A trailer is a short video released for promotional purposes, creating excitement and curiosity among viewers about upcoming products, services, or events. This term is most commonly used in the film and music industries, as well as other industries that require marketing communications to attract customers.
What is a trailer?
Trailers are not a new concept in today's digital industry. While watching TV or using the internet, everyone has encountered short videos introducing a movie, event, or program that piqued their interest and prompted them to learn more. These are often trailers released by producers to attract attention and interest from viewers.
The trailer for director Tran Thanh's film "The Woman's House" has attracted over 2 million views on YouTube.
Simply put, a trailer is like a preview, a compilation of short clips from the main video. Trailers are usually only a few tens of seconds to a few minutes long and are uploaded before the official release of films or videos. The content of these short clips typically showcases the main characters, some exciting elements, and climaxes to appeal to the viewer's emotions.
The film industry is one of the industries that uses the term trailer most frequently. Any television series, feature film, or even entertainment content shown on platforms like YouTube releases a trailer before its official release. If the trailer goes viral and gains popularity, it's guaranteed that the video or film will attract a large audience and generate the expected revenue.
Besides being used in movies, trailers are also created for videos serving other purposes such as events, programs, or upcoming product launches. Trailers are usually uploaded to television and social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, and outdoor projection systems, etc., to support promotion and connect with customers for the best results.
The role of trailers
Trailers are arguably a crucial part of promoting upcoming products. They act like a bridge, quickly connecting customers/viewers to the product and directly impacting their emotions, curiosity, and interest in new products.
On the other hand, although trailers are only a few dozen seconds to a few minutes long, they can provide viewers with essential information such as the main plot, actors, color scheme, official release date, and even the "spotlights"—the shocking plot points that highlight the film. If a trailer is well-produced in terms of content, it will easily attract attention, interaction, and sharing, creating a positive and effective natural marketing effect.
A compelling trailer will attract attention and interaction from customers.
Trailers are essentially a marketing campaign to reach customers, increase brand awareness, and generate revenue and positive image if done correctly. Most industries, such as film, primarily use trailers, teasers, and soundtracks for marketing to attract attention and generate discussion among viewers.
Take the movie "Mrs. Nu's House" as a prime example. Its trailer, just over two minutes long, garnered more than 2 million views on YouTube, not including other platforms like TikTok and Facebook. And of course, the film's revenue is estimated to have brought director Tran Thanh nearly 500 billion VND, a staggering figure for a Vietnamese film shown in theaters. The captivating trailer and other special effects contributed significantly to this film's resounding success.
In advertising, using trailers as a way to announce the launch of a new product is also a marketing strategy. These trailers are usually only a few dozen seconds long, revealing images, colors, designs, ingredients, or messages about the product. Trailers then serve to attract attention, encourage interaction, and invite customers to anticipate the new product in a more exciting and memorable way.
On the other hand, trailers are also quite short, making them very suitable for inserting into advertisements, running ads, or serving other purposes.
How to create an engaging trailer
Trailers are typically created from existing videos or data, but the process isn't simply about cutting and pasting. For a trailer to be truly engaging and captivating, it needs to be built around a clear strategy, revealing intriguing plot points while retaining unique elements to pique curiosity and encourage exploration.
The editing, cutting, and adding of effects and sound make the trailer engaging and pique the viewer's curiosity.
Select video clips
The key to creating compelling trailers lies in the video's content. However, while trailers should reveal many special details to impress viewers, they shouldn't "reveal" any surprising plot points. A sense of mystery and intrigue is what truly makes audiences look forward to the official release.
However, the video clips shouldn't be too superficial or basic; they should contain content or messages that reflect the spirit of the film. For example, action films should feature spectacular chase and attack scenes; horror films should have thrilling, mysterious scares; and comedies should have funny lines, etc.
From the selected video clips, the scriptwriting and editing team will cut, splice, and shorten them to create a complete trailer with a clear and coherent storyline that conveys the main message of the video.
Effect
During the trailer creation process, screenwriters and editors need to use their creativity and quick thinking to add appropriate sounds and effects to stimulate viewers' emotions. For example, rapid, intense sounds often create drama; low, deep sounds or whispers create mystery; sounds like laughter create humor and fun, etc.
Besides sound effects, transition effects are also important to make video editing smooth and seamless, creating a coherent yet mysterious narrative. Furthermore, the scriptwriting and editing team needs to incorporate appropriate music to evoke emotions in the viewers. For feature films or television series, they will use the film's soundtrack directly, sometimes even including quotes from climactic scenes to generate interest.
Creating engaging trailers directly impacts marketing results during the product launch phase. Therefore, the time and effort required to create complete trailers are just as meticulous and elaborate as that of the official videos. However, a positive reception of the trailers can lead to successful product releases.
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