Teaser, trailer, recap and aftermovie: how to brief each

Do not rely on the name. Write down each video’s purpose, audience, length and when it will be shown, and put that in the quote.

What do these words usually mean?

Teaser, trailer, recap and aftermovie are marketing words, not technical terms. Suppliers and organisers use them loosely, so a quote that says “aftermovie” can mean quite different things.

Here is how they are commonly used, with the caution that your supplier may differ:

Which one do you need?

Start from the job, not from the name.

1. To get people to register or attend. A teaser or trailer, shown before the event.
2. To thank guests and show sponsors the result. A recap, shown soon after.
3. To promote next year. An aftermovie, or a promotional video from this event’s footage.
4. To keep a record. A full recording, not a short film.

What can a pre-event video be made from?

A teaser or trailer is shown before the event, so it cannot use footage from that event. It can use:

• Footage from an earlier edition, if you have the rights to use it.
• Short interviews with speakers or organisers.
• Behind-the-scenes preparation.
• Graphics, text and music.
• Footage of the venue.

Tell your videographer what you will provide and what you want filmed. If you want the real event in the video, plan for an edit made on the day, which we confirm for your date.

How do you brief the difference?

Put these into your brief for each video:

• Name you will use, so both sides use the same word.
• Purpose. What should viewers do or feel after watching?
• Audience. Prospects, guests, staff, sponsors, the public.
• Length. The maximum, and the platform it must fit.
• Shape. Wide, square or vertical. See landscape, square and vertical deliverables.
• Timing. When it is needed and what it depends on.
• Source material. What is filmed, what is supplied by you.
• Tone. Informative, warm, energetic, formal.
• Approvals. Who reviews it and how many rounds.

You can organise these in a deliverables sheet a supplier can price.

How long should each one be?

There is no standard length. A teaser for a feed post is not the same as an aftermovie for a website. Agree a length for each place the video will appear, and let the story and audience set the rest. Our guide to choosing a useful length for an event highlight covers this in more depth.

What might a brief look like?

Here is an illustration only: “Teaser: very short, for a feed post, made before the event from interviews and graphics. Aftermovie: styled and emotional, for the website and next year’s promotion. Recap: brief, emailed to guests and sponsors after the event.” Three lines like this are enough to avoid confusion.

When the name, purpose and place of showing are written down, you can also compare quotes from different suppliers more fairly and see which videos you are actually paying for.

What we confirm for your event

• What an aftermovie contains and how long it runs, written into the quote.
• Whether the teaser is made from this event or from other material.
• Which of these videos are in the quote and which are optional.
• Whether the recap is also cut into shorter versions for social media.
• How review of each video is handled.

If you are not sure which ones to include, the event video selector can help. For the full set of options, see event highlight film production.