Though Trailer is the first impression of a movie but it should not be the last, Do Trailers Ruin a movie by Giving Away too much?

We all love Trailers, They are their own art form and, just like films, are not easy to pull off well. The term "trailer" comes from their having originally been shown at the end of a feature film screening. That practice did not last long, because patrons tended to leave the theatre after the films ended, but the name has stuck. Trailers are now shown before the film begins and are first released on YouTube.

Trailers should have their own internal logic and should function separately from the movie they are promoting. If cut well, a trailer can be something to watch again and again. But (of course!) it should also make us want to see more.

In most cases, unfortunately, people may only ever see the trailer. That’s why trailers should never resolve anything. If a trailer gives too much away, then viewers feel like they’ve already seen the whole movie and don’t need to look at the film.

Have a look at the trailer of Shah Rukh Khan’s Zero (2018), it presently has 118 million views on YouTube. The trailer went viral like a wildfire, But the Box office performance of the movie was contrastingly disastrous. This 3-minute trailer didn’t just summarise the conflicts in the plot but also resolved them too. There was nothing much to be looking forward to. Once we know all plot twists from the trailer itself then when we actually see it in feature film it feels dragged and repetitive.

Though Trailer is the first impressions of the movie and it should be best but it shouldn’t be the last impression. In a rush to showcase all sellable points, filmmakers end up giving away too much in the trailer and when there is nothing new left in the actual movie, it results as a disappointment for audiences.

An ideal trailer should just introduce the characters and give a glimpse of the conflict the movie deals with; rest should be visuals and soundtracks. The repercussions of conflict and its resolutions should be left, for the audience to be Curious about the movie.

Take for example the trailer of KGF (2018) which released in theatres on the same day as Zero but had surprisingly a Blockbuster run at the Box Office, even in the Hindi Language, despite the actor who played the protagonist wasn’t known to Hindi Audiences. The makers brilliantly cut the trailer to just introduced the Protagonist and the conflict he would be encountering, rest are just the visuals and soundtracks. We all know by the end of the movie protagonist will win, but how he does so is something we would be looking forward to in the movie.

Other examples of recent brilliantly cut Trailers of Indian movies

Andhadhun (2018) – Movie and trailer have an altogether different narrative. You watch the trailer and you expect something and go to a movie and then from the first scene itself, it turns out to be a different kind of movie, it’s a priceless experience. Andhadhun can be truly enjoyed only after watching the trailer, how the trailer fools you to believe in a different perspective is the USP of this movie.

Rangasthallam (2018): Trailer that projected the movie to be a Political village Action drama turned out to be a Unexpected Thriller in the actual movie.

PK (2014): Though this one isn’t a recent film, but should be mentioned since how many of us knew the Alien and religious element of the movie from the trailer itself?