Filmmaking / Directing : Something to think about. by Marci Urling

Marketing has nothing to do with content. Trailers market, and they do it very well, hopefully. They are cut by specialty editors. It's a rare plot that lends itself to a very honest trailer. I have an acquaintance who, when he started out, was a trailer editor for A-list films, right out of college... very successful at it. 15 years later, he directed a couple features. Cut them himself. Yet he couldn't cut the trailers for either, but he tried like crazy... just could not come up with trailers that engaged - because he loved his films and his plots. The DVD / VOD distributors cut their own trailers, and they made each film seem terribly more exciting than what the director could possibly do. Just one anecdotal observation.

Thanks Royce! It looks like cutting trailers is a specific art form in itself. The ones who cuts the trailer isn't emotional attached to the project.

I did an experiment a couple years ago when Interstellar came out. I avoided watching any trailers or footage beforehand. Although I had known the premise and the cast, so not a total surprise. I realized that I like watching the trailers first. It's a part of the experience of the story, when they're crafted well. It is an artform in itself. Obviously you can run into issues if the trailer blatantly lies about the nature of the film, or gives too many answers, instead of asking questions and building anticipation... There are plenty of bad trailers made and short-sighted marketing thinking. But a good trailer, that considers the long term marketing strategy for the film, that doesn't try and trick the audience, can be a crucial first step in telling the story. George Miller said when he was editing Mad Max: Fury Road that the trailer was so impressive it inspired him to live up to it in the editing of the actual film. So I think a trailer done well can be very creatively inspiring.