CULTURAS IN VITRO
Previews are here to stay, so deal with it: "It's the strongest marketing tool at a studio's disposal," says Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations, which compiles national movie-going statistics. "They've done surveys that indicate that moviegoers absolutely love trailers. But there is a point at which it becomes too much."
What is that point? What number of trailers is optimal, and what number results in trailer fatigue?
"As a corporation, our magic number is no more than three," says Pam Margolis, who handles trailers for the 13 Mann Theaters in Minnesota, including St. Paul's Grandview. "We think people do like to watch them, but they came to see a movie, not a half-hour of trailers."