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This is something that has confused me for awhile. In theory, a teaser trailer should just be a small snippet that gives a vague idea as to what the film will be. Most of Pixar’s teaser trailers are like this, as did the very first teaser for The Force Awakens, but so often movies will have “teasers” that show in-depth plot details and sequences you would expect in a full trailer.
For example, the trailer for next year’s Batman film is called a “teaser,” even though there is literally nothing about it that’s different from a proper trailer. Back in 2014, the teaser trailer and full trailer for Godzilla were practically the same in terms of content.
So is there a proper difference between the two? Or are stidios just super inconsistent with marketing?
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I'm no expert, but I think it's more of a marketing thing nowadays. Teasers used to really be teasers, like you said. They were shorter and way less detail oriented. Like, I remember the teaser for Batman v Superman was just them running at each other, wasn't it? Then, there seemed to be a shift. The teaser for Spider-Man: No Way Home that just dropped is longer than a lot of official trailers. Doesn't make sense 😂
Search The Dark Knight and The Irishman teaser trailers to see a proper teaser.
The literal difference is that a teaser comes first, then trailers later.
There's generally less plot in a (good) teaser trailer. Or at least less of the more surprising parts of the plot.
Also that Batman trailer really doesn't have much plot to it. It definitely feels like a teaser trailer.
Every "Top Gun: Maverick" trailer is a tease.
By the time the movie comes out, we'll be saying, "Oh yeah, remember when the Navy flew F-18s...?"
Usually teaser trailers tend to be shorter than trailers, because they aim to tease you indeed with a few sequences that will show you some of what the movie will offer without spoiling the plot too much or at all. Then, the trailer makes you see more, and comes out much later, diving slightly deeper into the main plot.
Teasers are actually trailers, and trailers show the entire movie in short form.
This is the best answer I’ve received so far.
About a minute.
About a minute in runtime?
The bar is low for teasers. Like In video games, a studio could theoretically release a teaser that has nothing but a logo. The Dark Knight Teaser only had a logo and two lines of dialog, for example.
Meanwhile, a trailer usually shows something, and gives an idea of what the film/game is about.
About 2 mins.
Back in the day, a teaser trailer basically meant no dialogue, mostly only silent (but with music) footage in somewhat slow motion or slowly revealed.
A true teaser. Like the Phantom Menace Teaser with the breathing and the 5-7 different 2-3 second clips from the movie. I think it lasted less than a minute.