The Infuriating Paradox of Movie Trailers
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- Опубліковано 1 тра 2021
- Trailers, previews, a third word for trailers, they're a fundamental aspect of any film fan's life. They can be a lot of fun... as long as they don't make you regret watching... which is very often. In this video essay, I take a look at the unique experience you can get from watching a trailer- the pros, the cons and what can be done to fix it.
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Music: • Futuristic Sci-fi Bac... - Розваги
The good news- I finally have a new microphone for facecam sections. The bad news- it doesn't work if it's attached to my shirt. Enjoy the pen-waggling.
buh doccy who :(
I’m still working on Doccy Who videos, don’t you worry
@@Joe_Brennan_ buh
It's very 1970s Terry Wogan.
I’ll take that
I wish trailers weren’t outsourced to other companies, if I was a director I’d want to direct the trailer too
In an ideal world, directors would have full creative control over how their films were marketed, or at least a bigger say
@@Joe_Brennan_ Because they wouldn't spend ages setting up a plot twist/joke/surprise for the movie and then give it away in the trailer.
James gunn directed the red band suicide squad trailer
I just wish trailers only included things in the actual movie.
@@Joe_Brennan_ Some do seem to at least have some influence...I know that for Gone Girl, David Fincher mandated that the trailer could show nothing from the second half of the movie, and good on him for that. I recently saw a trailer where I stopped halfway through because I felt like it was giving away the entire plot.
The trailer for the original Lion King was literally just the opening sequence and song up until the title card, and I think it worked perfectly. It gave you an idea for its tone, visual and animation style, the music, etc, without any story.
I came to say the same thing. I adored that trailer, which didn't have a single line of dialog and gave away nothing of the plot, but set up my expectations very well.
They did the same thing with one of the main songs in Pocahontas to similar effect.
Later on Pixar would use a large chunk of a scene straight through for their Incredibles trailer instead of their usual trailer-unique material.
One of the biggest examples I can think of was the trailer for "Thor: Ragnarok," where there's a moment that shows the Hulk smashing through a giant door, about to fight Thor.
In the movie, it was done up as if it was this massive surprise, but thanks to the trailer, it ended up being one of the most predictable movie moments ever. :(
It's one of those things I consider a necessary evil. After the Dark World, people needed as much incentive as possible to go and see another Thor movie, and the Hulk was that draw.
yep......
IDK it was still kinda a cool moment cus Thor just goes YESS!!!! and cheers lolz it's funny and all
but yeah the trailer did ruin the moment, the surprise what was going on with hulk.....
I disagree that the Hulk scene being in the trailers was bad. Hulk did so much more than just show up as a gladiator, he was arguably the 2nd most important character in the film (maybe 3rd or 4th.) Still, the movie would have been much better if they somehow did it
@@WardenPlays nobody argues what Hulks role was, it's how they preempted his entrance in the movie in the trailer and gave it away ruining a mystery we wanted to see be solved naturally....and all the MCU trailers did this.....
Exactly this! I feel so cheated that I never got to experience the feeling of "Hulk?! How the fuck did you get here?"
Yes, I'm with you on this. A trailer should set the tone and pique your interest in the story, but should go no further. But trailers these days are so long and include so many of the important moments that, by the end, there's often no point in spending your time and money going to see the full thing because you already know what's going to happen.
Trailers have become little 3 of 4 minute films . Well I saw the beginning , the middle , the “surprise” and the end .
Care to provide some constructive feedback on a movie trailer I made? haha. It’s titled “FLATTOP - Official Trailer”, which is on my channel if you’d like to view it!
Sadly, Marketing research taught hollywood that people literally want to know what they're getting into if theyre going to plop down $8-$15. I hate how much trailers give away so I don't watch them, but people HATE spending money on a bad movie worse than they hate having a great one "spoiled".
The BWOOOOOOOOAAAAMMMM era of trailers is my favourite, I'm glad you mentioned it.
In some areas, we’re still in that era
We’ve long since entered into the thoughtful/lonely/creepy piano rendition of the original theme era.
@@ElvishShellfish The Kanye West - Runaway imitation piano plink
Trailers were exciting back when you actually had to go see a movie to watch them and you'd get hyped over the next few months waiting. It's not the same seeing it on YT and then seeing news articles about every aspect of the movie's development etc. You can be bored of a movie before you've seen it!
There are so many trailers that I vividly remember the first lines of, thanks to the unskippable part of the youtube ad. You do end up sick of them
Yea I remember seeing spider man 3 and the last air bender trailer first in a theatre and then rushing home after to go on UA-cam
Yeah, more often than not the way I discover a new trailer these days is not by seeing the trailer, but by seeing hundreds of videos analysing the trailer and extrapolating from it and putting that in their titles and thumbnails. You don't even need to watch the trailer itself now to have the major plot points of the movie spoiled.
