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{{Short description|Short video advertising a creative work}}
'''Movie trailers''', or '''previews''', are [[film]] [[advertisement]]s for films that will be exhibited in the future at a [[Movie theater|cinema]], on whose screen they are shown. The term "trailer" comes from their having originally been shown at the end of a film programme. That practice did not last long, because patrons tended to leave the theater after the films ended, but the name has stuck. Trailers are now shown before the film (or the A movie in a [[double feature]] programme) begins.
{{For|the MPA's color-coded variety of trailer rating cards|Motion Picture Association film rating system#Theatrical trailers}}
[[File:Frankenstein trailer (1931).webm|thumb|right|upright=1.3|Trailer for [[Universal Pictures]]' [[Science fiction film|science-fiction]] [[horror film]] ''[[Frankenstein (1931 film)|Frankenstein]]'' (1931)]]
 
A '''trailer''' (also known as a '''preview''', '''coming attraction''', or '''attraction video''') is a short advertisement, originally designed for a [[feature film]], which highlights key scenes of upcoming features intended to be exhibited in the future at a [[movie theater]] or cinema. It is a product of creative and technical work.
Trailers normally consist of a series of 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 abbreviated form and without producing [[Spoiler (media)|spoilers]]. For this purpose the scenes are not necessarily in the order in which they appear in the film. A trailer has to achieve that in less than two and a half minutes, the maximum length allowed by theaters. Each studio or distributor is allowed to exceed this time limit once a year, if they feel it is necessary for a particular film.
 
Movie trailers have now become popular on [[DVD]]s and [[Blu-ray]] discs, as well as on the Internet, livestreaming and mobile devices. Of some 10 billion videos watched online annually, film trailers rank third, after news and user-created video.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://awfj.org/2008/05/07/awfj-opinion-poll-all-about-movie-trailers/ | title = AWFJ Opinion Poll: All About Movie Trailers | publisher = AWFJ | date = 2008-05-09 | access-date = 2008-09-24 | archive-date = 2013-12-03 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131203011641/http://awfj.org/2008/05/07/awfj-opinion-poll-all-about-movie-trailers/ | url-status = live }}</ref>{{update inline|date=April 2023}}<!-- seems unlikely that online viewing habits have been unchanged since 2008 -->
Some trailers use "special shoot" footage, which is material that has been created specifically for advertising purposes and does not appear in the actual film. The most notable film to use this technique was ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]'', whose trailer featured elaborate special effects scenes that were never intended to be in the film itself. One of the most famous "special shoot" trailers is that used for the 1960s thriller ''[[Psycho (1960 film)|Psycho]]'' which featured director [[Alfred Hitchcock]] giving viewers a guided tour of the Bates Motel, eventually arriving at the infamous shower. At this point, the soft-spoken Hitchcock suddenly throws the shower curtain back to reveal [[Vera Miles]] with a blood-curdling scream.
 
The trailer format has been adopted as a promotional tool for television shows, video games, books, and theatrical events/concerts.
The people who create trailers often begin their work while the movie is still being shot. Since the edited movie does not exist at this point, the trailer [[film editor|editor]]s work from [[rushes]] or [[dailies]]. The trailer may be created at the agency while the movie itself is being cut together at the studio. Thus, the trailer may contain footage that is not in the final movie, or the trailer editor and the movie editor may use different [[take]]s of a particular shot. Another common technique is including music on the trailer which does not appear on the movie's soundtrack.
 
== History ==
Some trailers that incorporate material not in the movie are particularly coveted by collectors, especially trailers for classic films. For example, in a trailer for ''[[Casablanca (film)|Casablanca]]'' the character Rick Blaine says "OK, you asked for it!" before shooting Major Strasser, an event that does not occur in the final film.
{{multiple image
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| image1 = The Red Circle - 1915 film trailer.ogv
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| image2 = The Phantom of the Opera (1925) - trailer.webm
| thumbtime2 = 150
| footer = Silent film trailers for ''[[The Red Circle (serial)|The Red Circle]]'' (1915, ''left'') and ''[[The Phantom of the Opera (1925 film)|The Phantom of the Opera]]'' (1925, ''right'').
}}
 
The first trailer shown in an American film theater was in November 1913, when [[Nils Granlund]], the advertising manager for the [[Marcus Loew]] theater chain, produced a short promotional film for the musical ''The Pleasure Seekers'', opening at the [[Winter Garden Theatre]] on Broadway. As reported in a wire service story carried by the [[Lincoln, Nebraska]] ''Daily Star'', the practice which Loew adopted was described as "an entirely new and unique stunt", and that "moving pictures of the rehearsals and other incidents connected with the production will be sent out in advance of the show, to be presented to the Loew's picture houses and will take the place of much of the bill board advertising".<ref>"Movies Score on Legit in New York;" Lincoln, Nebraska ''Daily Star''; November 9, 1913; Page 25</ref> Granlund was also first to introduce trailer material for an upcoming motion picture, using a slide technique to promote an upcoming film featuring [[Charlie Chaplin]] at Loew's Seventh Avenue Theatre in Harlem in 1914.<ref>Blondes, Brunettes, and Bullets, Granlund, N.T.; Van Rees Press, NY, 1957, Page 53</ref>
==Parts of a trailer==
 
