Cutting a Festival Trailer That Doesn't Give Away the Ending

Many festivals ask for a trailer or a short clip, and it is often what the public sees first. A good one makes people want to buy a ticket; a poor one spoils the film or says nothing at all.

Keep it short. Thirty to sixty seconds is plenty for a short film. Longer trailers tend to reveal too much.

Open with a question, not a scene. Start on the moment that makes a viewer ask what happens next, and stop before it is answered.

Never show the ending. The final image, the twist and the emotional payoff belong to the audience in the cinema.

Use the best sound. Dialogue should be clear, music should build, and the film's title should appear near the end with the festival laurels or screening details.

Check the technical basics. Export at the same frame size as the film, add captions if there is dialogue, and make sure you have the rights to every piece of music and footage — a trailer is public in a way the film itself may not be.