What is a teaser trailer?
The term 'teaser trailer' refers to a form of advertising that is short and combined and uses small/cryptic advertisements. Teaser trailers are used to promote a bigger campaign. Often they are used to create hype about something up to a year before it is actually released. Films often use short teaser trailers to excite the audience by giving them just enough information to get excited/know what the new film is about, but not enough information to give away much of the films narrative. The name 'teaser' is used because teaser trailers are designed to tease people, they make people want to watch something and get the audience hyped for the films release. Teaser trailers are often an effective way of virally marketing a film because they don't need to be that long to be effective. Teasers differ from theatrical trailers in the way that teaser trailers are a shortened version of the theatrical trailer. Teaser trailers only show a tiny bit of the film and often don't give the audience much of an idea of the narrative. Theatrical trailers are used to preview the film, they contain a lot more and are longer. Theatrical trailers are exhibited in cinemas in order to promote a new film to an audience. Teaser trailers can now differ in length greatly, a teaser trailer can range from either 10 seconds long right up to 2 minutes. Teasers vary in length and can be up to 1minute 30 seconds long but now the name is used loosely and opinions differ on the maximum length a teaser can be.
Conventions of a Teaser Trailer:
- Teaser trailers are shorter and don't include as much as theatrical trailers, as they are designed create excitement for a film without giving much away.
- Teasers create mystery whereas Theatricals promote.
- Teasers usually last up to 1 minute 30seconds, trailers can last up to 2 minutes 30.
- Theatrical trailers are shown closer to the films release date.
- Teaser trailers always introduce the audience to the main characters as do full length trailers.
- It is important that the audience get a sense of the genre of the film even if the teaser trailer is very short.
Conventions of a Theatrical Trailer:
- Trailers always have the green screen at the very beginning that states that the 'preview has been approved for appropriate audiences'. This screen usually lasts for about 5-7 seconds to ensure that the audience had time to read it properly.
- The title/logo of the institution that produced the film conventionally appears after the first green screen. This shows the audience clearly the company that produced the film and allows them to briefly promote themselves/claim recognition for the film.
- Often the trailer will begin with an establishing shot to display the films location instantly or to emphasise the significance of the location. If not then the trailer could begin with a shot of the main character or a character that plays a significant role in the films narrative.
- Fast fade to black transitions are conventionally used between shots in films with a horror or thriller genre.
- Many film trailers use voiceovers that talk over the shots. These voiceovers could either be from one of the main characters giving their insight and setting the tone of the film. On the other hand it could be a voiceover of somebody different outlining the films plot. In horror film trailers they often use a mans voice and make him speak slowly or creepily to increase tension. In romance trailers the stereotypical cheesy Hollywood voiceover is sometimes used.
- In films of a horror or thriller stereotype, the music often starts off as quite upbeat and relaxed as the main characters are living happily and the antagonist hasn't appeared yet, but when the antagonist comes in and bad things start happening, the music gets more dramatic and intense. It often gets louder throughout the trailer.
- Trailers will almost always include the release date or season e.g. "This Summer"
- In Romance films with teens the trailer conventionally includes shots of the school and shots of big groups of friends.
- All trailers include titles and the title of the film appears at the end of the trailer in a memorable font so that the name of the film stays in the audiences mind.
- Comedy trailers often use an upbeat song often a popular pop song or a song with lyrics relating to the film. Romance trailers often use love songs.
