Editing Trailers: Seven Essential Rules

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Sign up here to receive our latest instructional video while it’s still free. This the best trailer editing tutorial out there! It includes specific guidelines along with visual examples from successful documentary trailers.  

Testimonials

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What Filmmakers Are Saying...

“This class gave me a treasure of insight into story structure, exceeding my expectations. I would recommend this class to anybody, seasoned or not, for structuring storytelling in films, whether fiction or non-fiction.”
– Dennis Brown, Director

“This class was perfectly structured and paced, with excellently chosen and well-integrated film clips. The handouts were invaluable and the instructor conducted herself w/ gentle authority, patience, and generosity. I would recommend this class to any aspiring filmmaker irrespective of age, skill level or preferred genre.”
– Ken Paul Rosenthal, Director

“Karen’s ‘Editing the Character-Driven Documentary’ class was outstanding and extremely helpful to me! It was well organized, well structured, with clear instruction points, and good shot clips used for instructional examples. I would recommend this class because the story arc is very clearly explained. It was easy to immediately see how I could apply it to my own film, and easy to see which elements I am missing. Karen is really good at helping people to feel good about their contributions, but also able to skillfully bring the class discussion back to the main questions.”
— Tiffany Higgins, Director

“This class has exceeded my expectations. It was organized, clear, participatory and continuously inviting us to relate what we had learned to our own projects. Karen was thoughtful and engaging, and kept us on track. I would recommend this class because it gives a thorough overview of how to recognize, understand, and apply concepts of story structure. It has clarified how I might do this in a documentary, and that the results are incredibly effective in engaging the audience and yourself as you go through the film making process. People who are in any stage of a project would benefit from this class.”
– Lauren Veen, Director

“Karen’s ‘Editing the Character-Driven Documentary’ class was out-standing. I loved all of the valuable structure information about using a protagonist and ‘Acts’. I especially enjoyed participating in the analysis of the chosen film clips.”
– Alicia Hernandez, Director

“This class was excellent and exactly what I was looking for. It was clear and concise with great filmic examples. I think any documentarian would benefit if they are looking to tell a more compelling story.”
— Ed Herzog, Director

“Karen Everett’s course was more informative than I could have imagined. It transformed my thinking and approach to making my documentary. Anyone with a story to tell or an idea to explore would benefit especially if they took the course before shooting. It helps with planning and prevents filmmakers from wasting time and funds.”
— Jen Burke, Director

“The seminar was an invaluable tool for me, helping me right at the point where I most needed that type of support. I reworked the film into a more clear three-act structure and added a clear inciting moment — and I believe the film is much, much better for it.”
–Jeff Nachtigal, Director

“As someone with no formal background in film, I truly believe I’ve learned so much about documentary filmmaking in just a weekend and I see myself applying many of the workshop lessons to my projects. The content and structure of the class was well prepared and brilliantly delivered. Thank you so much for a great experience and further inspiring me to make great films!”
— Chanelle Pearson, Director

“Karen’s class more than met my expectations. The material was very relevant and the presentation was clear and concise.”
— Claire Koffel, Director

“This class was very organized and practical. It will help filmmakers move their stories forward whether they are beginners or advanced.”
–Irene Stark, Director

“Karen’s class was a very informative and amazing course. My expectations were not only met, but exceeded. I would recommend this class solely on the basis of what you will come away with at the end, and that is a new way of thinking about documentaries in terms of structuring them.”
— Steven Armstrong, , Director

“I loved this class and appreciated Karen’s depth of knowledge, interaction with the students, and keeping everything on schedule. This class is great for anyone at any stage of creating a documentary film because it helped me understand what makes a story compelling and universal, and that is what any filmmaker strives for.”
— Toni Truong, Director

“This class was excellent! Absolutely. It exceeded my expectations over and above. Karen seems genuinely interested in our participation and feedback. The film examples made me think, rather than feel like a passive viewer. Anybody struggling with focus and direction on their project will benefit from this class.”
— Barbara Klutines, Director

“This class has exceeded my expectations. It is structured with clear goals set. I really love the use of film clips because of the discussion that follows. The class has taught me to look at documentaries in ways that I haven’t before. I would recommend this class not only because there is so much useful and well-organized information being taught but because the instructor is very approachable.”
— Ashley McGraw, San Francisco, CA

“This class was thick with excellent information. It definitely met my expectations, and I liked the variation of materials: hand-outs, clips, lecture and discussion, which made the experience engaging and stimulating.”
– Jo Nemoyten, Director

“I loved this class. It was very helpful and met my expectations. I especially liked that the information was repeated through exercises.”
– Anjali deBellefroid, Director

“This was a very well rounded class that exceeded my expectations in the professionalism of the instructor and students. Examining clips, reviewing concepts of the 3-act structure, and talking about specific student films was particularly helpful.”
– Jeffrey Braverman, Director

