Twilight Weekly Wrap: New Moon Trailer Hype by Larson Hill
Amid
all of the online Twilight hype surrounding the
release of the official New Moon trailer at the
MTV Movie Awards and on MySpace, how many websites
do you think will be writing reviews of the New
Moon trailer come Sunday night? It doesn't really
matter. Obviously there will be thousands upon
thousands, and thousands more after that. In fact,
trailer reviews for New Moon have already hit
the Internet, even reviews of exclusive 15-second
footage. It's amazing. There was a time not too
long ago when most top tier entertainment editors
and webmasters scoffed at trailer reviews. The
general consensus among many credible publishers
was that reviewing a movie trailer was pointless
since there's no way you can gauge the final product
by analyzing a calculated promotional spot selling
tool. Although it may not look like it at first
glance, it's still that way today. But what type
of impact will the New Moon trailer have on fans
in the midst of growing mountains of press coverage?
Will the official New Moon trailer be an accurate
barometer of how good New Moon will be in the
end and how Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart,
and Taylor Lautner have grown? For some Twilighters,
sure, any footage is good footage. From our
perspective, the New Moon trailer will serve
a dual purpose: 1. It will satisfy the near
fever pitch Twilight anticipation. 2. Build
fresh New Moon momentum from a brand new starting
point. Hey, we're just as excited to see the
New Moon trailer as you are, but it's been awkwardly
entertaining to see so much hype around ...
well ... a trailer. Not that we haven't seen
massive trailer hype in the past with other
films, but this time the online bandwagon is
a lot bigger and it's going to be littered with
thousands of reviews of the New Moon trailer
between Sunday night and Monday morning. The
trailer hype is all a bit too Pavlovian at this
point, but coverage of The Twilight Saga and
New Moon is quickly becoming just as entertaining
as the novels and movies. It really is an interesting
and revealing study in human behavior.
New
Moon has already received a gargantuan amount
of minute-by-minute press without the official
trailer in the picture. We all know the New
Moon trailer was coming down the Twilight pike
at some point, but are some Twilight fans already
suffering from New Moon overexposure? When the
trailer debuts and a new onslaught of New Moon
coverage hits the net, will the hype eventually
begin to have the opposite effect? Recently
one of our readers shared her thoughts on the
amount of media coverage New Moon is receiving
and the impact it's having on her as a fan of
The Twilight Saga. From our Talkback, Lizzy
writes, "The more I see photos of the set and
crew plastered all over the Internet the less
I want to see it. It's meant to be a cinematic
experience, and where's the experience when
it's been followed every step of the way? It
leaves no surprises." Can too much of a good
Twilight thing be harmful in the long run? Will
the official trailer do the trick in maintaining
the essence of that very experience? We'll have
to wait and see.
Interestingly,
another one of our Twilight readers shared the
same sentiment, but is looking for the New Moon
trailer to offset the ongoing tidal waves of
New Moon press. In the same thread, Megan from
Boston writes, "I love the novels. I've read
each of them twice already and can't wait to
see the trailer, but I'm getting exhausted by
all of the ridiculous headlines I see around
the web. After enduring all of the craziness,
I'm really hoping the trailer blows me away.
I don't want to get to a point where I'm like,
I just don't care anymore." Obviously some Twilighters
are already feeling the New Moon crunch with
six months still on the Twilight calendar before
the sequel hits theaters. Given all of the online
press hype, however, it's going to be fascinating
to see how the New Moon trailer fits into the
ever-expanding coverage. Duck and cover, another
Twilight tidal wave is coming.
Are we excited to see how the past few weeks of the production in Vancouver have paid off in terms of New Moon footage? You bet. Will the newly released New Moon trailer be an accurate barometer of how good New Moon will be in the end and how Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner have grown? From the film standpoint only, no, of course not. Like I mentioned, it doesn't matter. For our reader Megan's sake, and Twilight fans at large, we hope it blows everyone away.
