10 Simple Fixes That Would Make Movie Trailers Awesome Again

10. Stop Using Footage You Know Won't Be In The Movie

It's become an increasingly common trait that trailers for big movies contain copious amounts of footage that isn't in the finished film. And, while it's maybe not ruinous like giving away things that are in the movie, it can lead to expectations that can never be matched and twists what once appeared to be solid marketing campaigns into con jobs.

I know why this ostensibly happens - movie trailers are now released so far in advance that the movie is nowhere near finished when the early teasers hit, with special effects shots in progress and the final edit still uncertain - although I'm beginning to get the feeling that moments are being included with the full knowledge they'll not be in the finished film; there's simply too much of franchises like Marvel and Star Wars marketing campaigns not in the movie for it to be an accident.

Look at Maz Kanata. Pretty much every moment from the trailers featuring the character were cut from The Force Awakens, and while that shot of her passing Leia lightsaber was probably still intended to be in the movie when it was shown in the second teaser (released in April), you can't say the same of her all-knowing voice-over in the Final Trailer, which hit only two months ahead of release. That's obvious, targeted misdirection and, when you get down to it, was it really necessary for a film as anticipated as that?