Brainstorm Ideas

Think of a book trailer like a movie trailer.  A great trailer should give a sense of the story, hint at the plot, and make people want to read the title.  You can use:

• Any of the music, images & clips from Animoto.com
• Book covers (but not scans of the inside)
• Quotes from the book
• Video you have filmed yourself
• Music you have composed yourself

Take a look at some examples.  Note what you like and don’t like about each trailer you watch, and think about which elements are most effective in drawing readers.
Example Book Trailers
http://www.library.pima.gov/teenzone/trailers/
http://bookscreening.com/category/youth/
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/kirkusbva/

Select the book you’d like to feature.  Choose a book you’re excited about, and it will be easy to get others excited. Think about how to promote your selection.  What are the most interesting parts of the story?  Is there an intriguing character?  Is there an appealing theme you could focus on? 

Once you’ve gotten some ideas together, create a quick storyboard or outline for your trailer.  Recruit your friends to recreate a scene from the book. Use Tips & Tricks section to find images and sound you want to use in your book trailer.

Don’t forget to drop off your CD/DVD at the library or send in your video link with the names, ages, and contact information for your team by April 12 .

Tips & Tricks

1. Tools such as PhotoStory3, PowerPoint, Windows MovieMaker, iMovie or any other multimedia tool can be used to create the trailer.
2. To make sure you adhere to copyright laws do a search for “copyright free” or “royalty free” images, clipart and music.
3. Some suggested sites for royalty free music and images include
   http://www.opuzz.com/
   http://www.cssmusic.com/
   http://www.istock.com/
   http://www.fotosearch.com/
   http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
   http://search.creativecommons.org

Getting started!

Use Animoto! Animoto (animoto.com) allows anyone to create a video with words, images, music, and video clips.  If you want to use Animoto, see Teen Librarian Robin Brenner (or email her at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)) for a code to get a free educational account.  We will have two hands-on workshops using Animoto here at the Main Library on Tuesday March 23 and 30, 4:00-5:00pm.  Please join us to learn the basics of using Animoto!