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Day 5: This Little Piggy Had A Blog Party

7/1/2017

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Day 5: Introducing Kidlit Book-Trailer Designer Cyndi Marko


Even though you'd never created a book trailer before, why did you decide to give it a whirl with THIS LITTLE PIGGY?

When my debut chapter book Kung Pow Chicken #1 came out, I was on a really tight schedule to get the next three books completed as all four were set for 2014. I never had the chance to do anything for their launch, so I thought this time, with Piggy, I would have some fun with its release! 

What was your biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge was that I had no idea how to make a trailer! But I had seen two or three really fun fan-made trailers that some elementary school students had made for Kung Pow Chicken and I thought if kids can do it…I probably will fail miserably. :) But I was determined to try! I read some articles on making book trailers and found the two most important things are to make a script first, and to keep it simple. So that’s what I did. 

What was your greatest triumph?

Doing the voice over. I originally hadn’t planned on it because the very idea gives me the screaming heebie-jeebies. But I thought if young kids are watching with a parent or teacher or caregiver, a voice over with the text might be necessary. It was really discomfiting as I had no idea I sounded like that! But I pushed through and even made piggy noises at the end. I’ve been really trying hard to go outside of my comfort zone lately so I’m proud I was able to get through it.

What program(s) did you use to create your book trailer?

When I was researching how to make a trailer, what program to use was of great concern. I couldn’t afford to purchase pro editing software, and some of the free programs seemed too complicated or too limited. I already had an Adobe subscription for Photoshop and Acrobat Pro, so I thought I’d see if Adobe had anything suitable. That’s when I discovered Adobe Spark. It’s free for everyone, even without an existing Adobe subscription. It’s not a movie editor, it’s an online social media tool for creating graphics and memes, web stories, and animated videos.

I also used Photoshop to create the slides I uploaded to Spark. I wanted more control over the fonts and their placement/size/color etc, so I added the text in PhotoShop and made it part of the images rather than use Spark’s text option.


​Had you had experience using these programs? If not, what was the learning curve like?

I’ve had lots of experience with PhotoShop, but this was my first time using Spark. I really liked Spark because like most Adobe programs it’s pretty user-friendly. They have templates you can use or, like I did, you can start from scratch to create your project. It was super easy to learn, and even easier to edit. You can upload images and video, add text and voiceovers, and upload your own music. If you don't have your own, they have a nice little collection of free music. They also have a Creative Commons library with thousands of icons available to use.

Would you recommend the program for to someone who is making a book trailer for the first time?

I think Spark is a fantastic option for someone who wants to make their own book trailer but isn’t experienced with video editing. You don’t even really need PhotoShop. All you need is an idea.

Tell us about the trailer's adorable music, how did it come to be?

The adorable music was composed and recorded by one of my author besties, Larissa C. Hardesty. She has her debut YA come out this month as well, so I approached her about us helping each other with our book trailers. We traded skills. She provided music for my trailer in exchange for me putting together her trailer from a script she provided. It was really fun working together and I think both trailers turned out great considering neither one of us had ever made one before.

Do you think you'll be creating more book trailers in the future?

Absolutely! It was really fun and not nearly as hard as I thought it would be. I think a trailer is really great way to let people know what your book is about.

Picture(C) Vivid Photography
Cyndi Marko is the author & illustrator of the award-winning  KUNG POW CHICKEN books, published by Scholastic Branches. LET'S GET CRACKING was a Kirkus Best Book of 2014 selection. Kung Pow Chicken has been translated into four languages! Her latest work for kids, THIS LITTLE PIGGY: AN OWNER'S MANUAL, was released June 27, 2017 from Aladdin Pix, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Read Cyndi's interview about the making of THIS LITTLE PIGGY, right here during DAY 1 of "This Little Piggy Has a Blog Party". You can find Cindy and her portfolio online at cyndimarko.com. 


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Click the cover to purchase your copy of  THIS LITTLE PIGGY: AN OWNER"S MANUAL, an Aladdin PIX illustrated chapter book for kids 6-9 that tells the tale of a brother and sister who—more than anything—want a pet pig, written and illustrated by Cyndi Marko, available in paper over board and as an ebook!  ​​

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RACE CAR DREAMS Blog Party: Day 7 VROOM!

9/22/2016

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(C) Dave Mottram, Running Press, 2016

Introducing...
DONNA & LIBBY FARRELL:
​Vrooming Book-Trailer Designers


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What did you and Libby enjoy about creating the book trailer for RACE CAR DREAMS?  

We had such fun bringing Sharon’s words and Dave Mottram’s art together in the video to complement the awesome book they created.

On a personal note, this project was special because it was the first collaboration for my daughter, Libby, and I. We each have a different skill set, so it was amazing for us to be able to bring them both together.

How did you snag the assignment to create the book-trailer for RACE CAR DREAMS? 

I've been creating author websites for about seven years now (Sharon is a client), and Libby has been editing personal videos since middle school.

When Sharon asked if I created book trailers, I said, “I don't, but I know someone who is great with video…my daughter.”

We were thrilled that Sharon was open to having us take on the project.  

And we are excited that we have already been hired to create another trailer for Lisa Wheeler’s upcoming release The Christmas Boot that is illustrated by the very talented Jerry Pinkney!

What was your creative process in creating the book trailer?

Sharon supplied me a PDF of Race Car Dreams to use to create her webpage. I was able to pull artwork from this to create the trailer.

Sharon also gave us a script of sorts to work from. This included the text that appears in the video.

To create the animations it was necessary to pull images from the book that supported the script. Photoshop was used to isolate parts of images that would later ‘move’ in the video. In some cases this would leave a void in the art. I would then need to use Photoshop-manipulation to fill in the void.

