Speaking specifically to the sub topic of "fake trailers" used as a POC showcase for would be productions, I run into a lot of people that have this idea. There are a lot of issues with trying to do things that way, and I end up explaining it over and over. People see a lot of trailers, and those trailers are made a certain way. Making one a completely different way will provide much different results, inferior results, and then it will be judged against people that have done it the right way.
A real trailer is made AFTER you get all the money, and make the entire film. At that point, trailer editing specialists and an R&D consulting firm are brought in, and given the finished film. They take 100 million dollars worth of polished footage, and boil it down to a 90 second hook piece. That's what people are used to seeing.
Fake trailers usually present a very low grade version of what could be the final product, typically trying to ape real trailers using recognizable stings and hits in the soundtrack. It's a tough situation for indie filmmakers, because in general, people just see what you show them, rather than potential. I think it's one of the biggest problems we face, because before you find investment, potential is all you've got.
Both the book, and the storyboard ideas are good. Many shows are sold using a "show bible", which is kind of a combination of the two, with some other aspects. Below is a link where you can find several of the Star Trek show bibles, which are what producers took to the networks to get the shows made. It's a rare opportunity to look at the real thing, and see exactly what they brought in to get an 80 million dollar greenlight.
Long before your favorite TV show makes it onto the air, the show’s writers and producers put together something called a Series Bible, a document that helps guide the crew as they create the…
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