Friend:"This movie's trailer looks so good!"
Me: "Let me see it"
Watches trailer
Friend: "So you wanna watch the movie?"
Me: "I thought we just did"
I'm surprised you didn't mention Spider-Verse, the first 5 or so minutes of that movie were released online and I remember watching that and then immidiately booking my cinema tickets, despite knowing nothing about the film previously.
I didn’t know they’d done that! As soon as I knew about Lord and Miller’s involvement, I avoided all promotional material and went into the movie completely blind. But releasing an extended clip like that is such a smart idea
@@Joe_Brennan_ Thanks for the reply! I've been watching your videos all day and am so glad to have discovered your channel :)
Oh wow, I wish I'd seen this. I never got to see the movie in the cinema (well, chose not to because meh, another Sony superhero property, when are they *ever* good?). I only watched it later on the recommendation of people whose opinions I trust, and I legitimately think it's the best Spider-Man movie hands down, and one of my favourite movies of all time. I can only imagine how incredible that What's Up Danger scene was on the big screen.
Infinity War added the Hulk into the charge in the fight of Wakanda when the Hulk is only in the first 5 minutes of the movie and he doesn't make an appearance again.
That shot of them all running together never made it in, with or without the Hulk. I wonder if it was ever going to be in the film, or if it was just made for the trailer. I know they filmed a few Hulk scenes before deciding to save him for Endgame, so who knows if it was deliberate misleading or leftovers from an earlier version
Wow this guy is either stupidly gullible or just ......
It is worth mentioning that the real marketing for Avengers Endgame was all the previous movies.
For me Endgame is a masterpiece of modern trailer making, admittedly the film had over a decade and more than 20 films building up to it, but the Endgame marketing was able to deliver trailers that perfectly built the hype but spoilt absolutely none of the big moments
I completely agree
Plus the fact that there are many scenes and context that is completely different, the trailer sells a movie that doesn’t exist and everyone was so surprised
@@manolabarra9788 "trailer sells a movie that doesn’t exist" can go really well, or absolutely wrong
Marvel actually taught me how to "use" modern trailers. The first thing trailer that comes out is a general vibes trailer, and the closer you get to the release the more specific they will be, so I already know to avoid all marketing from the movie after trailer #1.
(which is why I fucking HATE Sony that spoils the entire plot of the movie on the first trailer. They gave away every single plot point of Far From Home!)
To be fair, the real trailer to Endgame was Infinity War. Because it was effectively two-parter, the trailer just needed to be some glue to tie the two together.
I've stopped watching trailers for things I know I'm going to watch (sequels, connected movies, things that sound interesting) until I've already seen the movie. I enjoy trailers in cinemas because the amount of them and the movie that follows means I tend to forget most of their contents and just remember the vibes
Judging by a lot of these comments, my main issue is less with the trailers themselves and more with my inability to forget anything I see in them
I'll often only watch part of the trailer (esp if I'm deciding on a movie to watch at that moment) otherwise they give away too much.
Definitely agree with forgetting the details when you're at the cinema.
Maybe they should save the full trailers for cinemas, and put the short, commercial-style ones online (and on TV of course). Might get more people in seats (probably not).
@@Joe_Brennan_ Yes. Yes, it is. I am with you so much. Add in either good analytical skills and/or a lot of familiarity with movie tropes and you can extrapolate a lot from even a trailer that isn't *too* spoilery. I stick to first trailers and I watch a ton in a row -- just spend an hour going through a trailer channel -- for movies I know nothing about but have interesting titles or actors I like. It helps because then the details don't get too stuck. Like you, I enjoy trailers a lot so I don't want to miss out of them.
I watch trailers with reckless abandon cause I know I don't have a good enough memory to remember anything that happens by the time I watch the movie itself
I envy this ability so much
And sometimes you are really hyped for something even though you forgot why you were hyped.
@@Joe_Brennan_ It may come by the time your my age (60).
Totally agree. Too many trailers give away the "dark night of the soul" beat response specifically (like the Star Wars trailer did) or demonstrate the ENTIRE emotional ARC of the film. I don't personally mind for something like MI: Rogue Nation showing us the opening stunt/early set piece, however, since it didn't blow any of the cool later big stunts--but that's a franchise packed full of SO many surprises and delights that they can show one or two things and not ruin the whole movie. Hands down the BEST trailer I've seen in the last five years was for Parasite. I watched it over and over again, slowly becoming obsessed with NEEDING to see the movie b/c it was all tease and no answers/solutions--well paced, established tone, but didn't give away the major beats. Such a masterful trailer.
