Annoying New Trailer Trend
04-20-02, 02:24 PM
#1
Moderator
Thread Starter
Annoying New Trailer Trend
Has anybody else noticed this? Lately, a lot of trailers feature a segment towards the middle/end where the soundtrack cuts off except for the sound of a heartbeat. With every beat, a random scene from the film flashes. If you don't know what I'm talking about, the latest offender is Eight Legged Freaks (full trailer).
What was the first trailer to use this technique?
What was the first trailer to use this technique?
04-20-02, 02:33 PM
#2
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Canada
Posts: 2,048
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The first movie to adopt that impressive trailer technic was: Willie Wonka and the Chocolat Factory 
, I doubt anybody knows the answer to your question.
I have nothing against that type of trailer. I don't mind it at all.
, I doubt anybody knows the answer to your question.I have nothing against that type of trailer. I don't mind it at all.
04-20-02, 02:50 PM
#3
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Actually, the slightly annoying and overused trailer trend that I've noticed (usually for blockbuster/creature features) is when the trailer is ending and the name/release date is shown only to have one last shot of something blowing up, growling, etc. Look at the otherwise awesome Reign of Fire Trailer.
04-20-02, 02:54 PM
#4
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Canada
Posts: 2,048
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally posted by clemente
Actually, the slightly annoying and overused trailer trend that I've noticed (usually for blockbuster/creature features) is when the trailer is ending and the name/release date is shown only to have one last shot of something blowing up, growling, etc. Look at the otherwise awesome Reign of Fire Trailer.
Actually, the slightly annoying and overused trailer trend that I've noticed (usually for blockbuster/creature features) is when the trailer is ending and the name/release date is shown only to have one last shot of something blowing up, growling, etc. Look at the otherwise awesome Reign of Fire Trailer.
04-20-02, 03:06 PM
#5
Member
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: North Orange County, CA
Posts: 195
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
What's really getting to me is when trailers use music from scores from other movies. That really peeves me off. How many times can they use the Gladiator battle theme or the Unbreakable visions theme?
04-20-02, 03:19 PM
#6
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Originally posted by blkdragon6
What's really getting to me is when trailers use music from scores from other movies. That really peeves me off. How many times can they use the Gladiator battle theme or the Unbreakable visions theme?
What's really getting to me is when trailers use music from scores from other movies. That really peeves me off. How many times can they use the Gladiator battle theme or the Unbreakable visions theme?
04-20-02, 03:29 PM
#7
DVD Talk Special Edition
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Edwardsville, IL, USA
Posts: 1,278
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally posted by blkdragon6
What's really getting to me is when trailers use music from scores from other movies. That really peeves me off. How many times can they use the Gladiator battle theme or the Unbreakable visions theme?
What's really getting to me is when trailers use music from scores from other movies. That really peeves me off. How many times can they use the Gladiator battle theme or the Unbreakable visions theme?
04-20-02, 05:00 PM
#8
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Groucho: thanks for the info. cancelling all my pre-ordered movie tickets until the trailers stop doing this.
DJ
P.S. has anyone ever done this back to you before?
DJ
P.S. has anyone ever done this back to you before?
04-20-02, 06:04 PM
#9
Moderator
Thread Starter
Originally posted by djtoell
Groucho: thanks for the info. cancelling all my pre-ordered movie tickets until the trailers stop doing this.
Groucho: thanks for the info. cancelling all my pre-ordered movie tickets until the trailers stop doing this.
Hoisted by my own petard! As for music from other movies in trailers, that's a necessary evil since the trailers are usually cut together before the score is done. I just wish they'd show a little originality and use something other than Aliens and "Carmina Burana" all the time.
04-20-02, 09:58 PM
#10
DVD Talk Hero
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: Not necessarily Formerly known as Solid Snake
Posts: 29,250
Received 1,243 Likes
on
854 Posts
Personal trailer annoyances:
Showing too much of the movie or slipping in a scene that gives away the ending or reveals a major plot point (can't think of one right off the bat).
Showing a whole lot of the movie, but you still have no clue what the movie is about afterwards (A Beautiful Mind).