Due to trailers initially being shown after, or "trailing", the feature film, the term "trailer" was used to describe the promotion; despite it coming before, or "previewing", the film it was promoting. This practice was found to be somewhat ineffective, often ignored by audiences who left immediately after the film.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2016-09-01 |title=Why Are Movie Previews Called 'Trailers'? |url=https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/83734/why-are-movie-previews-called-trailers |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=Mental Floss |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-05-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230526060222/https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/83734/why-are-movie-previews-called-trailers |url-status=live }}</ref> Later, exhibitors changed their practice so that trailers were only one part of the film program, which included cartoon shorts, newsreels, and serial adventure episodes. Today, more elaborate trailers and commercial advertisements have largely replaced other forms of pre-feature entertainment, and in major multiplex chains, about the first 20 minutes after the posted showtime is devoted to trailers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kilkenny |first=Katie |date=2014-12-26 |title=Our Modern Movie-Trailer Fatigue |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/12/the-origins-of-our-movie-trailer-fatigue/383992/ |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=The Atlantic |language=en |archive-date=2023-05-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230526060219/https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/12/the-origins-of-our-movie-trailer-fatigue/383992/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Fisher |first=Ken |date=2005-01-17 |title=When does the movie really start? |url=https://arstechnica.com/uncategorized/2005/01/4527-2/ |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-us |archive-date=2023-05-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230526060217/https://arstechnica.com/uncategorized/2005/01/4527-2/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Daniels |first=Natalie |date=2022-05-23 |title=How Long Are Movie Previews? |url=https://www.hollywood.com/movie--theaters/how-long-are-movie-previews-61015325 |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=Hollywood.com |language=en-US |archive-date=2022-05-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531180812/https://www.hollywood.com/movie--theaters/how-long-are-movie-previews-61015325 |url-status=live }}</ref>
Trailers tell the story of a movie in a highly condensed, maximally appealing fashion. In the decades since movie marketing has become a large industry, trailers have become highly polished pieces of advertising, able to present even poor movies in an attractive light. Some of the elements common to many trailers are listed below.
[[File:The African Queen - trailer.ogv|thumb|Trailer for ''[[The African Queen (film)|The African Queen]]'' (1951)]]
Until the late 1950s, trailers were mostly created by [[National Screen Service]]<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=DiStefano |first=Daniel |title=A Brief History of Film Trailers, or: Turns Out This Post Is Not About Peter Orner – Michigan Quarterly Review |url=https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/mqr/2015/07/a-brief-history-of-film-teasers-or-turns-out-this-post-is-not-about-peter-orner/ |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=Michigan Quarterly Review |archive-date=2023-05-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230526060219/https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/mqr/2015/07/a-brief-history-of-film-teasers-or-turns-out-this-post-is-not-about-peter-orner/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and consisted of various key scenes from the film being advertised, often augmented with large, descriptive text describing the story, and an underscore generally pulled from studio music libraries. Most trailers had some form of narration, and those that did featured [[wiktionary:stentorian|stentorian]] voices,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Trailers and Voice Over Narration |url=https://www.thevoicerealm.com/blog/trailers-and-voice-over-narration/ |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=The Voice Realm |archive-date=2023-05-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230526060218/https://www.thevoicerealm.com/blog/trailers-and-voice-over-narration/ |url-status=live }}</ref> a practice that would wane in the 2000s.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2014-05-22 |title=In a world without voiceovers: What happened to the movie trailer voice? |language=en-CA |work=The Globe and Mail |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/in-a-world-without-voiceovers-what-happened-to-the-movie-trailer-voice/article18806436/ |access-date=2023-05-26 |archive-date=2023-05-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230526060217/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/in-a-world-without-voiceovers-what-happened-to-the-movie-trailer-voice/article18806436/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
 
In the early 1960s, the face of motion picture trailers changed. Textless, montage trailers and quick-editing became popular, largely due to the arrival of the [[New Hollywood]] and techniques that were becoming increasingly popular in television. Among the trend setters were [[Stanley Kubrick]] with his montage trailers for ''[[Lolita (1962 film)|Lolita]]'' ([[1962 in film|1962]]), ''[[Dr. Strangelove|Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb]]'' ([[1964 in film|1964]]), and ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey]]'' ([[1968 in film|1968]]). Kubrick's main inspiration for the ''Dr. Strangelove'' trailer was the short film ''[[Very Nice, Very Nice]]'' ([[1961 in film|1961]]) by Canadian film visionary [[Arthur Lipsett]]. [[Pablo Ferro]], who pioneered the techniques Kubrick required as necessary elements for the success of his campaign, created the ''Dr. Strangelove'' trailer, as well as the award-winning trailer for ''[[A Clockwork Orange (film)|A Clockwork Orange]]'' ([[1971 in film|1971]]).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kottke |first=Jason |date=2008-04-22 |title=Pablo Ferro and Dr. Strangelove |url=https://kottke.org/08/04/pablo-ferro-and-dr-strangelove |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=kottke.org |language=en |archive-date=2023-05-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230526060218/https://kottke.org/08/04/pablo-ferro-and-dr-strangelove |url-status=live }}</ref>
* A ''green band'' is an all-green graphic at the beginning of the trailer, usually reading "The following PREVIEW has been approved for ALL AUDIENCES by the Motion Picture Association of America," and sometimes including the movie's [[MPAA rating]]. This signifies that the trailer adheres to the standards for motion picture advertising outlined by the MPAA, which includes limitations on foul language and violent, sexual, or otherwise objectionable imagery. Trailers that do not adhere to these guidelines may be issued a ''red band'', (which used to be blood red) which reads "The following PREVIEW has been approved for RESTRICTED AUDIENCES ONLY by the Motion Picture Association of America," and may only be shown before an R-rated, NC-17-rated, or unrated movie. The MPAA also mandates that trailers not exceed two minutes and thirty seconds in length, and each major studio is given one exception to this rule per year.
 
[[File:Aldrich Attack movie trailer screenshot (5).jpg|thumb|right|[[Film frame|Frame]] from the 1956 trailer for the war film ''[[Attack (1956 film)|Attack!]]'']]
* Usually ''studio [[logo]]s'' are featured near the beginning of the trailer. Until the late 1970s, those were put only at the end of the trailer. Often there will be logos for both the [[production company]] and [[film distributor|distributor]] of the film.
 
[[File:The Wolverine Trailer Exclusive (2013).webm|thumb|2013 trailer for ''[[The Wolverine (film)|The Wolverine]]'' by [[20th Century Fox]]]]
* Most trailers have a three-act structure similar to a feature-length film. They start with a beginning (act 1) 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 a strong piece of "signature music" (either a recognizable song or a powerful, sweeping orchestral piece). This 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 sell the movie.
 
Many home videos contain trailers for other movies produced by the same company scheduled to be available shortly after the legal release of the video, so as not to spend money advertising the videos on TV. Most [[VHS]] tapes would play them at the beginning of the tape, but some VHS tapes contained previews at the end of the film or at both ends of the tape. VHS tapes that contained trailers at the end usually reminded the viewer to "Stay tuned after the feature for more previews." With [[DVD]]s and [[Blu-ray]]s, and live streaming and mobile devices, trailers can operate as a bonus feature instead of having to watch through the trailers before the film.{{citation needed|date=January 2018}}
* ''[[Voice-over]]'' narration is used to briefly set up the premise of the movie and provide explanation when necessary. Since the trailer is a highly condensed format, voice-over is a useful tool to enhance the audience's understanding of the plot. Some of the best-known [[voice actors|voice-over artists]] are [[Don LaFontaine]], [[Andy Geller]], [[Hal Douglas]], [[Mark Elliott (announcer)|Mark Elliott]], [[George DelHoyo]], [[Peter Cullen]] and [[Ashton Smith]].
 
