While I wait for the last drawing that I need to finish my book trailer, I figured that I would talk a little bit about the process. I wanted to create a book trailer that looks nearly professional. I knew from the beginning that there were going to be certain elements that can’t be done without professional equipment but I also knew that if I took the time to do it properly, then it would be close.
The biggest problem is that I can’t draw. Period. I needed someone that could do the drawings for me, which is one of the reasons that I waited a few months before taking on this project. I lucked out in February when a student of mine, Drewe, decided to take a co-op at the school under my guidance. She wants to be an animator, so this was a pretty good match. I teach film and I have done some animation in the past but there was still a lot to learn.
Before writing and storyboarding the trailer, I sat down and figured out what I wanted the animation to look like. Drewe insisted that she could re-create any style that I could think of, so the search began. It took a couple of days before finding what I wanted, but I finally came across Roman Falls’ video, “I Say Fever.” Here is the video:
For obvious reasons, our version isn’t nearly as complex — to maintain the amount of detail in this video would require far more time and a larger staff. I think, however, it’s easy to see that the style itself is similar.
Once the style was determined, I set to storyboarding the project. Here is where you get to see why I needed someone else to draw.
