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Topic:
The Trailer Park: "Quantum of Solace"
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JohnWesleyDowney
Registered:
Jan '04
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Date Posted:
9/20/06 11:06pm
Subject:
The Trailer Park: "Quantum of Solace"
- Date Edited:
9/10 7:32am (45 edits total)
Edited By:
Zaz
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Welcome to the Trailer Park, the place where we discuss the trailers that
give us glimpses of movies coming soon to a theatre near us.
If it's about trailers we'll talk about it here. Good trailers, bad ones,
trailers that seem unrelated to the movies they represent, trailers that spill
the beans on the story and ruin the movie for us, the popularity of trailers,
and on and on. Promotional trailers have virtually become an art form unto
themselves. A well-made trailer can generate tremendous excitement and buzz,
and a bad one can kill a movie in it's crib through bad word of mouth. (At
least for me.)
One of my pet peeves is trailers that give away too much of the story.
There have been at least a dozen films in the last few years where I never
bought a ticket because I felt I already knew the story and the sense of
discovery was gone because of the trailer, I had no desire to see the film.
So turn off those cellphones, get comfortable in your seats, get that baby quiet,
and let's talk trailers.
Are trailers more important today than they were in the past?
-----signature-----
"The biggest battles we fight are on the inside."
Nick Nolte in WAY OF THE PEACEFUL WARRIOR
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Soothsayer
Registered:
Sep '99
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Date Posted:
9/21/06 4:17am
Subject:
RE: The Trailer Park
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Trailers are definitly more important now than what they were 10 years ago. I attribute the start of the whole 'trailer' buzz back to TPM's first trailer back in 1999. I remember knowing the trailer was out and being astonished that I could download which I did...of course it took a few hours at the time.
Now days movie site are big on the web and the culmination of a movie site is the trailer. We have countdown clocks and world premieres for trailers now days. I think it is safe to say they are very important.
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Zaz
Title: Manager:
The Amphitheatre
Registered:
Oct '98
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Date Posted:
9/21/06 7:10am
Subject:
RE: The Trailer Park
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I used to love trailers. Now I try to avoid them at all costs.
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The_Face
Title: Fan Fic Manager, now with more real butter flavor
Registered:
Feb '03
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Date Posted:
9/21/06 8:26am
Subject:
RE: The Trailer Park
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Forcefire discusses trailers and posters for movies in The Art of Marketing. He's a bit out of his update routine, but he should be back into it once the school year gets going. The current topic is "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension".
-----signature-----
If mercy falls upon the broken and the poor
Dear Father, I will see you there
on distant shores
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DarthIshtar
Title: Former CR
Star Wars Trivia Hostess
Registered:
Mar '01
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Date Posted:
9/21/06 8:47am
Subject:
RE: The Trailer Park
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One of my major pet peeves in trailers is that they spend too much time convincing us that there will be some kind of romance in there and not enough convincing us that the plot is worthwhile.
-----signature-----
"You are some self-important encyclopedia with too much time on his hands. I will see to it personally that you are used for spare parts every time my speeder needs an overhaul. You and that overpriced forklift out there." ~Dr. Bel Maden
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KnightWriter
Title:
Administrator Emeritus
Registered:
Nov '01
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Date Posted:
9/21/06 9:14am
Subject:
RE: The Trailer Park
- Date Edited:
9/21/06 9:31am (1 edits total)
Edited By:
KnightWriter
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I suggest watching the trailer for "little children" to see a great trailer in action. it's probably the best trailer of 2006, and maybe for some time before that. check it out here: http://www.apple.com/trailers/newline/littlechildren/hd/
i just watched it again, and as i've read the book, i can say that it does a superb job of putting the characters in without giving the outcome away (though a crucial moment is there, you wouldn't know it unless you've read the book). it's just a fantastic trailer all around. great editing, music and scenes.
