# Cinematic Trailer Production > Provider-independent cinematic trailer production for AI agents creating movie-style trailers, teaser trailers, launch trailers, game trailers, documentary trailers, series promos, and high-impact generated-media previews. Use for trailer strategy, structure, shot planning, voiceover/title-card copy, music and sound-design direction, generated-video prompt translation, edit pacing, platform/runti… - **Type:** Skill - **Install:** `agentstack add skill-calesthio-generative-media-skills-cinematic-trailer-production` - **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior - **Seller:** [calesthio](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/calesthio) - **Installs:** 0 - **Category:** [Developer Tools](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/developer-tools) - **Latest version:** 0.1.0 - **License:** MIT - **Upstream author:** [calesthio](https://github.com/calesthio) - **Source:** https://github.com/calesthio/generative-media-skills/tree/main/skills/production/content-formats/cinematic-trailer-production - **Website:** https://github.com/calesthio/OpenMontage ## Install ```sh agentstack add skill-calesthio-generative-media-skills-cinematic-trailer-production ``` Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent. ## About # Cinematic Trailer Production Use this skill when the user wants a trailer-like video: a movie-style trailer, teaser, launch trailer, game trailer, documentary trailer, series promo, event reveal, high-impact product preview, or social cutdown that sells anticipation rather than fully explaining everything. This is a production discipline skill, not a provider manual. Pair it with the relevant local pipeline, generation-provider skill, editing/composition skill, and delivery tool instructions before calling tools or exporting files. ## Core rule Make one promise, then escalate proof of that promise. A trailer is not a miniature full story. It is an engineered desire machine: the audience should understand the genre, stakes, tone, and reason to care while still wanting the full release. Every beat, shot, caption, sound cue, and title card should earn attention or increase anticipation. ## Start with the trailer brief Before writing prompts or generating clips, lock these decisions: 1. **Trailer type** - Teaser: intrigue, tone, one image or question, usually minimal plot. - Theatrical/hero trailer: complete emotional arc, stakes, characters/product promise, climax tease. - Launch trailer: availability and conversion; spectacle plus clear release/CTA. - Game trailer: player fantasy, mechanics, world, loop, platforms, release/CTA. - Documentary trailer: premise, access, central question, credibility, emotional stakes. - Series promo: world, ensemble, recurring engine, season hook. - Social cutdown: one hook, fast proof, native vertical composition, minimal dependence on sound. 2. **Audience and distribution** - Primary platform and aspect ratio. - Runtime target and whether shorter cutdowns are required. - Sound-on versus sound-optional environment. - Accessibility/captions requirement. - Ratings, claims, disclosure, and legal review constraints. 3. **One-sentence logline** - Format: "When [inciting pressure], [subject] must [action/choice] before [stakes/consequence]." - For products: "For [audience] facing [pain], [product] makes [transformation] possible by [proof/mechanism]." 4. **Hook** - The first 3-5 seconds must contain an image, line, question, contradiction, deadline, or sonic event strong enough to survive scrolling. 5. **Emotional destination** - Choose the final feeling: dread, awe, urgency, triumph, mystery, rebellion, tenderness, prestige, discovery, FOMO, or trust. If the user supplies only a broad request ("make it cinematic"), ask for the missing release object, audience, platform, runtime, and must-include/must-avoid items. If production must proceed, assume a 60-90 second hero trailer plus 30/15/6 second cutdowns and state that assumption. ## Runtime and format strategy Treat platform and ad-spec facts as volatile. Re-check official platform specifications at production time, especially duration limits, AI labels, safe zones, codec requirements, ad policies, and regional rules. As of verification on 2026-07-10: - YouTube video ads recommend 1080p assets in 16:9, 9:16, or 1:1, with safe zones for overlays and CTAs; Google states format-specific length varies and should be checked by campaign type. Skippable in-stream ads allow broad runtime flexibility but list best-practice durations such as 15-20 