@Lexdrillo hello! :)
Wow fancy seeing you here! I had to scroll back up to double check the name lol
The Mitchells VS The Machines is a charming, beautiful film about the generational gap between children and parents and that awkward space as you're growing up where you want to spread beyond your family routes and find your own identity, but also acknowledging the position of parental figures in crafting who we are. A lovely exploration of respecting your past while allowing yourself to be open to the future.
The execs made the trailer advertise it as 'phones bad boomer humour i guess we'll have to have a conversation WHAT' movie, and i absolutely would have not watched it if it weren't for the bombardment of positive reviews I saw from a range of audiences. The vibes absolutely need priority in trailers, because if you miscommunicate them you'll screw who your audience is.
(wow i don't usually do response comments, forgive me)
I have avoided this comment because I wanted to go into the film as blind as possible. But I watched it last night, followed by the trailers. I absolutely agree. The marketing seems to deliberately miss the point of the film, and I would definitely have been put off if I'd seen them first. I probably still would have watched it because of Lord and Miller, but it's a great example of a trailer that's misleading in the worst way
Me too! Good call.
Oh Joe's a James and Maso fan! That explains why I like this channel so much.
How could I strive for greatness without acknowledging the GOAT (Nick) and the goat (James)
@@Joe_Brennan_ That’s incruisible
Yeah fellow Wak-a-doo!
I'm at best mixed on TRoS, but holy hell that trailer music is downright amazing, it just hits so right and I still revisit it more than the actual film itself.
I get such conflicting emotions watching the trailer. Because the music reminds me that I love Star Wars, but the stuff I’m being shown reminds me of that time I really hated it
@@Joe_Brennan_ That's pretty understandable. I think a lot of my own fondness is more attatched to the small fandom space I found myself in at the time, despite how the film turned out, it can never erase how happy I felt in the fandom at the time, so I trear it as a small reminder of that time at least.
TROS is really, really great, I don’t care what anyone says.
Good, you shouldn’t care
@@ReySkywalker2 I respect that.
About 8 years ago I made the decision to stop watching trailers for movies I Knew I would see, best decision ever. I still watch trailers for stuff I've never heard of or am unsure about but I stop watching the moment I decide that I going to watch it.
Sometimes after watching a trailer I'll say "well, I don't need to watch the movie now"
I have had so many movies spoiled for me by the trailers that I refuse to watch them.
To be fair, the trailer for Endgame could have 10 seconds of just the words "Marvel: Endgame", and the same people would still have seen the film.
Aside from my issues with Absolutely Everything in TROS, I do remember one dramatic moment completely spoiled by the trailer. I was surprised by the scene early on where they make it look like Chewbacca gets killed, but then all the suspense was erased seconds later when I remembered that shot from the trailer where he is alive and running down the hallway of an Imperial ship with Finn and Poe, and I immediately pieced together that the shot would be from a sequence where they find Chewy alive and they break onto a first order ship to rescue him. Idk if this was a problem for a general audience who may not have remembered every moment in the trailers, but it does seem to undercut any attempt to do a death fake-out if the trailer prominently shows the character in sequences that happen much later than when they supposedly die.
I generally avoid trailers for stuff I already know I want to see. I remember averting my eyes everytime I was in a theater that played the main trailers for Knives Out because Rian Johnson tweeted that they were spoilery and that anyone already interested shouldn't watch them.
I almost went a bit deeper into Star Wars, but it just ended up feeling like a Star Wars video. But there’s some interesting stuff. I would’ve gone into all the Rogue One scenes that were replaced in reshoots. I had the same experience with the Chewbacca death fakeout AND in the Last Jedi when Leia was blown out into space. I remembered the shot of her on Crait, a planet we hadn’t visited yet. It’s the one part of the TLJ trailers that let me down. As for Knives Out, I forced myself to go in completely blind. It’s now my favourite film of all time. I think I benefited from my ignorance
The trouble with trailers is that few people know how to make them.
The original Alien trailer, is fantastic.
The original Terminator 2 trailer, ruins a big reveal
We need more of the former and less of the latter
Absolutely
"at this point I'm just describing the point of trailers to you" 😂
There's a gag in Shrek 3 where he throws a bottle at a ship (tradition) and ends up throwing it too hard and sinking the ship. It's funny but when you see it in the trailer over and over it's no longer a surprise when you see it in the film so the humour is gone.
