Dear readers,

Welcome to the third edition of the Trailer Brief and congratulations to everyone who won a Golden Trailer Award!

This is a very special edition, and symbolizes where I hope this publication grows. For the first time, I have actual editor insights into the trailers they made, as well as a Q+A style interview with a good friend and former coworker.

Due to those changes, the format continues to evolve. One thing to look for, going forward, are the color-coded headers for each section. Since edition 1, each section has had a specific color, and this edition is no different. This week, we get to see two new sections for the first time! Special thank you to the editors who participated in The Creative Brief section, as well as Melissa Anderson, the subject of the very first Edit Bay Q+A. As always, we’ll close out with Across the Trades, keeping you up to date with what’s going on around town.

I hope you enjoy this very special edition of The Trailer Brief!

"HOPE” Teaser
Studio/Network: NEON
Creative Agency: Mark Woollen & Associates
Editor: James Edgington
Producer: Janet Lee

The team at MWA deliver a beautifully paced Teaser, punctuating Elephant Music’s track “Clorven” with reverbed diegetic SFX that complement the artistically horrific visuals.

James’s Editorial Insight:
“My favorite thing about this teaser is that typically in an action trailer the cuts are much faster and quicker, but with this movie being directed by such an auteur we really wanted to show off the great camera work and movements that occur in this film which allowed me to play certain shots out for a longer timeframe and let them breathe more than you would typically see in a high-octane action trailer. Some examples include the shot inside the car that pans to the right outside the window, the guy on the horse firing the gun, and then the final shot before the main title.”

"I LOVE BOOSTERS” :60 Promo
Studio/Network: NEON
Creative Agency: Seismic Productions
Editor: Spencer Sandoval
Producers: Gregg Jachens & Chris St. Hilaire

Seismic’s :60 succinctly nails all the story beats while maintaining the style and comedy at the center of Boots Riley’s I LOVE BOOSTERS.

Spencer’s Editorial Insight:
“[Seismic was] brought on at the very end of the campaign (2 weeks before the release date) and we were asked to clearly set up the story and keep it simple. We started as a :90 that was all style and cutting around the movie but as we went on with the clients and notes, we realized it was more about a laying out a clean story and landing some comedy bits. So we salvaged what we could and shifted to comedy. From there I just added whatever style bits that it needed to keep it fun and flowy. I wanted to make sure you were grounded in some scenes while adding accents to keep it interesting.

This was a very quick turnaround so I didn’t have a lot of time to look for inspiration. However the trailers [cut by Zealot] really had some great style and I used that same snappy style in my own cut.

I want to give credit to our awesome Neon clients, they really know how to create something interesting and sticky! And also, my producers Gregg Jachens & Chris St Hilaire for crafting the piece and jokes with me. As with most cuts, good work comes from great collaboration and we had that with this 60!”

“House of the Dragon S3” - Final Trailer
Studio/Network: HBO
Creative Agency: Intermission
Editor: Jed Finkelstein
Producer: Roy Smith

Intermission’s Final Trailer for House of the Dragon sets the stage for the next season of the epic drama.

Jed's Editorial Insight:
“The long wait between seasons became a big influence on my approach to the trailer. Rather than throwing everything at the audience immediately, I wanted the piece to feel confident and restrained, allowing the anticipation to build. One technique that proved really effetive was letting certain moments play with only the organic sound design and foley from the episodes. Instead of layering in lots of trailer effect, it made the world feel heavier and more real, especially when the dragons appeared.

Musically, I was drawn to “Zepha” by Elephant Music almost immediately. It had this calm but ominous sense of inevitability that felt perfect for a story where war is slowly closing in on everyone. I reinforced that with a recurring braaam that returns throughout the trailer, almost acting as the pressure surrounding Rhaenyra as her options narrow.

