Five Videos that Prove The Arcade Fire Makes Every Trailer More Awesome
When I went to see Harry Potter this weekend, I got to catch the Where the Wild Things Are trailer for the first time on the big screen. I saw it on the internet some time ago, but a movie theater beats YouTube every time.
I looked around while it was playing, and watched nearly every person in the theater rocking out to the trailer, which plays The Arcade Fire’s Wake Up for the duration. I’m not sure about the movie itself (those monsters are creeptastic for one), but the trailer is amazing, and I wanted to see if it’s merely because of the soundtrack.
So what I did in my first video editing project ever, was take the Arcade Fire song and lay it on top of some other trailers to see how it would work. I only have Windows Movie Maker to work with, so excuse the lackluster quality on some of these.
Where the Wild Things Are (original trailer for reference)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NOkQ4dYVaM
Who knows how the movie will be, but it will certainly help that Arcade Fire is scoring the whole thing (not just the trailer).
300
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=welEIOGgqLk
I’ll start with my favorite one right off the bat. It’s the only one where I used the actual audio straight from the Wild Things trailer, including the howling at the end. I like this one because the words sometimes match up with what’s happening onscreen.
The Dark Knight
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vjmpbNAOik
Not bad, not great, there’s a bit to much talking and black screen pauses in this trailer, and my editing abilities are limited to putting one audio track with one video track and cutting the ends off.
Watchmen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZbzux0RTr8
Zack Snyder movies appear to be prime for the Arcade Fire treatment, probably because it’s not much talking and a whole lot of slow motion action. Didn’t work for Dawn of the Dead though. Yes, I tried.
Sin City
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6qTwVeYnqo
The pace of this trailer is slightly faster than the song, but it really works sometimes, especially when Nancy is dancing.
these were great, but you should have added, the part where the drums get faster (1:27 on the WTWTA trailer) in more of these
Pretty cool stuff…the 300 one especially.
Meh. I wasn’t too satisfied with this. Mainly because you chose HORRIBLE trailers to redub simply because the music they chose have become iconic with that movie.
300 used “Just Like You Imagined” by Nine Inch Nails. It was epicly added.
Watchmen, depending on the trailer, used “Take A Bow” by Muse or “The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning” by The Smashing Pumpkins. Very distinct tracks and two songs which can no long be heard without thinking of the Watchmen trailer.
The Dark Knight used its own homegrown audio from one of the greatest film scores of all time.
If you are going to do this, you have to choose trailers which are already not considered some of the best movie trailers of all time. AND, to add to that, you have to choose trailers which are not known for their musical treatments.
Next thing ya know, you’ll be adding Arcade Fire to the Mad World Gears of War trailer. I enjoy Arcade Fire from time to time but they shouldn’t be don’t make anything better. It’s gotta fit in with the film. You wouldn’t dream of adding it to the Terminator: Salvation trailer that used “The Day The World Went Away” by Nine Inch Nails, would you?
And, to add to this, Arcade Fire isn’t scoring the film. From what I can tell, they may be contributing to the soundtrack but they won’t be scoring any part of it. Granted, they did rerecord the song for the trailer but whatever.
(I’m not trying to be an ass. That was honestly the most unrude way I could think of to get my points across. Sorry if I offended the author of the article)
@ Josh
You bring up a real good point: I ALWAYS think of Watchmen every time I hear that Muse or that Pumpkins song. Every time.
Hate the song!