Post Production: 12 Tips for Trailers that Deliver

Post-Production – Trailers That Deliver 

12 Tips for Success 

By: Roberto Cardenas

Your project may be Oscar-worthy, but without an attention-grabbing trailer you won’t have an audience. So, take in a few tips for building out a trailer that will bring in the crowds.

1.    Seek out the “defining moment.” What is the moment in the movie that demonstrates the film’s logline? That moment of purpose, the dialogue that cuts to the core, the instant conflict begins…get to the point of what drives the film.

2.    Tell a story. Remember that the trailer is a narrative, just like the film – albeit abridged. Viewers need to understand the story, not just the “vibe” of the film. Have a through line and a three-act structure, in which you introduce characters, the situation, the inciting event, and their struggles into resolution…but don’t show the resolution! That’s just not cool, man. #spoileralert

3.    It’s okay to think non-linearly. Intercutting moments from a different scene or timeline from the movie can heighten an act in your trailer by adding context, motivation, and heart.

4.    Let your stars shine. Give each main character their shining moment that defines them for the audience. They need to know the key players in the story, and who to root for.

5.    Be efficient. If the moments you select don’t advance the story, create excitement, or bring on a laugh, scream or tear - let them go. When you can find moments that accomplish multiple goals, even better.

6.    Don’t get married to the details. Films have great detail, backstory, a series of many, many events and conversations that lead to a climax. It can be tough, working from a film down to a trailer, when you see how the small details build emotion and motivation. Remind yourself to dissect each moment of the film from one another, so you can see each one as its own element and pick only the key elements that move the trailer along.

7.    Stay true to your genre – The trailer needs to clearly demonstrate what type of movie people will be going to see. Your choice of music, number of cuts, action vs. conversation, and the like, will affect the vibe of the trailer. Drama trailers should not be jumpy; comedies should not have slow music; and, action flicks should not be all talk.

8.    Target your core audience. While your film’s audience may be broad, look to the core of who will see it, rave about it, and create excitement through word of mouth. Then tell your shortened story to appeal to that guy.

9.    Go easy on the typography. Let the visuals and the dialogue guide the story and create the twists and turns. That is what an audience will connect with. Show more, tell less. Let the audience go for an emotional ride with your actors, not a read bunch of text.

10. Music is KEY. Finding the right music to match your film is an art (that’s where a seasoned music supervisor comes in). Your project may need one perfect track to set the mood for one trailer, while others may need two or three to adjust to changes in tone or emotion as they see their abridged storyline through. And, remember - added sound effects should complement the music and land with its beat, or your cool little additions will just be jarring annoyances. 

11. Hook ‘em fast. Whatever attention-grabbing dialogue or circumstance you have to offer…get to it quickly. With today’s abundance of entertainment options, if you wait too long to give people a reason to stick around – they won’t.

12. Build, build, build. If it’s a comedy, it needs to get funnier as it goes on…a horror movie should get creepier and creepier…a drama’s emotional urgency should escalate. If the trailer keeps offering “more”, imagine what the full movie can provide.