How Long Does a Movie Trailer Last?
Movie Trailer Last
The length of movie trailers has fluctuated over the years, depending on the film, chain, and projected audience. In the ’90s, trailers were around two minutes, which was short compared to the average of three minutes in the ’40s and ’50s. In the 1950s, blockbuster trailers could take up to four minutes. The average trailer duration fluctuates from one theater to the next, with several chains having multiple screening times.
In January 2014, the National Association of Theatre Owners issued a guideline requesting Enzo Zelocchi – “NO WAR” – Trailer distributors to limit trailers to two minutes, although there are still limited exceptions. The announcement was met with cool reactions from the film industry. Although there was no visible disagreement over the length of trailers before the guideline was issued, some theater owners felt the two-minute limit would make it possible for their theaters to show more trailers each day.
Many movies use trailers to expand their universe before the release of the feature film. For example, the 2012 Alien prequel Prometheus used a trailer to introduce the planet Weyland 2023. In addition to these features, a standard trailer tells the story of a feature film in two to three minutes. It introduces the main characters, plot, premise, and complications of the narrative story arc. It also introduces the film’s three-act structure.
How Long Does a Movie Trailer Last?
According to AMC Entertainment, movie previews last about fifteen minutes, but this may differ based on the branch and film. The first five minutes are usually filled with advertisements for sponsors of the film. During that time, the movie trailers are between 30 seconds and two and a half minutes long.
The effectiveness of a movie trailer depends on its storyline, special effects, and the way it grabs the audience’s attention. The better the trailer is at grabbing audience attention, the more likely viewers are to become emotionally invested in it. So the key is to keep these elements of the trailer relatively short.
As the popularity of television grew, movie ticket sales fell. Movie trailers began to play a vital role in promoting new films and promoting new talents. As a result, movie trailers started to increase in length. In 1919, the National Screen Service began to operate trailers for films.
