Movie trailers sometimes reveal too much of the plot in order to attract a wider audience, by showing key moments of the film that are likely to pique the interest of viewers. This can sometimes impact the viewing experience by revealing important elements of the story before the film is even seen.
To instantly grab the audience's attention and leave a lasting impression, studios often include the most impactful moments of the film in trailers. This includes strong lines, spectacular explosions, or sometimes even key revelations. By focusing on these catchy and attention-grabbing scenes, the goal is to impress quickly and create an immediate desire to buy a ticket or share the video on social media. The problem is that, in trying to appeal to the target audience, trailers sometimes make the mistake of showing too much right from the start, sacrificing the element of surprise that creates excitement in the theater. As a result, often, you feel like you've seen the best moments even before the film begins.
Studios invest a lot of money in big movies, and naturally, they prefer to limit risks. So, they rely on ultra-explicit trailers to reassure the audience by showing exactly what to expect. The clearer the audience is about the unfolding of the action, the more they will be tempted to go to the cinema. This approach especially helps to convince casual viewers, who are hesitant to spend their money on a film they know little about. Clearly showing what awaits the audience is a sort of implicit guarantee that facilitates quick choices among dozens of releases. It's not always very subtle, but financially, it works.
Often, when several blockbusters are released at the same time, studios engage in a real marketing war. Each film wants to be the one that leaves the strongest impression and grabs the audience's attention immediately. So, what better way to do this than to release an ultra-explosive trailer that directly reveals the big scenes? Under this pressure, marketing teams desperately try to create an instant "wow" effect, even if it means revealing half the film in a two-minute trailer. They believe that if they don't make a strong impact from the start, the audience will look elsewhere. The result: many end up blowing all their bullets too quickly, sacrificing the final surprise effect to capture maximum attention before the official release.
Studios often think they can pinpoint exactly what will captivate viewers, but they sometimes completely miss the mark. By believing that everyone absolutely wants to know what to expect, they reveal important plot twists or crucial details too quickly. This stems from a desire to align perfectly with what the audience imagines wanting, without understanding that a large part of the viewers actually prefers to be surprised or intrigued. As a result, the trailer often feels like a fast-paced summary of the film, which removes all surprise from the cinema experience.
Some trailers choose to deliberately inflate scenes by using rapid editing, ultra-dramatic music, or shocking dialogues, sometimes allowing the viewer to guess the entire plot. This sensational aspect is designed to quickly grab our attention in a saturated film market. Showing strong or shocking images right from the start generates immediate buzz on social media and in the press. The problem is that, by fully pushing this method of escalation, the trailer often ends up overdoing it, ruining the surprise effect when it comes time to watch the entire film.
A 2015 study from the University of East Anglia showed that recent trailers reveal an average of 40% of a film's major plot, compared to only 10% in the 1960s.
In some cases, directors have no direct creative control over the trailers for their films: it is often the studio and the marketing teams that decide which plot elements to reveal or conceal.
The director Alfred Hitchcock had prohibited entry to cinemas after the start of the film 'Psycho' (1960) so that viewers could fully enjoy the twists without having seen any scenes revealed in advance.
Today, there are online communities dedicated to avoiding spoilers or even movie trailers to maintain complete surprise, some offering detailed guides to identify and avoid accidental spoilers.
To minimize the risk of spoilers, it may be best to watch only the first few seconds of the trailers, avoid those labeled as extended or final, or read only spoiler-free reviews before watching the movie.
Often, directors have little control over the final trailers. It is usually the studios and marketing teams that decide which scenes should be included in order to maximize the commercial impact of the film.
Yes, some films are famous for their trailers that almost entirely revealed the plot, such as 'Terminator Genisys' or 'Batman v Superman', which unveiled significant surprises right from the initial marketing.
Very short teasers, minimalist posters, thematic promotional clips, or written reviews by critics can be effective alternatives to get an idea of a film without risking revealing too much of the plot.
Distributors often choose strong scenes to quickly capture the target audience's attention and ensure maximum box office attendance, even if it sometimes means revealing too much of the plot.
No one has answered this quiz yet, be the first!' :-)
Question 1/5