-----signature-----
"May you live all the days of your life"
"There's a special place in Hell for women who don't support other women."--Sarah Palin
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JohnWesleyDowney
Registered:
Jan '04
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Date Posted:
9/21/06 11:54am
Subject:
RE: The Trailer Park
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I used to love trailers. Now I try to avoid them at all costs.
Why is that Zaz?
-----signature-----
"The biggest battles we fight are on the inside."
Nick Nolte in WAY OF THE PEACEFUL WARRIOR
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Zaz
Title: Manager:
The Amphitheatre
Registered:
Oct '98
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Date Posted:
9/21/06 12:50pm
Subject:
RE: The Trailer Park
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Because they are essentially the movie in minature. I don't want to see the whole plot.
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JohnWesleyDowney
Registered:
Jan '04
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Date Posted:
9/21/06 1:37pm
Subject:
RE: The Trailer Park
- Date Edited:
9/21/06 1:42pm (4 edits total)
Edited By:
JohnWesleyDowney
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One of my pet peeves too. And I have one theory on this.
I think the companies that are hired to edit these trailers
are filled with people who want to be filmmakers themselves.
So instead of designing the trailer so that it "entices"
people to go see the film, these idiot editors do just what you said, they
make a mini-movie. It's all about their ego. They don't intrigue, or tantalize or
motivate you to go see the film. They show you the essence
of the movie. You're not curious. No mystery.
I'm not gonna see CHILDREN OF MEN when it comes out. I saw the trailer,
and I feel like I've already seen the film. Why should I spent 8 bucks
to see the movie? They already gave it to me.
I was totally bored during CASTAWAY when Tom Hanks and Wilson the soccer ball
were on the island. Why? Because I saw the trailer and knew he got off the island.
So much for dramatic tension and suspense. 
-----signature-----
"The biggest battles we fight are on the inside."
Nick Nolte in WAY OF THE PEACEFUL WARRIOR
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Zaz
Title: Manager:
The Amphitheatre
Registered:
Oct '98
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Date Posted:
9/21/06 1:39pm
Subject:
RE: The Trailer Park
- Date Edited:
9/21/06 1:46pm (1 edits total)
Edited By:
Zaz
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Yes, yes, but. They are approved by the film makers themselves. The stupidest one I've seen recently was the "Mask of Zorro" sequel, which disclosed the major plot point. The film tanked.
The_Face posted:
Forcefire discusses trailers and posters for movies in The Art of Marketing. He's a bit out of his update routine, but he should be back into it once the school year gets going. The current topic is "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension".
I don't think this thread necessarily overlaps, but I will talk to Forcefire about it, as I was asked for permission.
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darth_frared
Registered:
Jun '05
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Date Posted:
9/21/06 2:03pm
Subject:
RE: The Trailer Park
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i do love trailers because i can decide very easily if i want to watch the movie based on them. i agree they suck because they are mini movies and all but somehow i ike the rush they sometimes give me through cutting all these tiny scenes together. i guess i'm just weird.
my favourite trailer off the top of my head was the one for ice age which had me laugh so hard and i saw that before the disney atlantis movie started and that sucked so much in comparison. i wanted to see ice age for months and was very eager. so, that one worked.
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illegalise stupidity.
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weezer
Registered:
May '01
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Date Posted:
9/21/06 2:07pm
Subject:
RE: The Trailer Park
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I don't think so.
Everything I've ever read about trailers says that the director of the movie isn't allowed anywhere near it. Its all approved by the studio that probably has little to nothing to do with the actual movie.
And no, it isn't about ego on the part of the trailer editor. It isn't like he sits on the job and says I could do this better myself and tries to prove it. There are alot of people putting alot of time into something that is going to only last 2 1/2 minutes.
This is about marketing an entire movie in 2 1/2 minutes. Yes, major plot points should be and usually are not revealed but your big set peices, big jokes, etc (which some people get confused with plot points) are fair game because thats whats going to bring people in.