seconds for awareness/action and 2-3 minutes for consideration. Sources: Google Ads video ad specs and skippable in-stream specs. - YouTube upload guidance says the player adapts to vertical and square aspect ratios, and lists recommended bitrates/audio bitrates by resolution. Source: YouTube recommended upload encoding settings. - TikTok's ad format and functionality policy currently requires legible high-resolution video, 5-60 seconds duration, standard video sizes including 9:16, 1:1, and 16:9, audio that is not poor quality, and dynamic content rather than mostly static imagery. Product- and placement-specific TikTok spec pages can differ, so verify the selected campaign/ad product before delivery. Source: TikTok ad format and functionality policy. - Meta ad specs and placement rules change often and may require login or locale-specific pages. Re-check the relevant Meta Ads Guide/Business Help placement immediately before delivery. Practical runtime map: | Deliverable | Best use | Common structure | |---|---|---| | 6 seconds | Bumper, recall, reveal sting | Logo/subject + one shock/benefit + date/CTA | | 10-15 seconds | Social hook, paid awareness | Hook + proof montage + CTA | | 20-30 seconds | Social trailer, launch cut | Hook + stakes + 3 proof shots + final card | | 45-60 seconds | Teaser/short trailer | Cold open + premise + escalation + tease | | 75-120 seconds | Hero trailer | Three-act emotional arc with escalation and climax tease | | 2-3 minutes | Deep theatrical/consideration trailer | More setup, dialogue, scenes, and story texture | Prefer planning one master trailer and derivative cutdowns together. A strong 90-second hero trailer usually does not automatically become a strong 15-second ad; the short version often needs a different opening, fewer plot beats, larger captions, and a clearer CTA. ## Trailer structure Use a three-act trailer shape unless the user requests an experimental piece. ### Act 1: Hook and world Goal: establish genre, subject, tonal contract, and the reason to watch. Typical beats: - Cold open: arresting image, line, sound, statistic, or question. - World state: where/when/what kind of reality. - Disruption: what changes. - Character/product promise: who or what carries the trailer. Generated-media note: act 1 is where continuity is most fragile. Build a visual bible before generation: character look, environment, palette, lens language, time of day, logo/product state, and forbidden variations. ### Act 2: Escalation and proof Goal: demonstrate scale and stakes without resolving the story. Typical beats: - Montage of attempts, obstacles, capabilities, or revelations. - Voiceover or title cards clarify the premise. - Music adds percussion, pulse, or harmonic lift. - Scenes grow in movement, contrast, stakes, and shot size. - Insert one quiet beat to reset attention before the final escalation. Do not make act 2 a flat list. Each shot should answer "and therefore?" or "but then?" rather than "and also." ### Act 3: Climax tease and memory device Goal: make the audience remember the title, release moment, and feeling. Typical beats: - Big turn, impossible image, confrontation, feature reveal, or emotional line. - Music stop, downbeat, riser, impact, or silence. - Title reveal. - Release/CTA card. - Optional button joke, sting, or final mystery image. Never spoil the final resolution unless the trailer's purpose is conversion for an already-known product where clarity beats mystery. ## Beat map template Use this as a planning scaffold, not a fixed formula. | Time | Function | Picture | Audio | Copy | |---:|---|---|---|---| | 0-3s | Pattern interrupt | Impossible image, face, motion, threat, or product transformation | Hit, breath, glitch, silence, or first VO line | Optional 3-6 word hook | | 3-10s | Context | Establish world or pain | Pulse begins | "In a world..." only if intentionally genre-aware | | 10-25s | Inciting pressure | The change, mission, launch, discovery | Bass, ticking, first rise | Premise card or line | | 25-45s | Proof montage | 4-8 shots showing scale/benefits/obstacles | Percussion, impacts, whooshes | Reviews, claims, or feature cards only if substantiated | | 45-60s | Human/emotional beat | Quiet close-up, witness, pause, product-in-use | Drop out or thin texture | One line that reframes stakes | | 60-80s | Final escalation | Fast cuts, strongest visuals, collision of forces | Full trailerization, risers, braams, hits | Minimal copy | | 80-90s | Title and CTA | Title treatment, release date, platform, logo | Tail, final hit | Exact release/CTA/legal