Dystopian Trailer

The Matrix, Larry Witchowsky. R, 1999

The Matrix depicts a futuristic society in which the entire human population lives in a dream world and are actually being controlled and slowly eaten by a robot population. The main character, Neo, is released from this dream world with the hopes of being the "chosen one" and joins the human resistance against the machines.

This is a fantastic trailer that features many qualities of effective dystopian trailers. It features voice overs from explanatory parts of the movie but couples them with action scenes in order to establish the premise of the movie while simultaneously attracting viewers and impressing them with special effects and action sequences. The trailer also uses music very effectively, featuring several dramatic sequences that elevate the mood and excitement of the viewer. It has many short shots in order to give more of a fast paced preview to the film. I plan on having a similar trailer for my film. Instead of long scenes, I plan to use voice overs and music as audio for more exciting visual sequences with quick cuts. The Matrix trailer also features a line at the end that says "it is impossible to explain what the matrix is, one must see it for himself." This is an excellent cliffhanger and makes the viewer want to see the movie. While we won't actually be filming the movie, I want a similar effect with my trailer that leaves the viewer wanting more.