|
Recipe For a Trailer
Originally posted at www.hollywood.com
(author uncredited)
From the Kermit-green preview screen to a shot of the release date,
trailers are built for the sole purpose of whetting the audience's
appetite and leaving them talking excitedly about the film before
its opening.
But it can't do so without some key components: a particular swell
of music, slow-motion eye contact between lovers, or that laugh-out-loud
line that will be oft-repeated with the film's release.
Scanning through trailers past and present, one is sure to find
a particular blend of ingredients affiliated with each film genre.
Note: While ingredients listed are common tendencies in the film
genres they represent, they do not represent every film.
Some examples:
The Jerry Bruckheimer Action Film
("Armageddon," "Con Air," "The Rock")
- Start with 30 seconds of slow shots, mostly in shadow
- Pour in at least 1 fireball explosion
- Slice up a series of action shots and blend rapid-fire style
- Mix with close-up shots of unlikely hero (usually the main star)
wincing in slow-motion
- Add a dash of sarcastic dialogue from Steve Buscemi
- Sprinkle with wide shot of cast walking in horizontal line
- Coat with "heroic" music
- Garnish with voice-over: "From Jerry Bruckheimer, the producer
of "(blockbuster )"
- Pound title of film onto screen with thud
The Girl Power Chick Flick Comedy
("Boys on the Side," "Waiting to
Exhale," "Practical Magic")
- Start with 1 responsible girl
- Pour in 1 wild girl
- Add 1 wisecracking girl (optional)
- Insert voice-over: "(Studio) presents"
- Stir in scene where women dance around a table/kitchen, laughing
- Insert voice-over: "A story about (fill in the blank)"
- Blend with crying/hugging scene
- Insert voice-over: "And the friends that pull us through."
- Serve over popular song (if it's a roadie chick flick, use "Dreams"
by The Cranberries)
The Compelling Courtroom Drama
("A Time to Kill," "A Civil Action,"
"Amistad")
- Start with docile scene introducing crime
- Spray with slow, ominous thumping sound
- Unwrap hero lawyer arguing why defendant has a case
- Fold in protesters, frowning jury, skeptical judge
- Add 1 self-reflecting revelation lawyer has about himself
- Beat in nay-sayers, arguing lawyer can't win because he has
no evidence/money/experience
- Slice into courtroom chaos, complete with gavel-pounding ("You
are out of order!") judge
- Bake into impassioned closing speech by lawyer
The Next Installment of a Lucrative Franchise
("Die Hard With a Vengeance," "Alien
Resurrection," "Lethal Weapon 4")
- Start with new villain wreaking havoc
- Insert villain's lofty statement along the lines of: "There
is no one to stop me/I am the winner/Everyone will die."
- Cut in quick shot of hero storming in, eliciting cheers from
audience
- Begin mixing in action stunts
- Insert voice-over: "On (release date), the (fear/action)
is back."
- Chop up best action sequences in rapid fire
- Squeeze in "money shot" to show the franchise is still
alive and kicking
- Insert sarcastic line from hero
- Season with blasted title sequence with sequel number and subtitle
| 
Icons & Buttons
XML - FLASH