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_HothWampa_
Registered:
Jun '02
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Date Posted:
9/21/06 2:52pm
Subject:
RE: The Trailer Park
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KnightWriter posted:
I suggest watching the trailer for "little children" to see a great trailer in action. it's probably the best trailer of 2006, and maybe for some time before that. check it out here: http://www.apple.com/trailers/newline/littlechildren/hd/
i just watched it again, and as i've read the book, i can say that it does a superb job of putting the characters in without giving the outcome away (though a crucial moment is there, you wouldn't know it unless you've read the book). it's just a fantastic trailer all around. great editing, music and scenes.
I am a fan of the book as well, and also a fan of the trailer... however, didn't you find that the trailer seemed a lot darker and more suspenseful than the book? The book had a lot of black humor in it, and didn't seem to exude such darkness ya know? I also found it interesting that they chose to ignore introducing a huge storyline from the book into the trailer (Ronnie)
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How could you not love a wampa?
Gig'Em Ag's!!
Meet me in Montauk.... ESOTSM
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JohnWesleyDowney
Registered:
Jan '04
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Date Posted:
9/21/06 3:38pm
Subject:
RE: The Trailer Park
- Date Edited:
9/21/06 3:42pm (1 edits total)
Edited By:
JohnWesleyDowney
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And no, it isn't about ego on the part of the trailer editor. It isn't like he sits on the job and says I could do this better myself and tries to prove it.
Right, but that isn't what I was suggesting. I didn't say he thought he/she was thinking
they were "improving" on it. But they do want to put the thing together in a way
that doesn't do it's intended job (in a lot of cases.) Their job is to sell the movie and get people excited about seeing it, not give people a compressed, cliff notes version. And I've seen PLENTY of those. In fact, just this week I saw TWO of them, one for the new Robin Williams as the comedian who becomes a politician and the other the aforementioned CHILDREN OF MEN, about a future Earth where no children are being born.
I wish some of the people putting the trailers understood the concept of
"less is more."
-----signature-----
"The biggest battles we fight are on the inside."
Nick Nolte in WAY OF THE PEACEFUL WARRIOR
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weezer
Registered:
May '01
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Date Posted:
9/21/06 3:51pm
Subject:
RE: The Trailer Park
- Date Edited:
9/21/06 3:52pm (1 edits total)
Edited By:
weezer
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That is the intended job, to sell the movie. Might not work for you, might not work for a lot of people in the end, but you work with what you've got.
I personaly fail to see how "Man of the Year" or "Children of Man" are "cliff notes" versions of the movie. Thats what the movies are about. Him actually become president or Owen protecting the unborn child aren't major twists to be protected its what the movie is about.
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JohnWesleyDowney
Registered:
Jan '04
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Date Posted:
9/21/06 4:03pm
Subject:
RE: The Trailer Park
- Date Edited:
9/21/06 4:13pm (1 edits total)
Edited By:
JohnWesleyDowney
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I personaly fail to see how "Man of the Year" or "Children of Man" are "cliff notes" versions of the movie. Thats what the movies are about. Him actually become president or Owen protecting the unborn child aren't major twists to be protected its what the movie is about.
Well, since the movies aren't out yet, we can't absolutely know for sure if they revealed too much. But for me, it was too much and I'm entitled to my reaction. The purpose of a trailer is to get me to buy a movie ticket and they persuaded me to do the OPPOSITE and not buy a ticket, so they lost my business. That counts as a failure.
YMMV
Movies and storytelling are all about what is revealed to the audience and when that
revelation takes place. I was TOTALLY into the CHILDREN OF MAN trailer as they presented this sad, bleak vision of the future...where no one can have kids anymore...I thought what an interesting set up and premise! And the social upheaval and such looked very interesting...
and THEN, oops! Well, it's actually not true ... there is ONE woman who is PREGNANT!
Well, gee, they gave me this great setup...and then they tell me that set up is no longer valid. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot! The revelation that there is a pregnant woman on a planet where no one can have any kids is a HUGE surprise! And you put THAT in the trailer? Good grief.
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"The biggest battles we fight are on the inside."
Nick Nolte in WAY OF THE PEACEFUL WARRIOR
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