"From the producers of . . . and the caterers of . . . "
"Rolling Stone, Time, Newsweek, Ebert & Roeper, and Phrenology Today all agree that ___ is one of this summer's 10 best!"
04-20-02, 10:27 PM
#11
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Not that I want to see this film, but Enough with Jennifer Lopez is guilty.
If I had any interest in seeing this film, all I have to do is watch the trailer...
I hate when a trailer gives away too much.
What Lies Beneath being another, although I enjoyed the film.
If I had any interest in seeing this film, all I have to do is watch the trailer...
I hate when a trailer gives away too much.
What Lies Beneath being another, although I enjoyed the film.
04-20-02, 10:33 PM
#12
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Originally posted by Abob Teff
Personal trailer annoyances:
Personal trailer annoyances:
Showing too much of the movie or slipping in a scene that gives away the ending or reveals a major plot point (can't think of one right off the bat).
....
"Rolling Stone, Time, Newsweek, Ebert & Roeper, and Phrenology Today all agree that ___ is one of this summer's 10 best!"
There's not too much of that second one in theaterical trailers, when I do see its for smaller flicks that really need that kind of recommendation for the audience to go see it.
04-20-02, 10:35 PM
#13
DVD Talk Special Edition
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Fremont, CA USA
Posts: 1,290
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally posted by blkdragon6
What's really getting to me is when trailers use music from scores from other movies. That really peeves me off. How many times can they use the Gladiator battle theme or the Unbreakable visions theme?
What's really getting to me is when trailers use music from scores from other movies. That really peeves me off. How many times can they use the Gladiator battle theme or the Unbreakable visions theme?
Matt
04-20-02, 11:15 PM
#14
Moderator
Thread Starter
Originally posted by Abob Teff
Showing too much of the movie or slipping in a scene that gives away the ending or reveals a major plot point (can't think of one right off the bat).
Spoiler:
Some others, chosen purely at random:
Truman Show
Cast Away
What Lies Beneath
The Sixth Sense
Ransom
Double Jeopardy
Arlington Road
04-21-02, 07:30 AM
#15
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Helsinki, Finland
Posts: 4,521
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I can't believe no-one has mentioned the "In a world..." line yet. I really want that Deep Throat guy dead. 
The heartbeat thing disgusts me too.
The heartbeat thing disgusts me too.
04-21-02, 10:45 AM
#16
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Flava-Country!
Posts: 3,964
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The AP just ran a story on spoiler heavy trailers:
http://archives.seattletimes.nwsourc...query=spoilers
Sounds like they're right - it's all about the inscecurity.
http://archives.seattletimes.nwsourc...query=spoilers
LOS ANGELES — Should moviegoers be teased or spoiled?
That's the question facing studio marketers who decide how much to reveal in trailers.
Some fans complain that commercials, like one for the new thriller "Changing Lanes," give away too many plot twists and amount to condensed versions of the films they promote.
Studios counter that the practice often results in box-office success.
The "Cast Away" trailer revealed how Tom Hanks escaped from the island. The "Double Jeopardy" spot showed Ashley Judd discovering her missing husband in the film's climax. Promos for "Serendipity" included footage of star-crossed John Cusack finding his long-lost love's phone number in an old book.
"I think these spoilers come from insecurity over the product and the heavy demands put on studios to generate a strong return. ... They think the only way to draw an audience is by giving everything away," said Evelyn Brady, a Los Angeles advertising executive who created the Golden Trailer awards three years ago to honor the best movie commercials.
She has a personal gripe with the trailer for last summer's "Captain Corelli's Mandolin," which sets up Nicolas Cage and Penélope Cruz as World War II enemies — only to reveal scenes of them falling in love.
"Watching that, I said: 'What am I going to buy the ticket for? I've just seen the whole movie,' " Brady recalled. "I think it's far better to tease and taunt and not give those crucial plot points away."
Regardless of whether a surprise ending is kept under wraps, critics say outlining large parts of a story's buildup in trailers can sap a film of its drama.
