A trailer is a short film clip used to promote a movie. It is typically about a minute long and is made up of clips from the movie. The clip is synchronized to music and includes dialogue and special effects. It is often used to generate interest in the film, and can help increase ticket sales.
A film trailer is a commercial advertisement designed to promote a feature film. Many companies specialize in making these advertisements. They may be hired by a studio or a theater. They are also sometimes produced independently by the actors or directors of a film. A trailer can be made at a production company, an editing studio, or a post-production house.
The purpose of a trailer is to give viewers a preview of the main ideas, themes, and plot of a movie. A trailer will often include a summary of the story, a list of characters, and a set of songs that are relevant to the film. The trailer will usually end with a dramatic climax and a short clip from the movie itself.
In the United States, there are dozens of companies that specialize in creating film trailers. Most of these companies are located in Los Angeles and New York City. These companies employ a large number of people and produce several thousand trailers each year. Most of the time, a trailer is created by a team from a production company or by a film director.
Although trailers are meant to be a brief overview of a film, they can be very powerful and influential. This is because they can make or break a film’s box office success. For this reason, it is important to carefully craft a trailer and to choose the right song and music to accompany it.
The best trailers are creative, exciting, and memorable. They are also able to grab the viewer’s attention and keep them interested in the film. They also tend to have a high production value. The use of special effects and the presence of a high-profile cast are often important in creating a successful trailer.
Ideally, the trailer will include a tagline that will capture the audience’s attention. It is also important to have a clear call-to-action, such as encouraging viewers to buy tickets or sign up for the mailing list.
The film industry has a long history with trailers, dating back to 1913 when Nils Granlund spliced together rehearsal footage for the Broadway play The Pleasure Seekers and screened it before films at Marcus Loew theaters. In 1919, Herman Robbins established the National Screen Service, a company that provided theaters and studios with trailers to promote their movies. The NSS dominated the trailer market until the 1960s when auteur filmmakers like Alfred Hitchcock and Stanley Kubrick began cutting their own. This changed the way trailers were crafted and expanded the idea of what a trailer could be. Since then, the format has become increasingly sophisticated and complex.