Hoping to salvage something for 2-hours of my life not to be returned. Or, the only thing worse than having time stolen is paying to have time stolen.
March 12, 2011 5:50 PM Subscribe
How do I discover who crafted this brilliant original trailer for this horrendous sci-fi film?
Today, on the strength of this trailer, I went to see Battle: Los Angeles today.
Most unfortunately, I did so without checking RottenTomatoes or reading the Roger Ebert review. IMO, the Ebert review was kind.
BLA (near-perfect acronym) was offensively bad. To be fair, I would choose it over (most) surgery but not over a dentist appointment. I have had more enjoyable cavity-fillings. I was dumber for not having left the theater and for having sat all the way through. I only stayed because I was accompanying a 13-year old who also wanted to go on the strength of the trailer. Upon exiting, the 13-year old turned to me and said "I wish we would have left at the beginning."
That's right. BLA was so bad a 13-year old wished we had left.
From start to finish, it was confusing, unappealing, and offensively stupid.
The reason the two of us went to see BLA in the first place was because of the intoxicating trailer. Yes, it's a bad reason—and no excuse—but the trailer is so brilliantly composed, so provocatively paced as to lead one to believe that the suspension of disbelief required for an aliens-attack-vs-military film was going to be breathtaking and suspense-filled. (Shamefully, I don't believe the song used in the trailer is even in the film!)
And then it turns out to be what it was. Think 2012 without the joyride. Independence Day without the cornball fun. District 9 without the everything.
/endrant
Usually I wouldn't be so easily drawn in as this (ie hook, line, and sinker). But I think the Battle: Los Angeles trailer is a work of art. And I hope that the creator of the trailer goes on to make films. Or already has. Even shorts.
Is there anyway to learn who made this excellent trailer? For a stinker of a film, the trailer smelled of roses.
Today, on the strength of this trailer, I went to see Battle: Los Angeles today.
Most unfortunately, I did so without checking RottenTomatoes or reading the Roger Ebert review. IMO, the Ebert review was kind.
BLA (near-perfect acronym) was offensively bad. To be fair, I would choose it over (most) surgery but not over a dentist appointment. I have had more enjoyable cavity-fillings. I was dumber for not having left the theater and for having sat all the way through. I only stayed because I was accompanying a 13-year old who also wanted to go on the strength of the trailer. Upon exiting, the 13-year old turned to me and said "I wish we would have left at the beginning."
That's right. BLA was so bad a 13-year old wished we had left.
From start to finish, it was confusing, unappealing, and offensively stupid.
The reason the two of us went to see BLA in the first place was because of the intoxicating trailer. Yes, it's a bad reason—and no excuse—but the trailer is so brilliantly composed, so provocatively paced as to lead one to believe that the suspension of disbelief required for an aliens-attack-vs-military film was going to be breathtaking and suspense-filled. (Shamefully, I don't believe the song used in the trailer is even in the film!)
And then it turns out to be what it was. Think 2012 without the joyride. Independence Day without the cornball fun. District 9 without the everything.
/endrant
Usually I wouldn't be so easily drawn in as this (ie hook, line, and sinker). But I think the Battle: Los Angeles trailer is a work of art. And I hope that the creator of the trailer goes on to make films. Or already has. Even shorts.
Is there anyway to learn who made this excellent trailer? For a stinker of a film, the trailer smelled of roses.
What sharkfu said. There are many production houses that *just* do trailers. I work in videogames, and one of the movie-based games I helped make was required to have its trailers done by the same group that handled the film. Their level of expertise and ability to synthesize the game experience in less than a work-week was nothing short of amazing. I couldn't believe the footage I handed them could be tuned into something so cool.
The Crystal Method track they used helped a whole bunch, and it was nowhere near the game or film...
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 8:51 PM on March 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
The Crystal Method track they used helped a whole bunch, and it was nowhere near the game or film...
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 8:51 PM on March 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
I also saw it -- and also blame myself more than I blame the filmmakers -- but the trailer did have little hints of the crap-fest that was the whole movie.
* "UFO" pictures are all hoaxes, natural phenomena, or camera artifacts -- there's no mystery about them, to suggest that they presage a real alien invasion is a bit wacky.
* the soldiers with the civilian woman on the bus; you know that this is a breakdown of military clear-headed thinking and in all likelihood some soft-headedness -- if not guessing that the whole movie would be a "go on a mission with no military benefit because interstellar aliens might have neglected to provide close-air support."
* the clear clip of Michele Rodriguez -- you just knew that the filmmakers were going nowhere good -- a cliche character (butch, tough, Latina fighter among a bunch of dudes) portrayed by the only actress in Hollywood typecast to that role*
(*not Michelle-Rodriguez-ist ... but she needs to play another role sometime soon.)
posted by MattD at 9:19 AM on March 13, 2011
* "UFO" pictures are all hoaxes, natural phenomena, or camera artifacts -- there's no mystery about them, to suggest that they presage a real alien invasion is a bit wacky.
