Diane Chamberlain | The Making of The Lies We Told Book Trailer
June 18, 2010
Thank you, FreshFiction, for inviting me to be a guest on your blog!
My 19th novel, The Lies We
Told, is out this month and I thought you might enjoy a peek behind the
scenes at how my significant other, photographer John Pagliuca, and I created
the book trailer for it.
Book trailers are hard to make. Movie trailers are easy (by comparison) because
movies are visual and you can simply take carefully selected scenes from the
film. You don't have that luxury with books. It's tempting in making a book
trailer to try to interpret the story literally, using narrative either typed on
the screen or in a voice over. She was beautiful and good hearted. (Cue image of
beautiful, good-hearted woman). Until the night He appeared. (Image of scary
looking but very handsome dude. With a couple of tattoos. Nice ones). On that
night (Image of dark night, clouds drifting across a crescent moon) her young
brother disappeared. (Image of young boy slowly fading to black).
Okay, they're not all that cheesy, but you get the idea. They're a challenge to
do well. I like my two previous trailers for Before the Storm and its sequel,
Secrets She Left Behind, but I think I like this new one best. In my opinion, it
captures the feeling of the book along with the central themes (our family
stories are not always what they seem, and the enduring and powerful bond
between sisters) without actually trying to tell the viewer the story.
We toyed with a bunch of approaches to the story, which is about two sisters
working for a Doctors Without Borders type of organization after a
hurricane demolishes Wilmington, North Carolina. We pulled stock images of
hurricane destruction, helicopters (a helicopter crashes in the story), doctors,
and all sorts of other photographs. Then I came up with the idea of using the
first page of the book to illustrate the story. Even though I'm no professional
narrator, we decided I'd do the reading. I feel so close to the story and I
wanted a say in how the narrative was read. We added a sentence to help the
viewer understand a bit better what's going on. I recorded the narration about
ten million times with long gaps between each sentence so that John could use
the best take of each one. You can tell by the way I'm gripping my thighs in the
picture how comfortable I am!
Then we began pulling stock images and video to fit the narrative. John found
most of these. I think my favorite is Rebecca. Whoa, did he ever find the right
clip for that woman! John put together the rough cut and we reviewed it and made
a couple of changes. Then he assembled the finished program, and voila! Here it
is.
I'd love to know your thoughts, and I'll select at random one of your comments
to win a copy of The Lies We
Told. If you'd like a personalized bookplate (up to four per household),
join me at the Online Book Signing on my website between June 1st to June 14th!
You'll find the link on my homepage.
Diane Chamberlain is
the award-winning author of The Lies We Told and 18
previous novels published in more than 11 languages. Diane was born and raised
in Plainfield, New Jersey. She also lived for many years in both San Diego and
northern Virginia before making North Carolina her home. Diane received her
master’s degree in clinical social work from San Diego State University. Prior
to her writing career, she worked as a hospital social worker and a
psychotherapist in private practice, working primarily with adolescents. Diane lives with her
partner, photographer John Pagliuca, and her shelties, Keeper and Jet. Visit her
website for more information.
