Creating A Successful Video Book Trailer
Although books are a written medium, video advertising is a very effective way to promote your book and give potential buyers a glimpse into your story. Here are some ways to really catch a viewer's attention, showcase the essence of your novel, and leave everyone needing to read it!
Let’s break down this trailer for Dan Newman’s The Clearing to see why it’s so effective.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jUjcZ-PrFA
Tone/Feel
The tone of the video should match the tone of your book because people read different genres to feel a certain way. The feeling the novel will evoke should be the same feelings you get from the trailer so people know what they’re signing up for. If this is a comedic novel, the trailer should make an audience laugh!
Watching the trailer for The Clearing leaves you feeling on edge which is exactly what you want from a thriller.
How do you evoke feeling in someone through video?
Colour
It’s no new discovery that different colours can change one's perception, behaviour and mood. Psychologists have studied the effects of colours on people for years! So of course the marketing and film world has employed these tools in visual media. Where red can cause feelings of excitement and love, greens can evoke relaxation or envy.
The Clearing is a mysterious and suspenseful thriller so to bring about those feelings, the commercial features lots of dark colours, especially black. Black is known to cause feelings of mystery, sadness and anger which are three key themes in this book.
Music
Music also has powerful effects on emotion. Upbeat music can cause feelings of joy and optimism which would be useful in an uplifting novel. But if your story is about loss, grief or sadness, the use of slower tempos would be more effective for your book’s trailer.
The trailer for The Clearing utilizes eerie and mysterious music to really make the hair on the back of your neck stand up
Lighting
Warm lighting is associated with feelings of joy and comfort so would be helpful in stories about happy families, friendship and love. Where cool lighting would be more effective for novels with sad or suspenseful storylines.
High contrast and shadows give the feeling of mystery and drama. The silhouette of the mountains against the bright clouds perfectly shows this technique. This landscape now feels creepy and mysterious, matching The Clearing’s tone.
Visuals
This is your one opportunity to have visuals other than the cover of the book! What footage puts you into the world of the character?
The Clearing is set in St.Lucia, a tropical and lush environment, so the use of beaches, mountains and tree footage really shows the setting of the novel. And coming back to colour and lighting, the usually bright landscape has been darkened. This contrast gives a really unsettling and mysterious vibe to where the story takes place.
Thinking of creating a book trailer? 5Gear Studios can create this for you! Contact 5Gear Studios today to learn more.