Common Sense PR

Movie Trailers: Why Do they Reveal the Whole Movie, Instead of Teasing?

by Eric Eggertson on July 5th, 2008

I saw Wanted yesterday, with Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy.

The whole thing felt like a trailer, with action money shots coming (pardon the pun) at you one after the other.

It fell far short of the Jason Bourne films, but I’m sure it will do fine at the box office.

I couldn’t help but reflect on the declining value of trailers. Most of the Coming Attractions show you key plot elements deep into the movie. It’s one thing to show you the initial dilemma faced by the hero, but why do so many of them show you the climax of the film? (I can’t seem to avoid porn references today.)

Are we so afraid of going to a movie that might surprise us (or, gasp, disappoint us) that we can only go to films from known franchises, or films where we know the entire story arc? The Wanted trailer, by the way, contains scenes that appear deep in the movie, saving you the trouble of watching the first 70 minutes.

The biggest benefit I get from trailers is the assurance that I can:

1)  Wait until it comes out on DVD

2)  Wait until it’s on the movie channel

3)  Skip it altogether

It’s a very rare trailer that convinces me to rush out and see a movie.

Does anyone out there have a rational explanation for why modern movie trailers work?  I’d love to hear it.

Share This

Related Stories

Movie Industry Ethics Gaffes Haven’t Affected Public Image - Yet
Key Messages for Santa - Spin for the Holidays
The Maltese Pitch - Blogger Outreach for Book about Blogger Outreach
Spin Can Be Used for Good, not Evil
How to Write a Business Plan - Everyone Has a Theory

POSTED IN: Audiences, Buzz, Celebrity PR, Communication Tactics, Creativity, Marketing, Promotions