My favorite section is probably after the midpoint break, where I removed the track’s original epic fianle and let the choir carry the sequence instead. By being selective with percussion and combining it with war chants and risers, the trailer takes on a more unsettling quality. The sequence eventually collapses into tinnitus and silence, reflecting the psychological strain Rhaenyra is under before she regains her resolve. We then finish on a low-angle shot of her ready for war, bookending the trailer against the more emphatic version of the character we meet at the start.”

A brief interview with someone from the industry.

Melissa Anderson & Finding Her Creative Voice

Agency: GrandSon Creative
Position: Junior Editor

Last week, I met up with one of my absolute favorite people in Los Angeles, Melissa Anderson of GrandSon Creative. She’s a Junior Editor at the Culver City-based shop, where we worked together for a few years. Melissa started as an intern while in school at Chapman and I was immediately impressed by her amazing attitude and work ethic. She’s so authentically nice and lights up any room she’s in.

We get coffee from time to time and catch up on life and how things are going outside of work, but this was the first time I asked her to open up about her creative voice and the transition she made from AE to Associate to Junior editor. It’s been a joy watching as she blossoms from a genuinely curious and kind assistant to a creatively-driven editor with a unique voice and artistic aura.

I’m impressed by how she finds inspiration in books she’s reading–writing down themes she identifies with both in the book and the film she’s working on, and physically drawing parallels between them. In connecting with those motifs, she’s able to inject her own creative voice into the projects she’s working on, which she credits as the moment she felt ready to jump from associate to junior editor.

She’s one of the best friends I’ve made in this industry, and I’m so excited to introduce you all to her. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

What originally made you want to work in trailers, as opposed to film or TV?
When I was younger, I loved making YouTube videos and fan edits to my favorite songs. I always thought I wanted to be a director–every time I listened to music in the car, I'd daydream and imagine scenes playing out in my head. But most people around me were pushing STEM, so I applied to Physics programs at every university. I chose Chapman because I knew by then I didn't really want to do Physics, and figured I could take some film electives while I sorted myself out.

Freshman year, a friend mentioned she was taking a class on movie trailers. I didn't even know that was a possibility, and I was immediately intrigued. I changed my major entirely just so I could take it. I ended up pursuing a PR and Advertising degree within the Dodge film school and fell in love with it. I got so swept up in my new classes that I honestly forgot about the trailer class until junior year. I had no formal editing education, but I had so much excitement for it; I started cutting spec spots for “Killing Eve”, “The Queen's Gambit”, “Shawshank Redemption”. By senior year I was pretty much only taking film advertising classes. It felt like the answer had been staring me in the face the whole time. My love for music, pop culture, writing, and art could all work simultaneously through this one medium. I just remember sitting in class thinking, I want to do this all the time.

I interned at Mark Woollen & Associates, then GrandSon my last semester — and the rest is history. I'm now a junior editor here, and I couldn't be more grateful to have this as a career.

Do you remember the first trailer that made you think “I want to do that”?
The trailer for “Eighth Grade”. I would go to the movies just to see that trailer and I’d take pictures every time it came on screen.

How did you land your first job in trailers?
I cold emailed GrandSon after watching the “Euphoria S2” trailer. I interviewed here, and we created an internship program together where I was able to train as an AE while I was still in college.

What skills mattered most when you were starting as an assistant editor?
Patience with myself and others! It’s okay to make mistakes, but knowing when something is wrong, taking initiative to fix it, and communicating well with other people goes a long way.

I feel like the bond in our AE room was particularly special. Do you agree and is there anything you can point to as a reason for that?
Yes!! I feel like I have such a close bond with the AEs I’ve worked with. When you are working together in a small group all the time, you are bound to feel close to one another, but there is something very special about being an Assistant Editor at a trailer house. There is a new problem to solve every day, but everyone brings something different to the table and learns from each other. Being an AE means absorbing a huge amount of knowledge, and then passing that knowledge down to other new AEs, who pass that knowledge down again and again. Having people that you like being around and who you can rely on is the most important thing. I feel particularly lucky to have worked with a group of such intelligent, creative, hilarious, and generous people who I consider to be my close friends. I feel like we all grew up together in a way. I am also honored to have been a part of an AE team that, at times, was entirely composed of young women.