I know that gag well. I remember quite liking Shrek 3
I used to really give a shit about not getting spoiled on anything, however I eventually got tired of metaphorically tiptoeing my way around the internet and I just stopped caring about spoilers and i've found that since I've started letting myself get spoiled on stuff, which i've found has actually got me to check out a bunch of stuff that I would have otherwise ignored completely.
I may end up at that level of acceptance. Right now, I’m still very much against knowing anything
The Joker teaser trailer was a masterpiece, and imo it was better than the movie itself. Also, I watched the Joker trailer so many times that when I finally watched the movie it felt like a paint-by-numbers viewing experience. I thought the cool scene where Arthur walks down the hallway in the clown make-up was going to happen in the middle of the film, but it happened near the end which disappointed me tbh whereas if I didn't know what happened I would have been impressed. Same with Dark Rey just showing up for a flash in the actual movie even though the trailer made it seem like she was going to the dark side for a longer time.
I watched the 'Rise of the Skywalker' trailer, and when the Emperor laughed I went, "Wait . . . what!?! No, no, no!"
I don't think I'll ever forgive Paramount for Terminator: Genisys's marketing.
You just have to hope that they took the right lesson away from the film’s failure. But I’m almost certain they didn’t
Oh that a good one
@@Joe_Brennan_ but then you have the case of Warner with Doomsday in BvS, after the backlash it received they hide the villain from every trailer going on
And the Pet Sematary remake
I remember watching Soul for the first time and realising: this movie is aware that I saw the trailer. The movie actually expects you to know that Joe dies. They even use it for a gag. It was nice to see a movie where the trailer was more than just promotional material. It was part of the intended experience. And the big 2nd act twist was completely left out of the trailer, so nobody knew about it.
I haven't seen Soul so maybe its not so bad, but that sounds like an absolutely horrible decision and borderline asinine.
If a trailer is a part of the "intended experience" then you (i.e. director and whoever else involved) have greatly messed up.
@@MugenHeadNinja It's not "essential" to see the trailer, but the movie does play with the knowledge that most people will know a major plot point that happens early in the movie. You could still watch it with zero before-hand knowledge, but the movie doesn't play the plot point as a heavy "surprise" twist.
The four trailers for season 1 of RWBY are great because they're actually just four very short films, each exclusively with content not seen later in the show, and they each introduce a different character and give you a sense of what the show will be about. Whenever I rewatch it I always watch the trailers first.
That sounds perfect
Just checked them out. They look really good and make me interested in watching the series - which is what they're supposed to do.
@@wolf1066 it's a great series, well worth giving a go. You can find it all on roosterteeth.com. They make good web-shows.
@@stephenramsey5585 Awesome. Many thanks.
@@stephenramsey5585 My son and I started watching it the other night - absolutely love it! Cheers.
"C'mon, people, the trailer only spoils the first 56 minutes of the film." Might be actual director's quote...
I love your essays, u just show a good skill of juggling the arguments and making it interesting!
Thank you! I really appreciate that
"10 Cloverfield Lane" is one of the best trailer i still remember.
Ah yeah that was a good one, great film too
"Fun isn't something one considers when balancing the universe. But this...does put a smile on my face".
-Thanos, Infinity War trailer. Not in movie.
I might be saying this preemptively but that children's choir singing Creep in the Social Network trailer over random browsing of FB is genius. Especially that slight drag over the line "I want you to notice when I'm not around..."
i’m so glad i found your channel, been binge watching all your vids
Thank you! I’m really glad you’re enjoying the videos
There should be a rule that nothing should be shown from the last act. Almost everything should be from the first act and maybe a bit from the middle but only really stuff from the very beginning of the film so you have an idea for the setting, characters and a general idea of what the plot is.
There are so many films that I've seen the trailer for that I could tell you every twist and turn in that film immediately. My sister didn't believe me once and was excited for a film so I said okay... told her the entire plot for the film and a few months later she told me that I was completely right. So yeah... something really needs to be done with these trailers.
The only trailers I watch are for films I'm pretty sure I'm not going to go see because then it's like I've seen the film in a few minutes instead of hours XD
I remember the trailer for the live action Cinderella proved its redundancy by including the whole plot in the trailer. All the talk of bringing it to a whole new generation was clearly just talk because they essentially went “cmon, it’s Cinderella” in the marketing
@@Joe_Brennan_ granted, Cinderella is a very simplistic plot. Girl is hated on by step-family then goes to ball.... Not a whole lot else actually happens.
I do wish that they treated her dress like the villain of a horror film though, only showing its effect on people and leaving it out of the ad campaign entirely.
