How Movie Trailers Manipulate You

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Published 2018-07-18

In a world where movie theater attendance has slumped to a 25-year low, more people are watching movie trailers than ever before.

These promos are “that one form of advertising that you actually want more of,” explains Jon Penn, CEO of the National Research Group. And thanks to an increase in online availability, they’re also easier to find, watch, rewatch, analyze and share theories about.

This trailer boom has lead to an increase in the number of trailers being cut and a robust job market for professional trailer makers. More work can mean more competition, too, as a studio will often hire several vendors to work on the same trailer, picking their favorite as the face of their film’s campaign. That means trailer makers are constantly one-upping each other to be the most eye-catching and innovative of the bunch.

“We’re constantly hustling,” says Carrie Gormley, president of Theatrical Advertising at Create Advertising, one of over 100 “trailer houses” operating today.

It's having an effect on the milieu. Trailer industry mogul Mark Woollen says that these days, “trailers have become their own form of entertainment” that can be enjoyed “the same way they listen to a song."

In fact, there are now premieres, critics, and even a version of the Academy Awards, called The Golden Trailer Awards, focused solely on trailers.

VICE News attended the ceremony to find out what it takes to craft two minutes that will make you laugh, cry — and maybe even cough up $15 for a movie ticket.

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All Comments (21)

@VICENews 6 years ago

“Trailers have become their own form of entertainment” that can be enjoyed “the same way they listen to a song." WATCH NEXT: Hillsong Pastor Carl Lentz Wears Supremes And Is Friends With Justin Bieber - bit.ly/2LpFKaK
@dawidnoel2393 6 years ago

Whoever worked on Suicide Squad trailer should get an Oscar. They tricked sooo many people into watching a mediocre film...
@peblezQ 6 years ago

The guy at the end said it best. "I have better experiences watching these movies without seeing the advertisement for it first."
@EricChamplin 5 years ago

I knew a LOT of work went into making a trailer but I didn't know an entire industry was built around them. So cool!
@Schixotica 6 years ago

I think most in the comments are being way too hard on these people. You’re asking a salesman to be honest, reserved, and measured when there’s a line of other salesman ready to pull out every trick in the book, it’s a cutthroat business like any other. Their job is not for you to enjoy the movie, it’s just to sell as many tickets as possible. This can and will not change. These cliches and annoying techniques are used because they are undoubtedly what is most effective or they would not be used. Once you accept this you can watch this as an interesting look at what appeals to the lowest common denominator, and be happy that you are not in that category.
@aidanrogers4438 6 years ago

So these are the people who reveal too much in the trailers?!
@petitio_principii 6 years ago

There should be also a Golden Raspberry award for bad trailers. Those who make you think, "okay, thanks for giving me this full summary of the entire movie and spoiling even the conclusion and major twists and everything", those that try to sell you the movie as something very different from what it actually is... there are probably other possible categories.
@jokerjjg 5 years ago

I have to admit it. The Suicide squad trailer tricked into going to see that mess of a movie.
@maibalanay7360 5 years ago

Everyone suddenly a trailer critic now lmfao
@kronhertz4956 6 years ago

Also another trick that professional trailer makers use is using deleted or cut scenes that are not in the theatrical release. I can't count the number of times I was duped into watching a movie just for a scene that never existed in the final cut/release.
@2flowers116 6 years ago

Oh so one guy doesnt make all the trailers? Couldve sworn it was just one guy theyre all the same
@lucasl799 5 years ago

"If you have an explosion, you can put in the sound of an eagle." -Ryan Foster, the most american person to ever live.
@LegoLogicalWithJosh 6 years ago

I hate the minitrailers that happen before a title card that tells me I’m about to watch the official trailer for something. They are so dumb and distracting as they ruin the entire trailer’s pacing.
@guacamolework3918 6 years ago

Am I watching Vox now ?
@LiamTaylor992 6 years ago

If there's a film I want to watch these days I don't watch the trailer. They're more like a mini version of the film than an actual trailer
@markwedzielewski8186 5 years ago

7:40 please remove bumpers forever. If I’ve already clicked on your trailer, I’m watching it. If I’m in the theater, I have to watch the trailer. Just like reading a plot synopsis of a movie, having a trailer for your trailer embedded in its beginning ruins the suspense of it (looking at you, Venom trailers and SpiderVerse teaser)
@barkboingfloom 5 years ago

If someone is singing "I Wanna Be Sedated" in a somber, quiet tone I think they're already sedated.
@1337BananaL33TVostok 6 years ago

I just cringe at trailers nowadays...
@hankhillsdisappointedsigh 6 years ago

These are all the things that make trailers seem repetitive and obnoxious... "jungle cat goes ahhh...ads to the cool factor.." Lol no, it does not.
@icydragon68 5 years ago

Every trailer has that mechanical fart from inception now