How to Copy a Game Trailer
When making a trailer (especially for the first time) it makes a lot of sense to look at others for inspiration or to just flat out copy structural or conceptual parts of them. I do this all the time; I typically look at game trailers which occupy a similar space whether it's the narrative or game genre. At the very least it helps me know how those games presented themselves so I can better differentiate my work.
How do you know what trailers to take inspiration from and how do you do it effectively?
On a recently consult I worked with a client who used another trailer as inspiration for their trailer. Without even seeing the reference trailer, I came to the conclusion they mostly copied the superficial qualities of the trailer like: The formatting of the title cards, the quantity of title cards, how much footage was pre-rendered CGI vs. gameplay, etc.
Essentially, their trailer felt like someone trying to learn to write by reading something and coming to the conclusion: "Hmm, this passages used commas every now and then, some periods, and a mixture of verbs, nouns and prepositions..." They included all of the trappings of a trailer, but the thinking behind the shots and capture weren't guided by a strong creative direction specific to that game.
Start by copying the simplest and most effective trailers first. Just because they're simple doesn't mean they have nothing to teach you!
I've also seen tutorials for trailer editing which have similar aesthetic recommendations like: "Try using dip to blacks, use copy and narration, reference the title, etc." I think this sort of advice is easy to follow, but doesn't get into WHY these techniques are used in trailers. As they say, give someone a fish they'll eat for a day, teach them to fish and they'll eat for a lifetime.
So here is my advice for copying or taking inspiration from other game trailers:
Copy trailers which work on you as a consumer
Copy the pacing of trailers for games with a similar vibe
Copy the progression of complexity in the sequence
Reverse engineer the goal and outcome of each shot and section
Reverse engineering a super intricately made trailer for a AAA game will be much more difficult to take inspiration from unless you have more experience.
Copy Trailers Which Work on You
This might seem like a no brainer, but before copying a trailer, ask yourself if it made you want to buy the game or learn more about it. There's no sense in copying something if it didn't interest or entertain you. Frankly, there are just a lot of bad game trailers out there because not only are there so many games, but unlike the movie industry, the vast majority of game trailers are not made by professional trailer editors. This means there are a lot of trailers which are just okay at best and this goes for games of all budget sizes.
If you've determined a trailer "works" for you, take a step back and analyze why it did.
Did it make you laugh?
Did it present an interesting question?
Did the gameplay look interesting? If it did, how did they teach you how it worked?
Did it show you a new twist on a game genre?
Did it make you like the game or the people making it?
Then consider if any of those methods of engaging the audience could be how your game entices an audience. For example, **this trailer for Fishing Planet "worked" on me because its music and editing made something otherwise very boring to watch look like an intense action movie. This approach might not work for just an average puzzle platformer game, but it might work for another simulation game which in real life is very much not action movie material.
This trailer for BPM: Bullets Per Minute is also very intense but it's entirely appropriate because it's for an action genre. But that alone might not be enough. Not only are there are plenty of shooter games with intense music and editing; there are many first person shooter game trailers where all the shooting and actions are cut to the beat. This trailer used the editing and capture to emphasize and showcase the game's unique rhythm based shooting mechanic, but it also used title cards to let us know the shooting on the beat is part of the game, not just stylistic trailer editing.
No sense in copying a trailer if it bored or otherwise failed to grab you.
Copy the Pacing of Similar Games
If your game is super tense and nerve wracking, then find trailers for games which feel the same and copy the pacing of their trailers (again, assuming the trailer works on you). Conversely, if your game has a similar vibe to a zen game like Unpacking, then you're going to want to do something similar. A fast cut trailer for a chill game is just as odd as a slow cut trailer for an intense game. Could you imagine the trailers for DOOM feeling slow and relaxing? (And I don't mean in the John Woo style of setting action ton slow music)
Copy the Progression of Complexity in the Sequence
The previous two tips are more about finding the editing pace and style of the trailer, but just as important is the sequence of shots and what each of them communicate. This is why I often highlight trailers for games like Inbento, because these games are so simple that it's very easy to see how the trailer goes from point A to B to C. In games with a lot more systems and complexity, it can be harder to reverse engineer the intent and idea behind each shot.
A lot of game trailers get this wrong where early shots of the trailer contain too much complexity or cut to a new shot before the idea of the previous one has time to sink in. Another good recent example of a pretty simple game trailer with good progression is this one for A Little to the Left. The progression of this trailer is:
Picture frame gets straightened (completed)
Pencils get re-organized (almost resolved)
Soup cans are centered (completed)
Four picture frames are crooked, one is adjusted (unresolved)
Papers are piled based on size (almost resolved)
Sticky notes are arranged on a grid (almost resolved)
Books are arranged by size (completed)
Pencils are arranged by size (completed)
A cat paw knocks pencils out of order
Title card
This is what literally happens in the trailer, but from this you can extrapolate a more abstract outline for the trailer:
This is what a basic puzzle looks like
This is a slightly more complex puzzle
Here is a basic puzzle
Here is a puzzle similar to one you've seen, but bigger in scope
Here is a puzzle variation
Here is a puzzle variation
Here is a puzzle variation getting completed
Here is a puzzle variation getting completed
Psych! There's another thing in the game which will make it more difficult!
This is the name of the game
This is how you can reverse engineer an extrapolate its basic outline which you can then modify for your own game trailer. This progression for a puzzle game trailer could be used for any other puzzle game. It's just a matter of then making the trailer feel like its own by choosing the right editing, music, capture and sound to support it.
To sum up how to best copy other game trailers:
Find an effective game trailer whose story, vibe or genre is similar to your game.
Take inspiration from its editing style, pace, and feel.
Reverse engineer its sense of progression and then use that as an outline for your own game trailer.
Adapt this structure to match your game's content, feel and unique moments to your trailer.
The good thing about copying in this way is it should help you avoid outright plagiarizing the literal editing of a trailer. If you're new to trailer editing there are so many things to learn even if you're an experienced video editor, but creating constraints through careful planning like this can really help put you in the right direction.
Here's how you start without a plan:
Capture footage
Put footage onto the timeline
Edit it and make it feel good
Here's how you start WITH a plan:
Capture footage
Arrange footage so early shots are the simplest examples of the game's mechanics, then gradually add complexity.
Edit with music and style to make the footage match the tone of the game whether it's fast paced, chill, tense, awe inspiring, etc.
Check in every now and then to see if the trailer feels like it matches the vibe of the game.
This takes a lot of practice, but hopefully this helps you get started with a new trailer project and guides you through it. If all this talk of reverse engineering is too intimidating or confusing, then just copy the superficial qualities I mentioned. It’s better than nothing and the results might totally work, but it’s a little like flying blind. You might also try this post I wrote with some Simple Game Trailer Templates. If you ever get stuck, check out this post about Questions to Ask When You’re Stuck.
