Film Education - Resources, Training, Events

Teaching Trailers

Features

Trailers try to send particular messages about a film to audiences. You will notice certain features recur in most trailers and this activity helps you to spot some of these.

1. Using the disc Teaching Trailers Secondary 2011, watch one of the trailers once, without the sound (either turn the volume to zero or switch off your speakers).
2. Now watch the trailer again, pressing pause at points that illustrate the visual features listed on the Trailer Features chart. Make notes on your copy of the chart to explain what you see in the frozen frames.

   Trailer features chart

   What do you think the sound would add to this trailer? How do you think it would help to establish the genre? Can you easily establish the genre without it?
3. Now watch the same trailer once more, this time with the sound ON.

What does the sound add to your enjoyment of the trailer? What does it add to your expectations of the film and its genre? Explain your answers.