When it comes to movie trailers, how much is too much? We're used to getting multiple clips and teases of a movie before its release, with each successive trailer revealing more and more information about the movie's plot, and often at least one big moment from the story. Would it be better if trailers offered less, with shorter run-times and fewer plot points?
That question may not be an entirely theoretical one; the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO) is reportedly working on new guidelines seeking to limit both the duration of movie trailers in response to concerns from movie theater owners across America.
The owners are seemingly concerned that the trailers before the feature presentation become too long, running anywhere between two to three minutes, which can often add up to 20 minutes of previews. According to NATO's proposed new guidelines -- which seem to have been leaked by studios unhappy with its suggestions -- trailer length would be capped at a suggested two minutes.
That's not the only thing that the still-unfinished NATO guidelines suggest. Also up for discussion is the timing of trailers, which could be limited to a four-month window before the movie's actual release, according to those who have seen the drafts released to studios. Unsurprisingly, reaction to the suggestions has been split: Theater owners have reacted positively, whereas studios are said to be upset at the possibility of a restriction of important advertising real estate.
As it is, there already are guidelines on trailer length: The Motion Picture Association of America restricts all trailers shown in U.S. theaters to two-and-a-half minutes, with each studio receiving one exception every year as Warner Bros. did with Man of Steel.
However, as has become increasingly apparent in recent years, the importance of the movie theater as a venue for movie trailers appears to be on the wane. Who hasn't seen the trailer for a movie online long before they caught it in a movie theater? It's not unthinkable to imagine a future where trailers exist in multiple forms, with a short two-minute edition in movie theaters sending viewers online for a longer version with more footage.
The larger question then is about the future of the movie trailer and where we watch it. Ultimately, it may not even matter if theater owners or studios win this particular skirmish -- or split the difference and agree on a running time of 2 minutes 15 seconds -- if movie theaters become a secondary market for trailers and advertising.
For now, we'll just have to wait and see ... which is pretty much the entire point of trailers, when it comes down to it.
