Pitt Alum- Tom Getty- Publishes Book on How to Make Movie Trailers

PITT ALUMNI TEACHES HOW TO MAKE MOVIE TRAILERS

JOHNSTOWN, PA—(JUNE 13, 2022)—With blockbuster movies like “Top Gun: Maverick” returning to cinemas, local author Tom Getty has published a book on making the very movie trailers seen in theaters. Getty, a movie trailer producer located in the Johnstown area, wanted to share the tricks of the trade behind the advertisements that will pull audiences back to theaters. 

“I’ve been making movie trailers for years, and I noticed it was something never written about. I had to learn it all on my own through marketing and film experience.” 

The book lays out the mechanics of making a movie trailer—the organizing of the materials, the arranging of dialogue, the editing, copywriting, graphics, and music. “There’s so much that goes into a movie trailer, so much to cover,” Getty says. “You start with arranging the dialogue. Then finding music. Usually you have to create that yourself.” 

Getty offers a wealth of knowledge in the book from his years of experience in creating movie trailers for the industry. “I’ve done trailers for movies with actors like Russel Crowe. Lots of independent horror and action films. “I love movies, and I love marketing them.” 

While the mechanics of trailer production are covered, the author says that the book is far more about the foundations marketing a product for general release. “At the end of the day, it’s marketing. And movies are a marketing business. The book could be useful for anyone who has to sell something.” 

So far, the book has been getting very good reviews. From Kirkus, “A practical master class in the basics of effective movie promotion." Scott Arundale, professor and author of Modern Post: Workflows and Techniques for Digital Filmmakers says, “No other book exists that offers in such great detail practical strategies for making a powerful trailer.”   

The book is now available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats.