Trailers are a form of marketing used to promote films and raise awareness by informing potential audiences about the genre, plot, and stars. They are typically shown in cinemas, TV, and online to target audiences that align with the film's genre, such as teenagers, couples, or families. Effective trailers highlight unique selling points to generate interest and encourage viewers to see the film by playing on familiar elements but also including new information. The timing of trailer releases is important to build excitement without allowing interest to fade before the film's release.

1. Trailers theory

2. What are trailers?
• Trailers are part of the marketing campaign in order to
raise awareness of the film, and it is similar to an advert
because the company is trying to persuade people to pay
to watch the film. Trailers inform potential audiences
about a film with the purpose of encouraging people to
see the film.

3. Why are trailers made?
• The marketing campaign is designed to raise awareness
and interest in a film in advance of, and during, its
cinema release. Trailers help audiences understand the
genre of a film.

4. Who are trailers aimed
at?
• Trailers are generally aimed at the same audience as the
films they publicise. Different types of people like
different sorts of films and whilst everyone is an
individual, there are certain features that will have wide
appeal to specific groups of people. Potential target
audience can include: teenage boys and girls, couples and
families.

5. How do trailers help fill
cinemas?
• Marketing campaigns may use a film’s genre to gain
people’s interest, playing on elements that are familiar to
an audience, for example the film ‘Safe Haven’ is a
romance film and the film ‘The Host’ is a sci-fi. Trailers
should also have a unique selling point (USP) of the film,
otherwise people may be disengaged. The USP separates
films from other films that are of the same genre, USP
could be many things for example a popular star, this may
increase the number of people who are interested and
then go on to see the film.

6. Where are trailers
shown?
• Trailers are shown in cinemas, on TV and online. In
addition, poster campaigns ad radio campaigns give a
wider coverage for a new film release. Trailers can also
be viewed on dedicated trailer sites and official film
websites, but often are cut for a general audience of any
age whereas in cinemas, the trailers usually correspond to
the classification of the film being screened.

7. When are trailers shown?
• Trailers are released before the actual film is released to
the public to help raise awareness, even though most
trailers are produced at the same time as the film is being
edited. However, the timing of when the trailer is released
in important because if it released too far before the film
is due to release, people may have forgotten about it
or/and any excitement for the film may have subsided.