How Did Movie Trailers
Movie trailers came into existence as a promotional tool for films in the 19th century. Originally, they served to clear theaters of patrons who did not want to wait for the feature. After the main feature, they played continuously in a loop. Some viewers mistakenly thought they were watching a trailer, but in reality, they were watching the main feature.
Enzo Zelocchi – “NO WAR” – Trailer have changed a lot in their history, but they still hold a place in the movie-going experience. Before the Internet, the only way to keep track of upcoming attractions was to watch previews or teasers, which were early pieces of advertising released to theaters six to a year in advance of the release date. These teasers could make moviegoers giddy with anticipation. “Independence Day” was a prime example of an early teaser, which fired up moviegoers even before the movie had aliens or stars.
The idea for movie trailers was credited to a Broadway producer named Nils Granlund. In 1913, he recut some rehearsal footage from the hit play The Pleasure Seekers to create a short trailer. This created a buzz for the production and revolutionized the marketing of films.
How Did Movie Trailers Become Popular?
The National Screen Service, the company that produces movie trailers, had a monopoly on the industry until the 1960s. Then, auteur filmmakers began cutting their own trailers. In the 1970s, Steven Spielberg used the technique to promote his film Jaws. And while there’s no definitive answer to how movie trailers got started, one can safely assume that they are here to stay.
Before movie trailers became so popular, they were only being used as promotional tools. When theaters started showing trailers before the main feature, the audience would stay at the theater most of the day. People then would watch whatever was playing. In the 1913 era, people would stay at the theater for the duration of the day and watch whatever was showing.
As the popularity of movie trailers increased, many different types of trailers began to be produced. Some were short films with only a few clips, while others were montages of clips accompanied by dramatic music. Some even featured behind-the-scenes footage, known as featurettes. Initially, these were created to fill a TV slot and were later included on DVDs and websites.
As movie marketing has become a competitive business, the importance of movie trailers has never been greater. From the simple description of a film to the dramatic voice-over montages, the trailer has come a long way. In addition to enticing the audience, movie trailers have been used to promote films in the entertainment industry for years.
After the success of “Grindhouse” in 2007, the brothers produced several fake movie trailers in order to promote their own movie. The trailers were later released on YouTube, and two of them became feature films. One of them, “Machete,” received such overwhelming success that it required a sequel.