Why is the film trailer made?

There are several elements to a marketing campaign for a film, from the trailer itself to posters in the street or on public transport, to online and viral marketing. The marketing campaign is designed to raise audience awareness and interest in a film in advance of, and during, its cinema release.

1. Look at the titles of these three trailers – but don’t watch them just yet.
   • Jupiter Ascending
   • Avengers: Age of Ultron
   • Whiplash
   Based on just the titles, what clues are there about the content of the film? Try to say what exactly you are basing your ideas on. Is it the associations of a particular word or phrase? Is it knowledge of other films?
2. Now watch the trailers. How accurate were your predictions?
3. Trailers help audiences understand the genre of a film. Referring to the trailers listed above, which ones fit the following genres? Do any of the trailers seem to fit more than one genre? Give reasons for your answers:
   • Drama
   • Fantasy
   • Action adventure