The purpose of a trailer is to make a bad picture look good and a good one better. (Harris 1953)
According to Lisa Kernan, author of Coming Attractions: Reading American Movie Trailers, a movie trailer is, “a unique narrative of film exhibition, where promotional discourse and narrative pleasure are conjoined.” The first film trailer was premiered at Rye Beach, an amusement park in New York, in 1912. The term “trailer” comes from them being originally placed at the end of feature films. That practice did not last long, due to audience leaving the theater after the films ended . However, the name stuck and trailers are now one of the most important captivating tools that is meant to be manipulate the audience into buying the ‘product’. From the limited literature on trailer studies, it is surprising to know that trailers are labelled as ‘window shopping for films’, short persuasive films, propaganda and film advertising.The interest in trailer structure and content and their impact on audience, are often reduced to the implicit assumption that all trailers are the same in construction, reception and purpose.
On a different perspective, some scholars have studied films and trailers not only from a commercial or creative aspect, but also from an emotional aspect. Film enthusiasts Mary Beth Haralovich and Cathy Root Klaprat describe a trailer as the repackaging the narrative of a film. It is indeed a persuasive and successful formula that allows audience to create an imaginary (as-yet-unseen) film out of these fragments from a trailer and build an emotional bond with the yet-to-be-seen film.
And that is one reason some trailers instantly hook us while some make us lethargic or disconnected from the narrative that film-makers are trying to please us with. Cinema is universal, emotions as well. Consumers of films shape their expectations about films based on the emotions that they are able to built from the trailers they see. Film scholars state that the key to effectively marketing for a film is through emotional branding.
A trailer should not be perceived as a random bunch of scenes put together. It should have a storyline like the film itself. On the surface level, we comment if a trailer is good or bad. Actually, we are commenting on the structure of the trailer content and its impact on us assist to formulate positive or negative comments.
In 2004, Suckfull introduced the construct ‘Modes of reception’. This model explains the diversity of cognitive and emotional processes that occur in us during the viewing of a film trailer. In layman terms, this basically means ‘what factors trigger our mind and heart’ to make us feel good/happy/excited after watching a trailer,and thus increasing our expectations of the film.
Identity Work
This is characterized as a contemplation of personal vital issues that takes place during the reception of movie trailers. Fundamentally, the more connected we feel when the events/characters shown are able to reflect what we have experienced in our own lives. The sub-factor Ego-Involvement stands for a comparison of a movie's content with the recipient's own life.
In Petta, the enirvonment seemed to be a college setting. A place where most of us could connect with- hostel students, friends of those staying in hostels, college, parents of these college-going students, lecturers, siblings who are going to college, even those who have yet to be in a college surrounding or do not have college experience might have heard of one and the events surrounding college (strikes, students protest, those staying near college). College setting is a smart choice by Karthik Subbraj as it is very familiar to almost everyone, not only to viewers in India but to the world audience as well.
Most trailers comprise three distinct sections: the first section introduces the characters and environment in which the film takes place; the second section suggests some form of tension or change in the direction of the storyline; and the final section escalates the pace of the trailer and often alludes to a potential resolution.
Petta has followed this winning formula to a large extent. Let’s see if it is successful. Introduction of characters and environment- We are introduced to all characters including Trisha who appear in the flashback portion. I am not sure if this trailer is cut after the audio launch when Rajini himself has revealed Trisha’s role. If that wasn’t revealed at the audio launch, I would have preferred to not show Trisha’s role in the trailer, hence that might have increased audience curiosity.
Tension- We are shown the friction between Rajini, Vijay Sethupathi, Bobby Simha (who might not be the villain) and Nawaz. The same goes for Nawaz’s character. I would prefer to have atleast one villain character unrevealed. However, revelation of all characters have not really affected the energy and the vibrancy of the trailer. Audience knows the good wins and the evil dies. So having shown most of the characters, now I hope director Karthik Subbraj has done some other magic to the screenplay.
Escalation in the trailer- One of the highlights of this trailer is the use of dialogues, enough punches to captivate the audience. Some dialogues are already trending and have become popular memes- “Naturally”, “Kola Kaanduley Iruken”, “Underwearoda ooda vitruven.”
Socio-Involvement
A comparison of the characters in a movie with the recipient's self is named Socio-Involvement. Successful Rajini films have this segment very well-incorporated in his films- Paalkaaran in Annamalai, factory worker in Mannan, Auto-driver in Baasha, Doctor in Chandramukhi, Scientist in Endhiran1. Even in films like Chandramukhi, where we don’t see Rajini working in a clinic, we still adore him because we know what his world is. He is doing something for a living. Something that we know it exists. A fundamental element that I felt, was lacking in films like Kaala and Kabali and thus quite evident in its trailer success and films finally. Despite being a walking gangster in Kabali and a sit-at-the-verandah don in Kaala, we aren’t socially involved with the protaganist in the film. It is not just the job or occupation, but the world that the protaganist is in, and how closely we are to that world, plays a significant role in a film and the trailer.
Brilliantly in Petta trailer, they have established Rajini as a hostel warden. We see interactions with students. He cycles leisurely (something that we connect more with, than seeing larger-than-life heroes in jeeps all the time. Anytime we love a Annamalai cycling than a Kabali in a car) He drinks coffee/tea. He listens to radio (in the beginning shot) All these details might seem trivial but it does bring a lot to how the audience connect emotionally and involve with the characters on the screen.
However, the social connection with Simran’s character isn’t that strong enough with the audience, atleast for me, it hasn't worked quite well yet. I mean we are talking Tamil films and trailers- we are still struggling to see strong women characters on screen. With the Iraiviness in Karthik Subbraj, I assume he has more to show in the film for Simran. Right now, I know Simran is Rajini’s pair. They walk in the forest which I would say is one of the beautiful shots of 2019.
Simran comforts Rajini to be comfortable in one of the scenes in the trailer- probably she works in the hostel or college.
In a nutshell, the Identity work in Petta trailer has massive strengths compared to the last few Rajini film trailers and I hope my other expectations are fulfilled in the final product.
In-Emotions
To be diegetically involved means..
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