When did you feel ready to move from assistant editor to associate editor? from associate to junior?
When I moved up to Associate Editor, I was really just editing as much as I could. Every day, I felt like I was asking for new projects. Eventually, I was in the position where I could delegate some of the AE work and focus on cutting. That was when I started to feel ready, and it helped a lot to have a producer, Lauren Gorey, who believed in me as I moved up.

As an Associate Editor, I spent a lot of time trying to perfect the “formula” for digital campaigns and tv spots. It was a race against myself to learn how to be creative with tight deadlines. When I felt ready to become a Junior editor, I shifted my main focus from trying to do things ‘the correct way,’ towards making things that felt artful and personally meaningful to me. I started to really consider the specific emotions that each project evoked within me and wanted to recreate that same emotion in different ways through my cuts. When I believed in myself and started to value my own perspective on a film, my work got better.

Do you have an "I made it." moment? If not, what will that be?
I always imagined that my first mix session would be that moment. It finally happened this past year when I went to the mix for the Forbidden Fruits trailer. It was such a memorable experience.

How do you approach structure when you first start a project?
I treat editing the same way that I would treat writing essays in school. I used to write freely, stream of consciousness style and totally out of order, then copy and paste the sentences around until it clicked. I always start out doing something similar in my timeline. Just throwing everything at the wall and stringing out all of my favorite moments until something clicks.

Describe your creative process.
After breaking down a film, I like to physically take notes about what themes I personally liked from it. Even if it’s a movie or show that I am not the typical audience for, I try to find a reason that would make me go and see it anyway. I also write out a list of books, other films, or things from current events or pop culture that share the same themes. This process helps me contextualize what I’m working on, connect more emotionally to the project, and extrapolate the heart of the film that I can use in my piece.

What’s one editing habit you’ve developed that improved your work dramatically?
It may seem obvious, but showing my work to other people and asking their advice has improved my work a lot. I think it's easy as an editor to want to hold your creative work close to your chest and not show anyone until you think it's perfect. I have been trying to break out of that and embrace the mess of the creative process and accept feedback along the way. It helps me open my mind to new directions I wouldn’t have considered and avoid backing myself into a corner/getting stuck.

Who is an editor or producer that you're really inspired by?
As an editor, I am always looking forward to seeing what Nathan Laolagi makes. His editorial style is so distinct, and I love it when you can feel a person’s passion for what they do through their work. I also am really inspired by other young editors and emerging talent at GrandSon, especially Melissa Cruz (Associate Editor) and Alyssa Dumlao (Lead Assistant Editor). I am always eager to watch what the AEs cut, and it makes me so proud, hopeful, and amazed to watch the people alongside me create such impressive work. It is fulfilling to collaborate with them and it pushes me to be better too.

How important has mentorship been in your career so far? What makes a good mentor/mentee relationship?
Mentorship is HUGE! I have learned everything I know just by watching other people around me and trying things for myself. A good mentor will teach you how to improve your work, but also how to believe in your voice and trust your instincts. I’d say that I have many mentors here, but Koki Miyazaki trained me as an AE when I started. I got to watch him move up and begin his career as an editor, and eventually we were in a bay together as Associate and Junior editors. I learned so much from Koki during this time about how to be a better editor, but also about what it means to be a good mentor and friend to others. Now that he is off in his own bay editing away and I am in the Junior Editor role, I hope that I can continue to be the same kind of role model for the AEs and Associate Editors that he has been for me.

What’s the most valuable feedback you’ve ever received?
“Praise people for their success publicly, and give constructive feedback privately.”

What would you change about the industry as a whole?
I’d like to see more creative risks being taken in the trailers that make it out into the world. There are so many cuts that are really innovative and cool that have never made it to the public. I’d also like to see more women make it past the AE position and become staff editors.

