Coming soon to a theater near you….

Your assignment is to create a book trailer for a book you’ve read (and enjoyed) this semester. A book trailer is like a movie trailer, but it promotes a book rather than a movie. It is important to get the viewer excited about and interested in reading the book, but it is also important to leave some suspense....so don't tell the ending!

Step 1:Decide which book you’d like to make a trailer for. Once you’ve decided, watch book trailers for other books. Use Youtube at home or ask your media specialist for resources. Take note of what makes a good book trailer. What about the book trailer makes you want to read the book?

*Do NOT watch book trailers for YOUR book! They will get stuck in your head and diminish the creative process.

Step 2:Use the Book Trailer Planning Template to start planning your video. Determine what technology you are going to use: a video camera, a still camera to take pictures, images from the internet, or a combination. It’s also important to determine how you will edit your video – MovieMaker, Photo Story 3, Animoto.com, or another tool you are familiar with. See your media specialist for detailed help.

Step 3: It’s time to get creative. Use the Digital Storyboard to sketch out what words, audio, and images you want to use. You can use as many of these sheets as you’d like. Then start searching for images – start with copyright free images – or start taking your own pictures or filming video.

Step 4: Begin editing. Add words and music to your video. Consider adding your own voice as narration. You will go back to Step 3 as needed.

Resources to use

  • Windows Live Movie Maker
  • Photo Story 3
  • Animoto.com (30-second limitation unless you have an educator account)
  • Wevideo.com (Online video editing; small cost per video)
  • iMovie (If students have access at home)
  • Freeplaymusic.com (Great selection of background music and students have access at school)
  • Brittanica Image Quest (Database)
  • Search.creativecommons.org (Copyright-free images)
  • Google Images (Select "labeled for commercial reuse" under Usage Rights)

Book Trailer Project Rubric / Points / Evaluation
Video that conveys the story well / 40
Creative, interesting, and fun to watch / 30
Clear narration / 20
Appropriate “extras” (music, title page, credits, sound effects, text, etc.) / 10
Total / 100