Thursday, June 3, 2010

My First Book Trailer!



Ta-dah! It's here at last, my first book trailer featuring my Young Adult novel, Better Than Perfect. Set in New Zealand, the story follows a crucial turning point in the lives of two young women, Elizabeth Haddon and her cousin, Ravenna St. James.  

Making the trailer was an absolute blast, something I've been working on in every spare minute I could find both day and night. It was also, I have to admit, much more fun than writing the book. (Uh-oh, don't tell my writing clients/students...) Of course there were some difficult moments too, for instance when I could not, could not figure out how to get my text onto the still photos and wanted to smash my computer screen with a shoe, a hammer, anything handy. But perseverance paid off and now I think I've got Windows Movie Maker pretty well figured out--and I love it. In fact, I'm so excited by book trailers and the fun of creating them that I'm making three more. 

My original intention for this post was to share some of the things I had learned along the way, but I think I will have to make that a post for next week; all this excitement has worn me out. So for now, I'd just like to invite you to enjoy my first foray into the world of video production. Thanks for watching! 

Tip of the Day: There are many, many places where you can watch book trailers. A good place to start is at Jacketflap.com where you can see a wide variety of videos on the JF home page. As you watch, start thinking about making your own book trailer(s). You don't have to have a published manuscript to begin producing. In fact, next week I'm going to discuss how and why a trailer could actually help you tighten and complete your current WIP. Don't forget the popcorn!

9 comments:

Sharla said...

I like it! I will have to check the book out. Sparked my interest. Love the music too. Pachelbel's Cannon is one of my favorites.

Claudette Young said...

Val-

Loved it! You did good, girl. And just as soon as I figure out how to use Windows 7 adequately, I could begin practicing. You know, this would be a great tool, too, for those expanded short stories or short story collections that follow one or two main characters through a few years of life. Hmmm, now there's a thought.

Thanx for that idea. I can think of all sorts of uses now for that bit of movie making.

I'll be back to see what else is happening in your movie-making life and to absorb those tips of yours.

TTFN

S.A. Larsenッ said...

This was beautiful!! Awesome job, and best of luck!!

Theresa said...

Nicely done! How exciting, best of luck~ Ps. Now I know who to talk to when its my turn and want to avoid smashing my computer. lol ~
Theresa

Koreen said...

Cool trailer. It makes me want to read the book :-)

D.M. SOLIS said...

P.S. If you haven't already done so, could you same something about "found poetry"? Thanks, peace,

Diane

D.M. SOLIS said...

This is great! Have you posted it on FB? Happy to share it on my wall if you have.

Congratulations! Have a fine time!

Peace,
Diane

Toya said...

Beautiful! Sounds like a great "Storey" lol...had to do it.

Julie said...

This is truly beautiful! I love the music and the words which went so well with the photos. Nicely done!