I love Twilight, and have read all the books. I loved the first movie, even with some of the cheesy special effects (ex. Edward's twinkle skin). But... after watching the trailer I have to say I wasn't left with the feeling of romance or lost love that makes New Moon so great.
Yes both Edward and Jacob look super hot, the wolf changing sequence was visually awesome, but what about the story line? Edward lies to Bella telling her that he doesn't want her anymore. Laurent attacks Bella in the woods and it takes the entire pack to take him down, not just Jacob - and that's not when Jacob reveals his secret to Bella.
The first movie was so close to the book I may have gotten spoiled. I just hope the special effects don't overtake the whole picture. Still can't wait to see the movie in November. =)
Allie – Calhou, GA
June 01, 2009 - 16:44
Subject: Erm.
I can see where this article is coming from. And to be honest, I don't think that the media coverage will do much damage. Twilight appeals to people of ALL ages, but if I had to say, it MAINLY appeals to kids or preteens. I first read the novel when I was in the 6th grade, years ago when it was published. I was wowed and felt the need to convert everyone in my class to Twilight. Now in highschool, I'm still a fan, only the shine has worn off. I'm still anticipating the movie, but I'm not crapping myself in anticipation. I'm not one of those raving haters, shouting "TWILIGHT IS OVERRATED. BLAH BLAH HARDY HAR!", but I'm no longer in love. Back to the point, girls of that age range WILL NOT get tired of it. They crave more.
Chela85
May 31, 2009 - 20:59
Subject: Robert and Kristen...dating??
See my subject line?? That's what us fans are reading so much of lately. That's the kind of stuff that bugs me. It's always exciting to see Twilight news, in my opinion, so long as it's relevant, accurate, and spaced out. I'm tired of the rumoured relationships, and I'm tired of interviews in which the cast is asked "what's different?" or "where are you in filming?" I don't think we need all of that. People are already excited. I think to keep the excitement fresh they should start by revealing a little and then build up from there. The poster for example was a nice treat. Then we'll have the trailer, then there should probably be a lull. It's when the media tries to keep people super excited all the time, that the news gets tiresome, even annoying. So moderation is key I think. And when stuff is released it should be big stuff like pictures/posters (veryone is dying to see the Volturi I'm sure hahaha) and trailers. Thanks for sharing this article =)
Ellen – USA/TN
May 31, 2009 - 19:02
Subject: New Moon
If you are a Twilight Fan and have been following all the coverage as i have been, you will find, we can't wait to see what they have done with our beloved saga. I have watched the coverage at Cannes and see a real change in Robert Pattinson. I think he realizes his worth as he mingled with other stars and earned their respect. His kiss being raffled off and the amount that it earned ($56,000)for amFar, made a real change in even his appearance. He carries himself differently and even seems to smile more This Saga is going to be another American Graffiti for all the actors involved. Their fan base starts very young and spans to people like me who feel like I am following my grand children. They will be around for a long time. My only pray is that they keep their heads. They will all be shinning stars!
I've been anticipating this trailer as much as I anticipate my birthday, if not more! I even dreamed about it last night, and I'm going to be watching the trailer again and again and again. I'm wondering what time I'll be able to watch it online, hopefully by the end of today! Luckily it's a long weekend I'll be discussing it with my friends at school tomorrow!
Arma
May 31, 2009 - 15:49
Subject:
omg.omg.omg. i cant wait. ive been diein 2 watch da trailer. man o man dis is so not gud. in my country its 2 in da mornin n i switched on da computer only 2 c whether da trailer is here or not but sadly not. aaaaa. im so xcited n impatient 2 c da trailer. i hope n noe it wud b amazin lyk da 1 b4
Sarah
May 31, 2009 - 15:16
Subject:
A agree with pguard!! Life ie the economy and all that goes with it is really a bummer. Much more really. This is a wonderful way to take your mind off of it. I have loved the books so much and I will love anything that goes along with that. 15 second trailers included! lol It gives me something to look forward to each day and keeps my mind off the Economy and anything else that is negative these days!
