Below, you will find a literal "worksheet" for use in watching, analyzing and understanding movie trailers. It presumes some basic understanding of film artistry, but should be mostly self-explanatory for the regular movie goer and trailer consumer. I'm not saying that learning how to "read a trailer" will make you want to see the films they promote, but the technique should help you appreciate how much thought and labor and creativity goes into the manufacture of its preview and "sample." Enjoy!
READING TRAILERS
Worksheet
(Directions: Watch the trailer repeatedly, noting what you see, hear and understand. Use the worksheet to capture "data." Use the data to articulate an interpretation or a reading of it.)
Name _____________Year_______________Length _________ Exhibition Medium__________
1. Formal Properties: # of acts/parts? ___________ # of Music Cues? _____________ Describe? Editing speed (cuts/second) ___________ Shot types (close, med, long, pan, still, motion, zoom in/out, etc.) ________________ Transition types (wipe, dissolve, fade, smash, etc.) ____________ Use of graphic elements?_________ If yes, describe. Use of words on screen?________ If yes, describe and transcribe. Use of voice over?_______If yes, describe and transcribe. (Diegetic or extra-diegetic?) Is there an onscreen host? __________ If so, describe.
Is there a cast run? _________________(Is there mention of Producer, Director, Writer?) Describe the title sequence.___________ What KIND of trailer is it? ___________(Featurette? TV Spot, Internet? Mobile Phone; Long Trailer; re-release; DVD, Standard theatrical; teaser, sequel; special shoot, etc?) Story Presentation: _____________ (Linear? Non-Linear?)
2. By content: What is the story? (as far as you can tell). What diegetic appeals does it make?_______(Stars? Spectacle? Genre? Story? Technology?)
3. What extra diegetic (outside the film text) appeals does it make to an audience?_________ (Provenance, Critical Reception, Audience response/box office figures, technology)
4. What film craft/specialized skills are most salient? Editing___________________ Copywriting_________ Music Librarian__________Graphic design__________ Market Research_________Sound design____________ Acting/Directing/Cinematography/FX (of film itself)_________
5. Marketing Issues: Who ARE the audiences presumed by the trailer makers?__________ What is the relationship of the trailer to the film it markets? (Descriptive? Impressionistic? Accurate? Deceptive? Concealing? Tell All? Etc.) ____________ What appears to be the "marketing brief" that produced this trailer? ___________ Is this trailer effective? If so, why? __________________ In what ways does this trailer miss the mark?_____________
6. Exhibition Technology: Aspect ratio and destined exhibition venue_______ (wide screen? Letterbox? & Mobile/Ipod? Ipad? TV, Screen?) ________
7. Music and Sound Design What are the music cues? How do they help structure the trailer? What information do they convey? (Rhythm, mood, lyrical content?) Consider the sound design and sound effects. What do they tell you about structure and mood?
8. Miscellaneous: What do you know about the film's reception? (Box Office results? Context? Critical response?) What is the tone or attitude of the trailer? ______________ What do you like (or dislike) about this trailer? _________ Why?________________
I am a trailer and movie poster copywriter who holds a recurring appointment at UCLA's film school, where I teach a graduate seminar on movie trailers. In 2006, I researched, wrote and co-produced the first feature length documentary on the subject of the history and contemporary practice of audio-visual movie marketing, collaborating with the UCLA Archive and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
I blog on movie trailers at http://movietrailers101.wordpress.com/
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