Chapter 13. Movie Trailers
From iMovie’s beginning, its raison d’être has been to take your otherwise boring home movies and make them shine with excitement and professionalism. Features like transitions, themes, video effects, titles, editing to a beat, and the Ken Burns effect give your movies a sleek veneer with very little effort on your part; if you attempted the same tasks manually in high-end editing software, it’d take a lot more time and effort than it does in iMovie.
iMovie’s movie-trailers feature is another gigantic leap forward in letting you create awesome movie previews with just a little extra work. In fact, iMovie’s trailers represent a merger of all the things that iMovie has done well for a long time: It combines titles, music, transitions, and artwork to give you professional-looking previews made from all your own footage. And iMovie does all the hard work for you!
A trailer is the “Coming Attractions” preview you see before a feature film, or the TV ad that touts “Transformers 7: Hybrids Gone Mad.” It tells you enough about a movie so that you want to watch the whole thing. Trailers have become a form of entertainment all their own. For almost a decade, Apple, Yahoo, and other Internet bigwigs have dedicated entire websites to trailers for upcoming movies. Major studios even shoot footage just for a movie’s trailer.
iMovie’s trailers are 1- or 2-minute videos that look exactly like Hollywood previews, complete with swelling music, animated credits, and fast intercuts of scenes from the actual movie—only this time, the footage is from your life. The results can be hilarious, because your viewers will recognize the format instantly, or actually tantalizing. If anything can make your casual acquaintances want to see your home movies, this is it.
Note
Apple put a ton of work into making these trailers look and sound great. The background music, for example, was custom-composed for iMovie and recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra. Not bad for a home movie!
Trailer Basics
Trailers aren’t your typical iMovie project, where you start with a clean slate, and your movie is what you make of it—literally. Trailers are highly structured, and you don’t have much control over basic things like shot length, title styles, or other elements.
Once you start playing with iMovie’s Trailers feature, you quickly realize that you have rules to follow. For that reason, it’s good to know what they are. The next couple of sections tour the trailer-builder, but you can skip ahead to Build Your Trailer if you just can’t wait to create a preview.
Tour the Trailer-Builder
To see iMovie’s trailer project, choose File→New Trailer (Shift-⌘-N) or click the + button in the toolbar and choose Trailer. iMovie opens a window that looks a lot like the one for new movie projects (see Figure 13-1). Here, though, you want to choose a style for your preview. Scroll down to see all your options. (You can read more about each one on The Trailers Catalog.)
Once you pick a style, click Create to get started.
You’ll immediately notice that you don’t see a timeline. Instead, you get a notebook with three tabs: Outline, Storyboard, and Shot List. You use these tabs to build your trailer.
The Outline Tab
You record all the basic information for your preview in the Outline tab—the name of your movie, the starring actor(s), and the production credits (Figure 13-2).
You can also name your “studio,” and choose from 11 logos for it (like Glowing Pyramid, Sun Rays Through Clouds, and so on). You can change the logo at any point. iMovie models a few of the logos on those from some of the more famous studios (check out Snowy Mountain Peak, for example).
Note
In iMovie ’11, if you selected the Snowy Mountain Peak logo and named your studio “Paramount,” or if you typed in “Universal” with the Spinning Earth in Space image, iMovie displayed “---” instead. These styles looked so much like real studios’ logos that Apple’s lawyers blocked you from duplicating them. Reason has since prevailed, and iMovie no longer blocks those names matched with those logos.
When you move your cursor over the title sections in the Outline tab—Name and Date, Cast, Studio, and Credits—iMovie previews them in the Viewer. It’s a nice way to see how they’ll look in the final trailer.
The Storyboard Tab
The trailer’s Storyboard tab is where you’ll do most of the work building your preview. It’s the closest thing the trailer-builder has to a timeline. The tab divides your trailer into sections using placeholder headers (like “It’s time to go out and play” from the Pets trailer). They show you how your preview will progress from beginning to end. Within each section, you’ll find premade slots that describe the type of footage best suited to that part of the preview (Medium and Action, for example). Change the headers if you like (see “And he dared to scratch” in Figure 13-3), and then drop your footage into the slots (you can use as many or as few of them as you like).
As you move your cursor across the clips, you can skim them, just as you would event and project footage.
