Since I'm done ahead of schedule with BREAKING THE MOLD and waiting (while I should be writing), I thought I'd venture into making a book trailer for the new release. I'm a novice, and yet there are tools out there that promise you it's easy-peasy. So, okay...
I started at Bookbrush, because they swear they're the easiest to use. However, they also won't let you have your masterpiece unless you join the club (something I didn't know until I'd finished dinking around - bait and switch). My experience with them has been hot/cold. I like some of their graphics, and their quick conversions, but doing anything that isn't canned can be a trial. I have amassed a number of credits, but they don't apply to the trailer. With that being said, I went ahead and tried it out.
On the pro side, they offer a nice little ditty as background music. You need to have some level of familiarity with working with software, but overall, it wasn't TOO hard to do. I did accidentally delete one frame, and then I didn't know how to add it back. As I got to the point of "well, that wasn't so hard, but I'm still not going to join the club," I took what I learned over to the other site I use to create graphics.
Canva is much more user friendly to my way of thinking, and they do have a "video" creator which accomplishes the same goals. Over there, they want you to join the club, but they don't tease you with bait and switch. You have the option to pay for premium graphics one at a time ($1) if you don't have your own or they don't have free ones that fit your vision. In all the years I've been using them, I've paid for two images, and I feel it was well worth it without being locked into a "membership." Using the one I'd made at Bookbrush as an example, I got started.
Did I mention Canva is much more user friendly? I haven't added in background music, but creating the frames was a fairly simple process. I imagine a little more toying around would help me find something to add.
So what's the verdict? Bookbrush had the appropriate "book trailer" template and "prompts" to help along the way. I'm glad I started there. When you have no idea (points to self) where to start and what to do, it provides the guidelines--as long as you don't screw anything up where you have to figure out what comes next. NOT a user friendly site. Canva is easier to negotiate, so with a starting point, I can now use the one I created as a template for future endeavors, should I decide to go that route. Whether it's worth the time and effort has yet to be seen, but it looks a lot like those other authors have posted. Want a peek?
Not an area I want to attempt, although I keep reminding myself that just because I never watch trailers doesn't mean other people don't like them. One comment. I had a lot of trouble reading the light text. Not enough contrast for my aging eye. Was there supposed to be sound? If so, I didn't hear anything.
ReplyDeleteBTW: I have a paid subscription at Canva, and there are a lot of 'extra' things I can do beyond having access to more images for "free."
No sound on this. It was a test😊
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