What Do You Think The Sweeney Todd Trailer Should Look Like?

[worrell4077]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 1:29pm

I thought this would be a funny thing to do. There are some fans of certain film franchises like Batman or Superman who create their own preview for the next installment of the film series(Someone made a terrible one for Sweeney using footage from "Sleepy Hollow").

So, I was thinking about how I think the first preview for Sweeney Todd should look. I think the first one, should be kinda similar to the first "Charlie and The Chocolate Factory" preview with footage from the film and the "Willy Wonka Welcome Song" in the background. For Sweeney, show some footage featuring each character and in the background have "The Ballad Of Sweeney Todd" playing.

The actual trailer for the film should have different moments from the film with more dialogue and at certain points have some of the other songs playing like "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" or "A Little Priest" or "Johanna", something like that.

So, you've read mine, what do you think and how would you want the trailer to look?

[CapnHook]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 1:34pm

An orchestra only track of "Sweeney Todd" beginnging with "Attend the tale..."

Flashes of a hand raising a razor in the air, then slashing down. Flashs of blood.

SWEENEY TODD

Operatic vocals of:

"Sweeney! Sweeney! Sweeney! Sweeney! Ahhhh!"

And on each "Sweeney" flash the names JOHNNY DEPP, HELENA BONHAM CARTER, A TIM BURTON PRODUCTION, THIS CHRISTMAS"

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 1:37pm

I think the teaser trailer should have a man sitting in a chair, while another man (you don't see his face) walks over and puts the apron on him. All of a sudden the man standing takes the razor and slashes the man's throat causing the screen to go completely red from the blood and the music starts with the stars of the movie and the title coming through the blood.

Updated On: 1/11/07 at 01:37 PM

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 2:15pm

I definitely think they should use either the prelude or the final ballad. Maybe that organ music at the beginning too.

[Wildcard]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 2:20pm

My idea for the teaser trailer shows Mrs. Lovett's pie shop. We see people coming in and out, eating meat pies. The main focus for the camera is the rack where the pies are at. The camera slowly zooms towards the pies. The music for this shot will be an orchestral theme from the show or the Ballad of Sweeney Todd sung in a child's voice. Once the focus is just on one pie towards the back of the racks, the camera rotates and we see a finger sticking out of this pie, maybe some cockroaches milling about. Everything turns black with a flash of red for the titles.

[shesamarshmallow]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 2:24pm

I LOVE CapnHook's idea!

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 2:31pm

All of your ideas are fabulous.

Please don't let this movie suck!

[Craig]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 2:43pm

You can't promote this movie like "SAW" - it's not a horror movie and you'd be doing it and the audience who would go see it thinking it was a horror movie a huge disservice. It's a dark dramedy (or dare I just say dark comedy). Even the "horrific" moments in the show are counterbalanced with some of the most beautiful meolodies (pretty women, johanna)

The teaser I could see being "attend the tale" music (no words) with the names and then a final frame of "Attend The Tale on ___" (opening date there)

A bigger trailer could be a narrator with "Meet Benjamin Barker. He had it all - a beautiful wife, a new baby daughter and a business he owned on fleet street. Wrongly jailed for a crime he never committed, Barker was sent away never to be heard from again...that was 15 years ago. Time and the thirst for revenge can change a man. Having escaped from prison and assuming the name Sweeney Todd, he returns to London to find his wife gone and his daughter the ward of the judge than sent him to jail.

(some montage of scenes here)culminating in a very fast "attend the tale musical bed

and then the same "Attend the tale on _____"

and finally a quick shot of Johnny Depp "You sir - how about a shave!" in close up

Updated On: 1/11/07 at 02:43 PM

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 2:47pm

For a teaser--

Remember how Tim Burton did that really cool opening credits scene for Batman? Where you're travelling through the crevaces of the Bat insignia and you don't even realize it until they pull back and show the whole thing?

I think it would be kind of cool to do that with Sweeney's razor and his name--and with Johnny Depp in the movie, it might just be fine to have an eerie instrumental version of the ballad and the names to come up. It didn't work with Hairspray because it was so unprofessional looking and they don't really have any big names, but I think it would be fine for Sweeney.

[Craig]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 2:54pm

umm

Hairspray didn't have any big names?

John Travolta?

Queen Latifah?

Michelle Pfeifer?

Christopher Walken?

