Making a publicity video Moira Butterfield

I managed it! I managed to make a book publicity video and post it on my own Youtube Channel (which I did not have until a few days ago) and on Instagram TV (which I didn’t even know existed until a couple of weeks ago).

 

I’ve done this because publishers want as much as possible from us in terms of online material, and I knew I had to bite the bullet and step up – even though I am not yet sure who will watch it other than my family and friends (see last month’s blog).

 

During lockdown I did a great Society of Authors workshop with Candy Gourlay and Chitra Sounder which made filming seem less daunting. Because I don’t have novel chapters to read out I decided I wanted to be a ‘roving author’ -  not sitting at a desk. That meant filming outside when the weather was sunny – giving good lighting. I discovered it’s best to face towards the sun when filming, though not so much that I had to squint.

I did put on sunglasses at the end, for effect.

 

I read up on selfie sticks and chose a BlitzWolf Bluetooth Selfie stick that has an extendable arm but also doubles up as a tripod. It has a (tiny) remote control so I could, in theory, turn it on and off from afar – but I admit I haven’t got the hang of that yet. 

 

I also followed up on Candy’s tip to get an autocue app on my phone, which is excellent.  I’m using Teleprompter – I can type in a script or link to one on the computer and then choose the font size, colour and the speed it scrolls up on the phone screen. As I film I can see the script and as I’m looking at the camera nobody would know I was reading it.

 

I split my video into separate takes to make things easier and I chose an outfit that looked bright and breezy.

 

So, all set with my plan, I ventured outside one sunny morning, and discovered just how incredibly noisy my neighbourhood is. Neighbours coming out, dogs barking, recycling trucks, strimmers, radios, car horns, kids shouting, motorbikes….It took all morning to do it in different locations, and I ended up with a few takes that made me look insane and scary, but I eventually got the hang of it. It was fun to do and the hardest thing was finding locations where I could film undisturbed.

Shut up, everybody! I'm filming!

 

I gave the videos to a friend who, for modest payment, edited it together with some of the book illustrations and added some groovy sounds (that is way beyond me). He’s given me a tip for next time – leave more of a pause before starting to talk and also when ending a take – so he can edit it more easily. He did two versions – landscape for YouTube and portrait for Instagram TV. We changed a few things and then got ready to post.

 

I was concerned this was going to be difficult but it was easy enough. It took me a while how to work out how to link Instagram TV with my Instagram story function but I did it with the help of online instructions – There are lots out there. It all seemed pretty intuitive.

 

I have no idea who will watch these but who knows? I feel much more confident filming now, so I guess as I add in more videos I might get more interest. At least I can say I did it, and it wasn’t beyond me.

The video ends with the cover and information, though not details
I might have to change for foreign editions.

 

It’s not too difficult, and it’s a lot of fun! (I bought a cheap halo light to help with indoor filming but haven’t tried that yet, so I will report back another time).

 

Check me out here, and do let us know any other filming tips you might have.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk74GKogEymUxb3HBNUNzhg?reload=9

Moira Butterfield
www.moirabutterfield.com
Twitter @moiraworld
Instagram @moirabutterfieldauthor

 

A creative tip that might just change me for good! Moira Butterfield

This blog is short because it contains one important message about creativity that I think could provide invaluable for me and perhaps for you, too.

I heard it on Grayson Perry’s Art Club, which I’ve been enjoying on Channel Four for the past few Mondays (the last one was on June 1^st). Each week the public were asked to send in their own lockdown art on a specific theme, some of which was chosen to be part of a future exhibition. Grayson and his partner Philippa Perry both worked on pottery in their studio (I did have workspace envy), and talked to artistic celebrities. (That bit was slightly annoying because celebrities - usually comedians - have to be shoehorned in everywhere on TV, but that’s the way of things.)  

I was interested in the varied creative ideas that people offered and the interviews with members of the public that Grayson did via computer screen. They were both insightful and emotional. In particular there was an inspiring blind artist who responded in her work to the shadows she encountered, and an autistic boy who made very imaginative monster figures.

I even tried some performance art of my own, filmed by my bemused son, and though it didn’t get to the show it provided a morning of fun.

Grayson wasn’t afraid of trying new ideas and perhaps failing.

  “I did feel quite vulnerable making that,” he said when he tried drawing a portrait of his wife and making it into a plate. “We have to be open and be prepared to fail.”

One of Grayson Perry’s comments really struck home with me, and it’s one I intend to hold on to.

“If we get imposter syndrome it means we’re trying something new.”

I love that. It turns the imposter syndrome (that familiar feeling that you can’t do something) on its head and makes it into a positive forward-engine instead of a roadblock.

Like most writers I know I regularly wonder how on Earth I’m going to do something I’ve said I would do – even after years of writing. In fact, as Grayson Perry points out, it’s a consequence of propelling myself forward by trying new ideas. I do sometimes fail and get ideas knocked back regularly, but I do strive to be forward-thinking. In fact if I didn’t get that imposter syndrome feeling at some point when I’m developing a project, perhaps it signals that I’m being a bit too smug and liable to coast along producing the familiar.

Next time I think 'I can’t possibly do this’ I’ll be translating it into ‘Well done. You’re progressing, not stagnating!’

Moira Butterfield

www.moirabutterfield.com

Twitter @moiraworld

Instagram @moirabutterfieldauthor 

Moira’s latest book for children – A Trip to the Future - will be published in July by Templar.  It's illustrated by StudioFago and it is filled with the new because it imagines the science, engineering and creativity of the future based on today’s scientific breakthroughs. It's for children aged 8+ who are learning science, design and technology and it aims to inspire them to think in new ways,