The Art of Movie Trailers

Introduction

Movie trailers are the main reason for going to the theatres. They show us the first glimpse of the story, characters and mood of the films- they’re created in such a manner that they hook us and leave us wanting more. Without showing all information creating a good trailer is an art . A good trailer leaves a permanent mark in our memory, makes us curious and leaves us thinking, “I need to watch this”.

Did you feel the same?

Capture Attention

So, today these trailers are made to grab attention quickly. Studies show that most of the viewers make their mind by watching a good trailer within the first few seconds. In order to grab our attention right away, editors usually begin with a strong or mysterious moment like a good dialogue, action scene, or stunning visual. And in those few minutes, we get hooked.

The right balance of story and Suspense

What do you think is the purpose of creating a trailer?

To give an idea of the film’s plot—but without revealing too much. They are created in a balanced way. They act as a hint: who is the main character? What kind of story will it be? What challenges do they face? And so on. Moreover, a good trailer doesn’t reveal any major twists, which builds suspense in the film. That’s why many trailers end with a cliffhanger that makes us wonder, “ What happens next?”

Sometimes these trailers use clever editing techniques to mislead the viewers. For example, take the trailer of Marvel Studios famous film Avengers: Infinity War. In that trailer, it shows that all Avengers are assembled to fight against Thanos in the forest where Bruce Banner is in Hulk form, but in the film, Bruce Banner didn’t transform into Hulk in the entire film, and all the army was gathered in the field, not in the forest. Okay, that was a smart move by the creators to build excitement.

Music and Sound Effects

Moving towards the next attention part is the music and the sound effects. They are essential to setting the tone of a trailer. A suspenseful film uses tense pulsing music, an action-adventure film uses fast-paced musical effects, while a romantic film uses soft and emotional tones, etc. They usually hold the viewers throughout the trailers till the end with their music tone, leaving us excited and on edge and making us feel we are part of it.

Showcasing Key Moments

Film trailers are also famous for creating key moments without revealing too much. Take the example of Bollywood blockbuster film Kalki 2898 AD, where in the trailer it has shown that both Prabhas and Amitabh Bachchan were fighting, and in the end a small glimpse of Kamal Haasan takes all the moment. These glimpses are enough to give us a taste of the movie’s style and atmosphere, but they leave us wanting more.

Ending with a Bang

As I said earlier, at the end of trailers, the creators end it with a suspense note to grab the viewer's attention. This could be anything—a famous line, a short glimpse, an action sequence, etc.—it’s up to the creators or the movie makers how they're going to end the trailer. They are like advertisement short stories designed to capture the attention of the viewers. Sometimes, they often reveal the date of the release of the film, which gives us one last punch to mark the date or make plans to see it.

Conclusion

It’s a true art form that brings great visuals, sound, and mini-stories to create unforgettable minutes that make us count days so that when we can see the whole film.