Movies. They can chronicle the journey a writer embarks on when writing a manuscript. They can tease the public into buying your book. Photos and music have a way of engaging an audience in a way mere text does not.
I recently made a movie to explain what I'm going through as I work on submitting my manuscript. Soon, I will be launching a website (I know--about time!) and will include this video, along with any other videos I make in the future.
What are some considerations when making a movie? And what is--in my opinion--the easiest movie-making program?
Read further, then watch my movie and tell me what you think.
Movie-Making Tips
Radar agrees with Sioux (his mom). He's made movies about the joys of digging and having fun with hoses and sprinklers. Photo Story 3 is so simple to use, even his hairy paws and small brain can handle it.
He doesn't have any blogs, but if you'd like to check out his mom's, head to Sioux's Page.
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I recently made a movie to explain what I'm going through as I work on submitting my manuscript. Soon, I will be launching a website (I know--about time!) and will include this video, along with any other videos I make in the future.
What are some considerations when making a movie? And what is--in my opinion--the easiest movie-making program?
Read further, then watch my movie and tell me what you think.
Movie-Making Tips
- Choose photos that will show part of your message. You know the writer's mantra Show, don't tell. That applies to movies as well as stories and novels.
For example, if you have a photo of a character you want to incorporate into your movie and
you want to create a somber mood, make sure the character's not smiling. Edit the photos using
a sepia filter if your story takes place 100 years ago. If it's a light, humorous tale, use brightly-
colored images.
- Music can also convey a message in a subtle way. Sometimes an instrumental piece is the best choice. If your movie has some high and low emotional points, you want to choose a dynamic song.
- If you have a gem of a line you want to really highlight in your movie, consider putting it all by itself. Don't surround it with a bunch of other text--it'll get lost.
- Use transitions (how one image morphs into the next), but don't go crazy with them. Less is more. Be intentional with them (and don't use a different one each time, because they're so fun to do). For example, if you have two or three slides that contrast with the next ("My first draft was sucky... My second draft was semi-decent... My third draft was the bomb!") a transition that looks like a page turning would be effective.
- Don't put too much text on one slide/image. A couple of (short) sentences or one longish one. Each image ain't a novel.
- If you're using text instead of a voice-over, make sure you time the images so the audience has enough time to easily read whatever's on the screen. Practice reading it aloud, and slowly, to make sure your viewers have enough time to read it. After all, you already know what the text is. You've written and revised it and watched the movie a bunch of times as you edit it. For your audience, it will be fresh and new. Allow the viewer more time than you need to read it...
- ... but don't linger on a slide/image too long. No one wants to look at a three-word sentence for 7 seconds. The viewer gets antsy. They start cleaning the toe jam from between their toes. They slather the facial version of Nair onto their mustache area while they wait. Three seconds might be enough. If it's an image (and no text) that's full of details, you might want the full 5 seconds. Fiddle with it.
My favorite movie-making program is Photo Story 3. It's a Microsoft (free) download, so I think it won't work for you Apple folks. (I know it says "for Windows XP" but disregard that. I don't have no fancy-dancy "Windows XP" and it works fine on my laptop.)
I love Photo Story 3 because it's so user-friendly. (It's so easy to use, even my not-too-bright-but-oh-so-cute dog Radar could use it.) To rearrange the images into a different order, all you have to do is slide them into a different spot in the line of slides/images.
Have you already made a movie to promote yourself or a book? If so, what tips could you add to this list?
Does my movie intrigue you? If so, please send $19.99 to my home address. When I find a publisher and it gets published, I'll send you a copy. I'll even sign it.
What can you say to nudge me into creating a website sooner (rather than later)? Procrastinating minds want to know...
He doesn't have any blogs, but if you'd like to check out his mom's, head to Sioux's Page.
