Staffer Critiques Movie Trailers
John T. Johnson
Issue date: 11/9/09 Section: Opinions
Show business is just that: a business. Therefore, Hollywood must do everything in their power to market their wannabe blockbusters. There are many ways to do this, but one of the best ways is still the movie trailer.
The trailer is the first time the audience gets to see a film.
Trailers usually come in two forms: the teaser trailer and the theatrical trailer.
The teaser is usually a set of scenes that may or may not give the audience an indication as to what the story is going to be. Most of the time, however, the teaser is just there to confirm that the film is coming.
The teaser for "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" was simply a few shots showing behind-the-scenes material and ended with the title, "Currently shooting around the globe." There was nothing about the film itself. It just let the audiences know that in 1989, Indy was coming back to the big screen.
Eventually, when enough of the film is completed, the filmmakers can move into phase two: the theatrical trailer. This trailer should establish exactly what the film is about. It should also give the audience an idea about what the story is without giving too much away.
Trailers should be viewed with caution, however. Sometimes, they market the movie the wrong way. The biggest mistake studios can make with trailers is that they sometimes make you think the film is going to be something that it is not.
A good example of this is this year's "The Informant." If someone were to watch the trailer before the film, he/she would of thought that the film was a satirical comedy. However, when the film came out, people watching were surprised to see that the film is more serious than originally thought. "The Informant" was a dramedy and the filmmakers decided to market only the comedy.
Another example of a trailer that deceived audiences was "Spider-Man 3." If anyone watched the trailer, it set the film up to be one of the best films of the summer.
The studios even showed that Venom was in the film. However, if you look closely, they only showed a few shots of the super-villain.
The trailer is the first time the audience gets to see a film.
Trailers usually come in two forms: the teaser trailer and the theatrical trailer.
The teaser is usually a set of scenes that may or may not give the audience an indication as to what the story is going to be. Most of the time, however, the teaser is just there to confirm that the film is coming.
The teaser for "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" was simply a few shots showing behind-the-scenes material and ended with the title, "Currently shooting around the globe." There was nothing about the film itself. It just let the audiences know that in 1989, Indy was coming back to the big screen.
Eventually, when enough of the film is completed, the filmmakers can move into phase two: the theatrical trailer. This trailer should establish exactly what the film is about. It should also give the audience an idea about what the story is without giving too much away.
Trailers should be viewed with caution, however. Sometimes, they market the movie the wrong way. The biggest mistake studios can make with trailers is that they sometimes make you think the film is going to be something that it is not.
A good example of this is this year's "The Informant." If someone were to watch the trailer before the film, he/she would of thought that the film was a satirical comedy. However, when the film came out, people watching were surprised to see that the film is more serious than originally thought. "The Informant" was a dramedy and the filmmakers decided to market only the comedy.
Another example of a trailer that deceived audiences was "Spider-Man 3." If anyone watched the trailer, it set the film up to be one of the best films of the summer.
The studios even showed that Venom was in the film. However, if you look closely, they only showed a few shots of the super-villain.
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