Operation Reading: Book Trailers

As you will see book trailers can vary tremendously in how they are produced. Some are fully scripted mini-movies, and others are very simple. The one thing they all share in common is a desire to introduce the book, and convert viewers of the trailer into readers of the book.

Click on  SLJ Trailee Nominees to have a look at student created digital book trailers.

The following examples of student's digital book trailers are from Book Trailers for Readers.

Decide on important story points from your novel

• tone of the book, scary, suspenseful, futuristic, romantic -  picture the setting and the characters 

Incorporate the following techniques into your trailer

• Have a hook for the audience: (1) get people interested/excited about the book (2) grab their attention with the first frame
• Don't have too much text, short snappy text is best and text posed in the form of a question can work well
• Set the moods and convey the "feeling" of the book
• Length is important. Not too long or too short but enough to give a quick "taste" of the book
• Be mysterious
• Look at he concept behind the story and don't focus on the details of the book (the minutiae)
• Music and sound is essential

Before you finish your trailer consider

• Does it make the viewer want to read the book?
• Do the transitions make sense?
• Do the graphics fit the tone of the book?
• Does it grab  attention?

There are more examples of book trailers to look at in the Public network drive on the school computers. Click on the folder 8 English and the Book trailers folder.

Have a look at these youtube Book Publisher channels. Remember these book trailers are professionally created so view them to pick up the various techniques they use such as use of graphics, text, transitions, music, use of voiceovers to see whether they grab your attention!