The last few weeks have seen a barrage of must-see trailers, the release of which often became news in its own right. The internet crowded around to see the first looks at the new Star Wars film, the return to the World of Jurassic Park and below we have an exclusive look at the social report card for the top ten trailers of this year.
JJ Abrams is a master of the tease and his first unveiling of the new Star Wars film was a defining moment in 2014. Not only did the trailer views shoot up with terrifying speed but the delay between the inevitable parodies and breakdowns was far shorter than in previous years.
These trailers are a marketer’s dream and this breakdown is a sign that the internet has changed movie making and movie marketing forever. In an age when new films are greenlit or PR’d on the basis of trailer views on YouTube you can well believe that you, as an audience collectively and personally, are being targeting with increasing precision.
The summation of social buzz and YouTube stats below have one or two surprises amongst the usual patterns. First and foremost the line is usually this: Hollywood is run for the average American teenager, and the measure of this is borne out below with Star Wars, the Avengers, TMNT, the Hobbit and so on. However Fifty Shades of Grey, and to a lesser extent The Fault in Our Stars, show a slant away from the perceived wisdom.
That every single film mentioned below is based on a pre-existing material is not a surprise. For many of us seeing how a favourite book is adapted, or how a preferred series is continued is part of the fun. But it’s galling to imagine an original film tentatively setting its boat out on the crowded waters.
Thanks to Way to Blue for this infographic and for evoking Nick Drake each and every day.
The trailers:
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Fifty Shades of Grey
The Fault in Our Stars
Fast and Furious 7
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Jurassic World
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part One
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Cinderella
