Trailers

What is a trailer?

Giving advance publicity to a (film, broadcast or proposal) by releasing extracts or selected details. Originally, trailers were shown at the end of a feature film screening however this didn’t last long as the audience often left as soon as the film ended therefore trailers are now shown at the beginning of feature film screenings/DVD’s or they are released separately online. They show exciting elements of the film however they do not give too much away or show the ending to avoid ruining the overall plot. Most trailers tend to be less than 2 minutes and 30 seconds (maximum time allowed by the MPAA), this is just enough time to show the audience a brief summary of the film and capture their attention. Most trailers are made up of a three part structure:
Part 1: A beginning that introduces the story-line to the audience
Part 2: Drives the story further and usually ends with a climax
Part 3: Is usually a visual montage of powerful and emotional moments from the film often featuring a strong, recognisable piece of music and key actors and actresses.
A voice over will often be used to give a brief, necessary explanation to what is happening.

What is the purpose of a film trailer?
The overall purpose of a film trailer is to make the audience want to watch the film, which is why trailers feature the most exciting points of the film without giving too much away. Trailers also make it obvious who the target audience is (e.g. sci fi fans, rom com fans etc.) and is tailored to capture their target audience’s attention.

Codes and conventions of a film trailer:
1. Within the first part of the trailer, the film production company’s logo will be shown. The production company’s reputation can benefit the film trailer, for example if people have seen and enjoyed a Warner Bros Picture’s film then they may see the logo on a new trailer and decide to watch it because they enjoyed the last film they created. It also gives the audience an idea of the type of film being produced, for example if the film is produced by Warner Bros, the audience will expect a family friendly, superhero related film.
2. The title of the film is in every trailer so you know which film it is that you want to watch. It usually placed at the end of the trailer so that the audience will remember the name. The font, colouring and the background of the title is usually bold and recognizable and has synergy with the posters and magazine cover of the film. The title is also a clue to the genre of the film; for example horror films such as The Ring will usually look more dark and gothic because of their use of black, grey and white and ominous font whereas comedy films such as Kick Ass will usually have a bright background and bubbly font.
3. Any film released in the UK is awarded an age certification by the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification). The age rating is shown at the end of the trailer and provides a guideline for the target audience of the film and also the suitability for certain ages. For example if the film is rated ‘U’ it suggests that the film is family friendly and suitable for people of all ages. If the film is rated ‘18’ it suggests that the film has content such high levels of violence, scenes of a sexual nature and bad language. This means that the film will not be suitable for a younger audience and they will not allowed to watch the film in a cinema or buy the film over the counter without ID.
4. An important convention films is character introduction, it is important that the main characters are highlighted in the trailer in order to appeal to the target audience. For example if the main protagonist is a young teenage girl, the target audience will be young teenage girls as they will be able to relate to the main character.
5. Finally, one of the most important features of a trailer is the music and sound effects, they establish the genre, add drama and control the pace of the film, sound counts for 50% of the effect that horror films have on the audience. Sounds and music can include diegetic and non-diegetic sound and music as well as dialogue and external voice overs.

With the research I have done about trailers and their conventions, I can now include this information in the making of my own trailer and create a trailer that will appeal to my target audience and include all the conventions such as fonts and sounds of my chosen genre.