Ask Amanda: The Thing About Movie Trailers
Recently, something exciting happened to me. At this point in my life, finding a nickel is pretty exciting. Tweet-able, even. But I just like to appreciate the little things. Anyway…
The exciting thing that happened recently — the one I’m referring to here as a springboard for the rest of this piece — is that I saw a wicked good trailer. We’re not talking the silver Airstream kind I hope to someday inhabit when I do my “year living in the desert with a big dog and a shotgun” thing, but rather the kind that shows you about a minute of a movie and entices you to come pay $8.50 to see it when it finally comes out in full.
Often times I can use these as a platform to judge if I am going to love a movie. I get goosebumps and think “this can only be the new Best Movie of All Time.” Sometimes though … sometimes I just really like the trailers. I listen to them like music, basking in the drama of my life suddenly having a voiceover. Whether or not the movie delivers when I see it in its entirety is not an issue for me. That minute and a half is all that I need.
The following trailers have found themselves run ragged by being played on repeat on my iPod (click to watch):
And the most recent one? Snow White and the Huntsman. It’s so dark and the Inception-like music is screaming “this is no fairy tale!!!” while Charlize Theron narrates the whole thing in an icy fairest-of-them-all sort of way. Shivers.
I found out that there are actually awards for well-made trailers, and this made me extremely happy. The Golden Trailers reward previews for movies in several categories. For 12 years, industry professionals have judged trailers and awarded them for merit based on “craftsmanship and allure of these potent mini-epics.”
Potent mini-epics. I like the sound of that. My attention deficit is a fan of anything short and snappy. One-liners, great transitions that give you a hint of the story that will unfold, etc.
My ultimate dream would be to have a movie trailer made of my life. Important characters showcased, perfect music chosen, impressive shots of me smiling with sun flares in the background — or shooting guns or something. With great hair. And perfectly manicured nails. I only have a minute or so to sell it. And I gotta look good! ♦ ♦ ♦
Amanda Taylor is SOUND’s opinionated style correspondent. She recently graduated from BYU with a Bachelor’s degree in journalism and has worked as an editor for The Daily Universe. Amanda hails from Salt Lake City, UT. You can follow her on Twitter at @salamandrs.
About the Author
Amanda Taylor is an outspoken pop culture lover who majored in journalism and minored in gossip. Referred to as “endearingly manic,” she knows that just means she’s a lunatic. In her illustrious career, she has written for a museum, a candy store, a U.S. Senator and had one review published in an actual newspaper. She now writes for Entertainment Weekly. Find her in 140 characters @amandataylor88.
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