Consider the trailer for "Changing Lanes," in which Samuel L. Jackson is a desperate father heading to a family-court hearing and Ben Affleck is an arrogant attorney sent to deliver a secret file on deadline.
The strangers meet when they crash their cars into each other on a New York expressway. Jackson is stranded and about to miss his court appearance, but Affleck refuses to give him a ride. As Affleck speeds away, he accidentally leaves his file behind. Jackson retrieves it, and blackmail ensues.
In case that wasn't enough to attract audiences to the movie, Paramount included other scenes from the feud, including Affleck hiring a computer hacker to bankrupt Jackson. Then Jackson starts threatening to destroy pages of the document, and Affleck attempts to withdraw his interference with Jackson's credit file. After he learns it's too late, the ad shows Jackson getting his revenge by sabotaging Affleck's car and causing a major traffic accident.
The trailer ends there, but has it already given away too many surprises?
Paramount executives refused to comment on their marketing strategy for "Changing Lanes," but veteran trailer producers and even some directors say spoilers are a necessary evil.
"Cast Away" director Robert Zemeckis has compared coming attractions that give away a lot to McDonald's fast food, saying both are successful because most consumers prefer to know in advance what they're buying.
Studios often prepare two versions of the same trailer — one that gives away a lot of detail, and another that shows exciting shots but little plot, said Philip R. Daccord, a trailer editor at the advertising firm Giaronomo Productions.
"When the studio tests them in front of an audience, the one with the whole kitchen sink tends to test better than the one that only teases," he said. "So if people say they're more likely to see the movie because of that trailer, logic dictates that's the one you go with."
Some major films that withheld much of their plots from advertisements suffered disappointing box-office returns, suggesting audiences were not given enough material to pique their interest.
Commercials for Steven Spielberg's "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" teased with images from its robot-boy tale with virtually no plot revealed at all. Stanley Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut" teased with only a sultry kiss between Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise, but the movie was more about loneliness and mistrust than sex.
And the trailers for Cruise's "Vanilla Sky" promoted it as a romantic drama and avoided allusions to its time/space-twisting conclusion — an unexpected ending that annoyed some moviegoers.
Some directors withhold elements of their films to make sure climactic details aren't revealed. For instance, "Seven" director David Fincher refused to give trailer producers any scene from the final act of that 1995 thriller, which made the appearance of Kevin Spacey as the serial killer a surprise to moviegoers.
The Directors Guild of America says most filmmakers have no control of trailers for their films, although those with clout, like Spielberg and Zemeckis, tend to enjoy boundless control.
Marketers insist, however, that a good film satisfies an audience no matter how much plot those viewers know ahead of time.
"It's a complaint we've heard for years and years," Daccord said. "But if I could really give away a whole movie in 2-1/2 minutes, there can't be a lot there to begin with."
That's the question facing studio marketers who decide how much to reveal in trailers.
Some fans complain that commercials, like one for the new thriller "Changing Lanes," give away too many plot twists and amount to condensed versions of the films they promote.
Studios counter that the practice often results in box-office success.
The "Cast Away" trailer revealed how Tom Hanks escaped from the island. The "Double Jeopardy" spot showed Ashley Judd discovering her missing husband in the film's climax. Promos for "Serendipity" included footage of star-crossed John Cusack finding his long-lost love's phone number in an old book.
"I think these spoilers come from insecurity over the product and the heavy demands put on studios to generate a strong return. ... They think the only way to draw an audience is by giving everything away," said Evelyn Brady, a Los Angeles advertising executive who created the Golden Trailer awards three years ago to honor the best movie commercials.
She has a personal gripe with the trailer for last summer's "Captain Corelli's Mandolin," which sets up Nicolas Cage and Penélope Cruz as World War II enemies — only to reveal scenes of them falling in love.
"Watching that, I said: 'What am I going to buy the ticket for? I've just seen the whole movie,' " Brady recalled. "I think it's far better to tease and taunt and not give those crucial plot points away."
Regardless of whether a surprise ending is kept under wraps, critics say outlining large parts of a story's buildup in trailers can sap a film of its drama.
