By Liam McCutcheon

What is a trailer?  A trailer is short clipping from a film that it is trying to advertise. They would normally last from anywhere between 2- 3 minutes, and should give the audience an idea about the plot. A trailer should also tell the audience who the main stars of the film are and who has directed it.

What is the difference between a theatrical trailer and a teaser trailer?  A teaser trailer will only last around 30 seconds, with some continuing to a full minute, a teaser trailer will also only inform the audience that another film is in the process of being created. However a theatrical trailer will tell you what the plot of the film is, who the main stars of the film are, who directed the film and can last up to 3 minutes.

What is the purpose of a trailer?  The purpose of a film trailer is to advertise to the target audience, it will try to convince people to go and watch the full film. Trailers are used along side other promotional platforms like magazines and posters to attract as many people as possible.

How important is it to consider target audience?  When considering the target audience for any product the manufacture must choose the right one. Then they have done this future products must appeal to these audiences, and it is the same in the film industry. If a director did not consider a target audience then it is most likely that the film will fail because there is not that one group of people that will go and watch because they know that it is what they like to watch.

Why is it important for a trailer to show us the genre and how is this established?  If a trailer did not show the audience what genre the film is then the producers may lose a major amount of its possible followers. If a trailer cannot tell an audience what genre it is then it is most likely to fail at the box office. Along with low box office expectations the trailer will also fail when being shown on T.V. because if the viewers cannot decide on what trailer it is then a lot of people will choose not to watch the trailer and the film.

When is the trailer produced?  The theatrical trailer for a film is produced during the production of the full feature film, it will be first shown round 1-2 months before the release of the full film. However a teaser trailer can be shown anywhere up to a year before the release of the film. However the teaser trailer will be used as a trailer for the theatrical trailer.

What are the conventions?  The conventions of a film trailer include many things, music, action, camera angles, voiceovers and credits which will include the main stars names, the director an other editors that helped with the trailer. These are all used in different ways for different film genres.

Why is a voiceover important?  A voiceover is important because it can be used in many different ways,