As a frequent cinema-goer, I’m starting to lose my patience with movie trailers. They’re great when done well, but recently they seem too long and often ruin the films they’re meant to promote.
Take The Artist for example. It’s a brilliant film, but the trailer gives away the entire plot. In fact it works as a short film in itself. Avoid this trailer if you still want to see the film, which really is great.
I was recently watching Scream on DVD, because I love it, and one of the trailers at the start was for Scream 2; a trailer which inevitably spoils the film you’re about to watch. Whoever was responsible for putting that there should be fired and subjected to the fate of Drew Barrymore’s character.
Consider the trailer for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Let’s ignore the fact that it looks like an absolutely dreadful film; it’s just such a boring trailer. Editing is crucial in trailers, and this one is baggier than clothes from the ’90s. It could have all been conveyed in about 10 seconds, and don’t get me started on that U2 song…
Perhaps two and a half minutes, which seems to be standard industry length, is simply too long for a trailer. But that doesn’t mean they should spoil crucial plot points. The trailer for Dream House actually gives away the twist! Admittedly the twist comes about half way through the film, but it’s a twist nonetheless. So don’t watch this trailer if you want to see this disappointing Daniel Craig film.
Trailers can be excellent; they can make you want to see a film and can make you excited about it. Good trailers don’t give too much away, they simply set the tone of the film. Look at the first trailer for David Fincher‘s fantastic The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. It’s a minute shorter than these other trailers and so is immediately more effective. It has cool music, choppy editing, and just bombards you with tiny glimpses of images. It sets the atmosphere perfectly, and tells you nothing except: a) It’s a David Fincher film and b) That you really, really want to see it.
What about the trailer for Lynne Ramsay‘s amazingly chilling We Need To Talk About Kevin? Again, it’s short. Again, it’s more like a series of images than a short film. Again, we get the immediate feeling of the film. Again, we want to see it. The fact that it gives so little away is exactly what makes it so powerful.
So let’s stop the long, boring trailers that give too much away and contain spoilers and U2 songs. Let’s have short, powerful trailers that set the tone of the film and intrigue us, making us desperate to get to the cinema to see it.
Clacked by Dan Meier 
on Feb 01, 2012 @ 14:00 EST5EDT
