Thursday Thirteen - 213 - 13 Things About the Road to Post Production For My Book Trailer

1 - Two November 30th's ago I successfully completed my second NaNoWriMo novel-writing marathon.

This gave me the second half of the vampire novel I'd begun during my first NaNoWriMo, a few years earlier.

















2 - Last October at the writing retreat at White Point Beach, I finally finished the revisions which married those two NaNoWriMo storylines together.













3 - It was during this retreat that I was matched up with Tara and Shawna for the brainstorming session. Tara is at far left, back row. Shawna is at far right, back row. I'm in the front, at right.

Our time at the retreat sparked Tara's feeling that we would work well together on set. She has a production company, and she thought it would be a great beginning project to work together on a trailer for my vampire book. She knew the manuscript was going out to readers for critique as soon as I got back from the retreat.













4 - I plunged ahead into the next NaNoWriMo that November, setting my vampires aside to write the adult Scorpius story (his boyhood backstory makes up my Saturday serialized fiction.)

After a lot of intense writing, I set everything aside - including my blog - and went to Toronto to spend Christmas with family and friends. This is me with my sister-in-law, Violetta.

A great time of renewal before 2011 brought me to the Year of Reinvention.













5 - While in Toronto, I had lunch with two writer friends, Charlene at left and Chris at center. Charlene and Chris have a tradition of giving a name and an intention to their creative year.

They had named 2011 the Year of Reinvention. So I enthusiastically took them up on this and named it my Year of Reinvention, as well.

















6 - After plunging right into pre-production meetings with Tara over the winter, by spring we were ready to shoot the two-minute book trailer.

On April 30th, I spent a long but exhilarating day putting aside my Clark Kent life to direct the shoot.

This is the Director of Photography, Luke Hudgins setting up a shot.

Photo by Caroline Ruyle

7 - Notice the green screen behind him. The actors were shot against this screen for later replacement with a photograph, whose light source he matched in the studio.











8 - Here, the actor is placed against the green screen to simulate laying wounded upon a battlefield.












9 - Wednesday evening - a year-and-a-half after I finished typing the 50,000th word into my NaNoWriMo vampire manuscript - our editor Doug Woods from 902 POST in Halifax spent a second session with Tara and myself tightening the book trailer from a two-minute piece to a one-minute piece.

The initial rough edit is put together on his Avid editing system.

You can see Scott Baker as my main character Peredur laying against the green screen on the right-hand side of the editing screen. He struggles as a battlefield scavenger - played by my husband Brad - steals his ring.













10 - Delirious, Peredur sees a vision of his betrothed, seen above on the right part of the screen. Stevie Cooper as Tanwen gets some special effects treatment to suggest to viewers that she is not actually present on the battlefield.











11 - Tanwen's effects shot blacks over the green screen, but the editor controls the digital layering and can still place Tanwen against an image like this sunset sky, except the ones used in the book trailer were purchased from Shutterstock Images.

12 - To the left side of the Tanwen shot above is the effects stabilizer screen which the editor uses behind the scenes for matching the live-action digital footage to the static sunset shot.

13 - Doug and I got a lot done tonight, honing the footage into several tight, editorial sequences. We'll meet again next week, when Doug will move the footage to his high definition equipment.

Stay tuned for more updates as the book trailer nears completion!

Thursday Thirteen - 211 - 13 Sneak Peeks at the Making of My Book Trailer

I shot the trailer for my upcoming vampire novel a few weekends ago. Here's a behind-the-scenes view of an incredible day.

All photos courtesy of Caroline Ruyle















1 - Scott Baker as Peredur















2 - Stevie Cooper as Tanwen















3 - Bernie Matthew as Melnak















4 - Brennan Handy as the Saint















5 - Brad Smith as the Vampire Lord











6 - My dream-come-true producer, Tara MacDonald stands beside me at far right.

My husband Brad gets ready to press the amulet against Scott, at left.











7 - I give direction to Scott regarding the amulet ordeal.











8 - I go over the battlefield scene with Bernie and Scott.











9 - Stevie and Brad rehearse a more complicated blocking for their shot.











10 - Tara applies really great-looking blood for the vampire-bite shot.











11 - Director-slash-art department-slash-wardrobe fusses with Peredur's cloak.











12 - My DOP - or Director of Photography - Luke Hudgins, left, sets up the next shot, while Tara and I get Scott ready for his next scene.












13 - The beautiful bouquet of flowers which Tara presented to me on set as we wrapped the shoot.

In her words: "For coming out of the director's closet after sixteen years."

I would like to take this moment to thank everyone who worked so hard on the shoot. It was a joy to work alongside people who gave their very best.

An absolute joy.

Stay tuned for more updates - I just met up with the editor last night and we've already got an assembly edit of the trailer.

It's freakin' amazing.