Diane; I really liked the trailer and the music for whatever reason the speakers voice didn't hold my interest a stronger more varied pitch would have kept my interest more. I think that the book sounds fantastic and the trailer is a great hook. I can't wait to read it! (Darci Paice 12:49pm June 18, 2010)
This book sounds great. I can't wait to see how it turns out. (Ginger Hinson 2:50am June 18, 2010)
The trailer wants me to delve into the book so much! Really good job! (Joanne Reynolds 6:28am June 18, 2010)
sounds really good (Sagrario Vigil 10:28am June 18, 2010)
Wow! Deep and compelling. My curiosity is definitely sparked. Usual scenario at the start,want to here the ending as well. All in all nicely put together.I think you achieved your goal with this trailer. (Annette Mendez 10:31am June 18, 2010)
The trailers are nice, but I usually meet a book for the first time in a bookstore - or in a contest at Fresh Fiction :>) Seriously, I have yet to run out and buy a book because of seeing a trailer. I do enjoy seeing them after I have read the book, though. (Karin Tillotson 11:58am June 18, 2010)
That's one of the best trailers I've seen! I already have my "autographed" copy and my mom and I can't wait to read our copies!! (Kelli Jo Calvert 12:27pm June 18, 2010)
The book sounds quite interesting. I have to admit,I usually don't pay any attention to book trailers. I watched yours and it's nice. (G S Moch 12:34pm June 18, 2010)
I watch book trailers and this one is lovely. The music, visuals, and narration work well to set a mood and make me want to read the book. (Leni Kaye 1:00pm June 18, 2010)
The trailer likes very interesting. I like the narration because it sums up what the book is about. (Kai Wong 2:29pm June 18, 2010)
WOW I loved the trailer and the book sounds FAB (Vickie Hightower 2:50pm June 18, 2010)
There is so much more to being an author that in just putting down words! Blessings, Marjorie (Marjorie Carmony 3:16pm June 18, 2010)
Your book sounds fabulous and I would love to read it! (Gail Hurt 4:14pm June 18, 2010)
well i want to read it , thanks (Debbi Shaw 4:22pm June 18, 2010)
I like the background music. Overall, it's polished without being too overly done. (S Tieh 4:53pm June 18, 2010)
I don't like book trailers. I prefer to be completely surprised. (Cathie Veres 6:04pm June 18, 2010)
Evocative trailer makes you think of your own family secrets and who might tell and break the pact made long ago. I love the glimpse of the two girls peeking between their fingers, like no one can tell. (Alyson Widen 6:34pm June 18, 2010)
Sounds great. Looking forward to reading your book! (Cheryl Lynne 6:52pm June 18, 2010)
I always prefer excepts to trailers. I watched it and thought it was interesting, but not exciting. (Mary Preston 7:24pm June 18, 2010)
I don't usually bother with trailers but hey - for a contest to win a book by an author I've not read yet? Yeah...
Then to find the subject matter- have a similar situation in my family- that the things written in granite for the world to see have nothing to do with what's written in reality in the sand... I watched several times- didn't find the pic of you gripping your thighs unless you mean on the cover photo but that's ok- Will do my best to read this even if I don't win... bless you Maribeth (Maribeth Curry 8:44pm June 18, 2010)
I don't watch book trailers I like to read the books and be surprised. (Brenda Rupp 9:47pm June 18, 2010)
Having dial-up service, I wasn't able to watch your trailer. That was a big disappointment!! Your vivid description of the making of it, has me hooked to want to read your book, though!! I can already picture the scenario in my minds' eye. With your background and experience, it has made you a very gifted writer, and it shows. Thank you for sharing your gift with us!! (Peggy Roberson 10:18pm June 18, 2010)
This sounds like a good story line. Liked the video. You are right, movie videos are much easier to put together. The characters and story are already there in pictures, you just need to pick and choose what you want. With your book video, you must go through the casting process and make the pictures that highlight your story. Some videos miss the mark. Yours is nicely done. Good luck with this book. Your books are popular at our library. (Patricia Barraclough 10:21pm June 18, 2010)
I think the trailer does a neat job of portraying the book. But I can understand why such a trailer is hard to build. (Gladys Paradowski 10:43pm June 18, 2010)
The trailer is truely awesome! :D Now I really can't to read it xD (Rose Valentino 9:22am June 19, 2010)
good vid and book sounds vg too (Debbi Shaw 12:23pm June 19, 2010)
Just recently I was thinking much along the lines that this book seems to go while telling a story about my father. I learned about it from my mother since my father never talked about it to us children. I suddenly thought that I might have been embellishing it too much. And what we think about others and even ourselves can be twisted or incomplete. I've often thought, "I could never do this or that," but if I'm faced with the situation? Who knows.
The trailer is moving very good. (Sigrun Schulz 2:41pm June 19, 2010)
Hello Diane, Wow, what a fantastic trailer because I grew up on a wheat farm in Kansas and this brings back great memories for me. Please enter me in this fantastic contest and please let me know when I am a winner too! God bless you with success, Cecilia (Cecilia Dunbar Hernandez 9:12pm June 19, 2010)
I've got to say this is the first book trailer I've seen that wasn't cheesy. I tend to stay away from watching them as they are so bad that I'm afraid they may ruin the book for me. (Lisa Richards 4:51pm June 20, 2010)
I'm with Lisa above. I don't watch book trailers very often because they are just too cheesy and they put too much "lust" in them. (Molly Wilsbacher 10:29pm June 20, 2010)
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