Stay ConnectedTrailers are one of the most popular forms of media on the Internet, but very few people know who really makes them, and how much work goes into those 1-3 minutes of footage.
The Cutdown is a podcast about the art of trailer editing, the people working behind the scenes of this unique industry, and the latest news in both movie and game trailers.
Hosted by Hollywood trailer editor Ric Thomas and indie game trailer maker Derek Lieu.
Copyright: © Copyright 2019 Idle Thumbs
Phil Daccord is the legendary trailer editor of The Matrix Trilogy (amongst many many more!) and in this episode we talk about his start as an assistant searching for frames of film in literal bins all the way through being senior editor at Giaronomo Productions and now Creative Director at Ignition Creative. Derek and Ric also discuss the website and trailer for The Matrix Resurrections!
Trailers Discussed: The Matrix Resurrections Trailer 1, The Matrix Teaser, The Matrix Trailer, The Matrix Reloaded Teaser, The Matrix Reloaded Trailer, The Matrix Revolutions International Trailer, The Matrix Revolutions Enter the Matrix Trailer, The Matrix Revolutions Trailer, Alice Through the Looking Glass Trailer #2.
Links: Whatisthematrix.com, Giaronomo Productions, Ignition Creative.
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Ric and Derek talk about their first ever trailer finishes which somehow both involved selling DVDs. Also, they discuss the trailer for Dear Evan Hansen, and how it walks the line between serious drama and musical.
Trailers Discussed: Dear Evan Hansen, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, West Side Story (2021), Constantine 90 Sec Home Video Sizzle Reel, Constantine, Roobarb and Custard DVD Trailer, Samurai Deeper Kyo Trailer, Miss Potter UK Trailer.
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The F9 and Misfits trailers are both selling globetrotting heist films and they hit a lot of the same notes, but they're edited with very different attitudes. In this episode Ric and Derek break down what separates the two and what their trailers say about their respective films.
Trailers Discussed: The Misfits (2021), F9 Trailer 2
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Zack Snyder's trailers are some of the most famous in modern trailer history. Why are his films uniquely suited to making trailers for?
Trailers Discussed: It Takes Two "Better Together" Trailer, Judas and the Black Messiah Trailer, 300 Teaser Trailer, 300 Trailer 2, Man of Steel Trailer 1, Man of Steel Trailer 2, Man of Steel Trailer 3, Watchmen Trailer 1, Watchmen Trailer 2, Dawn of the Dead (2004), Sucker Punch Trailer 1, Return of the King Trailer, Justice League Official Teaser Trailer.
Links: Jenn Horvath Reel, David Yocum Reel.
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The DC Fandome event revealed a bunch of new trailers which we just had to discuss along with the exciting trailers Ric finished, and Derek's thoughts on the final trailer for Tenet.
Trailers Discussed: Bill & Ted Face the Music Trailer 1, Bill & Ted Face the Music Trailer 2, Tenet, Zack Snyder's Justice League, The Batman, Suicide Squad Roll Call, Suicide Squad DC Fandome Exclusive Sneak Peek, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Gotham Knights, Wonder Woman 1984 Teaser, Wonder Woman 1984 Trailer.
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The Tenet trailer is the starting point of this week's discussion. Derek and Ric dive into the trailers for all his films and look for the common threads in the marketing of this master of secrets.
Trailers Discussed: Tenet, Dunkirk Teaser, Dunkirk Trailer 1, Dunkirk Trailer 2, Inception Teaser, Inception Teaser 2 Inception Trailer, Interstellar Teaser, Interstellar Trailer, Interstellar Trailer 3, Interstellar Trailer 4, The Dark Knight Teaser, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises Teaser, The Dark Knight Rises Trailer 2, The Dark Knight Rises Trailer 3, The Dark Knight Rises Trailer 4, The Prestige, Insomnia, Memento.
