done with the help of a storyboard and a shot list. This can be especially helpful for large studio movies, which often have a lot of footage to choose from. Then, the edit can be synchronized with music and monologue to ensure that all of the pieces fit together seamlessly.
Once the final cut has been made, it is important to review it with someone else. Their fresh perspective can be very valuable in finding the little tweaks and changes that will make it better. Lastly, it is important to test the trailer out in a dark room and get an idea of how it will play with the audience in a theater before releasing it publicly.
Trailers are no longer just for films, and they can be a powerful way to reach an audience and promote any kind of artistic project. Whether you are making a documentary, a commercial, or a music video, learning how to make a trailer is an essential skill. And despite their seeming ubiquity, there is still an art to making them that goes unnoticed by many viewers.