Movie trailers.. either you love em or you hate em. I personally love em. I love seeing what new movies are going to come out and get an idea of what I'm in for, or what to avoid. A website that always has great movie trailers is Apple. Now I know a lot of people actually plan what time they go to the movies by when the trailers will end. I never understood this! Trailers are an important part of seeing a movie! There is the other end of the spectrum also. Anybody remember Wing Commander? Nope, but some people remember that there was a trailer for Star Wars: Episode 1 before it! Now I wasn't working at the movies then, but I heard that some theatres actually had to make sure people weren't buying tickets just for that purpose. Funny huh?
Now what made me think about this topic?
Well recently a co-worker and I were discussing trailers, and the difference between Red Band and Green Band trailers. What is the difference, you might ask? Well, here's what Wikipedia's article has to say about it:
A green band is an all-green graphic at the beginning of the trailer, usually reading "The following PREVIEW has been approved for ALL AUDIENCES by the Motion Picture Association of America," and sometimes including the movie's MPAA rating. This signifies that the trailer adheres to the standards for motion picture advertising outlined by the MPAA, which includes limitations on foul language and violent, sexual, or otherwise objectionable imagery. Trailers that do not adhere to these guidelines may be issued a red band, (which used to be blood red) which reads "The following PREVIEW has been approved for RESTRICTED AUDIENCES ONLY by the Motion Picture Association of America," and may only be shown before an R-rated, NC-17-rated, or unrated movie. (The Amityville Horror (1979 film) carried this banner[1]). A yellow band is a yellow graphic that reads "The following PREVIEW has been approved ONLY for AGE-APPROPRIATE internet users by the Motion Picture Association of America" (for example, the trailer for Halloween). The MPAA also mandates that trailers not exceed two minutes and thirty seconds in length, and each major studio is given one exception to this rule per year.Does this make a huge difference in the film's appeal? Well I'm going to take a recent example where I think it did, with Resident Evil 3: Extinction. First, here is the green band trailer:
Makes the movie look pretty tame. I mean, you can tell that there are some action sequences and it gives you an idea what the movie will be like, but wait. Here is the red band trailer: Keep in mind that it may not be appropriate for all audiences.. you have been warned.
For those of you who watched it, there is quite a difference in the two huh? I had already planned on seeing the movie before, but after seeing the red band trailer, I knew I would see it, because it seemed so much more exciting. Weird how different those two trailers are huh? Most theatres won't be caught dead playing red band trailers, since there are green band trailers out there which already cause complaints with parents and others. However, I feel that when used in the right setting, red band trailers can be extremely effective!
What do you guys think? If you watched them both, which do you think would be better for the movie's promotion? Sorry I don't have an example of a yellow band trailer to show...
