Why This is Good

I hope you already make it a habit to get to the theater early enough to watch the trailers. I find the previews interesting as a study of marketing, not only how well the trailers are made, but which film previews they choose to show prior to each movie. Most of the time it’s consistent-go to see Paranormal Activity and you’ll surely see a preview for The Fourth Kind. See Astro Boy and you’ll get previews for A Christmas Carol and Planet 51. Every now and then they’ll throw an oddball in there, but usually the theaters are aware of what demographics they want to target. Watching the trailers is also a practical way to get a glimpse of new releases and to start making a list of what you’ll see next.

But the next time you go keep track of how many you see, jot down what movies they are for, and note which ones made you really want to go see the particular movie they were advertising. Thanks to the internet, you can easily find your favorites and watch them again at home to analyze how they work and what they did to make you want to watch. The best trailers work like the best pitches-they give you just enough to make you desperate to see the film-or, in the case of a pitch, to read the script.

Study several trailers and you’ll see that they almost always feature the protagonist. This is partially due to the fact that for mainstream movies these are often big stars who have their own draw, but also because it is difficult to tell the story without the protagonist featured. We get a glimpse-though brief-of their everyday life, the setting of the story and where they are at the beginning of their journey. We are introduced to the problem that will be the focus of their story. All of this is wrapped up in a short, visually stunning and emotionally involving teaser that, if done well, makes you not just want to watch but need to watch to see what is going to happen. Incorporating these same elements into your pitch effectively will make the person you’re pitching to want to read your script. Effective trailers tell the story, without giving everything away. Ineffective ones rely on flashy images and quotes from critics. Seeing that some random no-name movie reviewer who writes for a paper in Portland, Oregon doesn’t make anyone desperate to see a movie. Seeing a fascinating premise, and characters presented with a problem that makes you curious as to how they’re going to solve it does make you want to go see a movie. Similarly, telling a producer that your mom and best friend think your script is better than anything they’ve ever read is not very tempting. Presenting your hero and the seemingly insurmountable obstacles they will face does tempt said producer to want to read your story.

Some of the best trailers I’ve seen recently include those for The Box, The Fourth Kind, and Daybreakers. I have no idea if the movies will be any good, but the trailers were good enough to make me want to watch, because they incorporated these aspects of good pitching into an emotionally involving commercial that made me desperate to find out how the heroes will deal with the problems they’re facing. IFC.com has a list of the 50 Greatest Trailers of All Time, along with links to watch them. Check them out, take notes of what works and what doesn’t, and use this to create a more compelling pitch.