I wouldn't say the biggest problem is the trailers, but the films the trailers are for. The trailer hypes you up, and then the film doesn't live up to expectations. Imagine how angry you'd be at that? Not all films are like that, of course, but it's becoming more and more common it seems.
Especially action movies, because the real giveaway (for me, at least) is when it's a longish trailer (more than 3~4 minutes) and it's jam-packed full of action sequences, because then I really know that the other 1hour and 50-odd minutes will be somewhat filler-ish and not that exciting.
Have you considered that the trailer just gave away to much, so there wasn’t anything left to surprise you? Of course that also means the movie had very few interesting moments to start with.
It’s been standard practice in literature to tease other books by including the first chapter or two. I find it extremely effective. It’s enough to get me invested in the story, but doesn’t give away the plot.
I just have to say that I really love your videos, they're fantastic, engaging and I can see your genuine passion. Please make more as you're incredibly underrated!
This is a really kind comment! Thank you
Never have I met someone with such a love/hate relationship with trailers as I do!
Always glad to hear I'm not the only one
I was shocked to see that your channel only has 4k subs, you deserve so many more!
That’s very kind, I’m actually shocked that I’ve managed to get 4k subs, since I haven’t been doing this for very long. Hopefully I’ll grow with time...
Just when I thought my binge of your videos was over, you upload a new one.
Another banger.
I’m always happy to keep binges going just a little longer. I‘ll make sure you don’t have to wait too long for the next one! Thanks for the comment
Many years ago, I remember the explanation for the then rise/plague of trailers that spoiled the entire movie was simply that they were more effective at driving ticket sales, because most people simply did not actually want to be surprised. Most people wanted familiarity and the comfort of already knowing, even some of the people that claimed otherwise.
The Mission Impossible Fallout trailer is the most beautiful trailer I've ever watched and will ever watch
I agree. Every time I used footage of it in this, I got distracted and watched the whole thing
The arm reloading scene was just as satisfying in the film and trailer 😚👌
Yeah but the Dune 2020 trailer though with the Hans Zimmer remix of Pink Floyd's Eclipse. *chef's kiss* (Yes it's still Dune 2020 even though it's coming out this year, it's just a more pleasing name and pandemic time is fake time)
There hasn't been the good trailer since they stopped using the movie trailer voice... In a world.. M
@@mullaoslo I mean, some of those trailers were shocking, we just remember the good ones
I miss trailers getting me excited for movies. They would be at the beginning of rentals and was the only way I knew a movie was coming.
I wonder if some of the magic of trailers has been lost now that we have such immediate access to them on UA-cam. Not in like a "back in my day" way, but more that things do feel less special when we see them everywhere
Ok. You're now my favorite essay channel. Love from Brazil 🙌
Thank you! Sending love right back
"That's why I'm a perfectionist when it comes to timing. You always get more than one chance, but you only get one first time, one first impression, one first experience that defines an art for you. Permanently."
Another video tailor made for me lmao, you get me Joe. I’m very much in love with specifically trailer music myself and the use of editing to the beats just to create appealing and interesting vibes. The MI example is a grand example.
I wanted to get a bit more into trailer music in this video, but I didn’t want to anger the copyright masters. It’s something I absolutely love, and I often wish trailer music was available on Spotify, or as part of the full soundtrack release
Am I the only one who basically forgets everything I saw in a trailer when sitting down in the cinema? Like usually I'm more invested in the movie that I forget about the trailer footage until the shot or line happens in the movie
I've had a few comments like this so you're definitely not the only one. I think things just stick in my mind really clearly
My brain is traitorous. I see something in a trailer and I'm like 'Ooh, I'm gonna watch this and I KNOW that was a spoiler so I have to forget it' and my brain goes 'okay, remember that one specific thing and keep remembering it randomly from now until you watch the film'.
Great stuff as always, Joe
Thank you Bamba!
Omigod YES! I think it’s so funny that it’s gotten to the point where even trailers have mini trailers before them😂
I *still* want to know what happens with Jyn Erso and that TIE fighter rising up in front of her, from the 'Rogue One' trailer
There’s a whole parallel third act out there somewhere for Rogue One. One in which they ran across the beach with the plans. The battle WAS the heist, rather than a diversion. I wonder if it’ll ever see the light of day
Makes me wonder how many versions of an idea are shot in the same locations.
Trailers are also ruining TV series too. Star Trek: Picard is a good example of this. Every segment of the trailer was a chronological line of events, each segments with a snippet of an episode in order of release. There was no mystery. Every episode. The base plot was known. Thus very disappointed.
