Tips for Editing A Documentary Trailer

Happy May! Two quick announcements before we get to editing trailers: First, Chicken and Egg Pictures’ Open Call for their 2019 Accelerator Lab is May 3rd.

Second, we have two talented editors coming available mid-May. One cut an award-winning film for PBS, and the other edited a documentary that won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance.

Back to trailer tips! Let’s start by looking at an entertaining example. We recently cut a crowdfunding trailer for filmmaker Anne Taiz about the No Kill Movement. Check out the shot placement, pacing, cute animals, and use of music and sound bursts to create emotionality and interest. Also notice how we edited Anne’s on-camera pitch to feature her most candid moments.

Here are a few tips if you’re editing your own crowdfunding trailer:

Every shot must showcase high production values. Remove shots that are shaky, poorly lit, etc.–unless someone is robbing a bank. More importantly, use only pristine audio.

Add and subtract music intelligently: for punctuation, scene transitions, emotion. Don’t use music with lyrics or a heavy melody; employ open, spare compositions.

For doc trailers, the trend is to use toward narration/exposition sparingly, in the form of title cards rather than voice over.

Your trailer should be well-structured, moving from at least one emotional polarity to its opposite and possibly back again. Rather than give away the film’s ending, try to create a cliff-hanger. Aim for 2-4 minutes.

When adding your own pitch to a crowdfunding trailer, consider bringing in a character, a crew member, or cat, as Anne did! This will keep your delivery real and engaging.