Chapter 4: Trailer Shot Checklists

Created by Sarah Choi (prompt writer using ChatGPT)

Trailer Shot Checklists for Costume Concept Artists

1. Why Trailer Shots Matter for Costume Design

When most players first meet your character’s costume, it isn’t on a still splash image or box—it’s in motion, inside a trailer. Announce trailers, cinematic teasers, gameplay reels, and season updates are all packed with quick shots that must sell:

  • The character (personality, role, fantasy).
  • The game/IP (genre, tone, production value).
  • The outfits (collectability, upgrade value, variety).

Every shot is a tiny moving poster. Even more importantly, trailers get paused and screenshotted constantly: for press kits, social posts, store banners, and fan reactions. That means your costume design needs to be trailer-proof—readable in motion, at speed, in compression, and as a single still frame.

As a costume concept artist, whether you are on the concepting side (designing outfits, ideating key moments) or the production side (final paints, supporting cinematics and marketing with specific shot notes), thinking in terms of trailer shot checklists will help you:

  • Design poses and silhouettes that cut clearly through motion blur and FX.
  • Plan costume beats that can be used in both video shots and static renders.
  • Support marketing, key art, and merch teams with frames that become posters, thumbnails, or figurine poses.

This article walks through common trailer shot types, constraints, and practical checklists so your costumes shine on every beat.

2. Trailer Reality: Constraints that Affect Costumes

Before diving into checklists, it helps to understand the reality of trailer production:

  • Fast edits. Shots may only last 0.5–2 seconds. Your costume has to read almost instantly.
  • Compression and platform differences. Trailers are seen on YouTube, streaming, social clips, and in-engine promos—with different resolutions and color shifts.
  • Motion blur and effects. Camera shake, particle FX, lens flares, and UI elements can obscure costume details.
  • Multiple uses per shot. A single shot might be used as: a freeze-frame in a dev diary, a store banner, a press-kit still, or box interior art.

Your costume decisions—silhouette, color blocks, accessory placement, cape length, armor forms—must acknowledge that no one is staring at a still PSD at full resolution. Instead, they’re catching glimpses while the character moves.

3. Core Trailer Shot Types and What They Need from Costumes

You don’t control the entire trailer, but you can design with the most common shot types in mind.

3.1 Hero Reveal Shot

What it is: The iconic first time we see the character clearly—often a slow push-in, turn, or step into light.

What the shot needs from the costume:

  • Primary silhouette clarity. Role, attitude, and genre should read in a single glance.
  • Chest and head emphasis. Logos, emblems, face/helm design, and shoulders must be readable.
  • One or two strong motion beats. A cape swing, a shoulder turn, a hand gesture that shows sleeves and gloves.

3.2 Action / Combat Shot

What it is: Brief moments of attacking, dodging, casting spells, or using abilities.

What the shot needs from the costume:

  • Directional clarity. A viewer should instantly see which way the character is moving or striking.
  • Readable limb silhouettes. Arms and legs should cut clearly from torso and environment.
  • Stability in motion blur. Large color blocks and shapes stay visible even when blurred.

3.3 Traversal / Movement Shot

What it is: Running, climbing, flying, riding, sliding—showing how the character moves through the world.

What the shot needs from the costume:

  • Cloth and hair behavior. Skirts, coats, capes, and straps should look intentional when flapping, not chaotic or clipping.
  • Back and profile reads. Players often see characters from behind in gameplay; trailers echo that.

3.4 Group or Lineup Shot

What it is: Multiple characters posed together, often for team or roster marketing.

What the shot needs from the costume:

  • Distinct silhouettes per character. No two costumes should collapse into a single blob.
  • Varied heights and widths. Slim next to bulky, long coat next to tight suit, cloak next to armor.

3.5 Merch / Figurine Moment

What it is: A shot clearly designed to be paused and turned into a poster, store tile, or figurine pose.

What the shot needs from the costume:

  • Balanced, stable pose. Looks good as a standalone still and as a potential statue.
  • Full costume read. Key elements from headgear to boots visible, with minimal occlusion.

4. Pose Checklists for Trailer Shots

Poses are the skeleton of your trailer shots. As a costume artist, you can suggest pose ideas or design outfits with specific poses in mind.

4.1 Hero Reveal Pose Checklist

For a reveal shot pose:

  • Can the viewer clearly see face/helm and chest motif at the same time?
  • Does at least one full arm and one leg silhouette read clearly against the background?
  • Is there a distinct asymmetry (tilt of head, shift in hips, one shoulder raised) that makes the pose feel alive?
  • Could this reveal pose serve as a poster or box art pose with minor adjustments?

For concept-side artists, explore small thumbnail poses where the character steps into light, turns toward camera, or looks over shoulder—while preserving a clean costume read.

