Friday, February 29, 2008

Random Fact of the Day

Q: Why are movie previews called "trailers" when they show up before a movie starts?

A: "Trailers or previews are film advertisements for films that will be exhibited in the future at a cinema, on whose screen they are shown. The term "trailer" comes from their having originally been shown at the end of a film programme. That practice did not last long, because patrons tended to leave the theater after the films ended, but the name has stuck. Trailers are now shown before the film (or the A movie in a double feature program) begins.

"Prior to the 1960s, trailers were mostly created by National Screen Service and consisted of collections of slowly edited scenes, often without narration, but with large graphic words splashed across the screen. Those that did have narration used stentatorian voices.…" (Answers.com)

For more on their history click here.

Hat tip: Annie McIntyre

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