Why was this word “trailer” originally used for these clips?
Why was the timing of trailer showings switched around?
Discussion Questions: When you go to the theatre to watch a film, do you enjoy watching the trailers, or do you wish they would just get on with the show? Do trailers give too much away?
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Trailers Used To Come After the Film
When you go to a theatre to watch a film, you usually see a few trailers before the film. Trailers are short previews designed to get potential viewers interested in an upcoming film. The word “trail” means to come at the end. When trailers were first used in theatres, they were shown after the feature film. In other words, they trailed at the end. Many moviegoers did not stick around to watch these trailers, however, so they were moved to the beginning. Despite this change in showing times, the industry word “trailer” stuck, and is still used today.
A “trailer” is a movie preview that is often shown in a theatre before a feature film.
This word was originally used because these clips were shown after a film. (They trailed at the end.)
The timing of the trailers changed because many moviegoers didn’t stick around to watch the previews. It made more sense to show them before the film.
