My book trailer journey started I think a week or two ago. I traveled through pages of planning, writing words down about what my book trailer needs, what my book trailer should include, it took a while. Then I moved on to the text of each slide. I started with the main character named Kyle Kingsbury, I thought about his character, personality, his life, and that’s how I thought of my first slide. Then comes the next and then the next slide, but then at the middle, the part before the slide that said, “Or do they?”. I was stuck. I didn’t know what to write next, I thought harder and harder, but the harder I thought the more my mind went blank about what the next slide should be, and so moved on to my next task and left my text hanging there for later. My next task was choosing pictures that would match my slides. I used creative commons websites (compfight.com ; flickr.com (the creative commons one) ; pixabay.com ; etc…) to use pictures from. It did take a longer time then any other tasks that needed to be done, because there weren’t as many options and most of the pictures weren’t pictures that I really wanted, and so it took longer time. As I was searching for my pictures for the beginning text, I saw some other pictures that kind of matched other parts of the book. I thought I might save them encase I needed them for my ending, after searching all of my images I put them in my “movie maker” and started to rearrange them, I also dumped the other pictures I found that might be good for the ending there too. I arranged the images I wanted in place and then looked at the other images that I thought might be good for the ending. I looked at them for a couple of seconds before I realized that those pictures were the right pictures for my ending. I connected each picture with my thought of what the picture means or represents in the book, and guess what?! I have my ending! I was very happy that I was done, to be able to see the final piece. I clicked preview, snuggled in my chair and clicked play to see my amazing master piece, I watched as each slide moves by, then I realized. My book trailer has no music when it should have music (in my opinion). I sat there thinking “Wow, how stupid. How could I’ve forgotten music?!”. I opened a web browser on my computer and started to searching for music (creative commons of course), searched and searched, and found two files of music that could possibly fit my book trailer. I listened to both of them over and over again, trying to decide. “DING!” my idea light bulb turned on! “I should download both music and then put them in the trailer to see which one is the best!” That is my greatest idea in that week I’ve ever had. I started search around the page that the music was on for the download button, or sign. But nope, nothing. I went online (opened up Skype) and asked some of my friends for help, they said the similar phrase I already did, “Look for the word that says DOWNLOAD. It’s spelled D-O-W-N-L-O-A-D, DOWNLOAD.” either that or they would say, “Look for the download sign, it’s an arrow pointing DOWN.”, I’d tell them I don’t see it, because, well, I don’t see it, but of course they’ed think I was “blind”. I thanked them and then said to myself to save the project up and ask an ICT teacher tomorrow at school. Somebody, that would believe me and would actually “help”.
The next day I came to school to ask my ICT teacher for help. He looked around the web page and also couldn’t find the download button or sign(Ha ha! I told you I wasn’t blind!). My teacher opened up Google and searched up “How to download music from…(the websites I used)”, and clicked enter. I felt stupid, like a whole entire mountain was set upon my back. I yelled to myself in silents, “Why are you so stupid! Why didn’t you think about that! That’s what Google is for! Is it not?!”. He helped me search and we found what we were looking for. I thank him very much for his help. I arrived home, downloaded both music and then put them in. I listened to them both and made a decision to choose this one (the music in the YouTube video bellow). I know, maybe not the best music, but I think it matches(kind-of). The music was quite long, so I did do some editing myself, cut this and that, moved this here and there, then I was done with my marvelous music! I set it in my trailer and ta-da! It’s great(kind-of)! I saved it, then exported my book trailer, then lastly upload it to YouTube. The book trailer making was a great experience even though it took lots of effort, at the end I kind of liked my book trailer. There for, my book trailer making journey has come to an end. I hope you enjoy watching my book trailer. Thank you.
Beastly
By: Alex Flinn