Trailers are a powerful marketing tool that can convey the essence of an entire movie in a brief, captivating time. They employ various psychological tactics to shape audience expectations and drive engagement. Watching and analyzing film trailers provides an excellent opportunity to teach students about narrative techniques. It can also be a fun and engaging way to learn about different fiction genres and their characteristics.
Movie trailers are often based on a three-act structure similar to that of a feature film. The first act establishes the premise of the story, the second acts drives the story forward and the third act reaches its dramatic or emotional climax. Act 3 typically includes a “signature” music piece, often a famous song or an orchestral anthem. It also frequently includes a cast run that lists the names of actors who appear in the movie.
Characters in a film communicate a lot of information about the story through their actions and dialogue. In addition, film trailers use music, camera angles, lighting and color to set the mood, theme and genre of a movie. The choice of these elements all contribute to creating a memorable movie experience for the viewer.
When designing a movie trailer, a writer must choose carefully which scenes to include in the preview and what sequence they are presented in. The trailer must convey the main story arc in a short amount of time, while leaving enough suspense and curiosity to encourage viewers to see the full film. A good trailer will provoke the desired emotion in its audience, whether excitement for an action movie, fear and anticipation for a horror film or laughter for a comedy.
Trailers come in a variety of sizes and load capacities depending on their intended use. For example, a small utility trailer is sufficient for garden waste, while a larger flatbed is needed to transport construction materials. Trailers are also available with a range of safety features including suspension systems to reduce shock load on the cargo and braking systems to ensure safe stopping.
In addition to a trailer, a movie release has many other promotional materials including posters, DVD or Blu-Ray covers and a film’s official website. Occasionally, a film’s distributor may release a separate promotional clip called a movie poster, video diary or behind the scenes feature that provides more information about the film and its characters.
In the early days of filmmaking, trailers were projected on a screen before showing a feature film. Today, they are generally presented on a DVD or computer monitor before the start of a feature film. Movie trailers can be found online at the internet sites of film studios, independent filmmakers and user-generated content (UGC). For instance, a website called Fan Trailers allows visitors to create their own movie trailer using the film clips and soundtracks of their choice from a library of popular movies. These user-created trailers are sometimes referred to as mashups and can be humorous or scary.