It’s caused issues in Doctor Who as well
As a rule, I think trailers should follow a few simple rules
1. Show nothing past the first half hour of the movie (first 2-3 episodes if It's a TV show)
1a. In the case of TV shows, DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES SHOW ONE SINGLE FRAME OR SOUND FROM THE FINALE.
2. If you have to show past the first half hour/2-3 episodes, then nothing more than spoiler-free scenery, or the most vague tease imaginable
For example, in the run-up to Doctor Who series 10, there should've been zero mention of the Cybermen or John Simm.
Thanks for such a great commentary Joe, this video completely resonates with me as I have the same feeling about trailers.
You hit the nail on the head with your point!
To note, I know you’ve been really grinding with Doctor Who content up until recently, but more general video ideas about film and tv would be great to see, as you have clearly shown that would be great with this video as with the previous few!
I really appreciate this comment. It can be difficult to know how much branching out would be accepted. So to have it encouraged is... encouraging. My plan at the moment is to make videos on whatever topic I feel inspired to cover. Sometimes that will be Doctor Who, sometimes Star Wars, sometimes film and TV in general (this will probably happen more often once more new stuff starts coming out)
So, the marketing for deadpool was a work of genius, the bits of the movie it showed were small and at the start of the movie (technically the highway fight was later in the time line but really only gave away information you already had anyway) then they ran with deadpool himself advertising it as the character, then there was the selling it as a valentines romantic story movie that was so deadpool/ ryan thing to do lol
I think the Deadpool marketing was fantastic across the board. A good example of how to do it right
@@Joe_Brennan_ Did it right but it was only right because it fit in with the deadpool so perfectly, ofc the merc with a mouth and knowledge that he is a character in a movie is going to advertise his own movie. Worked brilliantly with the genre and character of the protagonist. Would not work in many situations :) .
Not exactly in line with movie trailers, but the Doctor Who Next Time Trailers were an art form in RTD's era. Near enough every one had me hyped for the next story, and then there was the Series 4 Coming Soon Trailer. God tier. Now with Chibnal they feel so bland and ummemorable, makes me a lil sad tbh but even with Moffat they started losing the hype vibe.
On a personal note when I was young and dumb I believed the production crew filmed the episode between the airings....despite watching the trailers 😑
The trailers they showed were really good guesses at what would happen next week, but they weren’t sure yet
The worst Dr Who trailer was the season 10 trailer which showed a certain major character who wasn't revealed until the last few minutes of the penultimate episode. That scene would have been so good if I'd forgotten about the trailer.
X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST has an excellent trailer where everything works: the music with the editing, Patrick voice over, etc.
So many times I have decided not to watch a movie after seeing the trailer and realizing that I know all the important plot points and the ending......It's especially frustrating when you are getting excited about something and then suddenly they just tell you the twist.....
I am avoiding any and all promotional material I can for "Dune" because I want that experience of seeing it knowing nothing. I love the book, and even have affection for the 80s film. I trust Denis to deliver.
I've also resisted the urge to check that stuff out
To be fair that marketing campaign has been pretty good - they're of the tone setting variety.
I haven't been to the movies in several years, but I remember the kind of trailers that used to really annoy me - it's the trailer that goes on for three or four minutes, practically showing you every major scene except the final scene. Now, I don't want to see the final scene so that's fine, but I also don't want to see every major scene either! What's the point?
It shows that the studio has a complete lack of faith in both the film and the audience. They assume we’re too stupid to be interested in something if it’s not all spelled out for us. And in doing so, they kind of destroy our interest
You need WAY more subs! This was excellent!
Only watch trailers while really drunk.
The next morning you'll remember the vibe you got from the trailer without remembering any of the plot points revealed or actual scenes in it.
You've cracked it
My suggestion is trailers should be tone only. I concur Said it elsewhere: Alien
I actually love watching trailers more than I do watching a lot of movies
Me too sometimes
Good video! I absolutely agree. Using one spoiler-free scene that highlights the tone of the film seems to be something that A. Works really well, and B. Is being used a lot more now, particularly with streaming sites that have a short clip for each film or show. I'm all for that!
I always watch trailers after watching the movie, and my close-my-eyes-and-cover-my-ears-when-a-trailer-starts-playing-reflex is getting better and better
I did enjoy when they released the first 5?10 minutes of How To Train Your Dragon 2. Just teasing us with the new version of Berk, no characters shown as allies, who start out as villains, or die early on before 'that scene' is shot. Also a fantastic soundtrack does help... An underappreciated aspect, whether you like John Williams, Hans Zimmer, Murray Gold; John Powell, John Barry or Morricone.