In summer 1993, the major movie studios started to make trailers available online with the [[Walt Disney Company]] providing promotions for ''[[Guilty as Sin]]'', ''[[Life With Mikey]]'' and ''[[Super Mario Bros. (film)|Super Mario Bros.]]'' available to [[Macintosh]] users via [[CompuServe]] and [[Columbia Pictures]] posting a trailer for ''[[In the Line of Fire]]'' available for download to [[AOL]] subscribers.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Daily Variety]]|date=July 20, 1993|page=3|url=https://variety.com/1993/digital/news/studios-go-online-to-woo-audiences-108856/|access-date=February 3, 2021|title=Studios go on-line to woo audiences|first=Matt|last=Rothman}}</ref>
* ''[[Music]]'' helps set the [[setting tone|tone]] and mood of the trailer. Usually the music used 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 movies
**Popular or well-known music, often chosen for its tone, appropriateness of a lyric, or recognizability
**"Library" music previously composed specifically to be used in advertising by an independent composer
**Specially composed music. One of the most famous Hollywood trailer music composers is [[John Beal (composer) |John Beal]], who began scoring trailers in the 1970's and, in the course of a thirty year career, created original music for over 2,000 movie trailer projects, including 40 of the top-grossing films of all time, such as ''[[Star Wars]]'', ''[[Forrest Gump]]'', ''[[Titanic]]'', ''[[Aladdin]]'', ''[[Last Samurai]]'' and ''[[The Matrix]]''.
**Songs, which may include [[knock-off]]s of recognizable (but expensive to license) songs
 
{{anchor|Micro-teaser}} {{anchor|Trailer within a trailer}} Beginning in the mid-to-late 2010s, many trailers have begun to incorporate a short 5- to 10-second preview of the trailer, sometimes called a "micro-teaser", at the very beginning of the video for the trailer itself. This has been explained as being a way to grab the viewer's [[Advertising research#Attention|attention]] quickly, so that they do not choose to skip the full trailer on streaming sites.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/4/22/11487410/movie-trailers-independence-day-jason-bourne|title=Why movie trailers now begin with five-second ads for themselves|date=April 22, 2016|access-date=February 5, 2022|last=Plante|first=Chris|work=The Verge|archive-date=February 5, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220205191901/https://www.theverge.com/2016/4/22/11487410/movie-trailers-independence-day-jason-bourne|url-status=live}}</ref>
*A ''cast run'' is a list of the [[movie star|stars]] that appear in the movie. If the [[film director|director]] or [[film producer|producer]] is well-known or has made other popular movies, they often warrant a mention as well.
 
== Definition ==
* Most trailers conclude with a ''[[billing (film)|billing]] block'', which is a list of the principal [[actor|cast]] and [[film crew|crew]]. It is the same list that appears on posters and print publicity materials, and is the same list that usually appears on-screen at the beginning of the movie.
Trailers consist of a series of 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 abbreviated form and usually without producing [[Spoiler (media)|spoilers]]. For this purpose the scenes are not necessarily in the order in which they appear in the film. A trailer has to achieve that in less than 2 minutes and 30 seconds, the maximum length allowed by the [[Motion Picture Association|MPA]]. Each studio or distributor is allowed to exceed this time limit once a year, if they feel it is necessary for a particular film.<ref>{{cite web |title=Trailer music |publisher=SoundtrackNet, LLC |date=30 April 2009 |url=http://www.soundtrack.net/trailers/ |access-date=1 May 2009 |archive-date=17 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080417015114/http://www.soundtrack.net/trailers/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
 
In January 2014, the movie theater trade group [[Cinema United]] issued an industry guideline asking that film distributors supply trailers that run no longer than two minutes, which is 30 seconds shorter than the prior norm.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.marketingmovies.net/news/theaters-advocate-shorter-trailers-marketing/ | title = Theaters Advocate Shorter Movie Trailers | publisher = MarketingMovies.net | date = 2014-01-28 | access-date = 2014-04-22 | archive-date = 2014-04-17 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140417151055/http://www.marketingmovies.net/news/theaters-advocate-shorter-trailers-marketing/ | url-status = live }}</ref> The guideline is not mandatory, and also allows for limited exceptions of a select few movies having longer trailers. Film distributors reacted coolly to the announcement. There had been no visible disputes on trailer running time prior to the guideline, which surprised many.
* ''[[Sound Mix]]'' Many Movie Trailers are presented in Dolby Digital or any other Multichannel sound mix . Is very probable to hear dramatic explosions and music in multichannel sound during a movie trailer.
 
Some trailers use "special shoot" footage, which is material that has been created specifically for advertising purposes and does not appear in the actual film. The most notable film to use this technique was ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]'', whose trailer featured an elaborate special effect scene of a T-800 Terminator being assembled in a factory that was never intended to be in the film itself. [[Dimension Films]] also shot extra scenes for their 2006 horror remake, ''[[Black Christmas (2006 film)|Black Christmas]]'' - these scenes were used in promotional footage for the film, but are similarly absent from the theatrical release. A trailer for the 2002 blockbuster ''[[Spider-Man (2002 film)|Spider-Man]]'' had an entire action sequence especially constructed that involved escaping bank robbers in a helicopter getting caught in a giant web between the [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]]'s two towers. However, after the [[September 11 attacks]] the studio pulled it from theaters.
* ''[[Video resolution]]'' Movie trailers are presented in the same resolution as the feature film. In HDTV Channels (such as Universal HD) movie trailers are presented in HDTV and Dolby Digital 5.1 Sound.
 
[[File:Walt Disney Snow white 1937 trailer screenshot (12).jpg|thumb|[[Walt Disney]] in a 1937 color trailer for the [[Animated film|animated]] [[Musical film|musical]] [[fantasy film]] ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]]'']]
==Creation of a trailer==
 
One of the most famous "special shoot" trailers is that used for the 1960s thriller ''[[Psycho (1960 film)|Psycho]]'', which featured director [[Alfred Hitchcock]] giving viewers a guided tour of the Bates Motel, eventually arriving at the infamous shower. At this point, the soft-spoken Hitchcock suddenly throws the shower curtain back to reveal [[Vera Miles]] with a blood-curdling scream. As the trailer, in fact, was made after completion of the film when [[Janet Leigh]] was no longer available for filming, Hitchcock had Miles don a blonde wig for the fleeting sequence. Since the title, "Psycho", instantly covers most of the screen, the switch went unnoticed by audiences for years until freeze-frame analysis clearly revealed that it was Vera Miles and not Janet Leigh in the shower during the trailer.
Studios may create trailers in-house or may "farm out" creation to one or more advertising agencies. Agencies that specialize in creating trailers are known as ''trailer houses.'' Depending on the amount of influence the filmmakers have with the studio, they may or may not be involved in the creation of the trailer for their film. Some choose to closely supervise the process, when possible. They usually don't get involved until a version of the trailer has been approved by the studio internally.
 
