[http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/isanybodythere/]
After watching the clip, I went and found the trailer and I gotta say, I prefer the clip. It introduces the two main characters, gives you an idea of their relationship, what the film's going to be about, and introduces enough weirdness (recording the dead, seances) without explaining things too much.
The trailer on the other hand, tells you everything. Who everybody is, what's going on, and you can probably figure out the ending by the time the trailer ends. Where's the fun in that?
I think the best trailers I've ever seen are as follows.
The Comedian:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXbFuNQwTbs
Layer Cake:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4gcYeLfJMs
Lady in the Water:
Okay, I searched everything for this trailer. The best I could find was on youtube, but it had it's audio track ripped out. So go buy Lady in the Water (sadly, you can probably pick it up for $2.99) and watch the short teaser trailer. You'll know you've found the right one when the opera music starts.
The Dark Knight:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1clvbS_33mk&feature=PlayList&p=C9258BBB2DC69CDE&index=49
Red Eye:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAFDHyH8buQ
Let's break em down.
The Comedian, about Jerry Seinfeld's return to the stage, sets the movie up beyond perfectly. Seinfeld's whole schtick is deconstructing the world around us for humor. So the trailer for his movie deconstructs movie trailers. For humor.
Layer Cake tells you everything you need to know. Daniel Craig is the good guy, or at least the least bad guy. There's some people against him. There's a pretty blonde girl. People get shot. At some point, people are running. Also, drugs. If none of that appeals to you, you probably won't like the movie.
Lady in the Water's shorter, teaser trailer sets the film up much better than the "Hollywood" trailers that make it look like a thrill a minute joy ride. It's not. Well, it's not thrill a minute. It is however a joy ride, if an underestimated, overlooked joyride.
It's hard not to call The Dark Knight the best trailer ever. In under 60 seconds the whole film is more or less set up. There's the mob, Batman, Alfred, and Heath Ledger was the perfect choice for The Joker, so let's go ahead and retire the Brokeback Batman jokes and expect awesomeness.
Red Eye gets bonus points for the mislead. It starts out looking like a by the numbers romance, and then C. Murph eyes's get all red. The only set up you need for the film is 1. Rachael McAdams is cute, flustered, and innocent. 2. There's a plane. 3. Cillian Murphy is not to be trusted. He's probably up to something. Something devious.
Too often trailers fall into what my friend Jonny refers to as "The Italian Job Trap"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvj9vhA8ixY
Alright, so there's a heist. Cool, cool. Oops, looks like Edward Norton betrays and kills D. Sutherland. Alright, alright. The gang's out for revenge, picking up Sutherland's daughter for the ride. Fun, fun. There's some plotting, there's some planning. Things are heating up. Stop traffic, direct the truck full of money. Okay, okay. There the truck...falling through the street. Seth Green celebrating. Edward Norton screams out where's my money. C. Thereon punches Edward Norton.
That's the entire movie. It's a good movie, I like it. And now, thanks for the trailer, no one really has to watch it to find out what happens. We've all saved an enormous amount of time.
Special mention goes to the trailer to National Treasure. The trailer sets up the whole film to be about Nic Cage stealing the Declaration. 30 minutes in, he succeeds. Regardless of how you feel about the movie, it is a nice feeling knowing the you haven't already seen the last hour and a half of the film.
You should think about this, when you're making your directorial debut.
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