In today’s class, we outlined the core concepts behind effective film trailer construction. One of the best summaries available is from Derek Lieu, a professional movie trailer editor. Lieu essentially breaks down the film trailer into a four-act structure for effective story summaries, expanding on the traditional three-act narrative.
This structure begins with a Cold Open, designed to immediately grab the viewer’s attention with an exciting, humorous, or dramatic scene requiring minimal initial context. Following this hook is the Introduction, where the film’s premise is established through exposition or intriguing questions. The trailer then moves into Escalation, introducing the central conflict or antagonist and hinting at the protagonist’s response. Finally, the Climax delivers a high-energy montage of the most compelling visuals, often set to swelling music, culminating in the title reveal.
Beyond structure, the Lieu emphasizes the crucial role of dialogue in trailer editing. Effective trailer dialogue often falls into categories like concise exposition, thought-provoking rhetorical and straightforward questions to pique curiosity, and impactful statements that provide their own context to drive action and reveal character. Editors strategically pair these dialogue snippets with relevant visuals, even if the connection is sometimes literal, to create a cohesive and engaging preview. Lieu notes that constraints, such as the need to match dialogue with visuals, can actually focus the creative process.