How do film trailers attract audiences to go and watch a film?
This essay will explore the ways in which film trailers attract their audiences, the techniques that are used and how each trailer has a unique selling point that will appeal to the audience and make them want to see the film. Film trailers have a special way of selling the film to the audience; they can outline an entire plot, but still not give anything major away. They can immediately introduce you to characters that you will love or hate and can show you storylines that can already have you gripped to your seat.
Different genres have different ways in attracting their audience; action trailers will provide a sense of awe and excitement which will make viewers want more, whereas comedy trailers will deliver humour in order to entice the audience.
The same can be said for horror trailers, which will scare the audience into wanting to see more, and thrillers, which will make sure that they produce the audience with such an exciting and twisting plot that they can do nothing but want to see the film. However, although each genre has a unique way of selling a film in a trailer, it comes down to the trailer itself to really make the sale. For example, when watching a trailer for a horror film, you don’t want happy, cheerful music playing in the background; you want music that will fit the atmosphere to which the trailer presents. This shows that trailers have to have a composition of many things, i.e. image and sound, in order for it to really sell itself.
The same can be said for horror trailers, which will scare the audience into wanting to see more, and thrillers, which will make sure that they produce the audience with such an exciting and twisting plot that they can do nothing but want to see the film. However, although each genre has a unique way of selling a film in a trailer, it comes down to the trailer itself to really make the sale. For example, when watching a trailer for a horror film, you don’t want happy, cheerful music playing in the background; you want music that will fit the atmosphere to which the trailer presents. This shows that trailers have to have a composition of many things, i.e. image and sound, in order for it to really sell itself.
The film Silence of the Lambs has a very simple trailer, which sets the story, introduces the characters, and also creates a sense of suspense, mystery and horror around the plotline. These things combined are the perfect way to attract an audience to see a film. There are however ways of doing this, for example, one of the most commonly used aspects of a film trailer, is to use a voice over in order to set the scene. Depending on the genre of the film, the voice over can change the emotion of the viewer, by changing the pitch or tone of their voice, by saying very little, or saying a lot, and by choosing key words to strike at the genre of the film. A voice over in a horror film will often have a very deep voice, and will try and use as few words as possible, in order for the person watching the trailer to fathom out what is going to happen.
There is also the use of dialogue, or in some case, the lack of it, which makes a film trailer really good. You’ll often find that short teaser trailers for films will include no dialogue at all, which sometimes is a better way of selling a film because it leaves the characters untouched and the plot up to the readers imagination. On the other hand however, dialogue can be the main thing that sells the film. This is definitely the case for sequels for films, for example, Harry Potter. Films with recurring characters that the audience know and love exploit dialogue because it gives the viewers an insight into what the characters are going to be doing in that film.
There is also the use of dialogue, or in some case, the lack of it, which makes a film trailer really good. You’ll often find that short teaser trailers for films will include no dialogue at all, which sometimes is a better way of selling a film because it leaves the characters untouched and the plot up to the readers imagination. On the other hand however, dialogue can be the main thing that sells the film. This is definitely the case for sequels for films, for example, Harry Potter. Films with recurring characters that the audience know and love exploit dialogue because it gives the viewers an insight into what the characters are going to be doing in that film.
There are many other things in film trailers that sell the film and attract the audience, for example, the use of sound is vital so that it sets a tone for the entire film and helps the audience understand the basis for the film. This means that comedy films and romance trailers will have upbeat and uplifting music whereas action trailers will have fast paced and intense music, so that it is fitting with the content of the film. This attracts audiences to see the film because it makes them aware of the films content, but it also sets a tone for what the rest of the film is going to be like. Another important part of a film trailer is the editing. You cannot simply throw random clips from a film together in order to make a trailer; the clips have got to mean something and most importantly, have got to make sense for the viewer. The editing has to be done so that is shows audience the best bits about the film, and the unique selling points that will make to audience find out more about what happened.
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