History/background of trailers

A film trailer is a vital piece of marketing for feature films. Film trailers are usually shown before a film of a similar genre, also shown at the before the film on a DVD or Blu Ray. The reason for this is to attract the target audience. Only lasting 2 to 5 minutes film trailers are quite short to express the tone and the storyline of the film. Film trailers are a lot more popular online now with the addition of website such as YouTube and Trailer Addict.

The first promotional film trailer was not for a feature film, it was a musical and was produced by Nils Granlund, which showed clips of the production and raised awareness of it. Nils Granlund was also behind the first trailer for a film in 1914 which was made for a Charlie Chaplin Film. Up until the late 50’s film trailers were produced by the National Screen Service who were brought in by the film companies to create trailers for upcoming films, the company lasted until the late 80’s. Early trailers simply contained short clips of key features of the films alongside narration. An example of this type of trailer is the one for Casablanca.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034583/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Some of the main features of this film trailer is basic shots of the main events in the film. The trailer has a narration to go along with it, with a clip at the end of conversation that is in the film. The film trailer also has the titles running over the clips from the film. The music makes the film sound exciting and serves the purpose of the trailer.

The change in film trailers happened in the 1960’s the more free the culture became the more the types of films started to changed, including the way the films were advertised. The new films brought new trailers, new ways and styles of advertising. One unconventional trailer was inspired by a short film, Dr Strangelove or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb’ was inspired by the 1961 short film ‘Very Nice Very Nice’ by Arthur Lipsett. The similarities between the two are very apparent however the trailer ends up being completely different to the Casablanca trailer.

Very Nice Very Nice trailer;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY7B2-Wqj6g

Dr Strangelove or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdJS1iatxmY


The features of film trailers have changed in the way that they used to be very basic with a simple narration and basic shots of the key events in the movie and music was only included sometimes and it would be a very simple non-dramatic soundtrack. Now with the technology film trailers use very quick editing to make sure they can make it look a lot more dramatic. Jump cutting and cutting is used in the editing to show two bits of action next at the same time also using close ups and different shot types make it a lot more appealing. Narration is not scene of as much in trailers now and if it is it’s usually for cartoons. Producers use a lot more dramatic scenes in the trailers now to attract the right audience and make people want to go and see the film. Its very competitive now with a lot of films of the same genre being released at the same time so it’s important to make sure they can do the best trailer.