In the United States there are dozens of companies, many of which are in Los Angeles and New York City, that specialize in the creation of film trailers. The trailer may be created at agencies (such as The Cimarron Group, MOJO, The Ant Farm, Ben Cain, Aspect Ratio, Flyer Entertainment, Trailer Park, Buddha Jones) while the film itself is being cut together at the studio. Since the edited film does not exist at this point, the trailer [[Film editing|editor]]s work from [[Dailies|rushes]] or [[dailies]]. Thus, the trailer may contain footage that is not in the final movie, or the trailer editor and the film editor may use different [[take]]s of a particular shot. Another common technique is including music on the trailer which does not appear on the movie's soundtrack. This is nearly always a requirement, as trailers and teasers are created long before the composer has even been hired for the film score—sometimes as much as a year ahead of the movie's release date—while composers are usually the last creative people to work on the film.
The producers and editors of a trailer will be given material from the studio to work with, which may include the movie itself (if it has been edited together yet), rushes, and/or computer graphics shots (as they are created during the film editing process).
 
Some trailers that incorporate material not in the film are particularly coveted by collectors, especially trailers for classic films. For example, in a trailer for ''[[Casablanca (film)|Casablanca]]'' the character Rick Blaine says, "OK, you asked for it!" before shooting Major Strasser; this line of dialogue is not spoken in the final film.
The trailers that are seen in theaters have been through an extensive process of [[version|revisions]] and approvals by a variety of studio marketing executives. The revision process often includes information from [[marketing research|market research]] conducted at locations all around the country.
 
== Accusations of misdirection ==
Movie trailer editing benefits greatly from the use of a [[non-linear editing system]]. Most of prominant trailer cutting companies, Aspect Ratio, Trailer Park, and New Wave Media, have their editors work on Apple's Final Cut Pro.
{{essay|section|date=December 2016}}
 
Over the years, there have been many instances where trailers have been purported to give misleading representations of their films. They may give the impression that a celebrity who only has a minor part in the film is one of the main cast members, or advertising a film as being more action-packed than it is. These tricks are usually done to draw in a larger audience. Sometimes the trailers include footage not from the film itself. This could be an artistic choice, or because many times, trailer editors are given [[dailies]], basically individual clips, instead of a cut of the whole film. Often, the film is still in production while the trailer is in the works. While the intention is not to be misleading, due to the nature of dailies being easily replaced, sometimes certain shots that are present in the trailer are nowhere to be seen in the final film.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Snyder |first1=Chris |title=How movie trailers are made |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/how-movie-trailers-are-made-2018-7 |website=[[Business Insider]] |access-date=16 April 2024 |date=18 July 2018}}</ref>
Beside creative and unique trailer creation, there are several experimental approaches to generate movie trailers automatically using artificial intelligence. University projects like [http://www.tzi.de/svp SVP (University of Bremen, Germany)] analyze the movie and try to create a trailer based on typical structures and rules of trailers.
Furthermore, trailers could be misleading in a 'for the audience's own good' kind of way, in that a general audience would not usually see such a film due to preconceptions, and by [[bait and switch]]ing, they can allow the audience to have a great viewing experience that they would not ordinarily have. However, the opposite is true too, with the promise of great trailers being let down by mediocre films.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.modernman.com/10-incredibly-misleading-movie-trailers/ |title=10 Movie Trailers That Are Nothing Like The Actual Movie |date=3 August 2010 |publisher=Modernman.com |access-date=2014-04-21 |archive-date=2014-04-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140411140816/http://www.modernman.com/10-incredibly-misleading-movie-trailers/ |url-status=live }}</ref> An American woman sued the makers of ''[[Drive (2011 film)|Drive]]'' because their film "failed to live up to its promo's promise",<ref>{{cite news|last=Hardie|first=Giles|author-link=Giles Hardie|title=Misleading trailer leads to law suit|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/misleading-trailer-leads-to-law-suit-20111011-1lj2z.html|newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|date=October 11, 2011|access-date=April 20, 2020|archive-date=November 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112004220/http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/misleading-trailer-leads-to-law-suit-20111011-1lj2z.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Child|first=Ben|title=Woman sues to stop ''Drive'' getting away with a 'misleading' trailer|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/oct/10/woman-sues-drive-trailer|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=10 October 2011|access-date=13 December 2016|archive-date=29 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161229143625/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/oct/10/woman-sues-drive-trailer|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Woman Files Lawsuit Over 'Misleading' Trailer for ''Drive'' |url=http://gawker.com/5847970/woman-files-lawsuit-over-misleading-trailer-for-drive |last=Apple |first=Lauri |date=2011-10-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140507160631/http://gawker.com/5847970/woman-files-lawsuit-over-misleading-trailer-for-drive |archive-date=2014-05-07 |access-date=2024-11-08 |website=[[Gawker]] |quote=As [[WDIV-TV]] in Detroit reports, Sarah Deming's suit claims that [[FilmDistrict]] and Emagine Novi Theater violated Michigan's [[Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act|Consumer Protection Act]] by releasing such a disingenuous advertisement…}}</ref> although her lawsuit was dismissed.<ref>[http://www.michbar.org/file/opinions/appeals/2013/101513/55553.pdf ''Deming v. CH Novi, L.L.C.''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160214152519/http://www.michbar.org/file/opinions/appeals/2013/101513/55553.pdf |date=2016-02-14 }}, No. 309989 (Mich. Ct. App. Oct. 15, 2013).</ref><ref>[http://publicdocs.courts.mi.gov:81/sct/public/orders/20140428_s148604_124_148604_2014-04-28_or.pdf ''Deming v. CH Novi, L.L.C.''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205173205/http://publicdocs.courts.mi.gov:81/sct/public/orders/20140428_s148604_124_148604_2014-04-28_or.pdf |date=2016-02-05 }}, No. 148604 (Mich. Apr. 28, 2014).</ref> In August 2016, an American lawyer attempted to sue ''[[Suicide Squad (2016 film)|Suicide Squad]]'' for false advertising over lack of scenes including [[Joker (character)|Joker]].
 
