Teaser Trailers: Difference to Theatrical Trailer

Teaser trailers are always shorter in length compared to their final theatrical trailer. The teasers are often released before all the final footage has been complete therefore some of the short takes in the teaser may be different in the theatrical trailer or the final movie. I.e. Predators (2010) we see Royce (Adrien Brody) targeted by numerous 3 dot sequences all over his body. However in the finished movie, this is not the final cut.
Most teasers tend to be around the one minute mark, give or take a few seconds, although some can lead up to around one minute thirty seconds and very few up to a full length trailer, I.e. Avatar (2009) which is two minutes 10 seconds as a teaser. Original features tend to give away more than sequel teaser trailers; this is because they are trying to draw in a certain horror audience fan base. However if the movie goes on to make a sequel they don’t give much away. I.e. The Hills Have Eyes (2007) you only see two strange men pulling two dead bodies through the desert, this lasting for a minute, until it finishes with the movie title. The teaser therefore like most leaving the audience unknown to the story plot/motive, leading us wanting to go and see the movie on the big screen.
Some original teaser trailers like to have an exclusive look, quite like sequels, giving away nothing of the story narrative. I.e. Buried (2010) is all a black screen with a voice over, up until the end when the thought to be main character ‘Ryan Reynolds’ (Just Friends, Smoking aces) flicks his lighter on to find he’s trapped in a box, unknown to where he is.
Teasers quite often have production values included, Any big stars in the film, I.e. Johnny Depp, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro etc. or leading directors, I.e. Steven Speilberg, James Cameron and Martin Scorcese. All of these actors/directors names included as inter-titles.