“This class was filled with easily assimilated information and would even be interesting to somebody who hasn’t studied film yet. The discussions between Karen and the students were particularly helpful.”
– Roberta Walker, Director

“I liked the willingness of Karen to talk about a variety of issues not strictly relating to the 3-Act structure, and show how to make those issues work within a narrative.”
– Anastasia Dodson, Director

“I loved this class! I have very little filmmaking experience, but I loved how I could participate with others who were much more experienced. The time built in for discussion of case studies made learning and applying concepts more concrete.”
– Frances Kennedy, Director

“I have to tell you … I LOVED YOUR CLASS! I was like a sponge soaking up all the wonderful knowledge and experience you shared. You created a space that was safe, dynamic, interesting, and truly educational. I felt like all of your material was both well thought out and rooted in direct hands-on experience.”
– Anthony Case, Director

“This class is extremely useful. It certainly met my hopes and expectations. It especially helped translate narrative structure into real world documentary storytelling by showing and discussing examples of inciting incidents and climaxes.”
– Marnie Crawford Samuelson, Director

“This class was very focused and gave enough time to tackle the issue of structure, and offer vital information on how to create a character-driven documentary. Knowing how complicated film can be, I thought the class was going to be very basic, but it covered more than I expected in an accessible way.”
– Sugriel Reyes, Director

“Karen’s class was transformative in so many ways … I have been engaged with my film project in a very different way from before taking the class. I have actually tapped back into the root of my film and am asking, searching, & contemplating some very serious core themes. This is golden!”
– Anthony Black, Director

“This class is excellent! Karen is a true professional in her field”
– Stanford Martin, Director

“This was a very well-organized class with great pacing. Karen is a very knowledgeable and professional teacher, and I’d like to take future classes with her. She’s very giving and accepting with her students at all levels of documentary filmmaking. This was more than I expected and I’m very pleased! I hope to use her services for my future documentary.”
– Jude Sullivan, Director

“I wish I had taken this class years ago; it would have helped refine my ideas, sharpen my thinking and given me the essential tools with which to develop my idea into a tight story. The instructor’s demeanor is calm, well-organized and confident.
— Mary Letterii, Director

“This class taught me how to structure a character-driven documentary, which is something that film classes at USC never taught me. It exceeded all my expectations.”
— David Rocha, Director

“I feel like I have gotten a graduate level course in character study and can confidently attack the structure of any documentary that I would work on in a very productive way.”
–Kelly Riggio, Director

“The information is so helpful and unique in its approach. Karen gave me a thoughtful and strategic workflow.”
— Amanda Larson, Director

“This class was fantastic—very clear and practical advice which was exactly what I wanted and needed.”
— Kevin Gordon, Director

“The class was very rich and definitely worth the money. Karen was incredibly thoughtful and clearly an expert.”
–Heather Gwaltney, Director

“Karen has a great demeanor, very open and accessible.”
– Peter Hwoschinsky, Director

“This class gave me renewed confidence to enter the documentary field again.”
— Ian McIver, Director

“I am so grateful to have taken this course at this juncture in my film development – it’s been incredibly helpful in being able to hone in on certain points in the “narrative arc” which will prove pivotal to the film development – thank you so much!”
— Christiane Robbins, Director

“I was impressed how you were able to take a classmate’s vague story and refine and define it to make the story coherent. You did an excellent job of framing what a good story is; describing and providing clear examples of the elements of a story, what is a good hook is and the different types of stories for documentaries.”
— Martha Walters, Director

“I thoroughly enjoyed taking your workshop this past weekend. You are an amazing instructor who engages with your students and allows them to believe, “We can do this!”
— Jean Phleger, Director

“Loved the class. Great tools were given to build a character driven documentary. The fill-in the blank questions for each act really solidified the concepts.”
— Eric Chong, Director

“I loved the class! I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t really think it would apply to a film I am currently working on and am completely re-inspired to shoot more footage and re-think how to put my own project together.”
— Robert James, , Director, “Libraries of Dust”

“This was a fantastic class. I wish it would continue next weekend. The instructor has an excellent command of this subject matter and has a very organized and well thought out curriculum. I also appreciate the way the class flows with instruction, examples, media, student participation, etc. I also appreciate that time was allocated to address and/or examine the film projects of the students.”
— Virginia McCarthy, Director

“Clear, concise, well-supported in every aspect. Great place. Learned a lot!”
— J Kiefer, Director

“Excellent! Exceeded expectations. The best class I have had at SFFS by FAR! Karen is an excellent teacher as well as an expert documentarian.”
— Chris Langton, Director

“I thought the class was excellent and it succeeded expectations. Gave concrete ideas/items to leave the class with.”
— Scot Robinson, Director