Video Sunday: One namers and hair duty

Next, Jeff Kinney gets interviewed by the Wall Street Journal. This gave me a little more insight into the film of the book and Kinney’s role in the process. Also, a hint on when the next book is coming out.

Has anyone else ever noticed that Jeff Kinney’s style of speaking isn’t all that different from that of Fred Rogers?  That’s not a criticism.  Just an observation.  Particularly since I’m amused by the notion of Mr. Rogers writing Diary of a Wimpy Kid.  Thanks to Children’s Illustration for the link.

Now let’s talk a bit about how one goes about promoting oneself using YouTube.  Newbie resident in New York Oliver Jeffers (who I think I once freaked out by incessantly videotaping him on a Flip camera . . . my apologies, sir) talks a bit about his work and his newest book.  Love the slicing and dicing of the editing on this one.  You can tell when professional work is done on a film.  Well played, Penguin.

Never saw a pink Great Paper Caper cover before.  Thanks big time to 123oleary for the link!

Speaking of professional videos, you may recall that I reviewed The Clock Without a Face earlier this week.  Here then is the video that accompanies it.  As faux History Channel documentaries go, this one certainly has had some hours put into it.

Which sort of leads me to my next point.  Book trailers.  Here are four different ways of looking at book trailers that came to my attention this week.  First off, you’ve got your artsy.  Now, if you are an illustrator who calls yourself Blexbolex, you are automatically made of awesome.  Extra points if you were actually born with the name "Bernard Granger".  For the record, I have seen this book.  It is unaccountably beautiful.

Alt-country for the music gives it a special touch.  Well played, Enchanted Lion Books.

Then you have the narrative-based book trailer.  This tends to work if your title is a chapter book.  Extra points if the book is heavily illustrated (as this one, Noonie’s Masterpiece, is) and you can lift the images from the text.  My only quibble with this is that it gives away a bit too much of the plot.  I finished it yesterday and it’s a great book but this goes way too far when describing the big climactic scene.

Pretty, though.

So far I’ve been showing you trailers produced by publishing companies.  That’s cool if they’re willing to spend some of their budget on you.  The advantage of doing it yourself is that you get to look just as cool and promote your own material in whatever fashion you prefer.  Example A: Dan Yaccarino talking up his The Fantstic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau.

Not that low budget doesn’t have its charms.

For today’s final off-topic video I proffer extended apologies to the person who drew my attention to this.  It was months ago, I lost it, I found it again, and I cannot remember who showed it to me. Mea culpa!  In the end, as you will see, it is well worth sharing.