What was your favorite trailer from the last year?
Bugonia

What is your favorite thing that you worked on?
“Are you there God? It’s Me, Margaret” was the first project that I cut for as an AE and it is still very close to my heart. It was my mom’s favorite book growing up, so it was very special to me to work on this campaign. Plus, I love working in the coming-of-age genre. And my favorite recent project that I got to work on was the Forbidden Fruits trailer with editor Laura Chin! I loved the movie and I felt like Laura and I were laughing in her bay the entire time. I learned a lot from her and from this project. It was such a great experience to be able to sit alongside another editor that I admire and collaborate on something so fun.

If you could give one piece of advice to your past self entering the industry, what would it be?
Don’t limit yourself out of fear of failure or embarrassment, have confidence that everything will work out how it should, and cherish the relationships you build with the people around you.

A trailer-spin on the news around town.

SAG-AFTRA’s New Deal Sets AI Expectations
Sources: Variety | SAG-AFTRA | Deadline

What happened?
Last month, SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP reached a 4-year deal, avoiding a repeat of the 2023 strikes. This comes a few weeks after the WGA confirmed their 4-year deal. The SAG-AFTRA deal includes substantial improvements to performer benefits and compensation, while also increasing protections against synthetic performances. One provision is that studios will need to bargain with SAG-AFTRA before using digital replica performances, incentivizing the use of human actors. The DGA deal is next in line, with negotiations scheduled until June 5.

What does it mean for the trailer world?
We could eventually run into a scenario where the bargaining of AI-generated likenesses or de-aging don’t include marketing usage. Studio legal teams may get more specific about which likenesses are permissible for trailer usage. We already run into this a lot with AI ADR. The 4-year term will be great for the stability of the industry, which is just starting to feel back on track.

Hollywood Ghosts Cannes 2026
Source: The Hollywood Reporter | Variety

What happened?
For the first time since 2017, not a single major Hollywood studio film premiered at Cannes 2026. The exorbitant price of travel and lodging in the Mediterranean resort town are cited as one reason why studios avoided the festival this year. The other reason is the opportunity for bad reviews to tank a film’s reputation before the public even gets a chance to see it. The award success of “Sinners” and “One Battle After Another”, both of which skipped the festival circuit, reinforces the notion that a good movie, with good marketing, doesn’t require the festival accolades to be successful.

What does it mean for the trailer world?
When studios opt out of the festival cycle, they lose the splashy cultural moment that Cannes provides. The pressure falls on the trailer campaign to be the spark that drives audience engagement, which is both a challenge and an opportunity. We’ve seen how CinemaCon is becoming more central to campaign launches, and if Hollywood continues trending away from Cannes, the trailer launches will become even more integral to box office success than they already are.

AV Squad Three-Peats “Agency of the Year” at the GTA’s
Source: Deadline

What happened?
AV Squad has a historic third straight Agency of the Year win at the Golden Trailer Awards 2026, dominating in A/V and Print categories. Wild Card also had a fantastic night, propelled by the fantastic “Project: Hail Mary” campaign, which took home Best Of Show for the “Chance” trailer. Requiem took home an impressive haul of 10 awards in their first full year of eligibility. Disney led all studios with 29 wins.

What does it mean for the trailer world?
AV Squad continues to cement themselves as a defining shop of the 2020’s. They put out outstanding work at an admirable rate with incredible consistency. The wins across AV and Print show that they’ve developed a dynasty that’s firing on all cylinders. Wild Card taking home Best Of Show and winning in 5 show categories, including Most Original Trailer is a major sign to the industry and studios that they’re stronger than ever as they enter their 20th year in business. The diversity of winning shops shows that the industry is a strong place. Competition between small, mid-sized, and larger agencies continues to raise the creative bar.

Closing remarks.

Thank you for reading this edition of The Trailer Brief!

The next edition will be coming out in two weeks, where we will be breaking down the GTA winners! Be sure to subscribe to get it sent directly to your inbox.

_{All of the thoughts, insights, and opinions presented in this newsletter belong solely to the individual writers and editors of the Trailer Brief and do not necessarily reflect the views of their full-time employers}