Comparing Theatrical Trailers - 'Mickey 17' and 'Wicked'

By comparing these two trailers I hope to gain a better understanding of what makes theatrical trailers distinct from other kinds of film trailers, such as teasers and TV spots.

'Mickey 17' - Theatrical Trailer

The theatrical trailer begins with the Warner Brothers ident/logo (a common technique) on top of a photo of clouds, accompanied by a loud bang impact sound. This immediately catches the audience's attention and establishes the genre. A voiceover starts (a technique frequently used in theatrical trailers whose purpose is to deliver exposition) where the male character explains that 'nothing on earth was working out', again referring to the genre (an image of a spaceship, reinforces the science-fiction iconography) but, crucially for theatrical trailers, delivering some backstory to the spectator. 

As this voiceover continues it reveals lots of narrative information about where this character is going and why (unlike a teaser which would create enigma by withholding narrative detail). This is followed by further images of space and spaceships, which are important iconography of Sci-Fi films. The trailer then reveals more narrative information as the audience begin to understand who this character is and what purpose he fulfills; characterisation is a hallmark of theatrical trailers. The audience learn that he is an 'expendable' and his purpose is to go on space missions and undertake difficult tasks, and to be brought back to life when those tasks fail and he dies (so that he can complete more dangerous tasks). 

There is a title card (another typical convention found in trailers), reading the name of the director, 'From Bong Joon Ho'. The trailer introduces the main character but also introduces a love interest and several other characters on board the ship, so that the audience can get a sense of their character traits and their roles within the narrative. Another title card which reads 'The Director of Parasite' is accompanied by non-diegetic upbeat music, which helps indicate the tone of the film (reinforced by a few jokes in the trailer); references to previous films by the same director is a common technique found in trailers. 

The voiceover runs throughout the trailer, referencing different events and accompanied by images of different scenes from throughout the film. The editing becomes faster towards the end of the trailer as different images from action sequences in the film are briefly shown, almost in a montage, as if to 'tease' audiences without giving all of the information away. This structure - slower delivery of narrative information, followed by a quicker montage of action or 'eye candy' - is typical of the structure of theatrical trailers. The trailer then reveals a plot twist in the film. again revealing significantly more narrative information than a teaser trailer or TV spot would. 

This is followed by the title card 'On March 7', indicating the release of the film; commonly, this convention will come towards the end of the trailer. The editing continues at a fast pace as the trailer comes to a conclusion with title cards which read 'He's Dying' and 'To Save Mankind'. Taglines are frequently found in trailers, and are often split into more than one part, separated by images from the film. Towards the end a title card with the name of the film appears.

'Wicked' - Theatrical Trailer

The theatrical trailer for 'Wicked' begins with an extreme long shot of castle accompanied with the voiceover of a female character asking 'Are People Born Wicked?' (the convention of the voiceover again, and iconography that immediately indicates the genre to the audience). This is a direct reference to the central narrative of the film, which is based on source material including novels and many stage adaptations. 

This is followed by magical sounding non-diegetic music (again indicating genre) playing over an image of a witch's hat (genre iconography). The main characters are then introduced through a quick conversation between them, setting up the premise of the story but also indicating their character traits; more detailed characterisation is a key convention that distinguishes theatrical trailers from teaser trailers and TV spots. 

This is then followed by the Universal logo/ident, which has been adapted so that it is green, like the main character and much of the film's branding in a whole range of marketing materials and promotional tie-ins. A voiceover then sets up the premise for the film by explaining that they are new students at 'Shiz University', delivering narrative information as viewers would expect from a theatrical trailer. A number of other characters are introduced via a few quickly edited shots, as one of the musical's iconic songs plays over the top of images of the settings, characters and various props which all connote the musical/fantasy genre. The song plays over the top of quickly edited sequences (the montage style again) from the film that look like dance and singing sequences, typical set-pieces of the film's genre. 

The trailer, as is conventional for theatrical trailers, gives away a lot of narrative information as it establishes the rivalry between the two main characters, the main character's magical potential and hints at the conflict towards the climax of the film. The trailer also includes numerous title cards.