Traumatika Director Explains “Too Loopy to Present” Teaser Trailer

Traumatika‘s director explains why the teaser trailer for the 2024 horror confirmed basically nothing of the particular film. Premiering at FrightFest in August 2024 and releasing theatrically on September 12, 2025, Traumatika follows a boy whose nightmares begin coming alive when his mom appears to be possessed by a demon, leaving him with experiences that may hang-out generations.

Traumatika initially launched a minimal teaser trailer, which reveals virtually nothing from the movie, because the digital camera goes down a hallway and an announcement seems saying: “As a result of intense nature of Traumatika, we’re not permitted to indicate the trailer.” This assertion is adopted by some excerpts from reviewers calling the film “continuous” and “bonkers” showing on-screen, with terrified dialogue heard within the background.

The teaser wraps up with the phrases, “This isn’t a film you see. This can be a film you survive,” adopted by just a few swift traditional horror film pictures of a number of the characters, and a “You may have been warned.” Traumatika would launch a extra typical trailer a couple of month out of the film’s theatrical premiere, however the first one is, in some ways, extra tantalizing and memorable.

In an interview with ScreenRant‘s Grant Hermanns, Traumatika director Pierre Tsigardis spoke in regards to the inception of this distinctive teaser. Tsigardis revealed that it began out as a characteristically imprecise teaser, which confirmed some stills whereas hinting at some sinister issues taking place within the background. However when Saban Movies favored the thought of exhibiting nothing, they went all in on it.

Take a look at Tsigardis’ full feedback under:

ScreenRant: They did not launch a correct full trailer as a result of they had been like, “That is too excessive of a film to launch a full trailer.” I’d like to understand how a lot of that was your enter on that versus the distributors’ advertising group.

Pierre Tsigardis: We had minimize a trailer, an authentic teaser, that was not exhibiting something. It might simply be, like, a few of our favourite nonetheless pictures from the film with just a bit [push] in, we’d simply add some sound design behind, like, horrific issues taking place within the background, and teasing the title of the film on the finish, and nothing else.

And that is one thing that we had supplied to Saban, and I feel they favored the thought. It advanced into an concept that was like, “Oh, wait. We like the thought of not exhibiting something. Possibly let’s imagine a disclaimer [like], ‘That is too loopy to indicate something proper now,'” [and] present some critiques after which present just a little blurb on the finish.

And that is what they got here up with. And truthfully, it made lots of people speak on-line, and I feel it opened the dialog. “Oh, is it actually that scary? Come on, guys.” And I feel that is good, for the dialog to be open.

And I feel we do ship with the trailer, one thing that makes you wish to watch the film. However we knew we had been going to offer you guys the trailer–simply, like, in per week, [to] get you prepared.

What This Means For Traumatika

Tsigardis feedback on precisely the form of response a advertising group would hope this type of commercial would provoke: disbelief that the film might actually be “that scary.” Producing curiosity somewhat than conventional hype could be very useful for a little-known horror film resembling this and permits it to face out amongst 2025’s finest horror films.

Alternatively, with horror films particularly, trailers are good to have to supply audiences with a greater warning {that a} broad “you have got been warned,” in addition to a way of the story for them to be invested in. Because the director additionally notes, they had been about to launch an actual trailer.

The non-trailer maybe helped increase the film by sparking dialog, so folks could be prepared when the following commercial appeared. The technique generated pleasure for the film in a method that by no means would have occurred if that they had simply launched a plain outdated film trailer.

Our Take On Traumatika’s Non-Trailer

The Traumatika teaser additionally not directly pokes enjoyable at trailers that give far an excessive amount of away, when at present’s leisure business depends on a number of promoting. Traumatika is a small case research in how hyperbolically teasing a film’s vibes could be very efficient, and it’d really be enjoyable to enter a film probably not realizing what you might be in for.

Launch Date

August 24, 2024

Runtime

88 minutes

Director

Pierre Tsigaridis

Producers

Maxime Rancon