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Kert Gartner loves making VR game trailers, and he's constantly breaking new ground in virtual cinematography and mixed reality. He's been making indie game trailers for about 10 years, and with his years of experience in the feature film VFX industry, he's most comfortable making trailers in After Effects. We discuss how the heck that works, why he wouldn't have it any other way, how he got into making game trailers, and what interests him most about the work.
Trailers Discussed: Gato Roboto, Canabalt, Nidhogg, Serious Sam: Random Encounter, Hotline Miami, IceBurgers, Space Channel 5 VR, Museum of Other Realities, Genital Jousting, Minit, Dungeon Hearts, Vacation Simulator, Eighth Grade, Whiplash, Neverending Nightmares, Snow Runner, Fantastic Contraption.
Links: Virtual Cinematography For VR Trailers, Plugin Everything.
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In this week's episode we have an interview with AAA game trailer editor Elisha Male. We talk about her journey from editing emo Kingdom Hearts music videos to editing trailers for AAA games like DOOM Eternal, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Shadow of the Tomb Raider and more!
Trailers Discussed: DOOM Eternal, Wolfenstein: Youngblood, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Elder Scrolls Legends - Heroes of Skyrim, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Neo Cab, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, The Green Knight, The Lighthouse, Parasite.
Links: Hammer Creative, Virtual Cinematography For VR Trailers, Derek-Lieu.com.
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In this week's episode Derek and Ric discuss working from home during the coronavirus pandemic, and how it's affected the industry. We also discuss the brilliantly cut trailer for season 3 of Killing Eve.
Trailers Discussed: Killing Eve Season 3, Kong: Skull Island.
Links: Derek's post about working from home.
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In this episode Derek and Ric dive into various trailers for movies from A24 and try to pin down what exactly an ‘A24’ trailer is. From Hereditary to The Green Knight these trailers frequently get held up as an example of restraint and confidence, so we discuss why that might be…
Trailers Discussed: The Green Knight, Skin, Hereditary, Midsommar, First Cow, Waves, The Kill Team, Green Room, Saint Maud, In Fabric, A Ghost Story, The Disaster Artist, Under the Silver Lake, Laggies, Under the Skin, Swiss Army Man.
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This week Derek and Ric discuss the Instagram account taking the trailer industry by storm, and the trailers for The Invisible Man. For the main topic, we get super into the weeds discussing their best trailer editing tips for sound editing, eye-trace, project management and loads of other geeky tips which editors will love!
Trailers Discussed: The Invisible Man Trailer 1, The Invisible Man Trailer 2, S ucker Punch Teaser
Links: RedbandGreenband Instagram, Derek’s YouTube tutorials, Derek’s Avid Transition button feature request.
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Time is money! It's the biggest TV Spot event of the year, and Derek and Ric are breaking down all the big game spots including F9, Sonic, Top Gun Maverick and Minions. They also talk about what makes TV Spots a unique thing to create.
Trailers Discussed: Sonic the Hedgehog, Independence Day: Resurgence, The Twilight Zone, Minions: The Rise of Gru, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, Top Gun: Maverick, Black Widow, Marvel Studios Disney+, Never Say Die, The Invisible Man, A Quiet Place Part II, F9: Fast and Furious 9.
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In this episode Ric and Derek discuss meta trailers, trailers which are self referential either to the movie, game or the trailer itself. What makes these trailers so much fun? When are they the most effectively used? And how long did it take for the trailer industry to start referencing how formulaic they were being?
Trailers Discussed: Comedian, 6 Underground Whisper Trailer, Jumanji the Next Level ASMR Trailer, Inception Acapella Re-dub, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, BattleBlock Theater Steam Trailer, The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists UK Trailer, The Stanley Parable Raphael Trailer, Muppets Most Wanted, Toys, Miracle on 34th st (1947) Trailer 1 Trailer 2, The Birds, Psycho, Real Life, Mother, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Gone in 60 Seconds, Gemini Man, Deadpool 2, Detective Pikachu, Free Guy, Mighty No. 9 Masterclass Trailer, Kingsman the Golden Circle.
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In this episode Derek and Ric are talking trailers for sequels, and different approaches to that difficult second launch. Along those lines, we dive into the trailer for A Quiet Place: Part II.
Trailers Discussed: A Quiet Place: Part II, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Magic Mike XXL, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, No Time To Die, Grown Ups 2, Half Life: Alyx, Thor: Ragnarok, Cloverfield, It: Chapter 2, Hellboy, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Happy Death Day 2 U, Frozen 2, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Star Wars: The Last Jedi
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In this episode Derek and Ric talk about their favorite movie and game trailers from 2019, personal works of the year, and trailers of the decade!
Trailers Discussed: Kerbal Space Program 2, Astroneer Release Trailer, Wilmot's Warehouse, The Last of Us: Remastered - From the Beginning, My Friend Pedro Full Throttle Trailer, Knives Out, Waves, Joker, IT: Chapter 2 Teaser, Bombshell, CATS, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, Mulan Trailers 1 & 2, The Lighthouse Trailer 1 & 2, Love, Death and Robots, Wonder Woman 1984, John Wick Parabellum, Ghostbusters Afterlife, Ghostbusters (2016), Detective Pikachu Leak, 6 Underground ( The Process - Aviation Gin, Samsung QLED, Explore Italy), Midsommer ( Bear in a Cage, Couples Therapy), Jurassic World Battle at Big Rock, Katana Zero Therapy Session Trailer, A Star is Born, Mission Impossible: Fallout, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Hereditary, Mad Max Fury Road Teaser & Trailer, 10 Cloverfield Lane, The Social Network, Inception, The Wolf of Wall Street, Kong: Skull Island, The Handmaiden, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Suicide Squad, Man of Steel.
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In this episode Derek and Ric talk about the unique sound design of trailers! Everything from rises to bass drops and Henry Cavill reloading his fists. You'll never listen to trailers in the same way again. Ric also dives deep into the moment to moment sound design of the new Black Widow Trailer.
Trailers Discussed or Clipped: London Has Fallen, Crank, Sonic the Hedgehog, The Fountain, The Matrix, Battleship Trailer 2, The Bourne Supremacy, Black Widow, The Fate of the Furious, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Jason Bourne, Mission Impossible Fallout, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, The Dark Knight, Antlers.
Links: Trailer Music Weekly, Score a Score, Montage MX, Robert Etoll, Boom Library, Big Fish Audio Blockbuster Trailer, Big Fish Cinematic Sound Design, Video Copilot Motionpulse, Bing Bang Boom.
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In this episode Derek and Ric are talking good trailers for bad movies. Also, everyone's favourite blue hedgehog is back to break the internet again and so we dive into Trailer 2 for Sonic...
Trailers Discussed: Sonic the Hedgehog, Ballistic: Ecks vs Sever, Ultraviolet, The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc, Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, Prometheus Teaser Trailer, Silent Hill, Godzilla: King of the Monsters Trailer 1, Godzilla: King of the Monsters Trailer 2, Godzilla: King of the Monsters Final Trailer.
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What makes a great game trailer? In this episode Derek and Ric discuss making game trailers, capturing footage, storytelling and how best to represent an interactive experience...
Trailers Discussed: Firewatch, BioShock Infinite E3 Demo, Dante's Inferno.
Links: Biffa Plays Indie Games, Trailers of the Week
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Happy Halloween! In this episode we dive into horror trailers and talk to producer Amanda Pulver and editor Matthew Merenda about about the challenges of scaring people out of their seats and into theaters!
Trailers Discussed: Lights Out, It Follows, White Noise, Paranormal Activity, The Blair Witch Project, Hereditary, Antlers, Alien, The Evil Dead, A Quiet Place, The Conjuring, 10 Cloverfield Lane, The Strangers, It Comes at Night, Mother, It: Chapter 1
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In this episode we discuss the job of the trailer assistant editor, and the many things we learned on the job. What does an assistant editor do? What are their day to day tasks, and how many varieties of tea do they need to keep track of? We also discuss the trailers for 6 Underground, The Gentlemen and Free Guy.
Trailers Discussed: 6 Underground, The Gentlemen, Free Guy, 1917 Featurette, Russian Ark, They Shall Not Grow Old, Boyhood, The King's Man.
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In this episode we discuss what we think makes an effective teaser trailer, and how they differ from full trailers which reveal more of the story. We also talk about a LOT of our favorite teasers and how they successfully tease the audience using entirely different philosophies and editing techniques. We also touch on the teasers for Tenet and Birds of Prey which the studios released exclusively in theaters, and the new Jurassic World short film which acts as a teaser trailer itself.
Trailers Discussed: Tenet, Birds of Prey, Battle at Big Rock (Jurassic World Short), Alien, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Godzilla (1998) Museum, Godzilla (1998) - Fishing, Terminator 2, Spider-Man, Lord of the Rings BTS teaser, Lord of the Rings Teaser, Cloverfield, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Resident Evil: Extinction, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Monsters Inc., Monsters Inc Charades, The Incredibles, Battleship, Inception, Layer Cake, Back to the Future, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Battle: Los Angeles, Toys, Transformers, The Addams Family, Where the Wild Things Are, The Exorcist, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Rebel Assault II, Dead Island.
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What inspires trailer editors? This time on the Cutdown we dive into the trailers for Bad Boys For Life and Joker, and talk about finding inspiration in unlikely places, and how to keep your work fresh.
Trailers Discussed: Bad Boys For Life, Bad Boys II Teaser, Bad Boys II Trailer, Joker, Star Trek, Waves, Prometheus, The Man Who Wasn’t There, Blindspotting, Little Children, Madeline’s Madeline, Hard Candy, The Social Network, Alien, Dr. Strangelove
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In this episode we discuss one of the most important aspects of trailer creation - motion graphics. From The Blob to The Da Vinci Code, we discuss what graphics add to the trailer process and talk about a number of our favorite examples. We also speak to professional motion graphics artist Hal Forsstrom about where the industry is going and how to break in.
Links: Netflix plans to use AI to help make trailers.
Trailers Discussed: Morgan, Bombshell, Marriage Story (What I Love About Nicole), Marriage Story (What I Love About Charlie), Man of Steel (Jonathan Kent), Man of Steel (Jor-El), Thor Ragnarok Teaser, Guardians of the Galaxy, Suicide Squad, Mad Max Fury Road, The Blob, West Side Story, A Clockwork Orange, Dr. Strangelove, South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut, Star Trek First Contact Teaser, The Da Vinci Code, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, Avengers Endgame Teaser, The Matrix, 300 Teaser, Kingsman The Golden Circle, Godzilla, In Bruges, Madeline's Madeline, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Rocknrolla, The Lighthouse.
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In this episode we discuss the subtle differences between the 2nd domestic trailer for Gemini Man and its international counterpart. Also the practical and very specific cultural considerations which need to be made when editing trailers for international markets. For more about international trailers watch Ric's LACPUG talk!
Trailers Discussed: Gemini Man Trailer 1, Gemini Man Trailer 2, Gemini Man International Trailer, Central Intelligence, The Matrix Revolutions International Trailer, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull International Trailer, Captain America: Civil War, Men in Black International International Trailer.
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In this episode we discuss the internet destroying trailer for the live-action version of CATS, as well as the trailer for Top Gun: Maverick. And we answer your questions about our favorite trailers, and the future of the movie and game trailer industry.
Trailers Discussed: CATS, Sweeney Todd, Top Gun: Maverick, IT: Chapter Two, The Fountain, Fifty Shades of Grey, Across the Universe, Sin City, Quadrilateral Cowboy, Firewatch, Pirates! In an Adventure With Scientists!, London Has Fallen Teaser, The Walk VR trailer, IT Chapter 1 VR trailer.
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In this episode we discuss the trailer for Knives Out, the latest whodunnit film by Rian Johnson, and our process for filling in an empty timeline after we've finished breaking down our dialogue and video footage. If you have trouble with editor's block, some of our tips should help you get going!
Trailers Discussed: Knives Out, John Wick 3, Ready or Not, Mr. Turner, Ms. Potter, a Wrinkle in Time.
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Happy Independence Day! In this special episode, Derek and Ric talk about the trailers for both Independence Day movies. From the first film's iconic teaser to Resurgence's viral videos, we do a deep dive and see what lessons can be learned. “They like to get the landmarks”
Trailers Discussed: Jumanji: The Next Level, Hobbs & Shaw, Stuber, Independence Day Teaser, Independence Day Trailer, Independence Day: Resurgence Trailer 1, Independence Day: Resurgence Super Bowl, Independence Day: Resurgence Trailer 2, Independence Day: Resurgence Trailer 3 Extended, Independence Day: Resurgence Viral Video 1, Independence Day: Resurgence Viral Video 2, The Count Of Monte Cristo.
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How do you get to be a trailer editor? In this episode Derek and Ric talk about breaking into the industry, creating a reel and getting your foot in the door. We also talk about E3 and dive into the trailers for the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and the remake of Final Fantasy VII.
Trailers Discussed: Watch Dogs: Legion, Cyberpunk 2077, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, Final Fantasy VII (2019), Final Fantasy VII (Domestic 1997), Final Fantasy VII (International 1997), The Prestige, Inception.
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In this episode Derek and Ric talk about their process for starting a new trailer project from breaking down a film or game, searching for music, and coming up with ideas. We also talk about recent Golden Trailer Award winners John Wick 3, A Star is Born, and the latest trailer for the Hideo Kojima game Death Stranding.
Trailers Discussed: John Wick 3, A Star is Born, Death Stranding, The Davinci Code, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Scooby Doo, American Sniper, South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut, Annabelle Creation, Ford vs Ferrari, The Muppets.
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In this episode we discuss trailer trends, and how the trailer industry keeps evolving. From the move to playing out scenes longer to - yes - the Inception Braaaam, we've got you covered. We also dive into the creation of the trailers for It: Chapter 2 and everyone's favorite anthropomorphic hedgehog, Sonic.
Trailers Discussed: It Chapter 2, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Sonic The Hedgehog, Detective Pikachu Full Movie Clip, Gemini Man, Sleepless trailer, Kong Skull Island, Good Omens. Kingsmen The Golden Circle, The Social Network, Maleficent, Fade to Silence, The Innocents, Godzilla King of Monsters, Inception, The Island, Transformers Revenge of the Fallen, Joy.
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Why do trailer editors "spoil the movies"? In this episode we talk about the difficult balance of teasing in trailers, when to hold back and when to show more - and the importance of storytelling.
Trailers Discussed: Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Terminator Genisys, Castaway, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Dead Cells, Get Out, Black Panther, Hereditary, Unbroken, Red Eye, Welcome to Marwen, The Avengers: Infinity War.
If you have questions or comments please send them to cutdown@idlethumbs.net.
It's the first episode of The Cutdown, a podcast all about the art of trailer editing! We talk about why we started the show, our plans for future episodes, the history of our interest in trailers, how we became trailer editors, why we love doing it, and some of our favorites. Whether you want to learn about the industry, you're an amateur or professional editor, or you just like watching them, we hope you enjoy learning all about the art of making movie and game trailers!
Trailers Discussed: Bee Movie, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Comedian, The Birds, The Caveman's Valentine, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood.
If you have questions or comments please send them to cutdown@idlethumbs.net.
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