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watch Trailers

TomWilliams

TomWilliams

Hey I have spent a few weeks editing these two fan trailer of the Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and Star Trek (2009). I edited them on Vegas Pro and I think they turned out quite well. I made them by taking segments from the films and splicing them together, adding the music, and the rest, to make two compelling trailers that are authentic and stick to the narrative.

I would like some constructive feedback if possible

Enjoy! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzlfe2-mk0A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUBDhzIBZ60
 
Wow, one of the best trailers I've seen for LOTR :)

I especially like the contrast at the beginning with the peacefulness of the shire.
At the 0:40 mark, following on from the fireworks explosion and sudden change in music, I was expecting something with a little more oomph, just prior to the talk about the ring.
For instance, a well placed shot of the Nazgul searching for Frodo as he hides near the bridge with some heavy darkish music would provide a GREAT segue to Gandalf talking about the ring. I'm talking 1 and a half seconds top.

Apart from that, I think you did an excellent job setting the scene by showing off the landscapes!
You also gave the viewer the impetus behind the plot and an emotional hook (1:30) to make them want more!
Contrast this to a trailer such as In Time (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdadZ_KrZVw) which basically gives away the whole plot as well as all the juicy bits... Why see the movie when the trailer tells you everything!

Overall, great work! I'm gonna have a look at your channel when I get the chance ;)

Edit: I completely missed the point that there were TWO videos! Everything above was for Video # 1 =D
 
mmm LOTR one was okay, but nothing special.

Very impressed with the Star Trek one, though. I'd totally buy a theater ticket, with what that promised. Excellent work.

Fwiw, I tried watching that ST flick when first released on disc. Turned it off after Kirk landed on that snow planet. Pile of crap. However, I think I'll be digging out that disc to see the whole thing through now. :blush:
 
I think those are both top-notch. Nice work!

In my opinion, you dip-to-black and cut-to-black too often, but you should take this comment with a grain of salt, because of course I recognize that those are very common practices for Hollywood trailers.

In fact, seeing as how I've recently gotten into editing trailers, I'd like to know your thoughts on that subject. When do you feel it is appropriate, or the right timing, to dip-/cut-to-black?
 
I really enjoyed both trailers as well!

I guess my only critique would be that in both cases, the shot choices are just a bit too linear. In other words, your shot choices seem to be in almost chronological order to the films. So the build up comes from the first part of the movie, then the turn from later, then the playout from later. I'd cull from other parts of the movies so you don't have as much of a linear looking trailer.

But that's nit-picky on my part... They really are very professional looking. Well done!
 
Cool beans. Seriously, though -- what are your thoughts on when and why to use dip-to-blacks, and cut-to-blacks?

I've now cut two trailers, and in neither one did I use any black screens. I'm not against it, and in fact I do think I should add that tool to my arsenal. I just can't decide exactly when and why. What do you think?

Cheers. :)
 
Cracker Funk said:
Cool beans. Seriously, though -- what are your thoughts on when and why to use dip-to-blacks, and cut-to-blacks?

I've now cut two trailers, and in neither one did I use any black screens. I'm not against it, and in fact I do think I should add that tool to my arsenal. I just can't decide exactly when and why. What do you think?

Cheers. :)
Click to expand...

I'll shove my 2 cents in here if you don't mind :)

I generally use the cut-to-black for dramatic emphasis or oomph whilst matching a sound track. If the film involves a family walking through the supermarket for instance, the music picks up at the end as someone pulls a gun to rob the joint. Shot of the pistol firing, cut-to-black as the sound of the gunshot rings out. Then the sound of the ambulance fades in with a typical fast-paced over-the-stretcher shot of the main character being rushed to hospital (ala Carlito's Way). Very effective at changing the tone.

Whilst with dip-to-black, I probably use it most for creating a false dialogue between characters. For instance, you might stitch together different scenes of characters talking at different points of the movie in a way that it sounds like they were actually having a conversation. It's also great for adding some visual stimulus in the same way - nobody wants to watch Gandalf talk for 30 seconds about the One True Ring unless you get some kick ass shots of the Naz'guul or the Orcs taking names interweaved.

So, in contrast to each other:
Cut-To-Black: For swapping scene or changing pace. It's known that there's been a "break", sort of like a chapter in a book.
Dip-To-Black: May also be used as a break, generally not for changing pace. It's use is like a paragraph on a page - a separate part of the whole.

This is just my personal opinion, of course, I've seen plenty of other awesome uses of both techniques and as you know, there are no hard rules for any of this when it comes to creating our art :yes:
 
Hmm... Great thoughts. Thanks for sharing them. :)

I like what you say about using cut-to-black for dramatic effect, and for changing tone. I like what you say about using dip-to-blacks to fake a conversation.

I'm not so sure I agree with the bit about using a dip-to-black just to get some shots of the naz'guul and orcs. I don't see why you can't just do a straight-cut to them, with Gandolf's narration staying continuous over the top.

I completely agree that there are no rules. Lots of tools at your disposal, and you should use whichever ones work for each situation. I think the recent "Dragon Tattoo" trailer is an excellent example of a trailer that just completely bucks tradition, yet works very well.
 
Well I can see what you mean! Perhaps it wasn't the best example as the feeling of the LOTR movies works well with a straight cut.

Perhaps if we think of something a bit more sensitive, dramatic or slow like "50/50" or a wedding video. In that case, you'd probably swap it to a white instead of black, and have a slower transition through-out. Then you could have some slow-mo scenes of the broom running around as a young lad, whilst his strapping new wife reads out her heart-felt vows interweaved with 1st and 2nd camera of the reception.

Thanks for posting the Dragon Tattoo trailer, I'm a HUGE fan of films which do well despite breaking conventions. Why do you think it goes well with this particular film? Is it because of the genre? I also know that there's a huge amount of publicity generated straight from the books. Do you think if WB released a trailer like this for The Dark Knight Rises that it would also fit??

I've actually added TGWTDT to the list of films to go and see with my significant other - any idea if they left it in the original language?
 
Hmm, I like your take on the cut-to-black thing. I never really thought about it like that. I just used it so often because it looked cool at the time. Well now I know how to use it for better effect. Awesome! :)

Oh by the way, I had a serious case of creative block when editing the Star Trek trailer. I didn't know what was wrong with me at the time! I spent a long, long time working my way through various audio tracks and video clips from the film to see what looked/sounded good. Nothing worked and it was like that for a long time. But I got there in the end. :P

Do you guys ever get that creative block? I'm just starting to take my film making very seriously and I just wanted to know what you guys have experienced and over come. :)
 
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