Do Pakistani film trailers get you excited?

Industry stakeholders allude to what’s wrong with what is a matter of minutes

KARACHI:

From the openings shots of the droid BB-8 trailblazing through the deserts of Jakku to images of the new antagonist Kylo Ren, coupled with minor plot points all pointing towards the emergence of hope in shape of Jedi, the clip offers the right blend of information and excitement and captivates even those who never fancied Star Wars movies until today.

This was one of the many trailers released to drum up anticipation for the much-awaited commercial success, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Critics and movie buffs alike cited them as one of the best movie trailers of the year simply because the team behind the $1 billion earning (so far) film had the importance of trailer production taped.



While foreign cinema is reaching new highs and local films are simultaneously picking up pace, trailers are gaining immense significance primarily for promoting the films and rigging the good old word-of-mouth. However, it seems Pakistani film-makers are yet to fully master the nitty-gritty of the motion picture business.

Stakeholders of the industry are of the view that the subtle and vital craft of trailer-making is an area that has ample room for improvement.

Control freaks

Operation 021 and Moor director Jami says although the quality of trailers has improved over time, he admits shortcomings still exist. “It is only in Pakistan that we have the editor, director and producer all involved in the trailer. In foreign film industries, it’s the job of an agency or editor, independent of the film-making process to come up with a trailer,” he tells The Express Tribune. But doesn’t that take control away from the film-maker? “A director cannot explain his film in one sentence. For him, every little detail is important. On the other hand, an outsider would offer the audiences an objective view of the entire film.” Jami says trailer production is also going through a transition; however, he identifies certain must-haves for the cuts. “Information and excitement are two important things. While a trailer should give an insight into the movie, it should also raise questions in the minds of audiences. At the end of the day, it is a marketing tool,” Jami says.





Yasir Jaswal is another director whose film Jalaibee’s trailer made quite a mark when it surfaced online. He is of the view that film-makers in Pakistan pay little attention to trailer production. “If a trailer is unable to stir excitement in two-and-a-half minutes, I doubt the two-and-a-half-hour movie would do the same,” he maintains.

Rules of the game for editing an action sequence are simple —  keep the elements of anticipation, impact and reaction intact. Jami and Jaswal say the same applies to trailer-editing as well.

Highlight reel

Then there are those who say trailers of Pakistani films are simply highlight reels of the movie’s best sequences. Seasoned film editor of post-production house Sharp Image, Rizwan AQ says, “The major problem is that most teasers and trailers cater to only a certain type of audiences.” Citing the example of a recent film, he says, “There was this comedy film that came out a few months ago. Most of the jokes in its trailer were Lahore-centric, which did not appeal to the viewers in Karachi.” He maintains that trailer-making should be outsourced like it is done all over the world.”

With the number of new film-makers on the block only increasing, there is hope that the current state of trailer production in the country will see refinement.

“People are starting to get the hang of it. Even marketers are now starting to develop a keen interest in movies having noticed its commercial potential. Movies like Na Maloom Afraad had great trailers, so hopefully the quality of trailers would improve from now on,” concludes Jami.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 3^rd, 2016.

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