Fill in the enquiry form
Tell us the video type, length, format and delivery date. It takes about a minute.
Teaser & Trailer | Make people curious first, tell them second
A trailer's job is not to explain but to create the urge to know more — which makes it harder to cut than the main film.
The rules for a trailer run opposite to those for an ordinary video: give exactly enough information, never all of it. Give too little and the audience has no idea what it is about; give too much and there is no reason left to watch the main film or attend the event.
And a trailer is very short, usually 15 to 60 seconds. Establishing a world, creating suspense and conveying the time and place in that little space means every second has to do work. It is one of the most technically dense types of video to edit.
These situations are a good fit
- Event promotion: teasers for exhibitions, performances and talks
- A suspense-style teaser ahead of a product launch
- A trailer ahead of releasing a film or a content series
- Opening countdown: promotion before a shop or a venue opens
- A short promotional video for course enrolment
- A warm-up video before a crowdfunding project goes live
Common formats and lengths
- 15 seconds: pure suspense, giving only atmosphere and a date
- 30 seconds: the most common, enough to cover the main message
- 60 seconds: a full trailer, including more clips of the content
- Vertical 1080×1920 is the main format for social; a horizontal version is for the website and YouTube
- Usually made as a set: one long version plus several short ones, released in stages
Please prepare these materials
The rules for materials are simple. Just follow whichever one of the options below matches what you have:
1. You already have footage
- Upload the original files to Google Drive, then share the folder link with us
- Please put the files in order first — name them in the order you want them to appear (01, 02, 03…). This step saves a great deal of back-and-forth and makes the quote more accurate
- Please send the original files rather than sending them through a messaging app, which compresses them and costs you quality
2. You do not have footage yet
A simple script is enough. You only need to write down three things:
- From which second to which second
- What is on screen
- What text appears
For example:
0–5 sec | Opening shot (for example an aerial of the setting, the entrance, the product itself) | Text: the brand or topic name
5–12 sec | Main content, camera pushing in slowly | Text: the one line you most want people to remember
12–20 sec | Closing shot | Text: contact details or a call to action
It does not need to be beautifully written, just clear. We will use that script to assess how feasible it is and what the scope of work would be.
3. Other things we can look at (not required)
Below are the supporting materials people often have for this kind of video. They are only a reference, not a requirement. Providing your material in either of the two ways above is enough — having these lets us assess things faster, and not having them makes no difference.
- Shots can also be taken from an existing main film; filming separately is not essential
- The information that has to go in: date, location, registration link, event name
- The feeling you want to create (mysterious, lively, warm, tense…)
- Brand logo, typeface and colours
- The release schedule (if it is to be made as a series)
For anything else, just ask on our official LINE.
How we might approach it
Every project has a different set of materials and a different brief. What is listed below are the approaches commonly used for this kind of video; which of them we actually use, and how far we take them, depends on your material and what you need.
- Information ordered deliberately: atmosphere first, the time and place only at the end, so the audience has a reason to watch to the finish
- Pace that builds: cuts move from slow to fast, peaking in density just before the end
- Sound leads: effects and music carry more weight in a trailer than in an ordinary video
- Title card design: key information is reinforced with animated text, so it still comes across with the sound off
- Planning the series: one set of footage extended into several versions with different angles, for staged release
We do not simply apply a fixed package. We need to see the full picture of the material and the brief first, and only once we have confirmed what can realistically be done do we provide a quotation and a production schedule. That way the price and the delivery date rest on something solid, and you will not get halfway through and find that extras are needed.
How well a trailer works depends heavily on whether the footage itself has any “visual pull”. If what you have is on the static or informational side, we will suggest talking through what is workable rather than forcing out a video that moves fast but has nothing in it.
Process
How we work together
Every project is bespoke, so the process starts with “taking a look first”, not with a price.
Send the material or a script
If you have footage, upload it to Google Drive and put it in order; if you do not, send a simple three-point script (from which second to which second / what is on screen / what text appears).
Assessment and quotation
Once we have seen the full picture of the material and the brief, we confirm what can be done and provide a quotation and production schedule.
Production and delivery
We deliver a first cut on the agreed schedule, and export the finished film once the revisions are confirmed. Working days are counted from confirmation of payment.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Filming has not started yet — can a teaser be made first?
We can look at it. Some trailers are carried by text, motion design and sound effects, without needing live-action footage at all. Tell us what you have to hand and we will propose something workable.
Can the trailer be cut from the main film?
Yes, and it is the most common approach. Once the main film is finished we can extend it into a trailer version; because the footage has already been organised, it is more efficient than making one from scratch.
How many is it best to make at once?
Releasing a series usually works better than a single video. A common approach is “one 30-second main trailer plus two or three 15-second short versions”, released in stages, adding a little more information each time.
Can you take rush jobs?
Trailers are short, so the schedule is relatively flexible. Just tell us the release date you need and we will assess whether it can be fitted in.
How long does it take?
A single trailer takes about 3–7 working days; extending one from an existing main film is quicker.
Thinking about a teaser & trailer?
Email us and we will reply with what else we need to know, then move on to assessment and a quote. LINE works too.