Comparing Teaser Trailers, TV Spots and Theatrical Trailers

September 26, 2024

Comparing Teaser Trailers, TV Spots and Theatrical Trailers - Conclusion and Conventions

Trailers are probably the most familiar form of film promotion, as far as audiences are concerned, and they appear at cinemas, on TV, on videos/DVDs and on the internet/via social media (which can now be accessed away from your computer on devices such as mobile phones, laptops and tablets).

For the main part of my A2 Production, I will be producing two trailers (from a number of distinct forms of trailers in terms of both content and release date), and it is therefore important that I can make a distinction between trailers, teaser trailers and TV spots, in terms of the conventions that I might use.

THEATRICAL TRAILERS - theatrical trailers, those found in cinemas, are generally much longer than teaser trailers/TV spots - often up to two-and-a-half minutes in length. Trailers accompany films from either the same genre or those made by the same production company/distribution company, and the trailer will receive a certificate equivalent to or lower than the film being shown. The fundamental difference between a theatrical trailer and a teaser trailer is that a theatrical trailer usually includes detailed information regarding the plot/narrative of the film and more detailed characterisation - obviously, there will be more images from the film in the theatrical trailer but many of the conventions are the same (such as titles, idents, social media links, taglines and references to other films by the producers or director). Theatrical trailers, of this length, usually appear quite late in the film’s marketing campaign - in the last few weeks in the run-up to the film’s release.

TV SPOTS - these are essentially trailers that were traditionally shown on television (though they are now more likely to be seen online, via social media platforms). In terms of length and structure they are closer to teaser trailers than conventional trailers (roughly thirty seconds). The fundamental difference between TV spots and teaser trailers is that TV spots appear much later in a film’s marketing campaign, in tandem with the theatrical trailers, close to a film’s release (often in the final week before the film comes out) and the editing is often very quick with the TV spot containing a lot of images from the film. There are often a number of TV spots focusing on a different element/theme/character from the film, and each new TV spot will feature one or two new, unseen shots from the film. TV spots are often full of 'eye-candy', the exciting, eye-catching moments from the film, and often contain title cards featuring reviews of the film.

TEASER TRAILERS - these often reach the public a considerable time before the film’s release - often many months, sometimes over a year, before the film is due to hit cinemas. Teaser trailers are much shorter than conventional theatrical trailers, and whilst they share many conventions with theatrical trailers (with idents and title cards, for example) they are often very different in obvious ways - they may reveal little about plot, for example, withholding information from the audience in order to create anticipation and a desire to want more (teasing the audience), thus generating greater long-term interest in the film. Teaser trailers may be shown in cinemas but they are just as likely to be found online, on official and unofficial websites and social media platforms. One significant difference with other trailers is that the release date is likely to be more vague and less specific (for example 'Coming Soon' or 'Summer 2025').

Conventions of all types of trailers include:

Production Company logo(s)/idents - for example, WB or Warp Films (usually at the beginning)

Images from the film

Title of the film

Release dates (for a teaser this is likely to be ‘Coming Soon’ or ‘Summer 2025’ rather than being date specific, whereas theatrical trailers often have date specific release dates such as ‘In Cinemas October 29’. The release dates on TV Spots are often even more specific, such as ‘In Cinemas Friday’)

Indication of genre - the intended audience should be clear (through music, voiceover, mise-en-scene)

Website and other social media such as twitter, FaceBook, instagram etc (usually at the end)

Voiceover man

Editing - transitions often include flashes, quick fades and dissolves alongside more conventional cuts

Possibly cast, crew, director credits – intermittently throughout and at the end in a billing block

Possibly references to other films (that this is similar to) or other films that have been directed/produced by the same people

Images of stars/ names of stars

References to awards that cast/crew/film may have won or been nominated for (remember that these may refer to other films)

Music - that reflects the genre BUT also works with the images

Tagline – a slogan for the film, often broken into two or three parts, for example ‘The Destiny of a Soldier. The Honour of a Slave. The Fate of an Empire.’ Taglines are often replicated on other marketing materials such as posters