4.2 Action Shot Pose Checklist

For combat or high-energy shots:

  • Do arms and weapons avoid blocking the face and chest in every frame of the move?
  • Can the viewer still understand where the torso is facing when limbs are extended?
  • Does the pose create clear negative shapes between limbs and body, so the silhouette doesn’t turn into noise?
  • If this action frame were paused, would the costume still be recognizable at a glance?

Design costumes with directional lines (sashes, trim, stripes) that help the eye follow the action.

4.3 Traversal Pose Checklist

For movement-oriented shots:

  • Is the back view of the costume just as designed as the front? Cape shapes, collar line, backpack/gear, and hair create a strong silhouette?
  • Do loose elements (straps, tassels, belts) have clear anchor points so they don’t look like random spaghetti?
  • Are there simple, repeating motion shapes (like rhythm in cape folds) that look good in motion and blur?

If the game is third-person, assume players will see this perspective constantly—trailers will feature it, so the costume must look strong from behind.

4.4 Group Shot Pose Checklist

For group or lineup moments:

  • Does each character occupy a unique shape and pose stance (tall and relaxed, hunched and aggressive, compact and energetic)?
  • Are costumes designed so that key silhouette elements don’t overlap too much when characters stand side by side?
  • Could a cropped version of this group still show each costume’s identity for a banner or print?

When you design costume rosters, imagine them in a group shot and adjust silhouettes accordingly.

4.5 Merch Shot Pose Checklist

For obvious “pause and print” moments:

  • Is the pose stable enough to be used as a figurine or statue without major re-engineering?
  • Do both front and 3/4 views of the pose look appealing, in case it’s used for boxes or standees?
  • Are there built-in support elements (capes touching base, props near the ground) that could help if translated into a physical product?

These poses are prime candidates for key art renders and SKU variant box art.

5. Lighting and Render Checklists for Trailer Frames

Even if you’re not lighting the final trailer, your key art and paintovers can suggest lighting recipes that DP and marketing teams love.

5.1 Readability in Motion and Freeze-Frames

Ask of each major costume moment:

  • Does the value structure make the character and costume pop against the environment?
  • If the shot is paused, is the face + top torso the clearest region?
  • Do metallic, cloth, and emissive materials remain distinct when compressed or blurred?

Consider doing small grayscale studies of potential trailer frames to test value hierarchies.

5.2 FX and Costume Interaction

Trailers often layer VFX over characters: particles, magic, muzzle flashes, dust.

Design costumes with:

  • Safe zones where VFX can live without hiding critical emblems or patterns.
  • Contrast planning so glowing FX frame the silhouette instead of erasing it.

When doing trailer frame paintovers, keep FX on separate layers and treat them as a tool to highlight the costume, not compete with it.

5.3 Render Fidelity vs. Print Reuse

Trailer stills are frequently used as:

  • Store page banners.
  • Magazine covers.
  • Physical posters.

As a production-side artist, when you provide key frame paintovers or marketing renders:

  • Aim for clean edges and controlled texture that will hold up in print.
  • Avoid relying on super-noisy FX or grain as the primary separation between character and background.

A good mental test: shrink the frame down to a phone-size thumbnail and see if the costume still reads.

6. Connecting Trailer Shots to Key Art, Box Art, and Merch

Trailer shots don’t live in isolation. They often become the source of many other marketing assets.

6.1 From Trailer Frame to Key Art

Marketing teams often pick one or two frames as the basis for:

  • Main hero posters.
  • Store key art.
  • Front-page images on digital platforms.

If you design costumes and poses with this in mind:

  • Make sure each hero reveal shot contains a frame where the costume is fully visible.
  • Suggest 2–3 specific frames or beats in your concept notes that would make good key art.

6.2 From Trailer Pose to Figurine

A dynamic yet stable trailer pose can become the pose for a figurine or statue.

To support that pipeline:

  • Create follow-up sketches or orthos based on the chosen trailer pose.
  • Indicate any necessary simplifications or added supports for a physical version.

6.3 From Trailer Costume Moments to SKUs

Trailers often show:

  • Multiple outfits for the same character.
  • Seasonal/event variants.
  • Upgraded gear.

If those looks become separate SKUs and merch items, you want each trailer shot to:

  • Clearly communicate which tier or season the costume belongs to.
  • Show enough of the costume that a viewer can distinguish Standard vs Deluxe vs Special.

7. Concept-Side Workflow: Designing Trailer-Friendly Costumes

As a concept-side costume artist, you rarely sequence the trailer—but you can design with trailer beats in mind.

7.1 Shot-Aware Thumbnailing

When exploring costumes, add a “trailer lens” by:

  • Sketching three quick thumbnails for each major costume: a reveal shot, an action shot, and a traversal shot.
  • Checking whether the silhouette and key details hold up in all three.

