How to Make a Movie Trailer

Video Transcript

"Okay folks, in this clip we're going to talk about how to make a movie trailer. A movie trailer is essentially the calling card for your film. It is...it's visual advertisement. So, when you're sitting down to make the movie trailer, pick the tone and the....the, the overall mood, and the...the vibe that you want to convey to your audience, first and foremost. Do you want it to match your films overall mood exactly, or do you want it to be a little bit different than that? What's the best way to convey to your audience what type of film they're going to be getting into, and to really hook them and draw them in. So decide that very early on. Then figure out some of the best, most creative shots from your film. Like, pick and grab the...the little bits of interaction between the characters, or moments visually that, you know, really pop out at people, and figure out a way to cut and paste these into your thirty second to two minute package. 'Cause that is really essentially going to be the hardest part, condensing it all. These days, the standard format to follow is first, lay the ground work. Establish the story and the setting that it takes place. Then introduce the premise, or the characters, as the case may be. The next step in the formula, and this usually happens at about the minute mark or even the minute and a half mark, that's when things really start to pick up and you really go for the final knock-out punch. You start to really, like, up the tempo of your clips. You start to really throw a lot at the audience in terms of really powerful, dynamic moving images. And usually, this will crescendo up, up, up, up, up, up, up until the final knock-out blow, where at the very end you deliver that one last line, or that one last shot that is....that sustains just a little bit longer than the ones that were rapidly moving up to that point, and leaves the lasing impression on the audience. That is going to be the final thing that's going to really make them want to see this flick. So, again, the formula is; establish the story, establish the premise, steadily start to reel them in. Build it up, amp up the speed, the intensity, the....the, you know, the craziness of the clips, back to back. And then nail them at the very end with the knock-out punch. The knock-out, you know, line, visual, whatever, and then lastly leave them with the title and all the pertinent information. That is the best way to put together a movie trailer."