== Composition ==
Trailers that want to have an MPAA rating must submit the trailer for their comments and official rating. This process may take days to weeks. In addition, the trailer must go through TASA certification to regulate sound volumes across theaters.
Trailers tell the story of a film in a highly condensed fashion to have maximum appeal. In the decades since film marketing has become a large industry, trailers have become highly polished pieces of advertising, able to present even poor movies in an attractive light. Some of the elements common to many trailers are listed below. Trailers are typically made up of scenes from the film they are promoting, but sometimes contain [[deleted scene]]s from the film.
 
The key ambition in trailer-making is to impart an intriguing story that gets film audiences emotionally involved.<ref>{{cite book |title=Marketing to Moviegoers: A Handbook of Strategies and Tactics|first=Robert |last=Marich |publisher=Southern Illinois University Press |edition=3rd|year=2013 |pages=6–42}}</ref>
==Commercial considerations==
 
Most trailers have a [[three-act structure]] similar to a feature-length film. They start with a beginning (act 1) 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 a strong piece of "signature music" (either a recognizable song or a powerful, sweeping orchestral piece). This 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 sell the movie.
Studios can usually ''attach'' a trailer to the [[film print|print]] of another of their films, so that the theater will show their trailer directly before the film. (Usually, [[exhibitor]]s choose the other trailers that show before a given film.) To maximize the audience for certain trailers, studios often work to attach highly anticipated trailers to films that they expect will draw a large crowd.
 
[[File:North by Northwest movie trailer screenshot (33).jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Screenshot from film trailer for 1959 ''[[North by Northwest]]'']]
This practice can also affect when films are released. An extreme example of this is [[Miramax]]'s decision to delay the North American release of ''[[Hero (movie)|Hero]]'' by two years, mostly so that they could widely advertise the film before [[Quentin Tarantino]]'s ''[[Kill Bill]]''.
 
[[Voice-over]] narration is sometimes used to briefly set up the premise of the film and provide explanation when necessary, although this practice has declined in the years after the passing of voice-over artist [[Don LaFontaine]]. Since the trailer is a highly condensed format, voice-over is a useful tool to enhance the audience's understanding of the plot. Hollywood trailers of the classic film era were renowned for clichés such as "Colossal!", "Stupendous!", etc. Some trailers have used voice over clichés for satirical effect. This can be seen in trailers for films such as Jerry Seinfeld's [[Comedian (film)|Comedian]] and [[Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny]].
This advertising is especially valuable as it can be carefully targeted. Movies appealing to one age group or demographic will have trailers for films targeting that same group.
 
Music helps set the [[setting tone|tone]] and mood of the trailer. Usually the music used 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:
Trailers have spread to other media as well. Trailers for [[computer game]]s have especially become popular.
 
* Music from the score of other movies.
==Criticism of trailers==
* Popular or well-known music, often chosen for its tone, appropriateness of a lyric or lack thereof, or recognizability. The most often used of these is ''[[O Fortuna]]'' from ''[[Carmina Burana (Orff)|Carmina Burana]]'' by Carl Orff,<ref name="soundtrack.net">{{cite web |url=http://soundtrack.net/trailers/frequent/ |title=SoundtrackNet : Trailers: Frequently Used Trailer Music |publisher=Soundtrack.net |access-date=2010-07-02 |archive-date=2010-04-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100430151429/http://www.soundtrack.net/trailers/frequent/ |url-status=live }}</ref> as well as the works of [[E.S. Posthumus]] and [[Beethoven]]. Popular music may be selected for its tone (i.e. hard rock for an action film, lighter pop for a romantic comedy), or to establish context (e.g. the trailer for a film set in the 1940s might use big band swing).
{{Unreferenced|date=January 2007}}
* "Library" music previously composed specifically to be used in advertising by an independent composer. There are many trailer music library companies which produce [[trailer music]], some of the best known are [[audiomachine]], [[Two Steps From Hell]], [[Immediate Music]] and [[X-Ray Dog]] or [[SFX Entertainment|SFX]] and Music libraries like the ones from Moss Landing, [[Gerrit Kinkel Productions]] or RedCola Music.
{{OR}}
* Specially composed music. One of the most famous Hollywood trailer music composers, credited with creating the musical voice of contemporary trailers, is [[John Beal (composer)|John Beal]], who began scoring trailers in the 1970s and, in the course of a thirty-year career, created original music for over 2,000 film trailer projects,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2010/film/markets-festivals/razor-thin-copyright-line-1118020113/ |title=Daily Variety: Razor-thin copyright line |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=2010-06-02 |access-date=2010-07-02 |archive-date=2010-06-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100607201438/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118020113.html?categoryid=4051&cs=1 |url-status=live }}</ref> including 40 of the top-grossing films of all time, such as ''[[Star Wars]]'', ''[[Forrest Gump]]'', ''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]'', ''[[Aladdin (1992 Disney film)|Aladdin]]'', ''[[Braveheart]]'', ''[[Ghost (1990 film)|Ghost]]'', ''[[The Last Samurai]]'' and ''[[The Matrix]]''. He is considered by the New York Times as the pioneer of original scores for film trailer music,<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/06/arts/music/trailer-music-trailerization.html | title=Movie Trailers Keep Tweaking Well-Known Songs. The Tactic is Working | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | date=January 6, 2023 | last1=Ducker | first1=Eric }}</ref>
 
A ''cast run'' is a list of the [[movie star|stars]] that appear in the movie. If the [[film director|director]] or [[film producer|producer]] is well-known or has made other popular movies, they often warrant a mention as well. Most trailers conclude with a [[billing (performing arts)|billing]] block, which is a list of the principal [[actor|cast]] and [[film crew|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 movie. Studio [[production logo]]s are usually featured near the beginning of the trailer. Until the late 1970s, they were put only at the end of the trailer or not used at all; however, [[Paramount Pictures]] was the first studio to use its actual studio logo at the beginning of its trailers in the 1940s. Often there will be logos for both the [[production company]] and [[film distributor|distributor]] of the film.
Movie marketing copy is often accused of being [[cliché]]d. The creation of trailers has been honed over decades to a very precise art, and certain clichés are useful because in a very short space, they are the most efficient way to communicate a given idea. ''Record scratches'' that stop the music to deliver the punch-line to a joke are a very common feature of trailers, but they are continually used because they remain effective.
 