card | For a 30-second version, compress to: 0-2 hook, 2-8 context, 8-20 proof escalation, 20-26 climax tease, 26-30 title/CTA. For 15 seconds, skip exposition and let the first line or title card carry context. ## Shot list design Plan shots by trailer function rather than by visual prettiness. Required shot families for most cinematic trailers: - **Signature image**: the image the audience remembers. - **World/wide shot**: scale, geography, genre. - **Character/product hero shot**: subject identity and desirability. - **Threat/friction shot**: antagonist, obstacle, pain, countdown, or market pressure. - **Action/proof shot**: movement, capability, mechanic, transformation, or consequence. - **Human reaction shot**: face, hand, breath, witness, user, fan, player, customer. - **Texture inserts**: objects, UI, evidence, maps, newspaper, controls, artifacts, particles. - **Escalation shot**: bigger motion, danger, speed, crowd, reveal, or impossible event. - **Title/CTA shot**: clean enough to carry typography. For AI-generated video, give every shot a continuity role: - `subject_id`: recurring person/object/product. - `setting_id`: environment and time. - `story_beat`: why this shot exists. - `camera`: lens feel, movement, framing, depth. - `action`: one clear action, not a paragraph of events. - `continuity anchors`: wardrobe, logo placement, color palette, props, weather, UI state. - `negative constraints`: no extra fingers, no changing logo, no unreadable text, no random characters, no morphing, no flicker, no invented claims. - `handoff`: exact first/last frame intent if stitching shots. ## Translating a trailer plan into generated-video prompts Most video models respond better to concrete shot direction than to abstract genre labels. Translate "cinematic trailer" into specific visual, temporal, and editorial instructions. Use this prompt stack: 1. **Continuity bible** - Characters/products, wardrobe/materials, palette, environments, era, camera language, aspect ratio, and typography restrictions. 2. **Shot prompt** - Subject + action + setting + camera + lighting + mood + duration + composition + continuity anchors. 3. **Motion contract** - What moves, how fast, where the camera moves, what must stay stable. 4. **Edit intent** - What shot precedes/follows and what beat it serves. 5. **Avoid list** - Model-specific failure risks and legal/brand restrictions. Example shot prompt: > A lone astronaut in a scratched white EVA suit stands at the edge of a black-glass crater under a pale blue sunrise, visor reflecting a distant city buried under ice. Slow 35mm push-in from wide to medium, subtle handheld drift, cold rim light, volumetric haze, grounded sci-fi realism, tense silence before impact. The astronaut's suit markings, orange wrist tether, and cracked left shoulder plate must match all other shots. No readable invented text, no extra people, no logo changes, no morphing helmet. For product trailers, replace vague cinematic effects with product truth: > Macro close-up of the actual matte-black device on a walnut desk, thumb presses the side button, screen wakes to the approved dashboard UI mockup, shallow depth of field, controlled studio reflections, smooth slider move left to right, premium launch-film lighting. Keep device proportions, logo, and UI layout identical to reference. No invented UI text or unsupported feature claims. If a model cannot preserve continuity across shots, switch to one of these strategies: - Generate fewer, longer shots with in-shot reframing. - Use reference images or locked character/product sheets if the provider supports them. - Use still-image keyframes plus controlled motion for hero/product shots. - Hide continuity seams with silhouettes, inserts, POV shots, typography, speed ramps, match cuts, whip pans, light leaks, or sound bridges. - Use editorial repetition: the same color, prop, shape, or sound cue can maintain identity even when exact character continuity varies. ## Voiceover, dialogue, and title-card direction Use fewer words than a normal explainer. Trailer copy should create pressure and rhythm. Strong trailer copy is: - specific enough to orient the audience; - incomplete enough to preserve curiosity; - short enough to read while the cut keeps moving; - timed as punctuation, not wallpaper; - legally safe and substantiated when making claims. Avoid generic lines unless parodying the form: - "Everything will change." - "The future is here." - "In a world..." - "You've never seen anything like this." - "The ultimate solution." Better patterns: - "The signal arrived 12 minutes after Earth went dark." - "One city. Seven nights. No exits." - "Every forecast was wrong." - "Build faster than the market can move." - "The launch window closes Friday." Use title cards when: - the trailer must work without sound; - plot context would be awkward as VO; - claims need exact approved wording; - brand/product names must land visually; - pacing needs hard punctuation. Use VO/dialogue when: - human emotion or authority matters; - documentary credibility depends on a real participant; - the trailer needs a whispered hook, confession, or command; - social captions can carry text but audio adds intimacy. For captions, plan them from the script stage. W3C WCAG 2.2 SC 1.2.2 requires captions for prerecorded audio in synchronized media, except narrow text-alternative cases. FCC caption quality guidance for covered television programming emphasizes accuracy, synchronicity, completeness, and placement. Even when not legally required, trailers should ship with accurate captions/subtitles and a text-safe layout. ## Music and sound-design language Trailer audio often carries more structure than dialogue. Design the sound arc before editing. Common trailer audio elements: - **Pulse**: low rhythmic element that starts tension. - **Riser**: increasing pitch/noise/energy into a transition. - **Braam/boom**: large low impact, often for reveals. - **Hit/impact**: percussive cut punctuation. - **Whoosh/swish**: movement or transition accent. - **Downer**: falling tone for dread or reversal. - **Stop-down**: sudden silence or thin audio before a reveal. - **Tick/timer**: urgency and countdown. - **Signature motif**: a memorable two- or three-note identity. - **Button/sting**: short final joke, scare, or memory cue after title. Build music in phases: 1. Sparse hook: texture, breath, isolated sound, or silence. 2. Pulse: tempo and movement begin. 3. First lift: harmonic or percussion expansion. 4. Drop/reset: attention reset and emotional line. 5. Final build: denser rhythm, faster cuts, bigger impacts. 6. Tail: title hit, release card, optional sting. Do not crush the mix just to feel "epic." Check loudness against the delivery target. EBU R 128 and its R 128 s1 short-form supplement address loudness normalization and true-peak controls for short-form items such as trailers/promos; ATSC A/85 provides loudness guidance for television and streaming-media audio workflows. If delivering to a broadcaster, streamer, ad network, or cinema, use the client/platform spec rather than a generic web target. Practical mix handoff: - Separate dialogue/VO, music, SFX, and final mix stems when possible. - Confirm loudness target, true-peak ceiling, channel layout, sample rate, and codec with the destination. - Keep dialogue intelligible in phone speakers and noisy environments. - Use captions and on-screen cards for critical information that may be missed in sound-off playback. - Watch the trailer once at low volume and once muted before approval. ## Pacing and escalation Escalation is not only faster cutting. It is increasing consequence. Use multiple escalation lanes: - shot size: wide -> medium -> close -> macro/impact; - motion: stillness -> drift -> travel -> collision; - stakes: curiosity -> danger/opportunity -> deadline -> irreversible choice; - sound: texture -> pulse -> rhythm -> full hits -> stop-down; - copy: question -> premise -> wa … ## Source & license This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code. - **Author:** [calesthio](https://github.com/calesthio) - **Source:** [calesthio/generative-media-skills](https://github.com/calesthio/generative-media-skills) - **License:** MIT - **Homepage:** https://github.com/calesthio/OpenMontage Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above. ## Pricing - **Free** — Free ## Security capabilities Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access: - **Network access:** no - **Filesystem access:** no - **Shell / process execution:** no - **Environment & secrets:** no - **Dynamic code execution:** no *"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.* ## Versions - **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source. ## Links - Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-calesthio-generative-media-skills-cinematic-trailer-production - Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/calesthio - Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse --- Listed on AgentStack — the marketplace for AI agent skills and MCP servers. 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