Teaser vs Trailer: What’s the Difference?

Moving images have become one of the most popular ways to share an idea, and there are more types of video than ever. You may still be unsure about the difference between a teaser and a trailer — the two you keep running into online.

What is a trailer?

A trailer is a form of advertising that shows clips from an upcoming film. It usually pulls the most interesting, funny, and important moments and edits them into a short film — typically no longer than two and a half minutes. The first film to get a trailer was The Pleasure Seekers in 1913. A trailer is usually built in three parts, stitching together scenes from the beginning, middle, and end so viewers come away with a sense of the story. The idea has spread well beyond film, too — TV shows, books, video games, and theater productions all use it as a marketing tool.

A closer look at the teaser

Teasers and trailers are easy to mix up. They're closely related, since both promote a film headed for cinemas. The key difference is the footage they use: a teaser shows only the most intriguing moments, designed to spark curiosity in anywhere from 13 seconds to a minute.

A teaser can also be made far earlier than a trailer — sometimes one or two years before production even begins. That's possible because a teaser has no storyline; all it needs to do is highlight the film's most entertaining, intriguing features.

Knowing the difference between a teaser and a trailer helps you plan the right campaign. Still have questions? Talk it through with the Konsep Motion team.