I didn’t know they’d done that with How to Train Your Dragon. It really is a smart way to promote a film, and I’d love to see it done more often.
Fun fact: I've stopped watching trailers because I just lost interest in trailers
I think you’ve got the right idea
Just had to go away and watch the About Time trailer. There was a low key disbelief in you Joe that they would spoil THAT moment. BOY DO THEY SPOIL THAT MOMENT. Madness.
Even the very last scene is there. Initially my About Time bit went on for longer, compelling people to check for themselves. I cut it because I figured people would do it anyway. I’m glad you had the same shock I did. It’s unbelievable
I think a lot of this video details why when I truly am interesting in seeing a film I go out of my way to ignore any marketing for it. Usually I’ll watch the first trailer (if it’s because it’s played before a video) but after that I’ll have nothing to do with it until I’ve seen it, so that nothing gets spoiled. Saying that, if it’s a film that is widely known or being widely hyped up, I won’t even watch the trailer, so that I can go in fully blind and experience every scene as it was meant to be seen.
I’ll be doing the same thing, until the day they announce that they’ve listened to me and are fixing marketing
ah yes, the pen mic, I hear they're quite the rage nowadays
They’re especially great when you forget why you’re holding it and do a perfect take with it pointing the wrong way
@@Joe_Brennan_ wHeRe aRe tHe jOe bReNnAn BlOoPeRs?!
Well, I counted 65 'trailers' but i forgot where i started counting from, so I probably missed some...
I searched my script for all the times I said it, but some editing notes may have slipped through.
Great insight and excited for the new varied content
Thank you! I'm excited too
Great video! I couldn’t agree more on the trailer parody part. I don’t think “in a world”-style narration has been seriously used in at least 15 years. It has transcended serious trailers and become a trailer parody staple in its own right, but I’m very ok with letting that one die
I think trailers work best when the director/creator/etc. of the full piece of media has as much control over it as they did their film. Two examples you showed in the video showcase this well;
You have the Knives Out Trailer, where it's Rian Johnson giving you a little taste, insight into the film. Something that matches the spirit of the film but doesn't spoil anything.
Then you have the Doctor Who series 10 trailers, which spoiled John Simm's return because the BBC were hoping it'd attract viewers. I recall Moffat (and possibly John Simm) got rightfully annoyed at that decision. It's a case where you'd not want to see the trailer beforehand, where you're objectively worse off if you have.
I occasionally get comments on my Doctor Who Series 10 videos from people who went in without having seen the trailer, and they all say it was an incredible experience. I’m very jealous
@@Joe_Brennan_ I can imagine it would be a massive shock. Someone from 6 series back showing up with no spoilers would probably be great to experience unspoiled.
I had the Series 12 surprises spoiled for me so I didn't get to experience those either...
I think I’d have personally considered Series 12 spoilers to be the softening of a blow
The trailer for Black Mass was absolutely incredible - the movie itself? Shite.
i shall be using the "elsa death" scale as my metric for spoilers from now on cheers very much
I was hoping it would catch on!
I have to say, I think the Marvel Phase 4 reveal, is possibly the best trailer they've ever done. The way that was put together was a masterclass in editing. The music, the Stan Lee speech, the build up, the audience reaction and the climax of new content, it did what a great trailer should do, get people excited.
I agree!
Say what you will about the quality of the actual sequel trilogy movies for Star Wars, but Disney really nailed the trailers. They hyped up the movies without spoiling any plot. In an age before the internet was mainstream and UA-cam people would buy a movie ticket just to see the trailer for Phantom Menace.
Every Disney era trailer is a work of art, except maybe the Solo ones. I don't think they did the film justice
Joe Brennan Solo was an exercise in continuity box ticking, with a narrative built around it. The scene where Han gets the name Solo is a big example of this since it serves no narrative purpose except for fanwank (a term which means unnecessary continuity fanservice).
The single worst trailer ever was the one that ruined both john simm's reveal and the mondasian cybermen. just why Moffat let me be surprised. still a banger of a reveal in the end though
It came from the BBC trying to boost ratings by advertising the return of a David Tennant-era character. I feel like the surprise may have boosted ratings more in the long term, because there'd be so much buzz about the reveal. Oh well
Love this video and the shirt!
Oh and the pen mic, clearly we’re dealing with a professional XD
Perfectly captures what I hate about trailers anf why I avoid them. They bait you with things that arent in the movie and then when they show key things, I end up thinking about that thing during the movie waiting for it to show up.
I remember getting home one evening when my housemates asked if I wanted to go see a movie with them. Sure I said, why not? I had no idea what this movie was as I had never heard of it. Completely unknown to me. It ended up being the most incredible cinema movie watching experience of my life...never to be matched again. The movie: The Matrix.
