The document provides guidance on the pre-production phase for creating a film trailer or short sequence. It recommends conducting research on film genres, conventions, target audiences, and representation. This includes analyzing existing trailers, questionnaires, and considering representation in the chosen genre. It also suggests researching institutions, creating treatment, script, storyboard, shot list, schedule, test shots, locations, props, and soundtracks. The goal is comprehensive planning to facilitate high quality production and evaluation blog posts.

1. Creating Trailers
Creating Trailers

2. Did you Know.....?
Trailers were originally shown at the end
of films which is where they got their
name from – they trailed after the film.
That didn’t work because everyone got
up and walked out the cinema before
they were shown, so they were moved to
being shown before the film.
Teaser trailers appear to generate audience
interest usually for big budget blockbusters.
They are between 30-60secs long and give very
little information, often relying on audience
prior awareness of the story, characters or hype
surrounding the film. They exist to ‘tease’ and
excite the audience in advance of the full trailer.

3.  pre-trailer screens include MPAA rating card – Motion
Picture Association of America, Production company screen and
Distribution company screen.

4. Putting your trailer together
 Trailers are said to have a 3 Act structure – Act 1 lays out the context of the story. Act
2 establishes the problem and ends with a dramatic climax. Act 3 often features visual
montage of key moments of the film and may have cast name screens if there are
stars that sell the movie.
 Trailers use Long shots at the start to establish character and setting
 Fades to black that suggest shifts in time
 Transitions/cuts with by booming SFX build tension
 Transition screens place significant text on screen, images and shots before/after
should echo the text
 Short shots and quick cuts of some of the most exciting moments from the
film, the ‘events’ that lead to resolution but not necessarily in chronological order
 Resolution should be left out, viewers left guessing.
 Music should build to a crescendo
 Sudden moments of quiet and silence will have impact on mood and pace.

5.  The voiceover and text on screen will most likely feature the film’s USP, its unique selling
point.
The USP is anything that would make people want to see your film over any other films
currently released. This could be at the beginning or end of your trailer.
 Typical voiceovers /text or V.O/Text mix include:
'This Season'… (creates a sense of anticipation)
'From the people who brought you…' (refers to established audience)
'Based on the unbelievable true story…'
'Based on the bestselling book…‘
‘Academy award winner....’
 Award screens may be put before the trailer or after the title

6.  The voiceover can also establish the narrative. Words chosen can suggest key themes
and summarise the plot in a grand way to suggest the plot is timeless and universal.
Some clichéd examples are:
Single words of human emotion such as ‘Love’ ‘Friendship’
Some actions.......
.....can never be undone.....
They will find hope where they least expect it.....
One man's destiny…
She will face her biggest challenge.....
It will change their lives forever!
Experience a new kind of fear....
In a world where....
 Choose fonts and transitions carefully to match genre/narrative. They must be
consistent throughout.

7.  End your trailer with your title again and then a final credit page showing the names of the
crew. The font used for this page is most commonly ‘Steel Tong’. Try to find something
similar.
 You should also include a final screen with official website details. And commonly today,
facebook and twitter links.

8. • What is a genre?
• What are conventions?
• What is a trailer/teaser trailer? Why are they
used?
• How have movie trailers become more
contemporary?
• What makes a good trailer?
• Are independent films up to the same standard
as Conglomerates?
Starting Point on your Blog:

9. Pre-Production Phase
1. Forms & Conventions
• Genre conventions
• 3-5 in-depth similar text analysis
• Conclusions drawn
2. Target Audience Research
• Minimum of 10 questionnaires with analysis & conclusions drawn.
• Target audience research and audience theory
• Contemporary media landscape
3. Subject Matter Research
• Research into the artist, genre etc. with conclusions drawn.
• Research into ideas / mise-en-scene, shooting & editing styles, fonts etc. you will be using.
4. Representation issues
• Research into Ideology, Representation, Star Image & Power & Conclusions drawn using Goodwin’s
Analysis
5. Institutional Context & Professional Practice
• film company/Institutions
Worth 20% of your
marks.

10. Research and Planning Level 4

11. Pre-Production Phase
1. Forms & Conventions
• Genre conventions
• 3-5 in-depth similar text analysis
• Conclusions drawn
Task 1:
• Research the conventions of different Genres (pick about 3)
• What are the convention? What would viewers expect to see in these types of
films?
• Textual analysis of 3-5 trailers from these different genres – audience
theory/narrative theory/ representation of characters/use of light and shadows?
• Are there any similarities in the layout of these trailers? Could you sum up what it
is that you will need in order to make your trailer

12. Media Coursework Timeline
Sept-Oct
 Research and planning
 Detailed pre-production work
Nov-Dec
 Shooting and editing main
 Finish main piece
 Finalising planning for print/web pieces
Jan-Feb
 Print pieces produced
 Finish ancillary pieces
Feb-March
 Feedback on products
 Evaluation
= 9 months
= 39 weeks
= 273 days
There will be a series
of interim deadlines
throughout this
time.

