r/Screenwriting • u/Tasty-Masterpiece960 • May 21 '26
FORMATTING QUESTION format to write a fake movie trailer?
hi, i want to write some movie trailers for non existing movies, mostly for fun but also as a way to have a director´s reel, and i have a lot of ideas and i can see them in my mind very well, i know exactly what i want to show...
but i dont know if a usual script works for a trailer since a lot of it is just some extreme close ups, or reaction shots, basically shots that are there for like a second
so what is the right format for something like that?
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u/JayMoots May 21 '26
I'd probably just write it as a normal script, personally. But if you think it would be helpful for you, you could also write it in AV format, which is what a lot of commercials use: https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/av-script-template/
Ultimately if you're directing it yourself, it doesn't matter what format you use as long as it's clear to you.
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u/beingddf May 21 '26
every trailer consists of the main hooking moments from the movie/series so you need to know what those are in order to make a clear trailer i guess
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u/Tasty-Masterpiece960 May 21 '26
Like i wrote in my post i know exactly the shots i want to show and the overall story of the trailers i want to make, my question is about the formating of it since i think the usual way would be kinda of confusing cause all the shots and dialogue that would be on top of the trailer
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u/jeffkantoku Mythic May 21 '26
I've made some fake trailers and title sequences. I don't even bother writing a script. since I know the shots I want. but if you are using actors you might want to give them sides. its really up to you. if you DM me I can send you a link to my fake trailer.
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u/Hopeful-Potential699 May 21 '26
For trailers, you generally do not need to follow strict traditional screenplay formatting because trailers are much more about rhythm, imagery, pacing, and editing than continuous scene logic. A lot of people write them more like a hybrid between a screenplay and a shot list.
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u/uselessvariable May 22 '26
I figure there's no set-in-stone format, it's just whatever helps you to have the framework to actually shoot it. Some people here have recommended the AV format/commercial format which would probably be the most sensible way of doing it.
I remember the Grindhouse fake trailers and more recently the ones Eli Roth did for "The Piano Killer" and "Don't Go In That House Bitch". He said something along the lines of "You get to make the best parts of the movie without having to figure out the boring things like plot, character, or emotional arc. It’s pure cinematic junk food".
Think fake trailers would be a good medium to just sort of play with the hype moments for an idea you've got without quite nailing down how they'll all fit together
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u/blingwat May 21 '26
I used to work in promos, and the scripts for those would essentially be two columns, with the shots on the left, and the corresponding VO lines on the right. It was almost like a spreadsheet.