The Sweetest Thing Trailer
A few weeks ago I met Mischa Merz, a national boxing champion and accomplished author looking to create some unique video content to help promote her new book The Sweetest Thing.
After a brief conversation with Mischa, I got together with a regular collaborator of mine Aaron to see what we could come up with in a short time and with minimal budget. We had a couple of hours to shoot at Mischa’s training venue in South Melbourne and then pieced together the above trailer using a voiceover recorded in my lounge room.
I’d always wanted to make a book trailer, as I think they are a fascinating, yet challenging promotional medium for a book. A book is filled with unique, personalised images that are formed by the imagination of the reader. Everybody takes away their own version of a book; the way a character looks, talks and behaves. Hence circumventing that process with video is fraught with issues of authenticity and believability.
That and of course there aren’t many publishers with the marketing budget to fund actors, build sets and script dialogue for a minute long trailer. The restrictions mean you have to think a bit more creatively.
A few factors made Mischa’s trailer a bit easier for us. The book is autobiographical, making Mischa the main character, and its cornerstone is a visually interesting subject: boxing.
I hope you like it and I hope you check out Mischa’s funny, intelligent and engaging book The Sweetest Thing.
3 Comments
Hey Mark,
Slick video, well shot, and fits well with the theme. Nice work!
Funnily enough, i had just finished watching the documentary ‘Facing Ali’ when I thought I’d head over to your site to see what you’d been up to. I’m glad I did. Really enjoyed this trailer, and hope all’s well in Melbournetown.
Speak soon.
Cheers,
Laurie
Laurie! Long time no speak. I read your Iowa summary the other day. Very exciting. When are you in Melbourne next?
Thanks for the kind words! I hope to be back in early November for the indie publishing conference. Would be great to catch up then. Great to see your film work coming out in the meantime: you have a real knack for it.
Hope to see you in November, and happy travels until then.
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