Rogue One- Thinking And Writing

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, as well as the new Star Wars films in general, may be redefining the creation of trailers in Hollywood and America. The trailers are so well made that they regularly attain millions of views in the first few days, if not hours. In fact, the first Rogue One trailer had an astounding 30 million views on YouTube in a just three days. The Rogue One Trailer is revolutionizing how trailers are made, the narrative arc within the trailer, and what is revealed and what is not revealed. The impeccable use of these elements is masterfully done. The trailers also use editing of certain shots and the use of sound to create a certain tone and depth to the brief two minutes.

The most important aspect in a trailer in my opinion is the use of the sound. Sound is responsible for at least 90% of the immersion of an audience in a film. Many of the iconic trailers that date back to the 1970s relied heavily on sound to create tone and mood. This heightens and sets expectations for the film being displayed in the trailer. When I think of an incredible use of sound, I am reminded of the teaser trailer for Alien with the memorable tagline: “In space, no one can hear you scream.” The Rogue One teaser trailer uses subtle chords and bass to establish a sense of urgency in the first few seconds of the trailer. Then, we hear the iconic Death Star warning siren pound over the screen and images. Additionally, the speech by Forest Whitaker leaves the viewer in awe. Finally, the beautiful subtle use of Vader’s breathing as Whitaker finishes his speech and we are left with the shot of Felicity Jones, clad in imperial armor, looking over her shoulder.

This beautiful use of sound and editing combine to create an incredible first teaser trailer for the film. We also see the mysterious antagonist in a beautiful shot of him walking across the water towards wreckage. The next trailer is where they take the marketing campaign for Rogue One to a new level of trailer art.

The second trailer immediately establishes one of the plot points of the film which is that they are searching for the plans to the Death Star. Characters are methodically introduced, as well as their possible motives for joining Jyn in her mission to seize the Death Star plans. And, of course, Vader is revealed in the final shot of the trailer. This trailer sets a tone of adventure, growth, and urgency for the film. Stunning shots of action sequences, character exposition, and a beautiful rendition of the classic Star Wars Force theme subjects the viewer to a new take on the Star Wars universe. 

Disney and Star Wars have also released collaborative shorts that detail the production and work that goes on during set hours. These ‘celebration reels’ allow avid fans an inside look to the perspective of Director and Actors involved in the film as well as all those working on set. The creation behind shots and elements of the story are fascinating in themselves and really allow the person viewing the video to gain a newfound respect for the art of filmmaking, particularly in these Star Wars films. Even those who are not fans of the saga can appreciate the effort and work that is put into the film. Simply, it is brilliant marketing for the film. 

Now, these are all wonderful points to why the marketing and trailers for the new Star Wars films by Disney are changing the industry but how? Really, it is because in these trailers the viewer knows a basic plot structure which creates intrigue and mystery. Nothing major is revealed, as compared to other common film trailers in the industry. They don’t need to reveal major plot points in these trailers because they are so incredibly well done. That isn’t to say that those other trailers are poorly made, but rather the argument to be made is that the new Star Wars trailers are creating more intrigue and positive anxiety for the franchise than any other comparable franchise in the industry. Last year, during the theatrical debut of the Force Awakens Trailer on Monday Night Football, tickets for the film sold out in minutes and crashed the Fandango servers. This is even more revealing of the trailers considering Fandango anticipated the number of buyers and upgraded all their servers in preparation for the load. Yet they still crashed within minutes of the trailer debut. This was done by the incredible trailer and I make the bold statement that it will happen again this Fall with Rogue One. The trailers also continue to set view records and create an atmosphere of hope and positivity throughout the fan base, both old and new to the franchise. Ultimately, the use of sound, the editing, the marketing during peak times is brilliant and changing how other franchises choose to market their films. I’m in. All the way.