CLIFFHANGER Anthony Smith edits trailers to drive traffic
is to create a trailer for each episode, to entice people to watch or listen to the full episode,” Smith describes. “This trailer footage is used at the start of every episode, too, almost as a teaser introduction to the full video.” “My background prior to this was working on social media, as an editor for some of the biggest film franchises and TV shows in the world; creating teasers and social trailers.” Smith emphasises how knowing every fragment of content in the upcoming episode is the key to executing a dynamite trailer. “I start the process by watching the entire length of the video, to create a storyline in my head. That in turn helps me decide what will capture viewers’ attention the most. “Then it’s a case of finding a way to create the trailer itself; uncovering the best ways to tell that story through cutaways, archive footage, music, sound effects and so on. Then it goes through the amends process, where we continue to chip away right up until its release.” It feels virtually impossible to scroll through TikTok without its algorithm spitting out one of Smith’s captivating trailers, successfully leaving enough out that you are driven to watch more. The role of trailer editor is a tall order, responsible for presenting content to the podcast’s audience, both current and prospective, for the first time.
“The biggest challenge sits behind those storylines,” emphasises Smith. “Due to the nature of the podcast, every episode offers a completely different takeaway for our listeners. The tough part is converting the content of a one hour 40 minute emotionally charged episode into a one minute 30 second trailer. “We have a mantra of the 1% rule. Every time we start a project, we ask what can we do to add that extra 1% to make it better than before? It’s down to me to find fresh ways to edit the trailer – something as small as the text font, or pace of footage. It’s a challenge, but a welcome one.” The algorithm battlefield social media presents is another fight taken on by Smith and the team. “If you want the podcast to grow, you have to look at what does and doesn’t work,” Smith continues. “What I try to do is sit and read every comment on every platform – and what I learn from that I relay to the team. “A good example is trailer cliffhangers. I’ve always tried to find a strong one to end trailers with, and I saw so many comments saying ‘you got me with that cliffhanger again’ or ‘I need to watch this now.’ With that, we learned very quickly what works – without falling into a pit of trying to please absolutely everyone.” Like many others, Smith was new to the podcasting space prior to his current role, but demonstrates an example of how skills can be transferred to this fast-growing industry. “I was instantly sucked in,” he concludes. “The way this industry’s grown is fantastic. We’ve been to a couple of podcast shows and expos, and the atmosphere at those was so exciting. “I love how it can be so reactive but also so regular. That many are stepping into visual podcasts adds a whole new dynamic.” WHAT CAN WE DO TO ADD THAT EXTRA 1%?
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PAY ATTENTION TO THE GRIPPING AND EMOTIVE NATURE OF ANTHONY SMITH’S EDITING AT THE START OF THIS EPISODE
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