Conventions of a Teaser Trailer

Comparison of a Teaser and a Theatrical Trailer



Here is our table we did about the differences in a teaser trailer and a theatrical trailer. It is important that we had analysed the differences in the different trailers so that we had a clear list of the codes and conventions of a teaser trailer.

Sound



When thinking about the sound and music in a teaser trailer, we usually hear dialogue from the feature film. This helps us familiarse ourselves with the main protagonists in a film already, simply from a small part of their speech. However, sometimes there is no dialogue from the film to create mystery and some would say that with a soundtrack it gives more of the genre and mood of the film than with the dialogue. A teaser trailer is not supposed to give away too much information, but more to inform the viewer of the main points and a brief overview of the storyline.

Content

There is a lot less detail in a teaser trailer than in a theatrical trailer. The detail is more along the lines of small snippits of the film and maybe, if a comedy for example, some key lines that will amuse the viewer. There is also a lot more symbolism used in the teaser, as again this is to keep a certain sense of mystery with the film. There are plenty of captions and often text is shown on the screen to help move the story and give clues about what is going to happen.

Editing

The editing of the trailer is key for a teaser trailer as it is a lot shorter than a theatrical trailer. This means that a lot more has to fit into the teaser trailer than a theatrical trailer, and therefore there is a faster pace in general with teaser trailers. This is made by plenty of cuts and really quick shots of certain key scenes that make the film and the genre, and gives a sense of excitement with a trailer. This will be key in our Social Realism as it is important that the viewer engages with the genre and the pace of the film and therefore want to watch it.

Anchorage

The main thing which a teaser trailer has not got which is a theatrical trailer does have, are exact dates of release. The whole idea of a teaser trailer is to not give away information and to keep the viewers guessing and excited about the forth-coming release of the film. There are lots of slogans and text which also are a key convention of a teaser and this helps the movie feel more promoted.


From our research, we can now clearly see what a teaser trailer encorporates and this will help us when designing what we will include in our one. It is interesting to explore the content and the pace of what a teaser trailer usually is, and this will be included in our one as well.