The next steps were all Libby’s. She used Final Cut Pro to turn all these bits and pieces into the final video. Music and sound were merged with the images, and transitions were added.

Though the trailer is only 50 seconds long, how long did it take you to create it? Were there any bumps in the road?

Because this was our first collaboration there was a bit of a learning curve and just like writing there were revisions that needed to be made.

I would say it took us a couple of weeks to find our footing.  

Funny that you mention bumps in the road. We literally had one of those. In the scene where the race car speeds down the road, the road is not a straight line. This curve threw us a curve! Making the car move smoothly along the path was tricky and was one of the elements that took us the longest.

The music for the book trailer perfectly suits the tone of Sharon's sweet bedtime story. How did you choose it?

The music that is selected for videos needs to be in the public domain, so Libby started there. She then narrowed her search to terms like; kid friendly music, music for children. She sampled songs until she found the perfect fit.


Donna & Libby Farrell worked together as a mother and daughter team to create the book trailer for RACE CAR DREAMS, their first professional project together. Donna Is a designer, illustrator, web designer, and entrepreneur. Her web clients are primarily children's book authors and illustrators. Donna is co-founder of Read Your Story, LLC a company that specializes in personalized books for children-- launching soon! Libby is a college math student in Iowa. When not solving equations, she enjoys relaxing to music. Her least favorite way to spend time is working in the D-Hall (that’s the dining hall). Her favorite food is cotton candy. Donna and Libby hope to combine their skills in creating many more book trailers in the future. They can be found online at  donnadoodles.com.

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Marvelous Cornelius Blog Party: Day 6

10/10/2015

4 Comments

 
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(c) John Parra, Chronicle Books, 2015

Day 6
Angie Arnett: A Most-Marvelous Librarian

PictureSwenke Elementary Book Trailer Crew! Front: Kameron, Elena T., Ashleigh, Erin, Jordan; Back: Mattie, Mrs. Arnett, Elena B., Macee
As an elementary school librarian, why would you recommend Marvelous Cornelius?  
​
​To start with, we love anything that Phil Bildner writes! Second, I am always looking for good mentor texts to use to teach with, especially ones about ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Cornelius was a real person, and although Phil may have exaggerated parts of what he did, Cornelius Washington symbolized everything that New Orleans is. And what a great story…a story to celebrate the revival of this city and the devastation of Hurricane Katrina 10 years ago. 

 
What made you want to create a book trailer for Marvelous Cornelius?

Phil Bildner has been visiting my school for several years now, and we have become great friends. I was honored when he asked me if I wanted to get a small group of students together to work on a book trailer for his newest book. And after I read the story, I fell in love with this garbage collector and how he lived his life. I loved everything he represented. I couldn’t wait to share it with my students!!!

 
Tell us about the process of creating the book trailer.

All my 4th graders could apply to be a member of the Book Trailer Team. After reading through 60+ applications, I chose the top eight that really wanted to be a part of this. Once I had my team, we met once a week during lunch/recess for several weeks. We read the story first, “Facetimed” with Phil, and brainstormed which images we would use from the book. Phil worked with them to pick out their favorite images, narrow it down to just 4-5 important images, and develop a script. Then I sat down with them and we discussed some different ways we could put the book trailer together. We agreed Adobe Voice was the easiest tool. We recorded their voices, added the images, and VOILA…a fabulous book trailer for a fabulous book!   
 
How did the kids enjoy being part of the process?

They loved it!! They were excited to be a part of something that no one had ever done. They were honored to be one of the first people to see a book before it was even published. But they were the MOST thrilled to create something for an author that they know and love. They took great ownership in this project and showed great teamwork.  
 
How did the Book Trailer Crew of fourth graders respond when they saw their trailer posted on the websites of Chronicle Books and on that of the author, Phil Bildner? How did it make you feel?

When they first saw the book trailer posted, they were so overjoyed, they couldn’t stop smiling and grinning. I sent the link to their parents and I received such positive feedback from them as well.  It’s not every day that you get to be involved in something so extraordinary. I am so proud of the effort these kiddos put into the process of creating this book trailer…I think it’s one of the highlights of my entire librarian career! And I got to do it for one of my good friends and favorite authors in the whole world!

Angie Arnett has been the school librarian at Swenke Elementary in Cypress, Texas since it opened in 2009. She graduated from Cy-Fair High School in 1994, and then went to Texas A&M University, where she graduated with a degree in Elementary Education. She taught 3rd grade at Holmsley Elementary for many years, and loved teaching, but decided to go back to college to earn a Master's degree in Library Science from Sam Houston State University. That was 10 years ago! She and her husband, T.J., enjoy spending time outdoors, traveling, and taking their boat out on the lake. As you can imagine, Angela LOVES books. She LOVES reading. And she LOVES, LOVES, LOVES being a school librarian! ​
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Marvelous Cornelius: Hurricane Katrina & the Spirit of New Orleans is a picture-book biography told in an American tall-tale style that is written by Phil Bildner, illustrated by John Parra, and published by Chronicle Books, San Francisco, August 4, 2015. Illustrations (c) John Parra, 2015 used with permission from Chronicle Books, San Francisco. Please visit ChronicleBooks.com online.

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    About Me

    Dionna is a spinner of children's yarns, a weaver of nonfiction, and a forever-learner enrolled in the Institute of Imaginative Thinking. Her kidlit work has appeared on the pages of  Cricket, Spider, and Ladybug. As a work-for-hire author, she's written projects for Scholastic, Lerner, Capstone, Little, Brown and other educational publishers. Her middle-grade, MAMA'S CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS, will be released by Holiday House come 2024. An SCBWI member since 2005, Dionna is represented by ​Kelly Dyksterhouse and 
    Jacqui Lipton of The Tobias Literary Agency.


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