(cough).. umm ok... no big names there

[Mistress_Spouzic]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 3:04pm

Craig, I like your narrative idea but id cut it a little shorter... just stop where you say time and thirst for revenge can change a man... I wouldnt want it to give away so much of the premise but then definitely the quick shot of johnny depp. I certainly think he should be included in the trailer, he'll be a big selling point.

[madlibrarian]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 3:19pm

Portentous non-Sondheim music should blast through the speakers. A 30-second montage of 113 clips from the movie should flash by. The entire screen should bleed red! Then they should reveal the secret identity of (you know) that character with the secret identity. Then show Sweeney himself getting killed. Then--a loud thump as the words Sweeney Todd--Serial Killer are projected out of focus..... in other words, make it look like every other movie preview so as not to disturb the audiences!
Updated On: 1/11/07 at 03:19 PM

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 3:21pm

"umm

Hairspray didn't have any big names?

John Travolta?

Queen Latifah?

Michelle Pfeifer?

Christopher Walken?

(cough).. umm ok... no big names there"

No huge name like Johnny Depp--nobody a teenage girl is going to leave the house specifically to see.

John Travolta.

Shudder.

[Craig]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 3:24pm

Oh... then throw in Amanda Bynes and Zac Efron

Both have a very high tween/tween Q rating there...

[inlovewithjerryherman]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 4:07pm

I think it should be a black screen with all the names of the cast in giant, bloody block letters, underscored by Cohen's version of "The Contest".

because that'll make me want to see this movie probably more than I want to see "Epic Movie".

which I do want to see.

honest.




In all seriousness, though, i hope the teaser does something taht restores my faith in the project.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 4:16pm

It should have enough bits from the film that say to me, "Guess what? This movie doesn't suck as much as you thought it would. You might actually like this."

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 4:36pm

"Oh... then throw in Amanda Bynes and Zac Efron "

But neither of them have yet to star in a commercially successful theatrical feature film. And to so many people right now, Johnny Depp is...sort of like God 2.

[Craig]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 4:45pm

You are arguing apples and oranges here.

your original comment was "It didn't work with Hairspray because it was so unprofessional looking and they don't really have any big names, but I think it would be fine for Sweeney. "

Hairspray has plenty of big names. So does Sweeney.

p.s. while movie credentials are nice, Both Zac and Amanda have major TV credentials in one of the key demographics for the movie. Oh.. and Amanda HAS been in commercially successful theatrical films. Maybe not BLOCKBUSTERS.. but they were definitely successful.

And I didn't even mention Brittany Snow, James Marsden, Alison Janney.

While not Jack Sparrow, I do believe that Marsden is a big enough name having been in the X-Men movies, among other very well known properties.

My contention with your post goes back to the notion that Hairspray didn't have any big names. It's just silly to state that in my opinion.

[nodaybut2day1205]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 6:32pm

and finally a quick shot of Johnny Depp "You sir - how about a shave!" in close up

I like that idea =D
I'm excited to see Johnny in the role now hehe.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 6:46pm

The Worst Pies In London

[StephenSondheimWHOO]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 7:13pm

While I think Spidey and CapnHook's ideas are cool I don't think they should be used. The definetly should not promote this movie as A Gutsy Horror movie. If I saw that trailer and didn't know musical theater I would never see it as I hate gory movies. I also think they should give the audience SOME Idea that it is a musical

[NBC]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 8:24pm

I think the trailer should have plenty of images of Alan Rickman and Anthony Stewart Head...but that's just me.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 8:35pm

"p.s. while movie credentials are nice, Both Zac and Amanda have major TV credentials in one of the key demographics for the movie. Oh.. and Amanda HAS been in commercially successful theatrical films. Maybe not BLOCKBUSTERS.. but they were definitely successful."

If Hairspray grossed what her highest-grossing starring movie did, it would be considered a huge dissapointment. None of them have made more than $40 million.

But you're right, it is something stupid to argue over. That's the power of internet hypnosis. I find myself arguing over stupid things all the time.

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 9:44pm

dark lighting.

footsteps

the sound's of london are distant outside.

the face of a costume is unseen. hidden in shadows.

a barbers apron is slipped around the man.

The "death gag" is heard. RED.

only orchestral music.

QUICK EXCITING MUSIC

when the title is revealed, only at the end: singers

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 1/11/07 at 9:45pm

well, that would be a good teaser trailer, at least