With the holidays and 2018 awards season ramping up, Hollywood is releasing its annual explosion of highly anticipated movie trailers, and we cannot seem to get enough!

One thing we all have in common at the Chicago studio is that we LOVE watching movie trailers; who the hell doesn’t? When we were kids, trailers led us to beg our parents to take us to see classics, like “Goodfellas,” “Star Wars,” “Dances with Wolves” or “Dude, Where’s My Car?” (there is one in every group). And when we finally got to the theatre—even more trailers!

One after another, these eye-widening cinematic previews were the delicious bait that lured our young minds into a  world of fantasy, and stamped our memories with fun and imagination.

We were hooked for life.

Now, as adults working in the industry, we enjoy trailers even more, and try to take in each one with a professional appreciation/understanding of storyline and video production.

To us, trailer-creation is an art form, and the reason why there is an entire multi-million dollar industry focused on helping studios and production houses attract the right audiences in four minutes or less. From laboring over music, graphics or text fonts, to selecting the most effective scenes (without giving too much away), building the “perfect” trailer is no simple task, and can take days, weeks or months.

The best part for us viewers is – thanks to the Internet – we no longer have to wait for a TV commercial or radio spot to show us what we’re missing. When a new trailer drops, we rush right to our computers, smart phones or tablets to pull up YouTube or any one of the many trailer-focused sites, like Trailer Addict, to get our fix, and then some. When it comes to watching trailers, there’s no such thing as one and done.

As 2019 approaches, it seems like new trailers are being released by the minute. So, here are a few we give props to:

Captain Marvel:

Yes, the entertainment industry is saturated with caped crusaders and villains battling for the survival of Earth and the human race. But, that’s just because comic books come-to-life are incredible to watch on the big screen, and often visually groundbreaking. The trailer for “Captain Marvel” is no exception:

Mary Poppins Returns:

Talk about stepping back into childhood. It’s clear from the trailer that this film is exceptionally well shot, well acted, and we can’t believe we are seeing Dick Van Dyke dance again! Many of us who have kids can’t wait to share this legendary tale, certain to garner audiences of ALL ages:

Welcome to Marwen:

This trailer is effective because it instantly taps into an emotion we all can relate to; we all know what it is like to feel bullied, and we all dream of overcoming our hang-ups. In this geo-political climate of tension and fear, the trailer’s compelling animation offer a timely, smile-inducing take on how to empower ourselves through imagination:

No doubt, trailers are the calling cards of our films, often dictating success or failure at the box office. Show too much and the story is ruined. Show too little and the audience is alienated. However, when done right, trailers can lead to effective messaging, record sales, and sequels and prequels. In the meantime, they are just plain fun to watch!

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