Movie Trailers

[Deleted]

Does anyone know who is in charge of trailers? Do the directors oversee them or does the studio marketing team take over? Are there editors who do nothing but trailers? And why is the theme from "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story" used in so many? Does that composer get paid every time his music's played in a trailer? And does he get pissed off that he didn't even get an Oscar nod that year?

Don't jump down my throat because I'm just talking about the trailer, not the movie: one of the best trailers was for that DMX/Jet Li picture. Terrific editing. Actually made me aaaalmost want to see the movie.

[Atreides]

Does anyone know who is in charge of trailers? Do the directors oversee them or does the studio marketing team take over? Are there editors who do nothing but trailers? And why is the theme from "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story" used in so many? Does that composer get paid every time his music's played in a trailer? And does he get pissed off that he didn't even get an Oscar nod that year?

I'm pretty sure there actually are companies that are contracted by the studios to cut trailers. Usually, the director doesn't get a lot of say in what's shown unless he's of Spielberg-calibre. These companies have access to music libraries containing music cues not available to the general public. For example X-Men: The Last Stand's trailer has a great cue named "Rising Empire" from a company called Immediate Music.

Certain songs from movies get used a lot because they sound good in a trailer-watching environment. Sweeping epic/choral type music gets used a lot. And the original composer does get paid every time. I guess he dries his tears with all the royalty cheques he gets.

It's a very little-known movie but Come See the Paradise has a track called "Fire in a Brooklyn Theater" that is probably the most used cue in movie trailers. Believe me, you'll know it when you've heard it.

[Deleted]

The new trailer for Grind House. If I even get a leg amputated, I'm totally gonna go all Rose McGowan and get a prosthetic machine-gun.

So not for everyone. But with this movie on the 6th and Twin Peaks Season Two coming out on DVD on the 10th, April will be a fun, fun month for me.

"Do I frighten you? Is it my scar?"
"It's your car."

[shriekingeel]

And why is the theme from "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story" used in so many? Does that composer get paid every time his music's played in a trailer? And does he get pissed off that he didn't even get an Oscar nod that year?

That one used to drive me crazy, dguzpy, because you'd hear that theme on EVERY SINGLE TRAILER for movies that aspired to be The Feel-Good Movie Of The Year, and I had no idea where it came from. Finally, when I was channel-flipping and hit AMC and the painful Bruce Lee movie was on and there it was, the Love Theme For Cheese.

Well, at least the composer probably gets nice residuals every time it's uses, so he's probably happy.

Another favorite for trailer-scorers is David Newman's theme for the Winona Ryder version of Little Women, which is one of my favorite scores of all time (shut up) so I don't like it when it gets recycled.

[Deleted]

Originally posted: Though I'm sure it'll be shlocky and sociopathic and ultraviolent and dumb as hell, I am ridiculously drawn to Orlando Jones and Dominic Purcell in the trailer for Primeval and may just find myself in the theatre for the cheap Sunday matinee.

WARNING: HUGE SPOILER BELOW

Edited to add: I guess it helps to do research. After doing a bit of reading, the trailer is wildly misleading and the "serial killer" is a freaking crocodile. Dang.

[tamaradixon]

Blades of Glory

Very funny trailer, but not sure how this translates into a 90 minute film. Jon Heder just isn't that funny.

[Deleted]

I'm amazed at how manipulative trailers can be when it comes to trying to draw in multiple audience types. I can't remember the specific movie, but there was one where, based on watching the trailer, I was convinced it was a comedy. Then I saw another version of the trailer where, clearly, it was a dark, violent movie. You can't trust them because they try to be all things to all people, to the point where they're tricking people into thinking it's a completely different type of movie than it is. Well, not all of them, but I see it happen a lot.

And I know I've said this before, somewhere or other -- When they have someone wink in a movie it's just so that the wink can be used in the trailer!

[Karrit]

bonsai said:

I'm amazed at how manipulative trailers can be when it comes to trying to draw in multiple audience types. I can't remember the specific movie, but there was one where, based on watching the trailer, I was convinced it was a comedy. Then I saw another version of the trailer where, clearly, it was a dark, violent movie. You can't trust them because they try to be all things to all people, to the point where they're tricking people into thinking it's a completely different type of movie than it is. Well, not all of them, but I see it happen a lot.

And I know I've said this before, somewhere or other -- When they have someone wink in a movie it's just so that the wink can be used in the trailer!

You mean like this trailer for When Harry Met Sally, the thriller?

[satellite]

I saw the Zodiac trailer Wed. night on TV and it looks really good. I had no idea it was Fincher but I guess it's obvious now.
I recently saw the "chick flick"-version trailer for Stomp the Yard, highlighting the romance aspect. Come the f*ck on. Though it is pretty funny what they think will get female butts in the seats.
When I saw Idlewild last summer, I was amused because all the trailers were for any movie with black leads. Therefore you had The Last King of Scotland (Forrest Whitaker) a serious semi-autobiographical political thriller being advertised alongside Gridiron Gang (The Rock, Xzibit) a gritty but uplifting sports movie, and Let's Go to Prison (Chi Mc Bride) a gross-out comedy. Really obvious focus-grouping, there.
But the Let's Go to Prison trailer was also more appropiately paired with Jackass Number 2 for the (mostly white) young male comedy audience. I wonder who makes those decisions?

[bklynred]

I get more and more excited every time I see that 300 trailer. I'm also enthusiastic about The Invisible, which has a Lovely Bones vibe to it, IMO.