As part of the BUMA Music in Motion event, Tom was a panel speaker at Tolhuistuin in Amsterdam.
Set up as a “The Art of Selling a Film in Music”, Tom spoke with Bobby Gumm of Trailer Park [USA], Peter Alderliesten [NL] and Gary Smith [FR] on the challenges of music in sync.
Contrary to popular belief, the music in movie trailers is not taken from the film. In a good trailer, the music must have a momentum or at least some kind of pulse that constantly moves the action forward…after all, what’s a good movie trailer without a killer song to drive home all the explosions and action scenes? A trailer usually features at least three tracks, with a typical formula featuring a soft start that builds, leading to a climax that fades and hopefully leaves people stunned. It is, in effect, a two minute advert for the movie, and the trailer score has to primarily serve that marketing need. The action and dialogue might be the core of the trailer, but the pacing and the emotions conveyed are often dictated by the music, which, edited together with the visuals, forms an important basis for branding the film. BMiM has assembled a team of experts who will be revealing how they work, as well as where they see trailers heading now that so many films have more than one preview, and often get a first release online.
Does more spots mean more opportunities? How can you and your music benefit? This panel reveals everything you need to know about scoring trailers.