1. Teaser Trailers

3. Teasers, as they are called, are typically released months in advance, sometimes as much as 18 months before the expected release date of the film, and they are used to build anticipation and curiosity about the films they advertise.

5. How long should it be? Movie teasers, unlike typical theatrical trailers, are usually very short in length (between 30–60 seconds) and usually contain little, if any, actual footage from the film. Sometimes, it is merely a truncated version of a theatrical trailer. Tester trailers are usually only made for big-budget and popularly themed movies. Their purpose is less to tell the audience about a movie's content than simply to let them know that the movie is coming up in the near future, and to add to the hype of the upcoming release. Teaser trailers are often made while the film is still in production or being edited and as a result they may feature scenes or alternate versions of scenes that are not in the finished film. Other ones (notably Pixar films) have scenes made for use in the trailer only. Teaser trailers today are increasingly focused on internet downloading and the convention circuit.

6. What is their function on their audience? Some companies like to make teasers which literally tease their audiences with puzzles and cryptic references. For example, a teaser trailer might flash a few key images, followed by a title card with the date. Viewers are supposed to recognize the images, and infer that the date is the projected release date. This works best for iconic films and films in a series, as viewers become familiar with specific symbols. A classic example of this type of teaser trailer would be a promotion of a Batman film which flashed the famous Batman symbol on the screen, followed by a date.

7. What is their function on their audience? Teaser trailers may also include hints and clues which viewers can follow, if they feel so inclined. It is becoming increasingly popular to include web addresses in teaser trailers, so that viewers can go look up the film online, and some movies had used these addresses as a jumping-off point to involve viewers in an alternate reality game or series of puzzles, thereby drawing them into the story of the film. Others offer viewers the opportunity to sign up on a mailing list for news about the film, including notifications when longer movie trailers are released.

8. The marketing perspective From a marketing perspective, the teaser trailer is a brilliant tool. The brief advertisement is usually not terribly costly to make or expensive to air on television, and it can suck viewers in, getting people hyped up about a movie months before it is released. Teaser trailers are often used to promote big budget films, with the goal of getting a return on the investment as quickly as possible, and they are also utilized to increase fan interest in major series or eagerly-awaited film adaptations of books or continuations of television shows.

9. References http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-teaser-trailer.htm