MoviesNewsTalk
Okay, movie buffs, let's talk about that delicious pre-movie appetizer: the film preview. Or, as it's sometimes known, the film trailer, the official trailer, or even just the film promo. Whatever you call it, that carefully crafted montage of scenes, music, and witty taglines is designed to get us hyped. But it’s more than just showing snippets; there's an art to it (or, in some cases, a complete lack thereof).
I remember once, I saw a film preview that was so epic, I bought tickets immediately, roped in all my friends and the opening weekend at my favorite theatre was the only date in mind. Turned out the film preview was basically a montage that covered every important detail including the major reveal, only without some dialogue or in edited scenes and some quick clips without other sequences! I mean the theatre's popcorn was top tier; it felt worth it regardless.
Now look, let's talk full trailer strategy because even bad strategies generate some results!
Film previews serve many goals beyond just giving us a tiny little bit from a story and raising excitement.
The way some teasers function resembles marketing puzzles; there are scenes which might tell us about parts of a storyline but not how those fit, sometimes showing character cameos without necessarily stating these characters have major roles. You aren't going to have every answer – because you're not meant to yet! And when a whole marketing system uses film promo information – there will inevitably be many, with only a few to stand out from other clips released; something quite different from receiving a full trailer all at once without gradual rollout.
Ever noticed how film previews have a formula? It's more than just randomly placed clips, after all!
Then we start playing “detective”, picking apart each little moment and analyzing their narrative function, imagining and planning the best route for arriving before the earliest preview function to buy a ticket as early as it goes! We have whole websites dedicated to decoding them . It’s insanity!
A good official trailer won't ruin the experience! It exists to create excitement; and those with intense reaction and reception indicate better how many are already interested or might be engaged enough with the preview, regardless of the content itself and whether it does create negative responses from those expecting or looking forward to having as much as possible being shown within trailer videos or any sort of film preview material made available.
Film previews – when viewed from a larger marketing strategy - have become their own niche: short snippets which we then analyze to create larger scale storylines of how to actually watch something and whom to call as part of our "preview group". Isn't that a fun experience; these first initial trailers, clips – especially when followed from initial sneak peaks of something announced far too many months from our point of view – provide the spark for our imagination.
Now the next time you catch a film preview, remember: there are more here than it seems at face value. Whether called film preview or full trailer and whatever they are designed to function: there's more going here than initially presumed, more to keep in mind too than simply determining its artistic quality and style based solely on it appearing like something that creates engagement by appearing exciting, thrilling or full of funny elements