Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Trailer trash woes

I spent several hours last night trying to make a book trailer for Jack of All Trades. I got it done, but I'm not happy with it. Finally I realized it wasn't me (at least, probably), but rather the limitations of ultra-crappy Microsoft Movie Maker. Tonight--or tomorrow night, more likely, since I work late tonight--I'll dig around and find a good open-source program to use instead. Any suggestions?

Even with MMM, though, I can tell this trailer-making is an addictive activity. I don't want to release the JOAT trailer until the book's available (because, you know, I expect there'll be so much interest in my trailer), so I'll do another one for a short story to show off in the meantime. I just wish I didn't have this stupid thing called work to get in the way of making trailers!

12 comments:

Cate Gardner said...

Are you dissing the wonderful Windows Movie Maker? *Shakes head at Kate* Without it I'd be lost. Of course, if you find something better then please, please, please let me know. Sorry, I meant please don't tell me.

Aaron Polson said...

I'm not an open source kind of guy. Probally should be, but I shelled out the clams for Sony's Vegas. I lurv it.

Jamie Eyberg said...

I am going to refuse to start this movie making thing. I know when I've been beaten by the technology and my slow little computer.

K.C. Shaw said...

Cate--I'm sure Windows Movie Maker has lots of good qualities. I just didn't find many. I'll be sure to keep the details of my finds away from you. :)

Aaron--I don't do anything with the open source part, I just like that open source software tends to be really good. I adore Kompozer for websites, for instance.

Jamie--Join us. Join us. Join us.

Jameson T. Caine said...

Having monkeyed around with a couple different video editing programs in times past, I learned long ago that they are right near the top of the list - along with certain video games - of things that do not cooperate and lead to high blood pressure and cardiac arrest on my part. Thus, I avoid them.

K.C. Shaw said...

Uh oh, I'm one of those people who get really frustrated with some (okay, most) video games. Maybe I should leave the trailers to more level-headed people. Well, after I do one or two. Or three, max.

Jeremy D Brooks said...

Boy, it's been years since I've used any of the open source packages out there...I can't even remember the names. I do remember that most of them are Linux only, though. I think maybe I used one on KDE called Kilo or Kino...

I'm with Aaron on Vegas...I just started using it, and it seems to be a pretty good package. I think you can download a demo on their website to check it out. I think.

K.C. Shaw said...

I'll have to look into Vegas. I'm looking for a good flash-animation program too, but those are expensive and I don't know if it's worth it for me just to mess around with it for fun.

Carrie Harris said...

Don't tell me about things like Vegas. Seriously. I'm going to have to stop commenting on posts for fear that they will ruin my Week of Productivity.

K.C. Shaw said...

Maybe you could schedule a Week of Slacking.

Carrie Harris said...

I don't need to schedule those. I have them all the time.

K.C. Shaw said...

But if you schedule them, it makes you look like you are so on-task you have to schedule your downtime or you wouldn't take it. Which reminds me a bit of a friend of my mom's, whose to-do list once started with "be spontaneous."