Coming To A Cinema Near You

I went to watch 'The Hangover' last night, I thought it was a very funny film. I am not sure what got me to go see that film in particular but it could have been a mixture between seeing the advertising on the side of the London buses and the trailer. Before the film started I watched 4-5 trailers for other films "coming out soon" and I started to think about how influential these are in persuading us to go watch a film. What makes a trailer so compelling that we are persuaded to take the time to head to a cinema, pay money and spend an evening sitting watching. The impact a trailer can have on the success of a film is huge and although in itself a big money making part of the film industry without them the millions initially spent on making the film could be lost without trace if no-one pays to go see it once released.

In the past week Michael Bay, Director of the Transformer sequel Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, has criticised Paramount Pictures for the publicly surrounding the film, quoted in an email to them as saying "You talk so glowing about transformers being the movie of the summer, but unfortunately this has not got to the public....right now we are not an event, we are a sequel, which is very different. There is no anticipation". The advertising in the lead up to a film can make or break it in the box office and Michael Bay was feeling the effects of this on the release. A film in itself could be mesmerising and enthralling but in order to excited people enough to make them feel like they are missing out on something then an exciting trailer has to be a major component in the publicity campaign which surrounds a films launch

There are awards for this division of the film industry, Golden Trailer Awards and they were recently held on the 4th June 2009 in Los Angeles. There are 13 categories ranging from action and horror to romance and best music. Above and below I will post some of this years winners so that you can judge for yourself if you think they are worthy winners or not. I am now researching some of the best trailers of the past few decades as I know I have sat in the cinema and watched a trailer which had more impact on me than the following 2 hours I spent watching the actual movie I paid to go see. I have watched trailers which made the hairs on my arm stand on end and brought a tear to my eye and trailers where everyone in the cinema can be heard saying "oh I must go see that". So if there are any you have seen and which stand out in your mind please let me know and I'll post another blog of the 'best trailers of the past decade'.