Many trailers are [[audio mixing (film and television)|mixed]] 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.
Trailers are also criticized when they incorporate shots that do not exist in the actual movie. When the trailer is edited from rushes this is practically unavoidable. In extreme cases, scenes may have been shot that were later cut from the release version of the movie, but may still exist in the trailer. Usually these scenes are similar in tone or content to material that does exist in the movie.
 
Trailers preceding feature films are generally presented in the same format as the feature, being either 35&nbsp;mm film or a digital format. High bandwidth internet connections allow for trailers to be distributed online at any resolution. Since the advent of [[Digital 3D]], it has become common for a 3D feature film to be preceded by one or more trailers that are also presented in 3D.
In other cases, trailers may use [[stock footage]] to convey, in shorthand, a concept that takes longer to explain (or is less visually dynamic) in the movie. In still other cases, shots or dialogue may be rearranged to create situations or exchanges that do not exist as such in the movie. Often this is done to mask a perceived shortcoming in the movie while maximizing the potential of the footage.
 
One relatively recent trend is the incorporation of so called "bumpers", which are very short fast-paced edits placed at the beginning of a trailer to provide a small tease of what will be shown. Following the spike of short videos across social media, bumpers are intended to quickly grab viewers' attention so that they are encouraged to watch the entire trailer to the end.<ref>{{cite web |title=Movie Trailer Expert Breaks Down 5 Trailer Styles |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/movie-trailer-expert-breaks-down-170000587.html |website=Yahoo Entertainment |publisher=Vanity Fair |access-date=16 April 2024 |date=14 November 2019}}</ref>
How much to give away in a trailer is a controversial question. Filmmaker [[Robert Zemeckis]] argues that a trailer should tell everything about a film, since, he claims, audiences will not want to pay to see films unless they know exactly what they are paying for. Many filmmakers disagree and believe that a trailer should show no more than is needed to convince the audience to see a film. From a studio marketing perspective, the most interesting, funny, arresting parts of the movie should be in the trailer -- the theory being, showing only less interesting material will attract less of an audience.
 
== Collections ==
==Awards for trailers==
National Screen Service contracts required that trailers be returned (at the cinema's expense) or destroyed; however, it required no proof of destruction, and depositing them in a waste bin counted. A market for trailers evolved as it became clear that some had a commercial value to collectors. Many of the trailers for films like the ''[[Star Wars]]'' series reported as 'destroyed' were taken back out of the bin and sold by cinema staff. As they cost about $60 each to make (1981 estimate) and were hired to the cinema for $10, such losses led to NSS increasing its rental charges, which led to a decrease in the number of trailers rented and shown to audiences.<ref>"Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You - Maybe" in Ares 8, Schow, DJ; Simulations Publications, NY 1981, Page 33</ref>
 
Some cinemas also began to show "trailer trash" programs of trailers without a main feature. Similarly, several [[DVD]]s containing nothing but trailers for films, typically from exploitation film genres, have been produced for sale.
Every year there are two main events that give awards to outstanding movie trailers: The [[Key Art Awards]], presented by the [[Hollywood Reporter]], and The [[Golden Trailer Awards]]. While the [[Golden Trailer Awards]] allow only trailers to be entered in the competition, the [[Key Art Awards]] pick winners in all creative parts of movie advertising, from trailers and TV spots to posters and print ads. The yearly [[Key Art Awards]] ceremony is held at the [[Kodak Theater]] in Hollywood.
 
== Other types of trailers ==
* [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/keyarts/index.jsp Key Art Awards]
Beginning in the late 1990s to early 2000s, and along with the development of the Internet and sites such as [[YouTube]] as well as animation techniques, more types of trailers began to be created due to easier and cheaper costs to produce and show trailers.
* [http://www.goldentrailer.com/index.html Golden Trailer Awards]
 
=== Video game trailers ===
==Trailers that break form==
[[File:Slap City's FULL RELEASE on September 17th! - An EXTRA surprise!.webm|thumb|thumbtime=0:27|right|A trailer for ''Slap City'', which is composed primarily of gameplay footage with text describing the features of the game, and has a brief animated segment revealing a new character. Select moments of footage are non-combat [[machinima]] as opposed to organic gameplay.]]
In the late 1990s to early 2000s, more video game trailers have been produced as they become more mainstream to entice viewers to purchase the game. There are two main types of video game trailers: cinematic and gameplay. Cinematic trailers are usually made entirely separate from the game engine and rely more on [[Computer-generated imagery|CGI]]. Even though cinematic trailers do not represent actual gameplay and are a divisive promotional tool in the gaming community, they are commonly accepted as part of the advertising necessary to get a game to sell.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Stobing|first=Chris|title=Why Do Game Trailers Look So Much Better Than the Actual Game?|url=https://www.howtogeek.com/240566/why-do-game-trailers-look-so-much-better-than-the-actual-game/|access-date=2021-03-14|website=How-To Geek|date=2 February 2016 |language=en-US|archive-date=2021-03-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304224417/https://www.howtogeek.com/240566/why-do-game-trailers-look-so-much-better-than-the-actual-game/|url-status=live}}</ref> Gameplay trailers, sometimes referred to as "in-engine" trailers, are made using the game engine and take place inside the game's actual environment. In theory, this implies that actual game footage is recorded and acts as a "what you see is what you get" demonstration, though it is not always the case. For example, ''[[Cyberpunk 2077]]'' failed to deliver multiple features it had included in trailers,<ref>{{Cite news|date=2020-12-14|title=''Cyberpunk 2077'' makers apologise for game glitches|language=en-GB|work=[[BBC News]]|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-55301721|last=Powell|first=Steffan|access-date=2021-03-14|archive-date=2021-02-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210225008/https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-55301721|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=''Cyberpunk 2077'' failed to deliver these five features it had in the teaser trailers |last=Fanelli |first=Jason |date=2020-12-18 |url=https://www.techradar.com/news/cyberpunk-2077-failed-to-deliver-these-five-features-it-had-in-the-teaser-trailers |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211009063309/https://www.techradar.com/news/cyberpunk-2077-failed-to-deliver-these-five-features-it-had-in-the-teaser-trailers |archive-date=2021-10-09 |access-date=2024-11-08 |work=[[TechRadar]] |pages=1 |quote=The tumultuous launch of ''[[Cyberpunk 2077]]'' will soon be a master class in 'What Not To Do When Launching A Game', as more details surface surrounding the game and its development, the worse [[CD Projekt]] looks.}}</ref> and the trailer for ''[[Aliens: Colonial Marines]]'' featured graphics that were of a higher standard than the game that was eventually sold.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=2013-04-03 |title=Sega Admits 'Aliens: Colonial Marines' Trailer Was Misleading |magazine=[[Forbes]] |last=Pinchefsky |first=Carol |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolpinchefsky/2013/04/03/sega-admits-aliens-colonial-marines-trailer-was-misleading/ |access-date=2024-11-08 |page=4 |editor-last=Lane |editor-first=Randall |editor-link=Randall Lane (journalist) |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140101033111/https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolpinchefsky/2013/04/03/sega-admits-aliens-colonial-marines-trailer-was-misleading/ |archive-date=2014-01-01 |issn=0015-6914 |oclc=6465733 |quote=Did you feel cheated that the long-promised ''[[Aliens: Colonial Marines]]'' under-delivered on graphics?…This is the first time [[Sega]] has admitted that the look of the game wasn't up to snuff, or even up to chewing tobacco.}}</ref>
 
