Abstract

Trailers of modern and contemporary movies present pathways, previews of upcoming movies. These micronarrations disrupt the space-time order of the plot in a new (fictive) narrative track. This common destructuring provides the film with an opportunistic reconstruction; and a consistent “trailer aesthetic” is often achieved through voice-over or music leitmotiv. ¹ According to Genette, ² the trailer belongs to the “paratext” (or better still the “public epitext” like press books or playbills), ³ and lies in the blurred area not only of “transition,” but also “transaction,” a communication strategy and practice defined by the presence of the author’s (or their financial sponsor’s) intention and responsibility. The trailer is a strategic communication that creates hype for the film while drawing the attention of its future audiences. Besides promoting the upcoming movie, paratexts work as reading instructions: they provide potential audiences with an early understanding of the film’s genre and theme, and open a cognitive and affective challenge linked to a viewer’s curiosity about the film.