Comparing Different Types of Trailers - Conclusion

Having looked at the range of different types of trailers for both 'Avatar: The Way of Water' and 'Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery' I have noticed some similarities between all types of trailers, but also a number of differences.

All of the trailers include images from the films, and the title of the film towards the end. However, there are considerably more images from the film in the theatrical trailers, which deliver far more narrative information and introduce the characters and their traits in a more detailed way.

The teaser trailers in particular tend to withhold narrative information and have vague release dates, such as 'December' or 'Coming Soon'. In the other trailers the release date is specific, with TV spots indicating that the release is imminent.

It is more likely that reviews will appear in the TV spots, as they are released in the week of the films' releases. They are also considerably shorter (approximately 30 seconds) than the other types of trailers. There are also noticeable differences in the pace of the editing (much quicker for TV spots, slower for teaser trailers) and the transitions used.

Taglines can appear across all types of trailers, as can the name of the director and stars, though the billing seemed more common in the theatrical trailers.

Now I have had a chance to digest the similarities and differences between the types of trailers, I will consider which two types I will create. I am thinking that I might do one TV spot, with rapidly edited shots from the film, alongside reviews and star ratings, and a teaser trailer, which will be more enigmatic, creating mystery for the viewer.