* the soldiers with the civilian woman on the bus; you know that this is a breakdown of military clear-headed thinking and in all likelihood some soft-headedness -- if not guessing that the whole movie would be a "go on a mission with no military benefit because interstellar aliens might have neglected to provide close-air support."
* the clear clip of Michele Rodriguez -- you just knew that the filmmakers were going nowhere good -- a cliche character (butch, tough, Latina fighter among a bunch of dudes) portrayed by the only actress in Hollywood typecast to that role*
(*not Michelle-Rodriguez-ist ... but she needs to play another role sometime soon.)
posted by MattD at 9:19 AM on March 13, 2011
Response by poster: Ideefixe, I don't think it was Nick Weiss but YOU KICK BUTT!!!!
NW lists Vibe Creative as the shop which hired his operation. I am following up there.
When I find out, I'll report back.
posted by Mike Mongo at 5:04 PM on March 13, 2011
NW lists Vibe Creative as the shop which hired his operation. I am following up there.
When I find out, I'll report back.
posted by Mike Mongo at 5:04 PM on March 13, 2011
Response by poster: PS the track from the trailer is by Johann Johannsson.
Most appropriately, it's called "The Sun's Gone Dim and the Sky's Turned Black".
posted by Mike Mongo at 5:08 PM on March 13, 2011
Most appropriately, it's called "The Sun's Gone Dim and the Sky's Turned Black".
posted by Mike Mongo at 5:08 PM on March 13, 2011
Response by poster: "UFO" pictures are all hoaxes, natural phenomena, or camera artifacts -- there's no mystery about them
Ah c'mon. I don't "believe in UFOs" [sic] but I'm wouldn't go far as to say that every photo, video or image every captured which depicts something unusual in a UFO-sort of way can be automatically explained away as hoax, nature, or quirk.
The universe is a pretty surprising place. And the best part about real surprises is you and I can never be prepared for one.
posted by Mike Mongo at 5:21 PM on March 13, 2011
Ah c'mon. I don't "believe in UFOs" [sic] but I'm wouldn't go far as to say that every photo, video or image every captured which depicts something unusual in a UFO-sort of way can be automatically explained away as hoax, nature, or quirk.
The universe is a pretty surprising place. And the best part about real surprises is you and I can never be prepared for one.
posted by Mike Mongo at 5:21 PM on March 13, 2011
Response by poster: I just reviewed all the clips on the Vibe Creative site, and the one in question here isn't included. So I am inclined to believe neither Nick Weiss or VC did it.
Which brings us back to square one (except we did learn that Johann Johannsson is a fraking awesome composer and songwriter).
posted by Mike Mongo at 5:40 PM on March 13, 2011
Which brings us back to square one (except we did learn that Johann Johannsson is a fraking awesome composer and songwriter).
posted by Mike Mongo at 5:40 PM on March 13, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
As to your main question: I think it's going to be hard to narrow down. There isn't a specific credit for this in a movie's credits. It could've been done by the director working with the film's editor. It could've been made in house by Sony marketing. Or, more likely, it could've been done by an independent post-production house. There are a bunch of them in Los Angeles that specialize only in movie trailers and are hired by the studios to do a trailer or batch of trailers for a movie. Sometimes studios will even hire one house to do a trailer and, if it doesn't get a good response, hire another house. Or they'll hire one to concentrate on the comedy of an action-comedy and another to concentrate on the action.
You might be able to find out which house Sony frequently hires to do trailers. From there you'd have to make sure it was specifically that trailer, as there have been multiple trailers and internet promos. Then you'd have to find out from the trailer house if it was one editor or a team working together. Even then the music sent back with the trailer (AFAIK) is temp music. If it's too expensive to use the music or someone in marketing likes the edit but not the music and suggests a new song (in this case "Sun's Gone Dim and The Sky's Black" by Jóhann Jóhannsson) do you give credit to the editing or to the song choice for what makes the trailer magical?
In this case it looks like Sony frequently uses Creative Advertising Group and Vibe Creative for trailers. Vibe Creative definitely worked on the Battle:LA campaign, but specifically mentions they did Trailer #2 not Trailer #1, the one you want. I suppose you could contact them and ask them if they did Trailer #1 or if they know who did.
If you don't get an answer or no one else chimes in, your best bet is to watch to see if the trailer wins awards later in the year, which is entirely possible as it's a great trailer.
posted by sharkfu at 7:58 PM on March 12, 2011 [1 favorite]