Trailer Terminology - 21/06/2011

Plot Summary: Most trailers have a three-act structure similar to a feature-length film. They start with a beginning (act 1) that lays out the premise of the story, then goes onto the middle (act 2) which drives the story further and usually ends with a dramatic climax. Act 2 normally features a strong piece of 'signature music' (either a recognisable song of a powerful orchestral piece). This last act often consits of a visualmontage of powerful and emotional moments of the film and may also contain a cast run if there are any noteworthy stars that could help sell the movie.

Voice-Over: The voice-over narration is used briefly to set up the premise of the movie and provide explanation when necessary. Since the trailer is a highly condensed format, voice-over is a useful tool to enhance the audience's understanding of the plot.

Music: Music helps set the tone and mood of the trailer. Usually the music used in a trailer is not from the film itself - the film score may not have even been composed yet! The music used in the trailer may be...

• Music from the score of other movies
• Popular or well known music, often chosen for its tone or the appropiateness of its lyrics
• 'Library' (or 'incidental') music preivously composed specifically to be used in advertising by an independent composer
• Specially composed music
• Songs, which may include knock-offs of recognizable (but expensive to licesnse) songs

Cast, Crew and Studio Information
Cast Run: List of the stars that appear in the movie - they pick out the well-known actors in order to sell a movie even more. Also, is the director or producer is well-known or has made other popular movies, they often warrant a mention as well.

Billing Block: Trialers conclude with these billing blocks to show the principal cast and crew. It is the same list that appears on posters and print plublicity materials, and also usually appears on-screen at the beginning (or end) of a movie.

Studio Production Logos: These are the logos that are usually featured near the beginning of the trailer. Until the late 1970's, they were put only at the end of the trailer. Often there will be logos for both the production company and the distributor of the film.

Technical Elements
Sound Mix: Many movie trailers are presented by Dolby Digital or any other multichannel sound mix. Scenes including sound effects and music that are enhanced by stereophonic sound are therefore the focus point of many modern trailers.

Video Resolution: Movie trailers preceeding feature films are generally presented in the same format as the feature, being in general terms 35mm film or a digital format. High bandwidth internet connections allow for trailers to be distributed at any resolution up to 1080p.