Thank you so much Stephenie Meyres!! You have made each day more exciting and I have a renewed friendship with my 15 year old daughter because of it!
pguard – California
May 31, 2009 - 14:43
Subject:
Is the hype excessive, sure. Is it a turnoff, absolutely not. It feels as though I am almost a part of the creative process. Its facinating to see how things really work from idea to book to film. I love all of it and
I'm not even in the target audience. Besides, isn't this better than being depressed over the economy. I thank Stephenie for her willingness to share so much about the creative process. Bless you twilight lexicon. This is fun!
Marti – Boston
May 31, 2009 - 13:05
Subject: Wondering why
there has been no mention of Stephenie Meyer. She was very closely involved with the Twilight movie but not a murmur about this one. Makes me wonder.....is she satisfied, even pleased, with the way the book is being interpreted in the movie or.....is the silence indicating something less than positive? Has anyone even asked? Will she be at the awards ceremony tonight? So many questions, so few answers
the hype is almost too much yet I continue to read Twitter posts and more..I already KNOW I will not see the film immediately Nov. 20. I cannot stand the chaos. I will wait a few days..(grin)...
Amid
all of the online Twilight hype surrounding the
release of the official New Moon trailer at the
MTV Movie Awards and on MySpace, how many websites
do you think will be writing reviews of the New
Moon trailer come Sunday night? It doesn't really
matter. Obviously there will be thousands upon
thousands, and thousands more after that. In fact,
trailer reviews for New Moon have already hit
the Internet, even reviews of exclusive 15-second
footage. It's amazing. There was a time not too
long ago when most top tier entertainment editors
and webmasters scoffed at trailer reviews. The
general consensus among many credible publishers
was that reviewing a movie trailer was pointless
since there's no way you can gauge the final product
by analyzing a calculated promotional spot selling
tool. Although it may not look like it at first
glance, it's still that way today. But what type
of impact will the New Moon trailer have on fans
in the midst of growing mountains of press coverage?
New
Moon has already received a gargantuan amount
of minute-by-minute press without the official
trailer in the picture. We all know the New
Moon trailer was coming down the Twilight pike
at some point, but are some Twilight fans already
suffering from New Moon overexposure? When the
trailer debuts and a new onslaught of New Moon
coverage hits the net, will the hype eventually
begin to have the opposite effect? Recently
one of our readers shared her thoughts on the
amount of media coverage New Moon is receiving
and the impact it's having on her as a fan of
The Twilight Saga. From our Talkback, Lizzy
writes, "The more I see photos of the set and
crew plastered all over the Internet the less
I want to see it. It's meant to be a cinematic
experience, and where's the experience when
it's been followed every step of the way? It
leaves no surprises." Can too much of a good
Twilight thing be harmful in the long run? Will
the official trailer do the trick in maintaining
the essence of that very experience? We'll have
to wait and see.
Interestingly,
another one of our Twilight readers shared the
same sentiment, but is looking for the New Moon
trailer to offset the ongoing tidal waves of
New Moon press. In the same thread, Megan from
Boston writes, "I love the novels. I've read
each of them twice already and can't wait to
see the trailer, but I'm getting exhausted by
all of the ridiculous headlines I see around
the web. After enduring all of the craziness,
I'm really hoping the trailer blows me away.
I don't want to get to a point where I'm like,
I just don't care anymore." Obviously some Twilighters
are already feeling the New Moon crunch with
six months still on the Twilight calendar before
the sequel hits theaters. Given all of the online
press hype, however, it's going to be fascinating
to see how the New Moon trailer fits into the
ever-expanding coverage. Duck and cover, another
Twilight tidal wave is coming.
I'll be discussing it with my friends at school tomorrow!