Information about the Campaign

The Purpose of a Trailer
The purpose of a film trailer is to encourage the public to see the film at the cinema. It is a powerful weapon in a marketing campaign where it is set to assist the film in being as successful as possible and it aims to raise awareness of the film and arouse interest. A film's message can be presented to its potential audience via posters or magazines or film teasers. Posters would be seen in the public eye for example; on buses, bus stops and billboards and are important in capturing the initial interest of the audience and drawing them into the cinema. The teaser trailers would be expected by television advertising campaigns, playing in cinemas and online. The trailer can convey the excitement and atmosphere of a film, unlike a poster, by stirring up the emotions and giving the audience a 'flavour' of the film. A teaser trailer is a very short version of a trailer to give people an idea of what the film will be about, and to generate a 'buzz' around the release. It is designed to 'tease' the audience and whet their appetite for more information. Film magazines can be seen in shops and online. By using this synergy the audience will have different ways of exploring the film and all products will be linked to maximise awareness of the film. These products also trigger the air of the mouth campaign as people talk about the film to their friends and family, and an air of anticipation is created.

Functions and Features of Trailers
The trailer aims to give the audience information about the film- what the story is about, whos stars in it and what genre or type of film it will be. When the audience see a film trailer, they are automatically 'decoding' the visual and the audio to establish the film genre. These connotations of each genre are called recognisable sounds and images conventions. Occasionally, a film will be a hybrid of more than one film genre and then it may take more time for us to decide what it is. This adds to our enjoyment, as out expectations are taken first in one direction then in another.
The film must also have a unique selling point (USP) which separates it from other films in the same genre. The USP is important for marketing the film as it sets each release apart from its rivals, and so is heavily advertised in the marketing campaign.
The trailer creates a mood or atmosphere and heightens the audience's expectations and anticipation of what is to come within the film. It needs to be like a speeded up version of the actual film, however the audience will admire the roller coaster effect and the mental challenges which it presents.
Sound is another element of trailers which needs to be focused upon and accurate to the genre. It enables the trailer to manipulate the audience's emotions and reactions and create a special atmosphere. Occassionally, a voice-over is used to summarise aspects of the story and credit information in addition to building the audience's anticipation.

A list of conventions which need to be considered in the production of the teaser trailer:

• they highlight the best bits which evoke a lot of emotion e.g. very funny moments to make you smile, very sad moments etc.
• showcase the stars of the film.
• visual images which stay on the screen long enough for the audience to recognise.
• one-liner conversations.
• voice-overs used to give credit info or tell the story.
• music used to create an atmosphere.
• title may not appear till the end.
• trailers build to a climax where it ends.

The Function of the Voiceover

The voiceover usually:

• helps the audience to make sense of the narrative by giving out background information e.g. setting, characters, showcases the stars etc.
• gives information about the production personnel e.g. director, producer, previous work.
• helps to build a sense of anticipation about the film's release.
• reinforces and emphasises the title of the film.
• sets the tone for the film.
• it does not give away the ending of the film, but helps the audience anticipate what is to come.