Summary Post: Book Trailers Made by Students

I'm starting to receive examples of book trailers that students have made for my books in the "Story Time with Signs & Rhymes" series using the student-directed learning project I outlined in earlier posts.

I thought it might be fun to have a consistent spot to post these as they come in. Here goes:

The Nest Where I Like to Rest (Book Trailer by Carli H., Julia T., and Josie B.)  I absolutely LOVE the clucking sound effects in this one!!

The Big Blue Bowl (Book Trailer by two fifth grade boys). I think this is such a clever use of props!

Shape Detective (Book Trailer by Mrs. Hembree, who has recently started a "Book Trailer Club" for her students). She created this using iMovie and her iPhone . . . over winter break! That's Dedication!

Keep them coming, folks! I will add more as I receive them and am able to upload them.

Cheers!

Capture That Story (Film, Edit and Publish Your Book Trailer)

Greetings innovative teachers, librarians, home schoolers, scout troop leaders and readers interested in books and technology! Today's post offers parts five and six of my lesson plan for a hands-on, self-guided Book Trailer Project that you can incorporate into your own learning environment.

As I noted in an earlier post, I'm embarking on a quest to capture video footage of story time experiences  involving books in my Story Time with Signs and Rhymes series and/or book trailers for titles in my series. For a limited time, I will provide a complimentary Skype/Facetime or Email Author visit with any group that shares a video of this nature that is suitable and available for upload to YouTube.

So far I've Introduced the Project and Provided Sample Book Trailers and discussed Choosing a Book and Planning Your Book Trailer. This week's focus is on Filming, Editing and Publishing Your Book Trailer.

Part Five: Film and Edit Your Book Trailer

Film and edit your book trailer using the tips and guidelines described in this website (developed by Michelle Harclerode, a Teacher Librarian in Florida).

Additional Resources

*If you decide to include background music in your trailer, be sure to use royalty free music (or obtain the proper rights to the music).  Mrs. Hembree, a teacher in Seattle, Washington, who has done book trailer projects in her classroom suggests that students use the royalty free music from Kevin MacLeod on his website, Incompetech.com. He shares his music for free for others to use as long as you give him credit. 

If you want to use pictures or other images in your book trailer, it’s important that you find images that are “copyright friendly” (i.e. so you are not using someone else’s copyright protected files). If you use Google Advanced Image Search, at the very bottom of the screen, next to the option for “usage rights,” click on one of the “free to use” choices. This will filter your image search so that you only get images that are copyright friendly.  The Rochester High School website also has lots of links for other copyright friendly resources.   

Photo Credit: ABDO Publishing Group

*If you want jpegs of the book covers in the Story Time with Signs & Rhymes series, or a picture of me, those resources can be found here.  

*If you want access to electronic/PDF files of any of the books in the Story Time with Signs & Rhymes series (beyond what is available via the Google eBook previews ), please contact me, so I can put you in touch with my publisher.

Part Six: Publish and Announce Your Book Trailer

If you’d like to share your finished project with me, message me or let me know via comment, and we'll make arrangements so I can get a link to your video and plan for your complimentary author visit via Skype/Facetime or Email.  I can’t wait to see your work (and, if I have your permission, and the permission of those who have been filmed, I’ll share it with others). Even if you don't share your work with me, I hope you had fun and learned a lot and will share feedback about your experience with me.  

*Need inspiration? Here is a link to a video project produced by two fifth grade boys.  I think they did a great job, don't you agree?!

*If you really enjoyed this project, and/or you want to do something similar, (and you can finish your project before February 1, 2013), there is a fun, 90-Second Newbery Book Film Festival that you might want to participate in. The Multnomah County Library, in Portland, Oregon, my hometown, is one of the national screening locations. You can find out more about this project here and here.  

Capture That Story (Choose a Book and Plan Your Book Trailer)

Today's post is geared for innovative teachers and librarians, home schoolers, scout troop leaders and readers interested in books and technology! I'll continue with parts three and four of my lesson plan for a hands-on, self-guided Book Trailer Project that you can incorporate into your own learning environment.

As I noted in my last post, I'm embarking on a quest to capture video footage of story time experiences  involving books in my Story Time with Signs and Rhymes series and/or book trailers for titles in my series. For a limited time, I will provide a complimentary Skype/Facetime or Email Author visit with any group that shares a video of this nature that is suitable and available for upload to YouTube.

This week's focus is on Choosing a Book and Planning Your Book Trailer. (NOTE: The Voki video below may not be viewable with iPads or other devices that do not use Flash)

Part Three: Choose A Book

Now that you know what book trailers are, and you’ve seen some samples, I hope you will decide to make a book trailer. To get started, choose a book you’d like to feature in your book trailer.  

You can choose whatever book you like, but I HOPE you will consider one of my books from the Story Time with Signs & Rhymes series (Set One or Set Two) because I would LOVE to feature your trailers on my website, blog, and YouTube channel! If you choose one of my books, they are easy to find in libraries around the world using Worldcat. You can find eBook previews here.

