This all started off with a list of the top 10 trailers of 2008, per Yahoo! which I will post here, but it got me thinking, what is a good trailer, and even though these trailers are the most viewed, are they really the best. Hold on, guys, this is gonna be fun!
When you are sitting in the movie theatre, there is nothing more exciting for me then when they lower the lights and the previews come on, a good movie trailer can get you so excited, you can often times lose focus on the movie you are there to see, but the traits of a good movie trailer are often varied, depending on the film.
The worst part of a trailer is giving everything away, there's an old saying 'less is more' and that seems to be perfect for trailers, there is nothing that turns me off of a movie more than figuring out the mysterious killer simply by watching the trailer, or seeing the bad guy who was so mysterious throughout the film, only to be spoiled by the trailer. Those kinds of reveals should be saved for the end of the movie only. Often times, my favorite trailers say very little, or next to nothing about the movie itself; for instance, a trailer that came out last year during Transformers comes to mind as one of the most gripping trailers I've seen, it showed a party, some rumbling, and finally the head of the statue of liberty being thrown down the street with the numbers 1-18-08, and that's it. I immediately went home and searched for everything I could about something so mysterious, it doesn't even give you the title of the movie. That was a great trailer.
Now, having said less is more, there is the counter to that, often times, the most disastrous thing that can happen to a movie is a trailer that gives off the wrong impression. This trailer can give an impression of a horror movie, which draws all the horror fans, only to prove it's a drama, or mystery/suspense movie, which usually results in very disappointed fans, and some bad ratings of the movie. The best example I can think of to date, is a favorite of mine, The Village, by M. Night Shylaman. I loved this trailer because it told you very little about the movie, left a very creepy vibe, and made you wanting more, but the problem was, it also gave off a horror feel, along with some eerie movie posters, and viral marketing by M. Night, this movie had horror fans lining up, simply to see a really well made suspense movie. As a result the movie had terrible reviews and was laughed at because of the impression set forth by the trailer.
Another trait of a good trailer is including some material that engages the characters. You have to introduce the hero and the villain and make you want to go on their journey with them. The hard part about this particular ingredient is making sure you don't give away the best moments and most passionate exchanges in the movie, because if you do, then audiences will have already seen the best stuff and feel a sense of letdown when they watch the movie. This problem is very prominent in nearly all comedies, you see an exchange with the main characters that makes the audience bust out in laughter, only to see the movie and watch the same joke that is no longer funny. The trailer that comes to mind as a great example of this is Rush Hour, all three, actually. After seeing the trailer, my side had sufficiently split, I couldn't wait to see such a comedic exchange between two actors. I got to the theatre, only to know the best parts of the movie by heart, and simply wait for the next exchange to happen. As a result, my side was not split, and it wasn't as good of an experience as it could have been.
Another approach that you will often see is simply a showcase of special effects, a trailer that simply is the best eye candy seen by man. Most versions are sci-fi in nature, and show dazzling, almost unbelievable special effects that capture the imagination so much, there is no need to go into the plot of the movie. Sometimes the approach is good, because it escapes the pitfall mentioned above, of giving away all the plot details. Also, it can work out perfectly, because the special effects can be so good, people will want to see what the rest of the movie holds, which better mean the movie has plenty of eye candy left for the audience. Sometimes, the special effects are not so CGI, but simply such an immense scene that it begs people to find out exactly how they got there. Many examples of this are Saving Private Ryan, and Lord of the Rings, or even Braveheart. When you see a scene as massive as thousands upon thousands of people, or creatures going at it, the scale is so massive, you have to come back to see the journey that took them there, and the result of the massive battle. Another angle that implies eye candy, which again, doesn't have to be CGI, is to just put a hot woman, or guy, depending on the audience on the screen and let them stand there, usually lightly clothed, and grip the audience that way. This is usually less effective because most won't go to a movie just to see a hot celebrity, but it's often a way to bring in a few bodies. A great example of this is nearly any Jessica Alba movie, I'm also reminded of my Blockbuster days, when Spring Break came out, they played a trailer that teased sex, and scantily clad women; it was amazing to see those copies fly off the shelf as a result.
Now that we have an idea of what is a good trailer and what is bad, let's look at the most viewed, and see if they hit on something magical.
10) Kung Fu Panda
This seems to have a good amount of comedy, it introduces the characters, and invites you on a journey, in this case for a Panda to become a Kung Fu-ish guy.
9) Sex in the City
This trailer depends on you knowing the characters quite a lot. I'm not a fan of the show, so I don't know what's going on, but it seems to me they take a lot of parts of the movie, that could be all the good stuff, since I'll never know, someone can tell me if they did or not. The other problem is, I know the ending thanks to the trailer.
8) Hancock
One of my favorite trailers of the year, it takes you on a journey, and definitely will make you laugh, I'll have to let you know if it shows all the good parts, which I'm afraid it will. Also, the only bad part is I know the ending, based off this trailer. The one before it left off that problem.
7) Wanted
A perfect example of the whole 'put some great eye candy up there and people will come' technique. No one can deny Anjelina Jolie is eye candy, but if that wasn't enough, they through in some amazing special effects, and you have a trailer that works well.
6) Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
A great trailer, because it hints at the plot, but it definitely gives you the whole 'less is more' example. I don't think this movie even needs a trailer, it will already be a record setter, but if you are gonna do one, this is a great example, you don't know what will happen, but you are dyeing to find out.
5) Iron Man
This is my favorite trailer of the year. This trailer, in particular, is not my favorite released, because it reveals a bit too much about the plot, and in particular, the bad guy, however, the is a great example of putting some eye candy on there, along with some humor lines, and, since I've seen the movie, they did not waste all the best lines for the trailer. This also happens to be one of my favorite movies of the year.
4) The Incredible Hulk
This trailer never heard of less is more. It gives you a perfect summary of the movie, and gives you all the best scenes in the movie. There is a bit of eye candy in the special effects of the Hulk, but it also gives you everything else.
3) Twilight
This is another trailer that simply didn't need to be made because everyone who went to the movie already know exactly what the movie is about because they read the book. This movie simply shows some interaction between characters, the idea is the interaction and chemistry is so good, you will instantly fall in love with them and want to find out what happens. Personally, I think the acting is just not good enough, in the trailer, anyway, to do that.
2) Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull
Say what you want about the movie, this trailer is golden. the trailer gives you the plot of the movie through narration, it gives a dramatic introduction to the character everyone wants to see, in Indy, and shows a lot of stuff blowing up, which is really what everyone wants to see, it's a great trailer.
1) The Dark Knight
It only is right, the number one watched trailer is also the number one watched movie of the year. This trailer shows the conflict, shows a great villain and introduces us to a gritty, dark movie with a gritty dark trailer. It does several things, it gives us these characters that everyone falls in love with and dares you to see what happens to them, it also gives you enough eye candy in the appearance of the Joker, Batman himself and explosions to make you wanna see how it turns out. I can also tell you, it doesn't ruin the movie, or give away the best parts.
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