How to Make a Movie Trailer With AI

To make a movie trailer, open cold on one striking image, state the premise in two short cards, let more cards pace a montage that speeds up, hit a climax, and end on a scream, the title and the date.

By Zoey Z.Last updated

An ink drawing of an old film projector casting a wide beam of light

Most first trailers are a highlight reel: good shots in a row, with nothing pulling the viewer from one to the next. A movie trailer sells one question in a minute or two, so the words and the cutting have to do the selling. We read the 42-second Summer Series Trailer that Hannah L. cut for the 17 films of the Flick Residency, frame by frame, from its cold open to its end card. This guide shows how to make a movie trailer the way it was made, in six steps, each with the frame where it happens.

Make your trailer in FlickSee the 6 steps

What is the structure of a movie trailer?

Three acts in miniature: an opening that poses the question, a middle that raises the stakes, and a fast turn into the title.
The Summer Series Trailer on flick.art, read from frames sampled every 2 seconds and from its detected cuts. Times are approximate.
PartTimeWhat is on screen
Cold open0:00A scarred man gripping a staff by firelight
Premise0:04 to 0:05Two cards: “Anyone can prompt a video.” “Not everyone can direct a film.”
Build0:06 to 0:24Shots between the cards “17 original AI films.” at 0:10 and “As AI grows more powerful,” at 0:21
Turn0:24Card: “What will the filmmaker do with it?”, then about 20 shots in 5 seconds
Climax0:29An explosion over wrecked cars
Button and end0:30 to the endA man in an orange sweater screaming, the series title, then “September 1, 2026”

How do you make a movie trailer with AI, step by step?

In six steps, each one something the Summer Series Trailer does on screen, shown with the frame where it does it.

  1. Step 1

    Open cold on one image

    The trailer starts at 0:00 on a scarred man gripping a staff by firelight, with no title and no words, so the viewer is pulled in before being told anything.

    • Pick an opener that is strange or striking on its own, with no context needed.
    • A face in close-up works at once: it asks who this is.
    A scarred, bloodied man grips a wooden staff by firelight, the cold open of the Summer Series Trailer
    Hannah L., director of Flick Filmmaker Residency: Summer Series Trailer

  2. Step 2

    State the premise in two cards

    At 0:04 and 0:05, two cards set up the whole trailer as a contrast: “Anyone can prompt a video.” then “Not everyone can direct a film.”

    • Two short lines, white on black, one idea each.
    • The second line turns the first, so the premise lands in a single glance.
    White title card on black reading Anyone can prompt a video, from the Summer Series Trailer
    Hannah L., director of Flick Filmmaker Residency: Summer Series Trailer

  3. Step 3

    Start the build

    Right after the premise, at 0:06, the build starts on a figure in a smoky warehouse, the first of the shots that show what these filmmakers made.

    • Open the build on a wide, atmospheric shot that gives the eye time to land.
    • From here the trailer cuts between films, so every few shots is a new world.
    A lone figure stands in a smoky warehouse lit by shafts of light as dark shapes run in, from the Summer Series Trailer
    Hannah L., director of Flick Filmmaker Residency: Summer Series Trailer

  4. Step 4

    Let cards pace the montage

    Three more cards break the montage into stretches and push the argument forward: “17 original AI films.” at 0:10, “As AI grows more powerful,” at 0:21 and “What will the filmmaker do with it?” at 0:24.

    • The last two are one sentence split across a cut, so the viewer waits for the end of it.
    • Between the cards, the shots get shorter: about 20 in 5 seconds after the last one.
    White title card on black reading 17 original AI films, from the Summer Series Trailer
    Hannah L., director of Flick Filmmaker Residency: Summer Series Trailer

  5. Step 5

    Hit a climax

    At 0:29, right after its rapid burst of cuts, the trailer peaks on its biggest image: an explosion over wrecked cars.

    • Save your loudest, brightest shot for the end of the rapid cutting.
    • It marks the top of the curve before the trailer drops to its button.
    A huge fireball erupts over wrecked cars in front of a warehouse, the climax of the Summer Series Trailer
    Hannah L., director of Flick Filmmaker Residency: Summer Series Trailer

  6. Step 6

    End on a button and the date

    At 0:30 the trailer cuts to its button, a man in an orange sweater screaming, then gives the series title and, at 0:37, the premiere date, “September 1, 2026”.

    • A button is one last surprising shot after the climax, so the trailer ends on a face.
    • Then tell the viewer what to do: the title, the date and where to watch, Flick TV.
    A young man in an orange sweater throws his head back and screams, the button of the Summer Series Trailer
    Hannah L., director of Flick Filmmaker Residency: Summer Series Trailer

What goes between the cards?

Short shots from the films themselves, one idea each, cut between cards that keep the argument moving.
Armored vehicles drive into a towering wall of orange dust at dusk, a shot from Drop of Water in the trailer
Start frame: Armored vehicles drive into a towering wall of orange dust at dusk, a shot from Drop of Water in the trailer
Start frame
00:05

Drop of WaterA wide image

One of the build's shots, made in Flick.

Karan Archana, director of Drop of Water

Questions about making a movie trailer

What is the structure of a movie trailer?

Most trailers follow three acts in miniature: an opening that poses a question, a middle that raises the stakes, and a fast turn into the title, a date and where to watch. A voiceover or a few title cards carry the story from one act to the next.

How long should a movie trailer be?

Long enough to pose one question and short enough to leave it open, usually one to two and a half minutes. The Summer Series Trailer made for the Flick Residency runs 42 seconds, with five title cards before its end card.

What is a button in a trailer?

A button is the last beat after the climax: one surprising shot, line or sound just before the title. In the Summer Series Trailer it is a man in an orange sweater screaming, right after an explosion.

Can AI make a movie trailer?

Yes. AI video models make the shots, image models make the characters and key frames, and a voice model can read a narration. The cut itself still needs a filmmaker's choices: which card goes where, and how fast to cut.

Should a trailer use title cards or a voiceover?

Either works. Title cards suit a series or a trailer cut from many films, since one sentence can cover all of them; a voiceover suits a single story told by one narrator. In Flick, a narration can be generated with Eleven v3.

What is the difference between a teaser and a trailer?

A teaser is shorter and shows less, often a mood, a single image and a title. A trailer lays out the premise, the main characters and the stakes, then ends on the title and the release date.

Do I need a video editor to make a trailer?

For the final cut, usually yes. The Summer Series Trailer was uploaded to Flick as a finished video, cut from shots that were made in Flick for the residency films.

Can I make a movie trailer with AI for free?

You can start for free. Flick gives you 100 credits when you sign up, and 200 more for joining the Flick Discord. Seedance 2.0, a video model many of the residency filmmakers used, needs the Standard plan.

More on making trailers and films in Flick

See all

Films in this guide

Every frame on this page comes from the Summer Series Trailer or from a public Flick film canvas, and is credited to its filmmaker. Watch the trailer and the films it comes from on Flick TV.

Make your own movie trailer

Shots, characters and voices on one canvas, with the models the residency filmmakers used.

Make your trailer in Flick

Try for free, no credit card required.

Ask AI about this page:ChatGPTPerplexityClaude