Indiantelevision.com Team

(28 May 2008 7:30 pm)

MUMBAI: In the world of entertainment branding and promotion, where promos and trailers create viewer perceptions, teasers play a very vital role when it comes to films and their marketing.

While speaking on the impact that teasers have upon viewer at the Promaxbda India conference today, Frame by Frame creative director Anita Olan said: “A teaser is all about illusion and aura. Its about creating that ‘glimpse of mystery’ about the film just before its theatrical release that will eventually attract more audiences to the theatre with a motive to demystify the perception created."

A teaser for a film is essentially created to drive in the maximum number of viewers to the theatre in the first week of the film’s release. “This is because post week one, the fate of the film at the box office completely depends upon its content,” elaborated Olan.

Thus, by using effective teasers, producers seek to drive in maximum viewers for the film during the first week and generate maximum revenue.

“Creating a teaser for any film involves huge financial risk. Hence, creating it effectively becomes a must. An effective teaser needs to create a lot of anticipation. It needs to mock, annoy and arouse. Ideas need to be spinned off differently and effectively. A well knitted teaser should not steal any scene from the movie; however it has to get the core idea right.”

To explain her statement further, Olan screened “The Blair Witch Project” teaser during the session. The teaser of this low-budget American horror film released in 1999 showed an “absolute black” screen powered by a strong voice over. The voice over was filled with “intense fear that generated post the completion of a summer project.”

“The teaser does not speak anything about the film. It only throws a punch of fear at the audience, thus encapsulating the core idea of the film…fear. This is what an effective teaser is all about. It creates a mystery about the film thereby calling the viewers to watch the film and demystify the mystical.”

Finally, Olan ended her session by declaring that one can create an effective teaser only if “the mind is ready to bend the rules.”

“Teasers are always the best way to engage the curious viewer. And to tempt, engage, and create anticipation amongst the viewers, creatives need to build effective teasers. Also remember, it’s always ok to mislead. In fact deceive the viewer first, only to leave him with a surprise at the end,” Olan ended.