RESEARCH: Trailer Styles

According to Dan Skinner of Film Space, there are different types of trailers and a trailer’s style will depend on a number of factors. It will be crafted to appeal to the same audience as the film. The trailer will establish a number of questions which audiences can only solve when they watch the film. 

I watched Dan Skinner explain how the style of a trailer is affected by a number of factors including where it will be seen, who by and for how long.

For example:

• Teaser Trailers
• Main Trailer
• TV Spots
• Using Graphics
• Trailers in the Digital Age

Teaser Trailers

Teaser trailers are incredibly short and reveal little to no information about the film, shrouding the film in an aire of mystery. This engauges the audience and is a useful tool for gaining interest about the film. Teaser Trailers typically last from 10-30 seconds so the audience can gleam the minimal amount of information about what the genre is and possibly the characters/ actors which will appear in the film.

Main Trailers

The main trailer of a film is where the meat of the information is; characters are given a lot more time than the teaser, the plot is revealed, character motiation and possibly the problem that the protagonist/s must solve. It also features the release date and any social media sites that the film is also marketing.