Consider the trailer for "Changing Lanes," in which Samuel L. Jackson is a desperate father heading to a family-court hearing and Ben Affleck is an arrogant attorney sent to deliver a secret file on deadline.
The strangers meet when they crash their cars into each other on a New York expressway. Jackson is stranded and about to miss his court appearance, but Affleck refuses to give him a ride. As Affleck speeds away, he accidentally leaves his file behind. Jackson retrieves it, and blackmail ensues.
In case that wasn't enough to attract audiences to the movie, Paramount included other scenes from the feud, including Affleck hiring a computer hacker to bankrupt Jackson. Then Jackson starts threatening to destroy pages of the document, and Affleck attempts to withdraw his interference with Jackson's credit file. After he learns it's too late, the ad shows Jackson getting his revenge by sabotaging Affleck's car and causing a major traffic accident.
The trailer ends there, but has it already given away too many surprises?
Paramount executives refused to comment on their marketing strategy for "Changing Lanes," but veteran trailer producers and even some directors say spoilers are a necessary evil.
"Cast Away" director Robert Zemeckis has compared coming attractions that give away a lot to McDonald's fast food, saying both are successful because most consumers prefer to know in advance what they're buying.
Studios often prepare two versions of the same trailer — one that gives away a lot of detail, and another that shows exciting shots but little plot, said Philip R. Daccord, a trailer editor at the advertising firm Giaronomo Productions.
"When the studio tests them in front of an audience, the one with the whole kitchen sink tends to test better than the one that only teases," he said. "So if people say they're more likely to see the movie because of that trailer, logic dictates that's the one you go with."
Some major films that withheld much of their plots from advertisements suffered disappointing box-office returns, suggesting audiences were not given enough material to pique their interest.
Commercials for Steven Spielberg's "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" teased with images from its robot-boy tale with virtually no plot revealed at all. Stanley Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut" teased with only a sultry kiss between Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise, but the movie was more about loneliness and mistrust than sex.
And the trailers for Cruise's "Vanilla Sky" promoted it as a romantic drama and avoided allusions to its time/space-twisting conclusion — an unexpected ending that annoyed some moviegoers.
Some directors withhold elements of their films to make sure climactic details aren't revealed. For instance, "Seven" director David Fincher refused to give trailer producers any scene from the final act of that 1995 thriller, which made the appearance of Kevin Spacey as the serial killer a surprise to moviegoers.
The Directors Guild of America says most filmmakers have no control of trailers for their films, although those with clout, like Spielberg and Zemeckis, tend to enjoy boundless control.
Marketers insist, however, that a good film satisfies an audience no matter how much plot those viewers know ahead of time.
"It's a complaint we've heard for years and years," Daccord said. "But if I could really give away a whole movie in 2-1/2 minutes, there can't be a lot there to begin with."
Last edited by El-Kabong; 04-21-02 at 10:48 AM.
04-21-02, 11:59 AM
#17
DVD Talk Special Edition
trailer talk
the trailer of MIB2 annoys me
the trailer of Windtalkers, the second time I saw it, got me all excited to watch the movie.
the Vanilla Sky trailer last year was awesome
very powerful stuff
the first Spidey was surprising yet didn't smack too much of originality for some reason
the second Spidey trailer, got really exciting when they showed Spidey swingin thru the air
the last Star Wars trailer just shows how much CGI will be used in the movie. which probably means the plot will be shallow, but there will be some eye candy, but no real exciting story
a trailer pet peeve. don't you hate it when they have a funny line or moment in the trailer of a comedy and then when you are watching the actual movie, you know that same punchline is coming and so you wait in anticipation, and when the joke is delivered you all laugh nervously knowing you've already seen the joke before (which is related to my theory that many great comedies you can only see once, coz the next time around, the joke won't be as surprising anymore) anyway, here's an
example in Shallow Hal
and by the way, who is that guy who does the voice over in all the trailers. is it always the same guy? how much does he get paid?
the trailer of Windtalkers, the second time I saw it, got me all excited to watch the movie.
