"The Ultimate How-To Guide To Making Trailers"

The Purpose of a trailer
John Ellis suggests that a trailer gives the narrative image of the film, an idea of what it is like, not everything that happens in it.
The trailer and any other marketing, gives a promise to the audience, it shows the best parts of the film and what it is about.

A trailer, must be aware of the genre of the film, it uses the correct kind of music, brightness and stars that reflect to conventions of the genre.
For example, the film Harry Potter is in the fantasy genre, its music, props and actors used all reflect the idea of fantasy. The trailer uses it's music of violins of pianos which is quite often used for films in the fantasy genre, however, over the release of the seven films it has become recognised and associated with the Harry potter franchise. This illustrates the impact of the soundtrack and how the trailer can help to identify a whole franchise and the genre that it is in.



It uses the knowledge of genre, actors and composition to give the audience an idea of something new and more exciting.
This happens the most in franchises, as the trailers need to show that the next film isn't the same and will offer something more.
The Hangover Part 2 is a film that has been largely criticised for being the same as the original just in a different location. The trailer was thought to be misleading and giving the representation that the film was more different to the original than it actually was.



A trailer's main purpose is to create questions within an audience that can only be answered through watching the film.

The Unique Selling Point
Film distributors as well as the trailer editors need to decide what sets the film apart. It is then decided which elements are stressed or in the marketing campaign.
For example, in the marketing for Deadpool some of the most stressed elements was the use of crude humour and breaking the 4th wall. It set the film apart fro not only other Marvel and 20th Century Fox films but the superhero genre as well.


 The visual campaign stress the USP and give the audience the narrative image.

The Target Audience
A particular group at which a product such as a film or advertisement is aimed at. It shows where to advertise the film and how to reach that defined target audience.

A film's target audience can 'cross-over' as it appeals to a demographic larger than its target audience.
For example. This is England attracts a large audience than the idea of reminiscing and it shows today's youth culture of what life was like.



The Trailer
It gives audiences a sense of genre, what the story is about, who is in the film and when it opens. Shown in a cinema, before a film with a similar target audience, helps attract audiences.
The film has to be positioned by considering the USP against an understanding of gender, lifestyles and activities of the audiences available - helps to inform decisions on promotion.
For example, in the adverts for Finding Dory, Beauty & the Beast was being advertised.

Common Trailer Mistakes

1. Lack of pace in editing
2. Too long
3. Shots are too long
4. No music
5. No clear idea of a story
6. No use of voice over or intertitles
7. Poor quality of dialogue 
8. No variety of shots

Tips to making a trailer

• Starting point should be knowing the complete story
• Consider the narrative image to convey to audience
• Ensure film genre is recognisable 
• Show key moments but not ending
• Variety of shots - makes more exciting and editing easier
• Music level dip for dialogue and voice-overs
• Lots of short shots are more impacting than very few long ones
• Lay down music before starting editing the images

(Information sourced from MEDIA magazine, Ian Wall, April 2014)