Trailers are not summaries. Trailers are weapons.
AI Trailer Lab
The trailer’s job is simple: create desire, establish confidence, and force the viewer to take the next step (watch / buy / share). AI helps you design structure, beats, VO options, and cut strategies faster.
Target lengths: 15s / 30s / 60s / 90s–2:00
1) Trailer principles (what sells)
Hook in 5 seconds. If not, you lose them.
Show the premise fast. Confusion kills clicks.
Escalate. Each beat adds pressure.
Promise a payoff. Audience must sense the reward.
Don’t spoil. Sell the question, not the answer.
A trailer is an emotional contract: “If you give me time, I will reward you.”
2) 4 trailer structures you can copy
Structure A — Classic 3-Act Trailer
Hook → setup → escalation → peak → title/CTA.
Best for: broad audience
Strength: clarity
Structure B — Mystery/Tease
Atmosphere → questions → glimpses → hard stop.
Best for: thriller/horror
Strength: curiosity
Structure C — Character First
Protagonist’s flaw → desire → collision → promise.
Best for: drama/romance
Strength: emotion
Structure D — Comedy Beat Train
Premise → joke ladder → bigger joke ladder → tag.
Best for: comedy
Strength: shareability
3) Trailer beat sheet (90 seconds)
Use this as your default cut map.
0:00–0:05 HOOK
- Striking image, line, or sound that forces attention.
0:05–0:20 PREMISE
- Who is it about?
- What is the situation / world?
- What do they want?
0:20–0:45 COLLISION
- The obstacle appears.
- The problem gets personal.
- The tone becomes clear.
0:45–1:10 ESCALATION MONTAGE
- Faster cutting.
- Higher stakes.
- Bigger moments.
- Build a question: “How can this possibly end?”
1:10–1:20 PEAK MOMENT
- Most intense beat without spoiling the ending.
1:20–1:30 TITLE + CTA
- Title card, date, “only in theaters” / “streaming” / festival, etc.
If you cannot describe your trailer beats in writing, your cut will wander.
4) Prompt Pack (copy/paste)
Replace the bracketed text with your project.
[A] TRAILER HOOKS (10)
Given this logline: [paste]
Generate 10 trailer hook openings (first 5 seconds).
Rules:
- Specific
- Visual + audio suggestion
- No generic hype
[B] TRAILER BEAT SHEET
Create a 90-second trailer beat sheet using Structure [A/B/C/D].
Include:
- timecode ranges
- what we SEE
- what we HEAR
Project:
Format:
Genre:
Logline:
Tone:
[C] VO / SUPER OPTIONS
Generate 12 short VO lines (or on-screen text supers) that could be used.
Rules:
- No clichés
- Must match genre tone
[D] SPOILER CHECK
List 8 moments NOT to show in the trailer to avoid spoiling.
Story outline:
[paste]
[E] MULTI-LENGTH CUT PLAN
Create cut-down plans for 30s and 15s versions from the 90s trailer.
Include which beats survive and why.
Pro move: generate 10 hook options, then pick 1 and build everything around it.
5) Music & sound strategy (simple rules)
Establish tone early. Music choice tells genre before visuals do.
Use a “build.” Trailers often rise in intensity.
Let silence hit. Silence can be scarier than sound.
Sound design sells impact. Hits, risers, transitions.
Respect rights. Music clearance matters.
Don’t cut to music you can’t legally use unless it’s only for internal pitching.
6) Trailer deliverables (what gets requested)
Trailer master(s): 15s / 30s / 60s / 90–120s (as requested)
Social cutdowns: vertical versions if needed
Captioned versions: accessibility and social autoplay
Music cue sheet: for clearance tracking
Artwork + title cards: matching brand system
Your trailer is part of your distribution package — treat it like a deliverable, not an afterthought.