How To Make A Movie Trailer? Everything You Need To Know

After post-production on your film is over, you'll be eager to share your work with the public. But first, take a moment to relax and complete the most important phase in the filmmaking process: creating a trailer. Let's learn how to create a movie trailer in this tutorial. 

What Is A Movie Trailer?

People enjoy viewing films. So, in addition to getting people to view your movie, you also need to inform and introduce them to your next project. A trailer for a movie is necessary for this reason. A commercial advertisement that consists of a montage of movie scenes is called a movie trailer. A one- to three-minute stream of these scenes is created by editing them together. The initial impression of a movie is often influenced by its trailer. As a result, movies must be superbly filmed in order to build spectator anticipation. You can force them to watch the movie in this method. 

To put it succinctly, a trailer transmits the story's emotions to your viewers. In the case of an action film, it creates suspense, while in the event of a horror film, it arouses terror and chilling moments. A humorous trailer, on the other hand, makes people smile and chuckle. 

Read Also: What is the purpose and importance of an art exhibition?

When Were The First Film Trailers Shown?

In 1913, the idea of a trailer made its debut in New York. Nils Granlund, the marketing manager for the Marcus Loew chain of theaters, served as the source of inspiration. Granlund started off by designing a theater play's trailer before moving on to comic books starring Charlie Chaplin. Later, he was followed by other filmmakers and theater owners. As a result, trailers are now included in every movie release. 

Why Are Trailers Referred To As Previews? 

The trailers were first released on streaming services after the movie ended. The movie picture studios eventually discovered, though, that patrons had departed the theater before the trailers had aired. As a result, filmmakers started crafting trailers ahead of time in order to force viewers to watch them. Trailers are therefore called "previews" or "coming attractions." 

What Makes A Good Movie Trailer?

The following elements are indicative of a strong movie trailer that will draw viewers in. They consist of:

1. Conciseness

An effective movie trailer exposes the viewer to the film. It should therefore be brief, lasting no more than one to three minutes. 

2. Exhibit The Theme, Genre, And The Main Cast

First, pique the interest of the audience by providing them with the notion of: 

• The type of film: comedy, horror, or action.
• The film's protagonist, antagonist, and deuteragonist are its key characters.
• Tone and atmosphere of the movie: satirical, humorous, serious, and hateful. The general tone and subject matter of the film are set by the dialogue and actions of the characters.

Here is the trailer for The Social Network, which establishes a spooky mood and a hint of tension.

3. Choose Your Color Palette Wisely

Just like with music, camera angles, and lighting, colors also convey the movie's tone, theme, genre, and setting. Use color to its fullest in your trailers so that you can treat them like personalities as well.

4. Matching The Trailer And The Movie Tone 

A decent background tone that complements the movie's tone is essential for your movie trailer. For instance, a sound associated with humor cannot be used in a horror film.

5. Differentiate Your Movie Trailer

You must be aware of the characteristics of a teaser trailer in order to make sure your movie trailer doesn't look like one. They consist of:

• Typically, a teaser trailer has a duration of under a minute.
• They don't contain any real film footage—they are merely an announcement. 
• Since teasers are issued prior to post-production, they lack actual movie footage yet build anticipation for movie trailers.
• They don't divulge much about the plot and are released even before the filming is over. 
• They merely show a broad release window, like "coming in 2022." 

How To Make A Good Movie Trailer?

1. Use A Three-Act Structure

A three-act structure is required while creating a movie trailer. Trailers often have a three-act format similar to that of features and short films. But there are some distinctions between them. Cold opens are the norm for trailers. This is a storytelling device when the story is introduced right away. The conflict or a turning point must then be included, and the trailer must stop before the resolution has even been reached. You can also include a clip to symbolize a farewell joke or action scene. 

Every act in a trailer consists of:

Cold Open: To pique the audience's interest, a cold open is used. As a result, it includes a humorous scene or action sequence that is:

• Short
• Entertaining
• Requires little to no context

A cold opening is followed by the logo, which eventually leads to Act 1

Act 1: The primary goal of Act 1 is to introduce the characters and the story's premise through exposition or thought-provoking questions. To help the viewer comprehend the remainder of the trailer, the story's premise must be explained. 

Act 2 alternates between scenes to emphasize the movie's conflict or present the adversary. To top it off, this portion leaves you feeling doubtful and uneasy. 

The show's most grandiose and dramatic sequences occur in Act 3. As so, it sets up the climax and features dialogue that is unbearably exciting and suspenseful for the audience. That being said, the trailer concludes with the title card displayed at the height of the action. 

2. Retrieve The Footage You Need

A movie trailer's visual elements are essential, but emotionally compelling scenes should also come first. Consequently, be sure to include the sequences that you believe will persuade viewers to watch the movie. But keep in mind not to reveal any important story details. For a comedy trailer, for instance, you could incorporate the movie's funniest jokes without changing the storyline. This guarantees that you capture and maintain the attention of your audience. After you've selected your scenes, compile all of the video you'll need into one folder so you can access it easily when editing. 

3. Use Voice-Over Or Text To Tell The Story

Film trailers are succinct and clear. Therefore, you might need to use certain helpful tools, such as voice-over and on-screen text, to effectively communicate the main idea of the story. You have two options for the voice-over: either make your own text just for the trailer or use speech from the movie.

4. Use Music To Set The Right Tone

Proper music has the power to increase your trailers' effectiveness. Therefore, select the music according to the scene you are enacting. 

The music in Act 1 is meant to create suspense. Use a piece of music that grows gradually and calls the audience's attention to itself to heighten this feeling. For instance, you could employ a violin orchestra to play in between each action. Select upbeat music for your Act 2 transition to keep your audience interested.

5. Storyboarding

A trailer offers a lot less time and space, so you have to pack in as much information as possible to draw in viewers. To guarantee efficiency at every stage, assemble your trailer using the storyboarding process. Additionally, go slowly since it facilitates editing.

6. Edit 

Edit the trailer after gathering your material, selecting appropriate music, and creating a storyboard. Make sure you chop the entire movie off and arrange it in a non-consecutive manner. You can keep your audience in the dark about the plot's turns and turns in this way. You can also accelerate the editing and transitions in accordance with the three-act format. Act 2 cuts and transitions can be sped up to a maximum close to the resolution, whereas Act 1 can have a rather leisurely movement. 

7. Feature The Film’s Talent

When the trailer nears its peak, you can add the cast list. A cast run is a list of performers who are in the film, along with directors, producers, or writers whose work will catch the interest of your audience. 

Final Thoughts

Making a movie trailer is an artistic endeavor, just like making a movie. Your viewers, who eagerly await the film, consider this work of art to be a feast. In order to pique the audience's interest and entice them to watch your video, you must so meticulously prepare it and display a non-sequential collage of scenes.