If a costume only looks good in a static front pose, rework shapes so it survives motion and angles.

7.2 Costume Story Beats

Think about how the costume can help tell the trailer’s story:

  • Does the outfit have transformations or power states that could anchor key moments?
  • Are there removable or deployable elements (hood up/down, visor, wings, cloak states) that trailer shots can emphasize?

Designing these beats intentionally makes it easier for cinematic teams to stage them.

7.3 Communication with Cinematics and Marketing

Share your costume concepts with notes like:

  • “Great for slow hero push-in.”
  • “Action shot idea: leap with cape fan-shape, weapon arc emphasizes trim.”

Even simple notes can spark trailer shot ideas and encourage teams to showcase the costume well.

8. Production-Side Workflow: Supporting Trailer, Print, and Physicals

As a production-side costume artist, you often work closer with cinematic, marketing, and rendering teams.

8.1 Trailer Shot Paintovers and Callouts

You may be asked to:

  • Paint over in-engine trailer frames to enhance costume readability.
  • Suggest lighting tweaks or minor pose adjustments.

When doing this:

  • Prioritize silhouette clarity and focal hierarchy—face and chest first.
  • Mark areas where costume details must stay visible for brand identity.

8.2 Shot Packs for Marketing and Merch

A shot pack is a curated set of frames and paintovers that downstream teams can reuse.

Include:

  • 2–3 hero reveal stills.
  • 1–2 action stills with clear costume silhouette.
  • 1 traversal shot showing back view.
  • Notes on which frames are best for posters, box art, or figurine references.

8.3 Consistency Across Media

Ensure that costume details and colors match between:

  • In-game models.
  • Trailer renders.
  • Key art illustrations.
  • Box art and merch turnarounds.

If changes are made late, update reference packs so trailers don’t contradict box art or products.

9. Common Trailer-Costume Pitfalls and Fixes

9.1 Costumes that Vanish in Motion Blur

Problem: Fine details and subtle color shifts disappear during fast moves.

Fix:

  • Use bolder color blocking and stronger light/dark separation.
  • Simplify tertiary details in zones that move fastest (wrists, ankles, weapon tips).

9.2 Poses that Hide the Costume

Problem: Weapons, arms, or FX repeatedly block key costume elements.

Fix:

  • Adjust animation arcs so there are clean readable frames during key beats.
  • Design costume focus areas where arms rarely pass (center chest, shoulders, back emblem).

9.3 Trailer vs Key Art Inconsistency

Problem: Trailer shows one version of the costume; key art and box show another.

Fix:

  • Align costume locks early; update either trailer asset or art if major changes occur.
  • Maintain a single source-of-truth costume sheet synchronized with all teams.

9.4 Group Shots That Collapse into Noise

Problem: In trailers or posters, multi-character scenes look like a mass of overlapping shapes.

Fix:

  • Plan silhouette diversity at the roster design stage.
  • For specific group trailer shots, adjust costumes and posing so each role reads distinctly.

10. Quick Trailer Shot Checklists for Costume Artists

Use these mental checklists when you’re designing or reviewing costumes for trailer use.

10.1 Per-Shot Checklist (Any Trailer Frame)

  • Can I identify the character and their role in under a second?
  • Does the silhouette remain clear at small size and low resolution?
  • Are face and chest readable and not blocked by props or FX?
  • Would this frame make a solid poster or box art still?

10.2 Costume Design Checklist (Trailer-Aware)

  • Does the costume have a strong front, side, and back read for moving cameras?
  • Are moving parts (cloth, hair, accessories) designed to look good when flapping or blurring?
  • Are key emblems and patterns placed where the camera is likely to see them (torso, shoulders, back)?

10.3 Cross-Media Checklist (Trailer ↔ Key Art ↔ Merch)

  • Is there at least one trailer pose that can be reused for poster, box art, and figurine?
  • Do all final media show consistent costume details and colors?
  • Have I documented shot suggestions and frames that feature the costume at its best?

11. Bringing It All Together

Trailer shot checklists turn vague “make it look cool” goals into concrete design targets. As a concept-side costume artist, you can anticipate trailer beats by designing silhouettes, poses, and costume story moments that shine in motion and as paused frames. As a production-side costume artist, you help align trailers with key art, box art, and merch by curating strong frames, doing readability paintovers, and maintaining consistency across all outputs.

If you keep asking, “Would this costume moment still read if it flashed by for half a second—and would it make a great poster if paused?”, you’re doing trailer-aware costume design. That mindset ensures your outfits don’t just look good in the portfolio—they become the iconic images players remember from the trailer, the box, and the figurines on their shelves.