2. Toderov
Toderovโs theory suggests the idea that each film
follows a set structure. This structure involves the
film starting with an equilibrium, followed by an
disequilibrium; something now needs to be sorted in
order to return peace. A resolution arrives in the film,
which creates a new equilibrium. A teaser trailer
should never follow the entirety of this movie,
because it would otherwise throw away the cliff
hanger it has the potential to create. To keep this
under control, teaser trailers often do not show the
resolution, which creates the cliff hanger desired and
leaves the audience wanting to see the full movie to
find out the answers required. Jurassic World does
exactly this; the trailer doesnโt show how they keep
the new dinosaur under control.
3. Strauss
Strauss came up with the idea of Binary Opposites,
which tells that every film must have two opposites.
This can be applied to almost any aspect in the film,
including conceptual things such and love and hate,
and more visual things such as light and darkness
together. It is most commonly used with characters,
where there is often a โgood guyโ and a โbad guyโ.
Teaser trailers would most likely be showcasing the
opposites of the film, as it is one of the key aspects of
the plot. By showing the key opposites, the audience
will be enticed by the plot that can be made from it,
and therefore want to discover what comes from it all.
For instance, the Star Wars Episode VII teaser trailer
instantly presents to the audience the good and the bad
characters.
4. Propp
Propp is a theorist who said that all movies had distinctive
character types. Each movie featured 7 main character types,
which features the hero and villain, as well as the donor and
damsel in distress. These consistent types of characters are what
makes the foundations of a good movie. A teaser trailer would
include the character theory to an extent in order for the audience
to become familiar with the characters, but itโs important that the
teaser doesnโt give too much away. It means that if the teaser
focuses on the characters too much, there would be nothing left
for the audience to work out in terms of character development.
All teaser trailers in general strike a good balance between
introducing the characters, but keeping their intentions to a
minimum.
5. Barthes
Barthe is responsible for coming up with the
theory of the Enigma Code. The Enigma Code
states that all media texts contain some form of
mystery, usually in the form of a plot that is not
fully explained or closed at the end. This can
apply to any media text, but it works particularly
well for teaser trailers. For instance, if a teaser
trailer gives too much away, there is no mystery
left for the audience to spectate on, and therefore
they would not have the curiosity to further
explore the film and watch the whole feature. As
a brief example, the teaser trailer for the latest
Bond move, Spectre, only reveals basic
information that allows the audience to truly
wonder what will happen in the movie.
