Lead: 7 Excite: 23 Amaze: 5 Direct: 16 Very simple trailer using a before and after model. Potential readers would relate to the before and desire to be the after. Excellent choice of narrator, she sounds high fashion. Lead Analysis Lead VO “We will make you pretty.” Scientific 3D scan of a plain girl. Excite […]
Uglies – Scott Westerfeld Read More »
Lead: 13 Excite: 72 Amaze: 6 Direct: 11 Most of the trailer is spent describing the ordinary world – day in the life of Midnight, Texas. Interesting use of titles floating like they are positioned in 3D space. The video moves along smoothly and quickly. The first 45 seconds is introducing the town of Midnight,
Midnight Crossroad – Charlaine Harris Read More »
Excite: 21 Amaze: 3 Direct: 6 A great example of a cinematic (movie like) trailer with humorous misdirection and all in 30 seconds. The trailer got a lot of buzz and has been seen over 40,000 times as of May 25, 2014. This is the trailer that I usually start my workshops with. Brilliant piece
Kill You Twice – Chelsea Cain Read More »
Lead: 18 Excite: 80 Amaze: 7 Direct: 17 This memoir uses a fiction cinematic approach for the trailer. It leads early with the author’s reputation but then focuses on his spiral down to crisis and the decision to do road trips with his father in his motor home. The trailer was produced but Film-14 which
Hotels Hospitals and Jails: a Memoir – Anthony Swofford Read More »
Lead: 7 Excite: 39 Amaze: 15 Direct: 8 Strong cinematic trailer that combines use of a voice over dialog and live action video. The dialog, on-screen praise titles and live video do not match giving a richness and complexity. The trailer establishes an understanding of the times but does not introduce the plot or characters.
The Bleeding Land – Giles Kristian Read More »
Lead: 10 Excite: 175 Amaze: 2 Direct: 19 Powerful emotional cinematic trailer that feels more like a movie trailer. The risk with such a movie like approach is the viewer at the end asks “where can I see the movie” rather than where can I buy the book. The trailer is even listed in
Whipping Club – Deborah Henry Read More »
Lead: 10 Excite: 33 Amaze: 6 Direct: 5 This was the trailer that got me interested in analyzing book trailers. A very well done fast-paced cinematic approach that uses all stock video and images. One of the fascinating elements is the spoken narration often does not match the words on the screen. The trailer is
Ghostman – Roger Hobbs Read More »
Lead: 18 Excite: 72 Amaze: 7 Direct: 6 This is the third book in the Monument 14 series. The trailer begins with a title/image for each prior book. This engages viewers not familiar with the series and excites existing fans. The focus is the protagonist, Josie. We hear her story in the narrative and read
Monument 14 – Savage Drift – Emmy Laybourne Read More »
Lead: 5 Excite: 99 Amaze: 26 Direct: 12 Here is an excellent example of an authorial trailer, astronaut Chris Hadfield’s book An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth. An authorial approach uses the author’s skill and experience as the focus of the trailer. These books are usually asked for by author not title. While
An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth – Chris Hadfield Read More »