What are the purposes

of film trailers?

Putting it simple

The purpose of a film trailer is basically to make you want

to see the movie, there are a number of techniques

employed in order to entice the viewer. This has to be

achieved within two and a half minutes, which is the limit

imposed by cinemas.

Trailers consist of a series selected shots from

the film being advertised. Since the purpose of the trailer is

to attract an audience to the film, these excerpts are usually

drawn from the most exciting, funny, or otherwise

noteworthy parts of the film but in condensed form and so

to avoid producing spoilers.

Putting it simple

Editing

• The idea is to show you just enough to intrigue the

audience but not enough to spoil the ending. The type of

editing e.g. fast paced or slow paced sets the tone of the

trailer.

Genre

• A movie trailer must make the genre of the film obvious

to draw in the right type of fan and to not catch out those

it won’t appeal to. For example a horror trailer would

show shots of blood, murder and things from the film that

will make the audience jump.

Music

• Music is the fastest way to make the viewer feel how you

want them too, it can make them feel scared, relaxed or

even help them emphasise with the characters. E.g. in a

horror film creepy music will be used to create suspense

and sudden sounds to make the audience jump and feel

frightened. Music creates emotion and the more emotion

a trailer creates, the more likely a consumer is to watch or

buy the film.