=== TV spots ===
* The ''[[Comedian (movie)|Comedian]]'' trailer [[satire|satirizes]] voice-over clichés.
{{See also|Television advertisement}}
**''[http://www.movie-list.com/trailers.php?id=comedian Comedian]''
TV spots are trailers for movies shown on television that are often shortened to 30–60 seconds. These trailers are similar to green band trailers and have content "appropriate" for the channel.
 
=== TV show trailers ===
* One trailer for ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (movie)|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'' [[satire|satirizes]] many of the most common features of movie trailers.
{{See also|Promo (media)}}
**''[http://hitchhikers.movies.go.com/ The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy]''
While not initially prevalent in television, [[TV show]] trailers started as a common form of advertisement in the late 2000s. They are often trailers advertising a new TV series, episode, event or marathon premiering on television. Trailers for the next episode of a TV series are often shown during or following the closing credits of the show.
 
=== Book trailer ===
* ''[[The Minus Man]]'' trailer is a "special shoot" that features no actual movie footage. It consists of two unnamed characters discussing the movie.
A '''book trailer''' is a [[video]] advertisement for a [[book]] which employs techniques similar to those of movie trailers to promote books and encourage readers.<ref>{{cite news|last=Chmielewski|first=Dawn|title=YouTube video sets stage for novel|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-nov-04-fi-vidbooks4-story.html|access-date=18 August 2012|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=November 4, 2006|archive-date=21 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021165721/http://articles.latimes.com/2006/nov/04/business/fi-vidbooks4|url-status=live}}</ref> These trailers can also be referred to as "video-podcasts", with higher quality trailers being called "cinematic book trailers".<ref>{{cite book|last=Deval|first=Jacqueline|title=Publicize Your Book (Updated): An Insider's Guide to Getting Your Book the Attention It Deserves|year=2008|publisher=Perigee Trade|isbn=978-0399534317|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4FVhmwgodMUC&q=%22book+trailer%22&pg=PT195}}</ref> They are circulated on television and online in most common digital video formats.<ref>{{cite news|last=Berton|first=Justin|title=Seeking readers via 'book trailer' / Publisher tries out movie-style preview to market new title|url=http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Seeking-readers-via-book-trailer-Publisher-2488096.php|access-date=18 August 2012|date=September 18, 2006|archive-date=19 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019144715/http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Seeking-readers-via-book-trailer-Publisher-2488096.php|url-status=live}}</ref> Common formats of book trailers include actors performing scenes from the book akin to a movie trailer, full production trailers, flash videos, animation or simple still photos set to music with text conveying the story.<ref>{{cite news|last=Fox|first=Killian|title=On a screen near you ...|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2006/jul/16/fiction.features7|access-date=18 August 2012|date=15 July 2006|archive-date=12 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812134615/http://www.theguardian.com/books/2006/jul/16/fiction.features7|url-status=live}}</ref> This differs from author readings and interviews, which consist of video footage of the author narrating a portion of their writing or being interviewed.<ref>{{cite news|last=Kneschke|first=Tristan|title=Don't Judge a Book by its Trailer|url=http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/301723/20120220/book-trailer-video-movie-edit-film-novel.htm|access-date=18 August 2012|newspaper=International Business Times|date=February 20, 2012|archive-date=22 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120422215405/http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/301723/20120220/book-trailer-video-movie-edit-film-novel.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Early book trailers consisted mostly of still images of the book, with some videos incorporating actors,<ref>{{cite web|last=Metz|first=Nina|title=Super Sad Book Trailers|date=6 July 2012 |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2012/07/06/super-sad-book-trailers/|publisher=Chicago Tribune|access-date=2015-04-12|archive-date=2015-04-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150421044408/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-07-06/features/ct-prj-0708-book-trailers-20120706_1_book-trailers-publishers-videos|url-status=live}}</ref> with [[John Farris|John Farris's]] book trailer for his 1986 novel ''Wildwood'' incorporating images from the book cover along with actors such as [[John Zacherle]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Fitton|first=Akira|title=TOR Books' WILDWOOD promo|website=[[YouTube]] |date=10 May 2010 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OMCNVb7wMM| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/3OMCNVb7wMM| archive-date=2021-11-17 | url-status=live|access-date=26 March 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
**''[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0151582/trailers The Minus Man]''
 
In September 2007, the ''[[School Library Journal]]'' established the Trailie Award for the best book trailers. There are three categories: author/publisher created, student created and librarian/adult created. The award was announced at the ''School Library Journal'' Leadership Summit on the Future of Reading on October 22, 2010, in Chicago.<ref>{{cite web|title=SLJ's Trailie Awards Asks Readers to Vote for Their Favorite Book Trailer|url=http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/home/886663-312/sljs_trailie_awards_asks_readers.html.csp|publisher=School Library Journal|access-date=18 August 2012|archive-date=24 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120424143334/http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/home/886663-312/sljs_trailie_awards_asks_readers.html.csp|url-status=live}}</ref>
* The ''[[Strange Days (film)|Strange Days]]'' trailer consists of Lenny Nero (the main character played by [[Ralph Fiennes]]) speaking directly to the audience, advertising his "business", which is the selling of experiences, and memorably dubbing himself "the [[Santa Claus]] of the [[subconscious]]".
**''[http://www.movie-list.com/trailers.php?id=strangedays Strange Days]''
 
