Quésaco: “trailerization”, or when an older hit increases the notoriety of a trailer
(ETX Daily Up) – In the 19th century, music was only used to make noise in movies. Now he represents an industry unto itself in the world of cinema, as evidenced by the “trailerization”. This trend shows how music producers and composers have become an integral part of the film-making process. Decryption.
“Grease”, “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”, “Stars Wars”, “The Godfather”… It is difficult to list all the soundtracks that marked the history of cinema. That of “Bodyguard” even sold nearly 45 million copies. Even more surprising, the soundtrack’s gross surpassed that of the film starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston — even though it was a theatrical success. The importance of music in a cinematographic work is such that production studios and distributors now pay special attention to trailer soundtracks. Previously, they relied on familiar film scores or ordered new ones. American John Beal was the first to compose a special song for movie trailers in the late 1970s, according to the New York Times. But this expensive practice is gradually being abandoned in favor of “trailerization”.
This English term, derived from the word “trailer” (“trailer” in English), refers to a trend consisting of remixing and remastering hits from the last decades for promotional purposes. The goal: generate interest in movie trailers by tapping into popular music nostalgia. From Judy Garland to the Luniz group
The proof is with the trailer of “The Social Network”, David Fincher’s film about the creation of Facebook. Cinephiles can find a series of images featuring Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg in music. But not just any because it’s a revisit of Radiohead’s “Creep” by Scala and the Kolacny Brothers, a Belgian women’s choir from the city of Aarschot. This new version of the British group’s 1992 hit has partially contributed to the success of this trailer, which has nearly 15 million views on YouTube. “The music in this trailer is absolutely perfect,” read the comments on the video.
This was enough to encourage many film distributors to follow “The Social Network”‘s example by including in the trailers of their new releases melancholy re-interpretations, often performed by a female voice, of songs with which (almost) everyone in the world agrees. Examples include Beyoncé’s airy remix of “Survivor” that marked the trailer for “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” (2017), or the instrumental version of Judy Garland’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” we hear in “Godzilla II – King Monster” (2019). . But the “trailer” track that has garnered the most attention in recent years has been none other than Luniz’s slow version of “I Got 5 on It” that rocked the start of the trailer for “Us” (2019). Many Internet users agree that it adds depth to some of the scenes of Jordan Peele’s horror thriller highlighted in this 2 min 29 sec preview. “It’s one of the most brilliant soundtracks I’ve ever heard. I don’t see how it could be more effective, to be honest,” even said American producer and music critic Joey Nato.
Sanaz Lavaedian, senior vice president of music for trailer production house Mocean, agrees. The “Us” trailer takes a song and rips it to pieces, then rebuilds it to do what the film needs. It was quite innovative,” he told The Times.Dedicated fan community
This trend of “trailerization” shows how much movie trailers have grown in the last decade. And for good reason, it’s no simple promotional medium: it’s the first opportunity to see the film’s accompanying images, and thus create passion among the audience. We consume footage without moderation on the Internet, and more specifically on YouTube, where new trailers appear every day. That’s why it’s important to think through this promotional message carefully so that it says enough about the film it’s presenting, without revealing the essentials of the plot. Music plays a key role in “hooking” audiences and encouraging them to watch the entire film when it is released in theaters or on streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+. “Music is sometimes 80-90% of our creative process. It’s about trying to find the right parts that will inspire and dictate the beat. [de la bande-annonce]set the tone, introduce the characters and the story and hopefully make a strong impression,” Mark Woolen, founder of trailer production house Mark Woolen & Associates, told the American daily.
This special attention to the trailer soundtrack has even spawned a dedicated fan community. They meet frequently on the community platform Reddit and on YouTube to discuss comeback visits and other “trailer” bits that marked them out the most. Ideal for reconciling music lovers and movie buffs.