The Shot List Tab
The Shot List tab displays all the shots that go into your trailer, but in a different way from the Storyboard tab. There, iMovie showed you the trailer’s shots according to their sequence in the preview (just as a timeline does). Here, iMovie groups your clips by kind of shot (Action, Landscape, and so on; see Figure 13-4). So why the two views of the same information? Organization. The Shot List tells you how many shots of a certain kind you’ll need so you can search your Event library for just the right stuff. It also tells you the duration of each clip so you’ll know if a shot you’re considering is long enough.
The Trailers Catalog
Apple was generous with its trailer styles—you get 29 to choose from. Each includes a unique set of titles, transitions, and music. The following catalog gives you a rundown of your choices.
Tip
Remember, you can click the Play button on a trailer in the Viewer (Figure 13-1) to preview it—to get a trailer for your trailer, in other words.
Action. Similar movie: The Fast and the Furious. Cast members: 2. Duration: 0:45 (minutes:seconds).
Vacation footage never looked so thrilling. Marked by fast-paced techno music and white-on-red titles, the Action trailer is what your vacation would be if you spent it running from international drug cartels.
Adrenaline. Similar movie: Inception. Cast members: Any. Duration: 1:04.
This trailer is all about intensity. The titles and music make you feel like things are going to happen fast, and the heroes will have only one chance to save the day.
Adventure. Similar movie: Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. Cast members: 1. Duration: 0:54.
We all love movie heroes, and this trailer turns you into one. It focuses on a single person and his quest to do something heroic. Feel free to use this trailer ironically if you filmed your husband finally taking out the garbage.
Blockbuster. Similar movie: Jurassic Park. Cast members: 2–6. Duration: 0:54.
If you’ve been to a remote, exotic location facing dangers never before encountered by human beings, or if you just had a blast at the local water park, this is the trailer for you. It features ominous music that swells to a magnificent climax.
Bollywood. Similar movie: Chennai Express. Cast members: Any. Duration: 1:07.
Pay tribute to India’s booming movie industry. This trailer gives you the chance to make the playful, colorful genre your very own.
Coming of Age. Similar movie: The Spectacular Now. Cast members: Any. Duration: 1:03.
Everyone relates to those pivotal growing-up moments. This trailer evokes all those precious memories.
Documentary. Similar movie: Deep Blue. Cast members: 2. Duration: 1:07.
Clean lines and Philip Glass-esque music just scream sophistication. If that’s what you’re going for, choose the Documentary trailer. It makes even the backyard swing set look pivotal for humanity’s future.
Epic Drama. Similar movie: Gladiator. Cast members: 1. Duration: 1:06.
If you’ve ever seen the movie Gladiator, you’ve seen this trailer. The triumphant music is absolutely spot-on. Feel free to use it even if you don’t conquer insurmountable odds.
Expedition. Similar movie: National Treasure. Cast members: 2–6. Duration: 1:02.
Once upon a time, the world was full of unexplored places, some hiding ancient treasures. Of course, along the way your heroes will overcome dangers unknown, and this trailer does their story justice.
Fairy Tale. Similar movie: Sleeping Beauty. Cast members: Any. Duration: 1:02.
A trailer fit for princes and princesses. This one evokes all the magic and splendor of the phrase “Once upon a time.”
Family. Similar movie: Cheaper by the Dozen. Cast members: 2–6. Duration: 1:19.
Ask any parent. Sometimes the mundane life is anything but. If your family is goofy, hectic, and full of surprises, this trailer style will feel right at home.
Film Noir. Similar movie: The Maltese Falcon. Cast members: 2. Duration: 1:19.
Real movie trailers looked like this for about three decades. From The Maltese Falcon all the way to North by Northwest, this classic trailer pays tribute to the dark, brooding films that defined the noir genre.
Friendship. Similar movie: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Cast members: 2–6. Duration: 0:54.
Sometimes feel-good movies are just what the doctor ordered, and the Friendship trailer has feel-good all over it. You don’t even have to come of age or form lifelong bonds to use this cheerful preview.
Holiday. Similar movie: Deck the Halls. Cast members: 1. Duration: 1:17.
Sleigh bells. Red-and-white titles. It’s a great trailer, even if your Christmas miracle was just surviving the family ski trip.
Indie. Similar movie: 500 Days of Summer. Cast members: 2. Duration: 0:59.
Indie movies, short for independent films, are popular. Quirky, fun titles in this trailer style tell a classic but off-beat story of boy meets girl.
Love Story. Similar movie: The Notebook. Cast members: 2. Duration: 1:31.
In the movie world, true love is hard to find and easy to lose. You can pay tribute to real true love with this trailer. Imagine taking old photos and home movies of your parents and putting this trailer together for their anniversary.