In 2014, Dan Rosen and CV Herst established BookReels, a website dedicated to allowing publishers and authors to post book trailers and other multimedia, culminating in the annual BookReels Awards. BookReels lets readers browse and rate trailers, post comments and reviews, join discussion groups, and share BookReel discoveries.<ref>{{cite web|title=BookReels, an MTV for Books?|url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/62365-bookreels-an-mtv-for-books.html|publisher=Publishers Weekly|access-date=5 June 2014|archive-date=7 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140607213747/http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/62365-bookreels-an-mtv-for-books.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
* The ''[[Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind]]'' trailer is another that is constructed to initially appear to be a commercial for a product instead of a movie advertisement.
**''[http://www.apple.com/trailers/focus_features/eternal_sunshine.html Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind]''
 
Cinematic book trailers have become standard marketing tools used by publishers to promote more commercial titles or novels with film potential.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Voigt |first1=Kati |title=Becoming Trivial: The Book Trailer |journal=Culture Unbound |date=2013 |volume=5 |issue=4 |pages=671–689 |doi=10.3384/cu.2000.1525.135671|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Book Trailers: What They Are, What They Were, And What's Next|url=https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2017/08/05/book-trailers-book-sales/|access-date=2020-10-31|website=www.thecreativepenn.com|date=22 July 2010|language=en-US|archive-date=2020-10-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031134244/https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2017/08/05/book-trailers-book-sales/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* The ''[[Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny]]'' trailer features [[Jack Black]] and [[Kyle Gass]] attempting to record a voice over for a trailer, but stumbling on the opening line ("this summer" to "this fall" to "this thanksgiving" to "November 22" to "some time this year coming up soon"). Also both the lines they use in the voice over and the voices they affect both satarize the typical voice overs found in movie trailers
**''[http://youtube.com/watch?v=aobZEIf-wcE Tenacious D in: the Pick of Destiny]''
 
=== Fan-made trailers ===
* The trailer for ''[[Monty Python and the Holy Grail]]'' also satirizes trailer forms yet at the same time advertises the film. The trailer functions over a background and auditions voiceovers for the trailers with the first three rejected until a Chinese-speaking man is selected for the voiceover. He then goes on to say that while movies like ''[[Seven Samurai]]'', ''[[Ivan the Terrible (film)|Ivan the Terrible]]'' and [[Ingmar Bergman|Bergman]]'s ''[[The Seventh Seal]]'' were landmarks, the ''Monty Python'' film is barely comparable concluding by stating that audiences could do worse than the film. The trailer ends with an advertisement for a Chinese restaurant.
For popular movies, fans often make trailers on their own. These are unofficial videos by fans utilizing audio or video of a movie, studio trailer, animation techniques, or fan-acted scenes replacing the video of the official trailer.
 
== Awards ==
* The trailer for ''[[Toys (1992 film)|Toys]]'' featured [[Robin Williams]] dressed in character, in an expansive grassy field, urging filmgoers to see the film. This was parodied by ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode ''[[Burns' Heir]]'', when [[Montgomery Burns]], dressed as Williams did, relayed his search for an heir (before singing ''[[Let's All Go to the Lobby]]''.)
Every year there are two main events that give awards to outstanding film trailers: The [[Key Art Awards]], presented by ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'', and the [[Golden Trailer Awards]]. The Golden Trailer Awards and the Key Art Awards pick winners in all creative parts of film advertising, from trailers and TV spots to posters and print ads. The Golden Trailer Awards are currently expanding to add a sister event, The World Trailer Awards, to be a kickoff to the Cannes Film Festival in France, 2013. The yearly Key Art Awards ceremony is often held at the [[Dolby Theatre]] in Hollywood. ''The Film Informant'' also recognizes [[movie marketing]] media and held the first annual TFI Awards in early January 2012.<ref>{{cite web|title=2011 TFI Awards|url=http://thefilminformant.com/2011-tfi-awards/|work=2011 Film Informant Awards|publisher=The Film Informant|access-date=23 January 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120717025506/http://thefilminformant.com/2011-tfi-awards/|archive-date=17 July 2012}}</ref> The site is the first to officially start recognizing and rating movie marketing media on a daily basis.
 
== See also ==
* The trailer for ''[[Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters|The Aqua Teen Hungerforce Movie Film for Theaters]]'' opens with a list of things that do ''not'' appear in the film, including "A mythical kingdom", "A child with a secret", "A galaxy torn asunder", and "An ancient, mythical, secret, kingdom tomb...guy, that...runs the tomb". Near the end it names its crew with such undignified titles as "From the 1st assistant director of the 2nd unit of ''[[Hellraiser 3 |Hellraiser 3]]: Hell on Earth''".
{{portal|Film}}
* [[Key art]]
* [[Golden Trailer Awards]]
* [[Re-cut trailer]]
* [[Snipe (theatrical)]]
* [[Post-credits scene|Stinger (post-credits scene)]]
* [[Teaser trailer]]
* [[Trailer music]]
 
==See alsoReferences ==
{{Reflist|30em}}
*[[Teaser trailer]]
*[[Re-cut trailers]]
*[[Trailer (book)]]
 
== External links ==
{{commons category|Film trailers}}
*[http://www.movietrailertrash.com/views/history.html A Comprehensive History of the Form]
{{wikisource|Portal:Film trailers|Film trailers}}
*[http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/features/beal.asp Film Score Monthly: The Art of Scoring Trailers]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhS5xHkNS70 Frame by Frame: Film Trailers] by [[University of Nebraska–Lincoln]] Film Studies Professor [[Wheeler Winston Dixon]]
*[http://www.tzi.de/svp SVP: A university project aiming for automatic trailer generation]
* [httphttps://wwwtrailers.composerjohnbealapple.com/] [[iTunes]] Movie Trailertrailers Composerwebsite Johnby Beal[[Apple, Inc.]]
===Movie trailers===
*[http://movietrailers.blogspot.com/ Movie Trailers Blog]
*[http://www.apple.com/trailers/ Movie Trailers on apple.com]
*[http://www.imdb.com/Sections/Trailers/ The IMDb "Movie Trailers" website]
*[http://www.trailerspy.com/ TrailerSpy Movie Trailers website]
 
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[[Category:Home video supplements]]
[[Category:Film advertising material]]
[[Category:Advertising|Film and video terminology]]
[[Category:Marketing techniques]]
[[Category:Advertising techniques]]
[[Category:Communication design]]
[[Category:Graphic design]]
[[Category:MarketingAudiovisual ephemera]]
[[Category:PromotionArticles andcontaining marketingvideo communicationsclips]]
[[Category:Audiovisual introductions in 1913]]
 
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