Movie Trailers are probably the most important aspect of a tv show or movie’s promotional campaign. They can be hugely influential in shaping the success of the release. An effective trailer is designed to get people interested in your project and make them want to watch it.

So what kinds of things do the editors/creators of those trailers have to include or do to make sure that the trailer works? That’s your first job, to figure out what goes into a successful trailer.

Look at a few trailers for different types of projects and see if you can figure out what the editor/creator was trying to do. Whether you like the actual movie or tv show that’s being advertised or not, hopefully you can see the artistry that went into making the trailer.

Your job is to view a few different types of trailers and see if you can spot the tools that the creator used to try and get your attention. Pay attention to which clips are chosen, how many clips, how long are they, etc. Pay attention to things like music, titles/graphics, and that all important voice over.

We’ll discuss the clips below tomorrow, so watch each one and come up with some ideas to add to our discussion about what makes a good movie trailer.

You’re also responsible for choosing AT LEAST one trailer of your own and letting me know what you like about THE TRAILER. I don’t really care about the actual movie or tv show, just the trailer, so you’ll be looking for things that work IN THE TRAILER, NOT NECESSARILY IN THE MOVIE OR SHOW.

Blockbuster dramatic movie:

Family comedy:

Documentary tv series:

What are your favourite trailers? What makes them effective? Be ready to explain!