the Vanilla Sky trailer last year was awesome
very powerful stuff
the first Spidey was surprising yet didn't smack too much of originality for some reason
the second Spidey trailer, got really exciting when they showed Spidey swingin thru the air
the last Star Wars trailer just shows how much CGI will be used in the movie. which probably means the plot will be shallow, but there will be some eye candy, but no real exciting story
a trailer pet peeve. don't you hate it when they have a funny line or moment in the trailer of a comedy and then when you are watching the actual movie, you know that same punchline is coming and so you wait in anticipation, and when the joke is delivered you all laugh nervously knowing you've already seen the joke before (which is related to my theory that many great comedies you can only see once, coz the next time around, the joke won't be as surprising anymore) anyway, here's an
example in Shallow Hal
Spoiler:
and by the way, who is that guy who does the voice over in all the trailers. is it always the same guy? how much does he get paid?
04-21-02, 02:56 PM
#18
Member
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: North Orange County, CA
Posts: 195
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally posted by Robert
I love it when they use music from other movies. I like seeing my favorite movie scores continue to be re-used in trailers.
I love it when they use music from other movies. I like seeing my favorite movie scores continue to be re-used in trailers.
04-21-02, 03:19 PM
#19
Moderator
Thread Starter
That AP article pretty much confirms that Marketing people are among the lowest scum on the planet, below lawyers and politicians, and only a step above child molestors.
04-21-02, 03:20 PM
#20
DVD Talk Hero
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: Not necessarily Formerly known as Solid Snake
Posts: 29,250
Received 1,243 Likes
on
854 Posts
Originally posted by clemente
There's not too much of that second one in theaterical trailers, when I do see its for smaller flicks that really need that kind of recommendation for the audience to go see it.
There's not too much of that second one in theaterical trailers, when I do see its for smaller flicks that really need that kind of recommendation for the audience to go see it.
04-21-02, 03:22 PM
#21
DVD Talk Hero
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: Not necessarily Formerly known as Solid Snake
Posts: 29,250
Received 1,243 Likes
on
854 Posts
Re: trailer talk
Originally posted by joeydaninja
and by the way, who is that guy who does the voice over in all the trailers. is it always the same guy? how much does he get paid?
and by the way, who is that guy who does the voice over in all the trailers. is it always the same guy? how much does he get paid?
04-21-02, 04:23 PM
#22
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Originally posted by El-Kabong
The AP just ran a story on spoiler heavy trailers:
Some directors withhold elements of their films to make sure climactic details aren't revealed. For instance, "Seven" director David Fincher refused to give trailer producers any scene from the final act of that 1995 thriller, which made the appearance of Kevin Spacey as the serial killer a surprise to moviegoers.
The AP just ran a story on spoiler heavy trailers:
Some directors withhold elements of their films to make sure climactic details aren't revealed. For instance, "Seven" director David Fincher refused to give trailer producers any scene from the final act of that 1995 thriller, which made the appearance of Kevin Spacey as the serial killer a surprise to moviegoers.
If I was a filmmaker, I would so do something like this.
04-21-02, 07:05 PM
#23
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Middle of Somewhere
Posts: 385
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Re: trailer talk
Originally posted by Abob Teff
Yes it is the same guy all the time. I don't recall his name (I'm sure somebody here will) but he makes a buttload of dough.
Yes it is the same guy all the time. I don't recall his name (I'm sure somebody here will) but he makes a buttload of dough.
Here you go...
http://www.fadeinmag.com/kaye/feature.htm
04-22-02, 06:49 AM
#25
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Annoying New Trailer Trend
Originally posted by Groucho
Has anybody else noticed this? Lately, a lot of trailers feature a segment towards the middle/end where the soundtrack cuts off except for the sound of a heartbeat. With every beat, a random scene from the film flashes. If you don't know what I'm talking about, the latest offender is Eight Legged Freaks (full trailer).
What was the first trailer to use this technique?
Has anybody else noticed this? Lately, a lot of trailers feature a segment towards the middle/end where the soundtrack cuts off except for the sound of a heartbeat. With every beat, a random scene from the film flashes. If you don't know what I'm talking about, the latest offender is Eight Legged Freaks (full trailer).
What was the first trailer to use this technique?