Trailer terminology

Plot summary Most trailers have a three-act structure similar to a feature-length film. They start with a beginning (act1) that lays out the premise of the story. The middle (act 2) drives the story further and usually ends with a dramatic climax. Act 3 usually features strong piece of 'signature music' (either a recognizable song or a powerful, sweeping orchestral piece). The last act often consists of a visual montage of powerful and emotional moments of the film and may also contain a cast run if there are noteworthy stars that could help promote the film.

Voice over Voice-over narration is used to briefly set up the premise of the film and provide explanation when necessary ('in a world...'). since the trailer is a highly condensed format, voice over is a useful tool to enhance the audience's understanding of the plot.

Music Music helps set the tone and mood of the trailer. Usually the music in the trailer is not from the film itself ( the film score may not have been composed yet). the music used in the trailer may be: Music from the score of other films Popular or well known music, often chosen for its tone, appropriateness of a lyric or lack-there-of, or recognizably. 'Library' music previously composed specifically to be used in advertising by an independent composer. Specially composed music. Songs, which may include knock off's of recognizable (but expensive to license) songs.

Cast, crew, and studio information A cast run is a list of the stars that appear in the film. If the director or producer is well-known or has made other popular films, they often warrant a mention as well. Most trailers conclude with a Billing Block, which is a list of the principal cast and crew. It is the same list that appears on posters and print publicity materials, and also usually appears on screen at the beginning(or end) of the film. Studio production logos are usually featured near the beginning of the trailer. Until the late 70s, they were put only at the end of the trailer. Often there will be logos for both the production company and distributor of the film.

Technical elements Sound mix: many film trailers are presented in Dolby digital or any other multichannel sound mix. Scenes including sound effects and music that are enhanced by stereophonic sound are therefore the focus point of many modern trailers. Video resolution:  Film trailers preceding feature films are generally presented in the same format as the feature, being in general terms 35mm film or a digital format. High Bandwidth internet connections allows for trailers to be distributed at any resolution up to 1080p.

The purpose of film magazine front covers in marketing a film

Film magazine's help for the audience to discover more about new, upcoming films, such examples are Total Film and Empire. They are normally used to engage the readers and give off interviews from the actors in the film, 'sneak peeks', stills, and more to get the readers more involved. This can create more interest in the magazine and create hype. If it is an exclusive photo shoot for the magazine from the film, then it makes the film more personal and make the magazine seem special, which therefore makes audiences buy it. Since Harry Potter series has been going on for a long time, people are probably more inclined to buy the magazine if its actor's were on it as a collectable or to even sell it to people overseas's.

The purpose of posters in marketing a film

Film posters are used to advertise a film and often help to build up anticipation. They normally have an image and then text which tries to convey the tone and genre of the film like horror or comedy. Posters often get released before the film is actually out like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2, in which the tagline reads 'It all ends 7.15', this creates hype and tells the audience what is going to happen. The date, directors name and actors names are normally included into the poster as well, if a popular actor starts in a new upcoming movie, their name could persuade the audience to watch it. They have become so popular that the audience normally waits for certain posters to come if it is based on their favourite character, like Hermione Granger's poster, which caused excitement on the internet. Audiences can collect them or they are normally placed on bus stops are in cinemas to give a film more exposure.

 

The purpose of trailers in marketing a film

The first movie trailer came out in 1913 from the Loews Cinemas company. Soon after, trailers were adopted and used in all Loews theatres and later on, all cinemas introduced trailers. The company that created the trailers through the 1950's was the National Screen Service. From the 1960's, directors decided to progress in their trailers for their movie's, which evolved into stylistic versions like we have now called 'teaser trailers'. Teaser trailers are now often released a year before the film to create hype and entice the audience without giving away too much information. They exceed no longer than two and a half minutes, the maximum length which was constrained by the MPAA. Trailers are often shown in cinemas, television or on the internet like YouTube. Since audiences are becoming more involved with the internet, web 2.0 has emerged, which has allowed trailers to be spread around on social networking websites like Twitter and Facebook which help popularise the film to different types of audiences.

Trailers are also important because they reflect on the unique selling point of the film, which separates the film from others which have been released at the same time and convey the same genre or plot line.