Different Movie Trailers for Different Cultures
March 19, 2007
The latest trailer for Pixar’s Ratatouille has snuck its way online - a trailer created mostly for Asian audiences. What is most interesting about this trailer (besides the fact that it looks absolutely beautiful), is its focus on the Subjective Story Throughline. Why would they gear their trailer for the Asian market to this often forgotten part of a story?
The reason I believe they focused on the relationship aspect of the story, as opposed to the major plot points, is because that is what the Asian market is most interested in. I’ve always heard that Asian culture is much more holistic in its thinking process than Western culture. We in the West tend to focus more on linear problem solving techniques and often overlook how things fit into the bigger picture.
So it would make sense to gear your trailer to that part of the story your audience is most interested in. Holisitic problem solvers do not have a blind spot when it comes to relationships and desires. In fact, they live in this area. Linear problem solvers however don’t. Which probably explains why the first teaser trailer for an American audience went something like this:
Here they focused primarily on action and slapstick comedy - the linear problem solver’s comfort zone. Personally, I much prefer the former – but understand that the latter tends to sell more movie tickets.
Apparently there will be a brand new trailer for American audiences later this week. It’ll be fascinating to see how much of the relationship between the boy and the rat they actually include.
I’ve written before about cultural differences in storytelling and how linear and holistic thinkers differ in how they approach problems. But it’s fascinating to see it in action in a trailer for a film that I think will blow everyone away this summer.