13. Pre-Production Phase
2. Target Audience Research
• Minimum of 10 questionnaires with analysis & conclusions drawn.
• Target audience research and audience theory
Task 2:
• Primary research into what types of films people like.
• What do they expect to see in a trailer?
• What about the trailer makes them what to see the film?
• Think about audience theories as to why we like to watch these films
• Think about different types of audiences – passive/active

15. Pre-Production Phase
3. Subject Matter Research
• Research into the artist, genre etc. with conclusions drawn.
• Research into ideas / mise-en-scene, shooting & editing styles, fonts etc. you will be using.
Task 3:
• What genre have you chosen for your trailer?
• What are the typical conventions – (Todorov/Propp)
• Primary research – questionnaire into what your audience wants.
• Effects your genre could have on the audience – horror – hypodermic needle/moral
panic?

16. Uses and GratificationUses and Gratification
1. Diversion1. Diversion
• According to Watson (2008) we often use the
media to ‘escape from routines’ or to escape
our problems/stresses.
• Some people may use the media as a way of
making up for the lack of something in their
own personal lives.

17. 2. Personal Relationships2. Personal Relationships
• According to Watson, we tend to know more
about the characters from soaps than we know
about our own neighbours.
• The mass media can be used to compensate for
the lack of community spirit in our lives

18. 3. Personal Identity3. Personal Identity
• We may use the media to
help us cope with parts of
our identity which are
unsure-
• for e.g. a teenage boy
who suspects he is gay
may turn to programmes
such as Hollyoaks to seek
help in making decisions.

19. 4. Surveillance4. Surveillance
• People may use the media to obtain
information about the social world.
• The recent increase in online
blogging and websites where
people can add their own
knowledge such as ‘Wikepedia’ is a
good example of this.

20. Todorov
Narrative goes through five stages:
1. A state of equilibrium (all is as it should be).
2. A disruption to that order (by an event).
3. A recognition of that disruption.
4. An attempt to repair the disruption.
5. A return/restoration to a new equilibrium.

21. Todorov’s Plot Graph

22. 1. Equilibrium
2. Disruption
3. Recognition
4. Repair Disruption
5. Return/start
new equilibrium

23. Propp’s Character Types
Vladimir Propp was a Russian academic.
He studied over 100 fairytales and
concluded that there are 7 main character
types:
1.The Hero
2.The Villain
3.The Donor
4.The Dispatcher
5.The Helper
6.The False Hero
7.The Princess (and her father)

24. Can you identify any of Propp’s central character
elements from the pictures?

25. Pre-Production Phase
4. Representation issues
• Representation
Task 4:
• How is representation presented
in your genre?
• Gender
• Age
• Ethnicity
• Disability
• Regional identity
Check List:
1.Explain what trailers are.
2.Analysed a range of trailers from different
genres.
3.Conducted primary research into people’s
interest in trailers.
4.Picked a genre you want to focus on.
5.Created more analysis for your chosen genre
(this can be done between your groups).
6.Looked at theorists and where you genre
challenges/conforms to this.
7.Created a questionnaire to find out what you
audience likes about your genre.
8.Thought about your typical audience you want
to aim at (Age/sex/location/religion/ethnicity.
Check List:
1.Explain what trailers are.
2.Analysed a range of trailers from different
genres.
3.Conducted primary research into people’s
interest in trailers.
4.Picked a genre you want to focus on.
5.Created more analysis for your chosen genre
(this can be done between your groups).
6.Looked at theorists and where you genre
challenges/conforms to this.
7.Created a questionnaire to find out what you
audience likes about your genre.
8.Thought about your typical audience you want
to aim at (Age/sex/location/religion/ethnicity.

