Around the start of the 2010s, Nollywood trailers got an upgrade, which meant no more “51 Iweka road onitsha! Grab ya copy nooooow!” It was refreshing. It seemed like the movie industry had picked up a few tips from their foreign counterparts.
However, it’s been years now and nothing has changed. All the trailers now look the same because of certain recurring elements. So if you plan on making a Nollywood-style trailer of your own, here are those recurring elements.
1) Drone/Crane Shots.
ALL THE DRONE/CRANE SHOTS! Throw in many drone/crane shots that makes everyone watching feels nauseous by the end. A quiet conversation at a restaurant? Crane shot. Someone doing laundry? Drone shot. Sex scene? Drone AND crane shot.
2) Make the background music so loud that people struggle to hear what the characters are saying.
Whoever said mood music is supposed to be subtle lied. Take a dramatic song and blare it at the loudest volume possible. Who cares if the viewers aren’t able to hear the bits of dialogue meant to help them understand what the movie is about? WHO CARES??
3) Steamy scenes.
If your movie has sex scenes, put them in the trailer. People have to know that you were willing to “go there.” Remember that Omotola movie from 2017 titled “Alter Ego?” The only reason people remember it is because of the sex scenes (especially the one that took place in the back seat of a car). Don’t dull.
4) Party Scenes
If the Wedding Party and Chief Daddy movies have taught us anything is that Nigerians will lose their minds if you throw any film at them with a big, flashy party in it. If your movie has this, put shots from it into the trailer. Be sure to show off the cast members in pretty clothes trying (and failing) to replicate popular dance moves.
5) Make the entire trailer one long sequence of rapid cuts.
Your trailer has to feel like a jigsaw puzzle. Have so many rapid cuts that viewers will be crazy dizzy by the time the trailer is over and will have no idea what the hell they just watched. People will flock to watch your movie because everyone loves a good mystery.
