A good trailer doesn’t reveal all – it sells an idea
Comment
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Contemporary trailers tend to offer potted versions of the films they’re advertising, and the University of East Anglia research is quite correct in saying that they often give away huge amounts of a movie’s plot line.
It’s as if those making them want to cram in as much information as possible to reassure spectators that they won’t be short-changed.
It all used to be done very differently. “How do you do, ladies and gentlemen, this is Orson Welles. What follows is supposed to advertise our first motion picture,” is how writer-director-star Welles pitched his masterpiece Citizen Kane (1941.) The trailer begins with a close-up of a microphone. Then, for no good reason other than “ballyhoo”, Welles cuts to chorus girls. The tone is self-deprecating – and deliberately fosters a sense of mystery.
Trailers shouldn’t need to reveal plot details. They’re selling an idea. “None of man’s fantasies of evil can compare with the reality of Jaws,” the voice-over tells us of Steven Spielberg’s 1975 summer blockbuster. All you need is an image of a shark and a swimmer. The American trailer for the upmarket porn flick Emmanuelle (1974) is even more minimalist. It includes no footage of the movie whatsoever, just a soft-focus still of its star Sylvia Kristel and the all-important slogan: “It’s the first film of its kind that lets you feel good without feeling bad…”
Geoffrey Macnab is The Independent’s film critic
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments