What's the Difference Between Film Openings and Film Trailers?

What's the Difference Between Film Openings and Film Trailers?

There are a few differences between film openings and film trailers. 

One difference is the number of credits. In film openings, there is a lot more credits than film trailers.

Film trailers tend to include credit blocks which include the actors names and people who worked behind the camera, distribution, production and exhibition companies. 

In film openings, the credits tend to be separate through the first few minutes of the film. They mostly include the bankable stars first. They are genuinely spread out over three minutes. 

Another difference between film openings and film trailers are the amount of enigma codes. Trailers have to entice audiences in more as they are short clips of the actual film and need to engage and connect with audience members. This is to obtain a mass audience and gain a profit at the box office. 

Film openings do need to engage their audience members as it is crucial whether they carry on watching the film or switch off. However, they don't need to include as many enigma codes in the beginning of the film. They have already mainly engaged their audience,but they need to maintain this throughout the film. Therefore, enigma codes aren't used as frequently in a film opening.

Another difference between film trailers and film openings is the introduction to the actors starring in the film. In a film trailer, we are likely to be introduced/shown clips of all the main protagonists and antagonists. 

In film openings, we are only likely to be introduced to one or a few main stars in the film. This is to build the engagement in the story and maintain the engagement through the film.

Film openings and film trailers are completely different and have different jobs to do. They need to engage audiences in a different way.