Wow that must have been awesome. I'm very jealous
Trailers work just fine. In two minutes they convince me to avoid new movies.
I guess that's something then
Big agree
Revealing major plot twists, covering ANY of the 3rd act (outside of hard to contextualize visuals) should be a sin.
Good job on the video, well written! I did an essay on trailers a year ago, trying to make Liar Liar look like Uncut Gems, if I dare to shamelessly plug myself. It is there that I speculated that a lot of the specific spoiling of "money shots" can be traced to Independence Day, the teaser of which in 1996 changed trailers forever. I also think the move from away from voiceover to having the movies speak for themselves has led to more actual plot being revealed.
I know you noted in the comments you were struggling with technicals, I can help out with that if needs be. But don't worry, it didn't get in the way of the overall points.
Thank you, I appreciate it! If I continue to struggle with the tech, I’ll shoot you a DM. But hopefully I’ll get it sorted for the next video
I feel like every trailer these days is the same.
ting ting ting DOOF
ominous line
ting ting ting DOOF
quick cuts
ting ting DOOF
ominous line with quick cuts
DOOF DOOF DOOF
"logo" bwwAAAAHHHH
only in theatres
*during a pandemic
The most accurate description of almost everything today🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I think the "one scene" trailer is the best solution. Theoreticly filming extra material or a short film as the trailer can be better, but it's also more expensive and if done wrong it can give you a wrong impression about the movie. The "one scene" one is cheap to make, gives you a great impression of the movie and doesn't spoil much.
I try to avoid trailers for Doctor Who all together, because they often spoil so much.
Yeah, there are a select few series where filming additional promotional material would work, but for the most part isn't a viable solution. But releasing one scene is such a great compromise
Hey dude, I’ve seen you over at TARDISPosting! Great video, honestly I’m shocked at how good the quality is. Nice editing, great microphone quality and really great video essay overall.
I wish you the best in your youtube endeavours!
This is such a nice comment, I appreciate it a lot!
This is my exact relationship with modern trailers. Like... my EXACT relationship.
This was your best yet. I love it
Thank you! I really appreciate that
Great video man! Loved it
Thank you so much!
Mr. Sunday movies reference? A fellow gr8 m8 perhaps? You make some really good points here! Sometimes the trailer is more memorable than the movie and there are several trailers I'll rewatch for movies I have no desire to see again. As far as trailers spoiling plot points, it's weird how it can feel like we're going back to the old days when the trailer spelled out the entire plot.
I am a gr8 m8, yeah! Always nice to meet others in the wild
Trailers changed a lot over time, I saw the trailer for Batman and it didn't sell it for me, but back in the day people bought movie tickets just to see the Batman trailers.
I remember hearing that Scooby Doo got a boost in ticket sales because it was where the trailer for the second Harry Potter was debuting
I have had this problem especially with comedies where all the best lines are in the trailer. Also I find it hugely ironic with larger productions like Disney films or Game or Thrones where the actors can say virtually nothing in interviews for fear of spoilers but the trailers give more than they ever could away. Slowly my intake of art is having to change to a Romeo and Juliet format (you are told the plot in the opening monologue) where I am not watching to see what happens but how it happens.
It worked for Shakespeare but it seems a less than ideal way to do things now. But it’s so hard to avoid
@Joe Brennan Definitely. It is one I wish actors would put their hands up more on and say "why can't I talk about this. It is clearly in the trailer". It would put pressure on the trailers to give less away and give actors something to actually talk about in interviews. However at the same time I understand actors not wanting to get in trouble with companies
I totally agree. I avoid trailers at all cost. When movie theaters were a thing I was the guy that would plug my ears, close my eyes, and might hum a little. I try to bring ear buds to play music during the trailers. I’ve been shocked by so many things.. like Hulk in Ragnarok. I had an idea he’d be in the movie but didn’t know when. So many more examples. One of the most spoiler thing people do that a lot of people don’t see as spoiler is saying “I like that movie but didn’t like the ending”. This lets me know there is going to be a major event at the end that I might not like. So the whole movie I’m watching and waiting for that thing to happen. My family will say if its worth a watch and if there is anything after the credits. That is it.
Having been out of the loop with film and trailers for quite some time I don't have much to add but I do feel that a lot of what appeared in this video was very well said
Thank you for the comment!
I avoid trailers and try to avoid spoilers on social media for anything I'm even remotely interested in. They make it really difficult these days. I want to be surprised by a movie. Same applies to video games too. :(