Narrative. Similar movie: The Impossible. Cast members: Any. Duration: 1:34.
If you’ve recently filmed a triumph of the human spirit (maybe your son won the school spelling bee, against all odds), this trailer tells the tale of the accomplishment.
Pets. Similar movie: My Dog Skip. Cast members: 1. Duration: 1:07.
If a member of your family is furry (and not because he needs to shave), the Pets trailer is a great way to pay tribute to your four-footed friend. The music is cheerful and meaningful. The paw prints in the titles add a great touch.
Retro. Similar movie: The Pink Panther. Cast members: 1. Duration: 0:59.
You’ll need a madcap caper for this trailer. With throwback titles from the ’60s and a jazzy soundtrack to match, it’ll leave you using the word “groovy” a lot.
Romance. Similar movie: The Time Traveler’s Wife. Cast members: 2. Duration: 1:23.
A lot like the Love Story trailer, this one is all about two people who are destined for each other. The titles here are especially heavenly.
Romantic Comedy. Similar movie: Any of dozens of romantic comedies. Cast members: 2. Duration: 0:50.
Romantic comedies are a clichéd genre, but that doesn’t stop people from enjoying them. This trailer nails the motif, especially with the quirky, lighthearted music that suddenly turns meaningful, just like every romance in these movies.
Scary. Similar movie: The Saw series. Cast members: Any. Duration: 1:01.
People like horror movies because they leave you on edge. This trailer stays true to the form with jittery titles and creepy music.
Sports. Similar movie: Miracle. Cast members: Any. Duration: 0:48.
Put your kid’s soccer game into the annals of sports history with this trailer. It showcases dramatic action shots, cheering crowd noises, flashbulb titles, and inspiring fanfare, all essential elements of a great sports movie.
Spy. Similar movie: Any James Bond movie. Cast members: 1. Duration: 1:16.
Every little (and big) kid dreams about being a spy like James Bond. This is your chance. Imagine how much fun you’ll have creating this beat-heavy, fast-moving preview.
Superhero. Similar movie: The Incredibles. Cast members: 2–6. Duration: 0:59.
If you’re a superhero and it’s time for you to reveal your secret identity, this trailer was made for you. It does a nice job of starting with a mild-mannered intro, then ramps up into full action.
Supernatural. Similar movie: The Da Vinci Code. Cast members: Any. Duration: 1:27.
If you recently filmed something mysterious or arcane, like how your baby got out of her crib again, this trailer fits the mood nicely, with ominous music and ethereal titles.
Swashbuckler. Similar movie: Pirates of the Caribbean. Cast members: Any. Duration: 1:03.
Sailing the seven seas in search of buried treasure? iMovie has you covered. The titles in this trailer feature really cool animated maps like you’d see in any pirate movie worth its (sea) salt.
Teen. Similar movie: Something between High School Musical and Juno. Cast members: 2–6. Duration: 1:24.
Ah, high school. A time when cool kids were cool and nerds were nerds. Of course, friendships define that stage of life just as they define this trailer with cute notebook scribblings for titles and a story about stereotype-defying best friends.
Travel. Similar movie: Mr. Bean’s Holiday. Cast members: 2–6. Duration: 1:22.
iMovie calls this one a “fast-paced screwball comedy.” Here’s hoping that not all your vacations fit this description, but if they do, here’s your trailer of choice. It features big, brassy music and bright titles.
Build Your Trailer
Follow these steps to build your trailer:
Choose File→New Trailer (Shift-⌘-N), select a trailer style, and then click Create.
Unlike with themes (Cross Zoom), you can’t change the style of your trailer if you change your mind later.
Fill out the headers in the Outline tab.
This is where you name your movie, cast, studio, and production staff. Click each of the items and type in your custom text.
Click the Shot List tab to review the kind and number of shots you need.
Rather than follow the order of the tabs, go to the Shot List tab next to see what kind of footage you need. The work you did marking clips as Favorites (Mark Clips as Favorites or Rejects) in Chapter 6 pays off here, big time. Use the Favorite setting from the filter menu to pick your shots using just the good stuff.
At this point, you can plug your footage into each shot by clicking a frame in the Shot List and then clicking a spot on your Event footage. iMovie automatically inserts the right size footage for you. Be aware that your shots may not appear in the right order (remember, the Shot List organizes your shots by subject, not by the order in which they appear in your preview). If the order of events matters a lot, you might want to fill in your shots after you switch over to the Storyboard tab.
