A few weeks ago we finally got an official trailer up for Bots High. There had been one up for a while (well, first it was a teaser, then a trailer). The problem is it took way too long to get to the action.
Here’s the old trailer:
And below you can see the hot spot graph:
What's Hot and What's Not?
Unsurprisingly, attention peaks when robots start beating each other up. But it takes way too long to get to that. So Andrew and I cut a new one, one that gets to the action immediately and also gives you more of an idea of what the film is about.
The only major debate we had was what should be at the very beginning. Andrew was in favor of some sort of fake MPAA “This Trailer has Been Approved for All Audiences,” to give people a moment to get in the mood of trailer watching. I agree with that for watching something in a theater, and there have been times that I’ve played Bots High and wished there was something in the beginning, like a studio bumper. But in the world of web video, seconds matter and there’s no reason to add more seconds to the video with a fake MPAA warning.
The moment between deciding to watch the movie and clickling play is the period the viewer can get in trailer watching mode.
Chris from /Film really dug it.
What really struck me about this trailer is that not only does it look better than a lot of indie trailers I get sent in the mail, but it is crystal clear about what it’s going to show you: four robots, three teams, two schools. The opening is like a little sizzle reel as it gives you a taste of the robot destruction that’s coming. We launch into an explanation of how we got here and it’s done with sharp attention to economy, no unnecessary filler here…
The trailer is snappy thanks to some quick, but not freakishly ADD infused, editing and the way in which we move from competitions to interviews to quiet moments of reflection. It never feels jarring and for that I say this is one of the better trailers I’ve seen all month.