Part Four: Plan Your Book Trailer

You can find an excellent resource for planning your book trailer here, (on the website of Michelle Harclerode, an innovative Teacher Librarian in Florida).

Some special things to consider if you are using a book from the Story Time with Signs & Rhymes Series:

*Learning and demonstrating a little bit of American Sign Language (ASL) will enhance your book trailer. You can find online sign language dictionaries here.  

*You can find downloadable glossaries and sign language activity ideas here (scroll down past the “Star Wars” info).

*Some of the books can be “sung” to the tune of familiar children’s songs. Read this blog post for a list of the songs that match up with some of my books.

*The books in this series are geared for three to eight year olds. Consider involving kids in this age group (siblings, neighbors, younger kids from your school) in your project.  Kids in this age group usually LOVE to sing and sign. (You will need to obtain appropriate releases to show other people on film.  Your teacher should have the appropriate release forms that will need to be signed by parents, but if not, feel free to contact me and I will send you a sample release form). 

*There are ASL Fun Facts and Activity Ideas in the back of each book. You can also find out more information by reading some recent interviews with me (scroll down past the Mike Thaler and Stan Lee interviews). 

In my next post I'll discuss filming and publishing your book trailer. In the meantime, please feel free to message me directly or via the comment section if you have questions or requests for additional information.

Capture That Story! (Introduction and Sample Book Trailers)

Calling all innovative teachers and librarians, home schoolers, scout troop leaders and readers interested in books and technology! I'm embarking on a quest to capture video footage of story time experiences  involving books in my Story Time with Signs and Rhymes series and/or book trailers for titles in my series. For a limited time, I will provide a complimentary Skype/Facetime or Email Author visit with any group that shares of video of this nature that is suitable and available for upload to YouTube. If you're in my local area, I will also donate a limited number of in-person visits for groups that are willing to capture my story time program on film so that I can upload the experience to YouTube.

As a fun extra, over the next several weeks I'll share my lesson plan for a hands-on, self-guided Book Trailer Project that you can incorporate into your own learning environment.  This week I'll introduce the project and provide sample book trailers.

Don't hesitate to get in touch if you have questions in the meantime (or if you have a need for the full lesson plan before I have posted all of it out to the blog).  (NOTE: The Voki video below may not be viewable with iPads or other devices that do not use Flash)

Part One: Introduction

Greetings! Thanks for stopping by the Book Trailer Project page. My name is Dawn Babb Prochovnic. I’m the author of 16 picture books in the Story Time with Signs & Rhymes series. None of my books have book trailers...yet. I’m hoping YOU will help me change that!

Most people are familiar with movie trailers. Those are the short movie previews that persuade people to watch a particular movie. A book trailer is a short movie that previews a particular book and persuades people to read that book.

Part Two: Sample Book Trailers

A book trailer can come in many different forms: 

It can be a preview of the book. Here is an animated example for the book, Ollie and Moon by Diane Kredensor, and here is an example with still shots from Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox, by Robin Koontz. 

It can be an animated retelling of the book such as this example for the book, An Army of A’s by Robert Scott Kelly.

It can be an creative retelling, with still shots from the book. Check out this example for the book, A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker. 

It can be a demonstration of a unique element of the book. Here is YouTube video of me singing and signing along with my book, See the Colors.

It can be a series of filmed interviews or interactions with people (kids!) who have read the book. Here is an example for the book, Pete the Cat, by Eric Litwin.  

It can be audio interviews with people (kids!) who have read the book and funny film footage to go along with the audio. This is a great trailer for the book, Little Chicken’s Big Day, by Katie Davis.

It can be a book talk with one or more students sharing favorite parts or unique aspects of the book. Watch this book talk for the book, Song of the Water Boatman, by Joyce Sidman. 

It can be a staged reading of the book. Here is a YouTube video of me reading and signing along with my book, One Trick for One Treat, here is an example of me reading Wear a Silly Hat to a group of children, and here is a really popular YouTube video of Eric Litwin and friends reading his book book, Pete the Cat, with a live audience. 

It can be an audio reading of the book with close ups and creative camera work of the book art. Here is an example for the book, The Little Mouse, The Red-Ripe Strawberry, and the Big, Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood.

It can be a creative re-interpretation of the book, as shown in these examples for the book, Uh-Oh!, by Mary Newell DePalma and the book, Walter the Farting Dog by William Kotzwinkle. 

The possibilities are limited only by your imagination! You can find more examples here, (on the website of Mrs. Hembree, a library teacher from Bell Elementary in the Seattle area) and here (on another author's blog post about the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival). 

Stay tuned. Next week I'll discuss choosing your book and planning your book trailer.

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(January 2014: Here is a fun update! Mrs. Hembree and I met at a library conference in October 2013. She recently started a "Book Trailer Club" at her school and some of the students in the club are going to work on book trailers for my books! Here is a sample book trailer Mrs. Hembree created for my book, Shape Detective. She created it during winter break . . . using iMovie on her iPhone! I LOVE it! Once Mrs. Hembree's students start sending me their book trailers, I will post them on this summary page).  
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