Click the Storyboard tab and then add your remaining shots.
Just as with the Shot List tab, click a shot and then click the right moment of footage in your Event browser. As you add a shot to each placeholder, iMovie automatically trims the clip to fit the allotted time.
If iMovie doesn’t frame a shot right—say it starts and stops at the wrong times—move your mouse over the clip and click the little blue box that pops up in the bottom-left corner. That brings up the Clip Trimmer (Use the Clip Trimmer), where you can choose a different section of the clip. You can’t, however, change the length of the clip; iMovie locks each clip’s timing so that the cuts sync up with the trailer’s music and titles. If necessary, click the blue button in the top-right of the clip to eject it and start over.
Fill out the trailer titles.
Each trailer includes placeholder titles you can edit (or not) in the Storyboard. If your trailer portrays a boy with special powers embarking on the adventure of a lifetime, for example, you can tell his story in the titles.
To edit title text, click the title in the Storyboard tab and type in your text. Some titles have more than one text box because the trailer uses multiple font styles and sizes (Figure 13-5).
Preview your trailer.
Click
in the Viewer, and you’ll see your trailer
in all its glory. At this point, you can customize things using
the instructions in the next section.Share your trailer.
You share trailers just like you share movies; see Chapters Chapter 15 and Chapter 16 for the details.
Customize Your Trailer
Your editing options for trailers are limited. You can’t change the length of any of the clips, for example. However, you can make some changes in both the Storyboard and Shots List tabs:
Change a clip’s color settings.
As described on Skin Tone Balance, you can adjust a clip’s color tone. For example, if the snow in your shot looks a little blue, iMovie’s automatic white balance will fix it with just one click.
Make audio adjustments to the clip.
iMovie automatically mutes the clips you use in trailers so the majesty of the score shines through. To make a clip’s audio audible, click Adjust in the Viewer toolbar and then follow the instructions on Volume Adjustments.
Apply a video and/or audio effect.
You can apply any of iMovie’s cool video effects, like Aged Film or Hard Light (Video Effects), to trailer clips. The same goes for audio effects, like Cosmic or Telephone (A Word on Audio and Transitions). Click Adjust and then select the effects tool. From there, you can apply whatever effect you want.
Apply stabilization.
If, after building your trailer, you realize that your clips are just way too shaky, you can fix them by applying video stabilization, covered on Video Stabilization.
Convert a Trailer to a Project
If you feel constrained by the limited editing available in the trailer-builder, you can convert your trailer to a regular iMovie project to get all the control you want. You can then save the result as a movie (Sharing Basics), ready for viewing.
Tip
If you want to tap into the unique elements of a trailer—animations, music, and titles—for a regular movie, create a “throwaway” trailer project, embed the elements you want in it, and then copy those elements into your movie project.
To make the conversion, open the trailer and choose File→“Convert Trailer to Movie.” Your trailer looks and works like a normal video project (Figure 13-6), with a few exceptions. You can’t edit the logo titles that begin the trailer. (However, since you’re in regular project mode, you can delete the logo titles and replace them with titles of your own design.) In addition, you can’t change the style of the other titles in the trailer. If you double-click a purple title in the storyboard to edit it (to change the typeface, for example), it looks like the change was made. But when you click the Return key to make the edit permanent, the changes never “take.” The only thing iMovie lets you change in a trailer title are the words that appear there.
Tip
Although the Title tools are useless for editing trailer titles, you can manipulate them in all kinds of other ways, including dragging them around and lengthening or shortening them.
And finally, one feature notable for its absence is the ability to add a voiceover (Narration) to your trailer, which is strange because half of all Hollywood previews use a voiceover. But if you convert your trailer to a movie project, you can be your very own Don LaFontaine. (LaFontaine was, perhaps, the most famous voiceover actor ever, narrating the trailers for almost 5,000 movies.)
What you can do in a trailer converted to a movie is pretty much everything else—change the music, the length of clips, the transitions, the title backgrounds, and so on.
A word of warning, however: Once you convert a trailer to a project, the move is permanent—you can’t turn what is now a movie project back into a trailer. Because this is a one-way street, be sure to add all the elements you want from the trailer-builder before you switch over to the familiar neighborhood of a movie project.
Tip
If you just want to try something out in the project storyboard but you’re not sure you want to leave your trailer behind, then go to your Projects list, select your trailer, and then choose File→Duplicate Project. This creates a copy of your trailer that you can convert to a project, ready for experimentation.