26. Pre-Production Phase
5. Institutional Ideas
Task 5:
• Research different institution that
typically make films for your
genre.
• How successful are they? How
well known are they?
• Research BBFC and the age
ratings.
Check List:
1.Explain what trailers are.
2.Analysed a range of trailers from different
genres.
3.Conducted primary research into people’s
interest in trailers.
4.Picked a genre you want to focus on.
5.Created more analysis for your chosen genre
(this can be done between your groups).
6.Looked at theorists and where you genre
challenges/conforms to this.
7.Created a questionnaire to find out what you
audience likes about your genre.
8.Thought about your typical audience you want
to aim at (Age/sex/location/religion/ethnicity.
9.Analysed how representation is presented in
your genre.
Check List:
1.Explain what trailers are.
2.Analysed a range of trailers from different
genres.
3.Conducted primary research into people’s
interest in trailers.
4.Picked a genre you want to focus on.
5.Created more analysis for your chosen genre
(this can be done between your groups).
6.Looked at theorists and where you genre
challenges/conforms to this.
7.Created a questionnaire to find out what you
audience likes about your genre.
8.Thought about your typical audience you want
to aim at (Age/sex/location/religion/ethnicity.
9.Analysed how representation is presented in
your genre.

27. Pre-Production Phase
• Write a treatment. That’s your idea
for the sequence written down as a shot
by shot account of what your sequence
will look like.

28. Pre-Production Phase
• Script – this should be written in the
correct format – see me or follow this
link for the right approach to your
script… you must write one even if
there’s no dialogue

29. Pre-Production Phase
• Storyboard – this should be at least 15
panels and also follow correct
conventions which essentially means
including clip duration, transition/editing
notes, camera direction (movement,
angle etc) and a description of the action.

30. Pre-Production Phase
• Shot list – unlike the storyboard this is a checklist
of each and every shot you will need for your
sequence. If you are shooting a conversation for
example you will need the whole thing from at least
three different angles (master shot including both
characters, and over the shoulder shot of character
A, and an over the shoulder shot of character B –
then you might get creative and include a low angle
or canted angle to give you options in the edit)… all
of these will appear on the shot list so you don’t
forget on the day.

31. Pre-Production Phase
• Production schedule – this should
be a detailed account of when you will
shoot and edit the sequence and who
will be required on which days.

32. Pre-Production Phase
• Production updates – whenever
you make some progress (when you
produce the storyboard or script or logo
etc) update the blog – has it been done
to the required standard? How does it
help move the production forward? Have
you learnt anything useful along the
way?

33. Pre-Production Phase
• Test shots – if you are ready to shoot – but don’t
have your actor/costume/location or can’t shoot the
real thing for any other reason, do some
camerawork/editing practice. Use each other or use
any available person to stand in as one of your actors
and test your storyboard ideas with a few test shots…
these can then be used to test out colour correction or
special effects in Premiere Pro – these can be posted to
the blog… both I and the moderator will be very
impressed with your commitment to improving your
production skills!

34. Pre-Production Phase
• Location Recce – grab a camera, go to a couple of
potential location where you want to shoot and
photograph them. You post these to your blog with a
couple of notes on how you might use the location,
any problems you may encounter. Consider the time of
day you want to use it, what the light will be like, what
other people/traffic might be around… is it on a flight-
path, for example, with airplanes going overhead every
5 minutes? (that will create sound-mixing havoc in the
edit!)

35. Pre-Production Phase
• Props/costumes list. You may well
decide to just use whatever costumes your
actors turn up in, but you’ll get a better mark
for demonstrating some prior thought to it…
record your ideas for what characters should
be wearing, what make-up you might need,
what props you will need and how you will
source them… (remember – no
guns/knives/weapons in public places!!!)

36. Pre-Production Phase
• Soundtracks – start looking for
appropriate royalty-free soundtracks.
Write a post on what mood you want to
create with the soundtrack, find a few
and post these to the blog. You will find a
couple of links in the left sidebar of this
blog under ‘useful links’

37. Pre-Production Phase
1. Forms & Conventions
• Genre conventions
• 3-5 in-depth similar text analysis
• Conclusions drawn
2. Target Audience Research
• Minimum of 10 questionnaires with analysis & conclusions drawn.
• Target audience research and audience theory
• Contemporary media landscape
3. Subject Matter Research
• Research into the artist, genre etc. with conclusions drawn.
• Research into ideas / mise-en-scene, shooting & editing styles, fonts etc. you will be using.
4. Representation issues
• Representation,
5. Institutional Ideas

38. Planning
Planning:
• Treatment
• Script
• Storyboard
• Shot list
• Production schedule
• Test shots
• Location Recce
• Props/costumes list
• Soundtracks (royalty free)
• Lastly – A-grade coursework productions
will necessarily have comprehensive planning.
While quality of your work is the most
important thing, quantity is the very first thing
I and the moderator will consider – if you
want an A-grade (in your coursework), around
50 blog posts across the whole project
including the production and evaluation
would be considered a minimum for you to
achieve this.