Brainstorms

Elements of most film trailers

• Visual montage - A series of clips from the film - Powerful, dramatic or humorous aspects
• Voice-over narration - Provide explanation when necessary 
• Music - Help set the mood, tone or atmosphere - Usually not from the film itself
• Cast run - Actors/Actresses starring in the film - Often the Director/Writer is also displayed
• Inter-titles - Often to provide explanation or additional points
• Dialogue - Usually one-liners - Rarely full conversation
• Title - May not appear until the end
• Structure -

1) Establish setting and introduce characters and relationships

2) Story's driven further and dilemmas or complications or a brief story-line is put in place

3) Climax! Pace and drama increases. Dramatic moments in the film.

Target audience ?

• A specific group of people in which the film is aimed for. 
• Can be of a certain gender, age, marital status, etc. - or a combination.
• Films with a specific genre, such as action, may pick out a moment of comedy or romance which occurs, to use in the trailer. This is to attract the widest possible audience to go and see the film.
• Films are often restricted to above a certain age due to containing scenes inappropriate for younger people, such as violence, sex, swearing, etc. 
• When it comes to other groups, such as gender, the aim isn't specified in the trailer. Whereas if it was, it could turn away people who would otherwise be interested. For example, if a film directly said it was aimed at single people, it is likely to turn away people in relationships or marriages who could in fact enjoy it.

Purpose of a trailer

• Trailers are advertisements for a film, usually that will be exhibited in the cinema.
• The primary purpose of the trailer is to attract people to want to see the film.
• It is an important component in marketing in the film industry.
• There are techniques in attracting the widest possible audience.

Create/Edit/Produce

• Film trailers are usually created by companies which specialize in that area.
• It may also be created at agencies while the actual film is still being put together in the studio.
• They usually put together a montage sequence of clips from the film, accompanied by music, a voice-over, cast run, inter-titles, etc. 
• Since the film is often still being made or edited at this point, the trailer editors may use footage which doesn't appear in the final film, or different takes of a particular shot. 
• Music used in trailers often doesn't appear in the actual film or on the soundtrack as composers aren't usually required until towards the end of the film making process.

Distributed/Disseminated

• Film trailers can be distributed in many ways, such as: 

     -Internet (youtube, apple trailers, facebook)

     -Television adverts (in between programs or other films)

     -Cinema adverts (before the film you have currently gone to see) 

     -Dvd adverts (before the main menu)

Specific techniques

• Techniques are used when creating trailers to ensure it successfully attracts an audience to see the film.
• A technique which is frequently used is clips irrelevant to the main genre of the film featuring in the trailer, for example, a violent scene in a trailer for a romance. This attracts a wider audience.
• Also, showing clips of particularly well known or successful stars in trailers, or having their name appear in the cast run is likely to attract a larger audience as familiar actors and actresses in a film is a good selling point. 
• The same can be done with directors/writers/producers.

Length

• The maximum length of time allowed for a film trailer by the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) is 2 and a half minutes.
• If editors or distributors feel as though it's necessary to exceed the time limit in a particular film, they are allowed to do so once a year.

Does watching the trailer make you desire more information ?

Watching a good trailer definitely attracts me to want to see the film itself, but films aren't released into cinemas for a while after trailers are distributed. The most common place I see trailers is on TV, in between programs or films I'm watching at the time. If the trailer appeals to me, I often look on youtube for more information or alternative trailers for the film.